June 2020 MS - Paper 1 Edexcel English Language GCSE

Mark Scheme (Results)

November 2020

Pearson Edexcel GCSE

In English Language (1EN0)

Paper 1: Fiction and Imaginative Writing

PMT

General marking guidance

• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the last

candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the first.

• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be rewarded for

what they have shown they can do rather than be penalised for omissions.

• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme – not according to their

perception of where the grade boundaries may lie.

• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded. Examiners

should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer matches the

mark scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award zero marks if the

candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.

• Where some judgment is required, mark schemes will provide the principles by

which marks will be awarded and exemplification/indicative content will not be

exhaustive.

• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark scheme to

a candidate’s response, a senior examiner must be consulted before a mark is

given.

• Crossed-out work should be marked unless the candidate has replaced it with

an alternative response.

Marking guidance – specific

• The marking grids have been designed to assess student work holistically. The

grids identify the Assessment Objective being targeted by the level

descriptors.

• When deciding how to reward an answer, examiners should consult both the

indicative content and the associated marking grid(s). When using a levels-

based mark scheme, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.

• Examiners should first decide which descriptor most closely matches the

answer and place it in that level.

• The mark awarded within the level will be decided based on the quality of the

answer and will be modified according to how securely all bullet points are

displayed at that level.

• In cases of uneven performance, the points above will still apply. Candidates

will be placed in the level that best describes their answer according to the

PMT

Assessment Objective described in the level. Marks will be awarded towards

the top or bottom of that level depending on how they have evidenced each of

the descriptor bullet points.

• Indicative content is exactly that – it consists of factual points that candidates

are likely to use to construct their answer. It is possible for an answer to be

constructed without mentioning some or all of these points, as long as they

provide alternative responses to the indicative content that fulfil the

requirements of the question. It is the examiner’s responsibility to apply their

professional judgment to the candidate’s response in determining if the

answer fulfils the requirements of the question.

PMT

Section A: Reading

Question

Number

AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit

information and ideas

Mark

The answer must be taken from lines 2-4 and the word

must be included:

 (my dear) young (friend)

(1)

Question

Number

AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit

information and ideas

Mark

Accept any reasonable answer based on lines 17-20, up to a

maximum of 2 marks.

Quotations and candidate’s own words are

acceptable.

• beautiful (expanse)

• (bathed in soft, yellow) moonlight

• the scene is so suffused with light that it is ‘almost as

light as day.’

• the light is described as ‘soft’

• ‘the distant hills became melted’

• the shadows are described in attractive terms: ‘velvety

(blackness)’

• there is ‘beauty’ in the scenery

• the scenery improves the narrator’s mood, making him

feel cheerful

• the narrator feels ‘peace and comfort’ when looking at

the scene.

(2)

PMT

In responses to the following question, examiners should be aware of the different

ways candidates may structure their responses. There should be sufficient evidence

analysing both language and structure to reward responses. Responses that are

unbalanced cannot access Level 2 or above, where analysis of both language and

structure is required.

Question

Number

Indicative content

Reward responses that explain how the writer uses language and structure to

show the narrator’s thoughts and feelings about the Count in lines 24–38.

Responses may include the following points about the language of the text:

 strong abstract nouns used to show his immediate sense of horror: ‘repulsion

and terror’

 use of phrases to indicate his certainty that it was the Count: ‘I knew the man’, ‘I

could not mistake’

 use of simple connective to indicate his immediate change in feelings: ‘But’

 use of allusion, suggesting that the Count is connected with hell, as the Count is

descending into ‘that dreadful abyss’

 use of similes to suggest that the Count may not be entirely human: ‘like great

wings’, ‘just as a lizard moves along a wall’

 use of a number of words and phrases to question his earlier certainty: ‘I could

not believe my eyes’, ‘some trick of the moonlight’, ‘some weird effect’.

Responses may include the following points about the structure of the text:

 this section of the passage begins with mild amusement but quickly builds to

absolute terror; the first paragraph is description whilst the second is entirely

personal reflection

 use of sentence variety for impact; the earlier complex sentences are brought

up short by the simple sentence, ’At first I could not believe my eyes’

 use of italics for very strong emphasis to show his utter disbelief: ‘face down’

 use of repetition to emphasise his disbelief at what he is seeing: ’some trick of

the moonlight, some weird effect of shadow’, ‘what manner’

 the question, ‘What manner of man…?’, has greater emphasis by being placed

at the start of a new paragraph

 repeated use of reflective questions moves the reader to considering whether

the Count may not be human at all, ‘what manner of creature…?’

 the final multi-clausal sentence makes use of semi-colons, dashes and ellipsis

to indicate the scale of his disbelief and the fractured and frantic nature of his

thought process.

(6 marks)

PMT

Level

Mark

AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language

and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using

relevant subject terminology to support their views.

No rewardable material.

Level 1

1–2

 Comment on the language and/or structure used to achieve

effects and influence readers, including use of vocabulary.

 The selection of references is valid, but not developed.

NB: The mark awarded cannot progress beyond the top of Level

1 if only language OR structure has been considered.

Level 2

3–4

 Explanation of how both language and structure are used to

achieve effects and influence readers, including use of

vocabulary and sentence structure.

 The selection of references is appropriate and relevant to the

points being made.

Level 3

5–6

 Analysis of how both language and structure are used to achieve

effects and influence readers, including use of vocabulary,

sentence structure and other language features.

 The selection of references is discriminating and clarifies the

points being made.

PMT

Question

Number

Indicative content

Reward responses that evaluate how successfully the attempt to create an

atmosphere of suspense is achieved.

References to the writer’s techniques should only be credited at Level

2 and above if they support the critical judgement of the text.

Responses may include:

 the writer securely establishes the commanding character of the Count,

‘Let me advise you, my dear young friend’, which creates an initial sense

of foreboding. Some may see his friendly tone as patronising and

threatening towards the narrator, so beginning the passage with the

creation of suspense

 the Count’s repeated warning, emphatically stated with, ‘Be warned!’,

directly creates a sense of doubt in the reader

 the personification of the setting of the castle itself as being ‘old’ and

with ‘many memories’ creates a sense of nightmarish claustrophobia as

the narrator is within the malevolent castle and unable to escape from it

 the writer creates a growing sense of insecurity through the Count’s

‘gruesome’ gesture of washing his hands. This is shocking and callous

and indicates that there are powerful forces at work that the Count can

only warn the narrator about, not protect him from

 the first paragraph uses vocabulary and imagery which draws on the

gothic themes including fear and uncertainty: ‘the unnatural, horrible net

of gloom and mystery’

 the short sentence opening the second paragraph indicates that the

narrator has gone straight to his room as it is one of the few places he

can feel safe in the mysterious castle

 after the heavy warnings at the opening of the passage, suspense is

subtly created through the insertion of the section where the narrator

gains relief from observing the beauty of the night

 ironically, the expectation of fear and terror that the Count had warned

the narrator about does not come from the castle, rather it comes from

outside the castle and in the person of the Count himself

 the manner in which the narrator ‘drew back behind the stonework’

creates a furtive sense of seeing something that one is forbidden to see,

and so creates suspense

 the reader is momentarily lulled into a false sense of security by the

narrator’s initial reaction of amusement to seeing ‘the Count’s head

coming out from the window’

 the depiction of the Count as a ‘creature’, ‘a lizard’ and some ill-defined

winged being, creates shock and fear and is the culmination of the

suspense that has been built up

PMT

 the final sentence powerfully encompasses the fears of the narrator:

‘dread’, ‘horrible’, ‘I am in fear’, ‘no escape’, ‘encompassed about with

terrors’

 the final ellipsis leaves the reader to ponder upon what may happen

next to our unfortunate narrator.

(15 marks)

Level

Mark

AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with

appropriate textual references

No rewardable material.

Level 1

1–3

 Description of ideas, events, themes or settings.

 Limited assertions are offered about the text.

 The use of references is limited.

Level 2

4–6

 Comment on ideas, events, themes or settings.

 Straightforward opinions with limited judgements

are offered about the text.

 The selection of references is valid, but not

developed.

Level 3

7–9

 Explanation of ideas, events, themes or settings.

 Informed judgement is offered about the text.

 The selection of references is appropriate and

relevant to the points being made.

Level 4

10–12

 Analysis of ideas, events, themes or settings.

 Well-informed and developed critical judgement is

offered about the text.

 The selection of references is appropriate, detailed

and fully supports the points being made.

Level 5

13–15

 Evaluation of ideas, events, themes or settings.

 There is a sustained and detached critical overview

and judgement about the text.

 The selection of references is apt and discriminating

and is persuasive in clarifying the points being made.

PMT

Section B: Imaginative Writing

Refer to the writing assessment grids at the end of this section when marking

Question 5 and Question 6.

Question

Number

Indicative content

Purpose: to write a real or imagined piece about a time when the candidate

visited a place that was new to them. This may involve a range of approaches,

including: description, anecdote, speech, narrative and literary techniques.

Audience: the writing is for a general readership. Candidates can choose to

write for an adult audience or an audience of young people.

Form: the response may be narrative, descriptive or monologue.

There should be clear organisation and structure with an introduction,

development of points and a conclusion. Some candidates may intentionally

adapt their language and style to their audience by using, for example, a more

informal or colloquial approach. Candidates may introduce some literary

elements.

Responses may:

 use the passage to inspire writing, possibly producing writing that is

influenced by gothic or fantasy texts

 write about any kind of visit, for example holidays, school trips and

visiting relatives, developing thoughts and feelings about the impact of

the new place

 use appropriate techniques for creative writing: vocabulary, imagery,

language techniques

 use a voice that attempts to make the piece interesting and believable

for the chosen audience

 demonstrate particular understanding of the form used

 be written in a register and style appropriate for the chosen form,

which may include colloquial elements, dialogue within description or

narrative, or a sustained single voice in a monologue.

(40 marks)

(includes 16 marks for the range of vocabulary and sentence structures

for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate use of spelling and

punctuation)

PMT

Question

Number

Indicative content

Purpose: to write a real or imagined piece about a time when the candidate,

or someone known to them, experienced something that was amazing or

surprising. This may involve a range of approaches, including: description,

anecdote, speech, narrative and literary techniques.

Audience: the writing is for a general readership. Candidates can choose to

write for an adult audience or an audience of young people.

Form: the response may be narrative, descriptive or a monologue.

There should be clear organisation and structure with an introduction,

development of points and a conclusion. Some candidates may intentionally

adapt their language and style to their audience by using, for example, a

more informal or colloquial approach. Candidates may introduce some

literary elements.

Responses may:

 use the images to inspire writing; for example, some may choose to

write about genuine moments of amazement or surprise or may take

their inspiration from the images

 take their inspiration from the reading text and produce writing in a

gothic or fantasy genre

 write about the amazing or surprising event itself, whilst others may

adopt a more reflective approach, developing a range of thoughts and

feelings about the impact of the experience on themselves and others

 write about more than a single event or experience

 use appropriate techniques for creative writing: vocabulary, imagery,

language techniques

 use a voice that attempts to make the piece interesting and believable

to the chosen audience

 demonstrate particular understanding of the form used

 be written in a register and style appropriate for the chosen form,

which may include colloquial elements, dialogue within description or

narrative, or a sustained single voice in a monologue.

(40 marks)

(includes 16 marks for the range of vocabulary and sentence structures

for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate use of spelling and

punctuation)

PMT

Writing assessment grids for Question 5 and Question 6

AO5:

 Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting

tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

 Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to

support coherence and cohesion of texts.

Level

Mark

The candidate:

 provides no rewardable material

Level 1

1–4

 offers a basic response, with audience and/or purpose not fully

established

 expresses information and ideas, with limited use of structural

and grammatical features

Level 2

5–9

 shows an awareness of audience and purpose, with

straightforward use of tone, style and register

 expresses and orders information and ideas; uses paragraphs

and a range of structural and grammatical features

Level 3

10–14

 selects material and stylistic or rhetorical devices to suit

audience and purpose, with appropriate use of tone, style and

 develops and connects appropriate information and ideas;

structural and grammatical features and paragraphing make

meaning clear

Level 4

15–19

 organises material for particular effect, with effective use of

tone, style and register

 manages information and ideas, with structural and

grammatical features used cohesively and deliberately across

the text

Level 5

20–24

 shapes audience response with subtlety, with sophisticated and

sustained use of tone, style and register

 manipulates complex ideas, utilising a range of structural and

grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion.

PMT

AO6:

Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity,

purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation

Level

Mark

The candidate:

 provides no rewardable material

Level 1

1–3

 uses basic vocabulary, often misspelled

 uses punctuation with basic control, creating undeveloped,

often repetitive, sentence structures

Level 2

4–6

 writes with a range of correctly spelt vocabulary, e.g. words

with regular patterns such as prefixes, suffixes, double

consonants

 uses punctuation with control, creating a range of sentence

structures, including coordination and subordination

Level 3

7–9

 uses a varied vocabulary and spells words containing irregular

patterns correctly

 uses accurate and varied punctuation, adapting sentence

structure to contribute positively to purpose and effect

Level 4

10–12

 uses a wide, selective vocabulary with only occasional spelling

errors

 positions a range of punctuation for clarity, managing sentence

structures for deliberate effect

Level 5

13–16

 uses an extensive vocabulary strategically; rare spelling errors

do not detract from overall meaning

 punctuates writing with accuracy to aid emphasis and

precision, using a range of sentence structures accurately and

selectively to achieve particular effects.

PMT