Sample Answers - A Christmas Carol (Grades 9

Examiner's Grade

Grade 3 The examiner gave this sample answer Grade 3.
Now read the comments below to understand why this grade was given.
The examiner also provides tips on how the answer might be improved.

Comment

This answer shows some understanding of the theme of poverty in the extract and the novel as a whole. The quotations used show good, simple knowledge of the text. The answer would be improved by the inclusion of some analysis of the writer’s language and the effects that it has on the reader. Contextual points need relating more closely to the text itself.

For Grade 4

Embed quotations in sentences to avoid repetition, and include some comment on the author’s language.
Read the extract carefully to check that the text is fully understood before commenting on it.
Strengthen the conclusion by explaining the ‘strong message’ and relating it to the essay title.