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A Christmas Carol (Grades 9–1)  York Notes GCSE Revision Guide

GCSE Study Notes and Revision Guides

A Christmas Carol (Grades 9–1) York Notes

Charles Dickens

Examiner's Grade

Grades 6–7 The examiner gave this sample answer Grades 6–7.
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 essay examines the extract from the end of the novel and the novel as a whole. Although, there is more to say about Scrooge’s use of rhetorical language features in the extract. Avoiding long sentences and adding a greater variety of sentence types would make expression more fluent and sophisticated, i.e., part of the conclusion could be rephrased as ‘Taking full responsibility for his role in looking after the poor, Scrooge becomes ‘as good a friend…’. Analysis is generally well-focused and sustained with relevant comments on historical context, such as the Poor Law and its role in the novel.

For Grades 8–⁠9

  • Demonstrate awareness that this is a didactic passage, which is there to educate readers about the effects of poverty on society.
  • Comment on the humorous effect of the significant purchase of the coal scuttle to show Scrooge’s transformation.
  • Explore the structural foregrounding in the passage, with the personification of ‘Want’ and ‘Abundance’ foreshadowing the depictions of the Ghost of Christmas Present later in the novel.

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