Cambridge Assessment International Education

Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (9–1)

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH (9–1) 0627/02

Paper 2 Directed Writing and Composition October/November 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 80

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2017 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE®, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level
components.

® IGCSE is a registered trademark.

This syllabus is regulated for use in England as a Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 (9–1) Certificate.

This document consists of 8 printed pages.

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Note: All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in
candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills
demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to and derived from the passage.

Section 1: Directed Writing

Question 1

This question tests writing assessment objectives W1 to W5 (25 marks)

W1 Articulate and express what is thought, felt and imagined

W2 Organise and structure ideas and opinions for deliberate effect
W3 Use a range of appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures
W4 Use register appropriate to audience and purpose
W5 Make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar

and reading assessment objectives R3 and R5 (15 marks)

R3 Analyse and critically evaluate facts, ideas and opinions using appropriate support from the text
R5 Select and synthesise information for specific purpose

Question 1

Write an article for your school or college magazine advising young people whether or not
to learn to drive at 17.

In your article you should:

• consider the arguments in both passages

• give your advice to young people, based on what you have read.

You should give evidence from the two passages you have read to help you answer the
question. Remember to write your article using your own words.

Give reasons and examples to support what you say.

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 25 marks for the
quality of your writing.

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Responses might use the following ideas:

A1 Possible reasons why passing the driving test would not be advised:

In Passage 1
• Driving as a ‘rite of passage to the adult world’ is old-fashioned/no longer applies
• Teenage drivers are useful to families, driving is just another chore
• Young people already have the freedom that driving used to provide

In Passage 2
• The figures speak for themselves – teenagers are not learning to drive in the numbers they
used to
• New drivers face increased dangers on the road
• Many people think young people aren’t ready to drive
• The cost of learning to drive is now prohibitive
• Learning to drive doesn’t mean access to a car any more
• There are more important financial choices to make for families
• Public transport may be more efficient in cities
• There are environmental costs

A2 Possible reasons in favour of learning to drive:

In Passage 1
• Young drivers can play a part in helping their families
• Learning to drive can teach many useful, practical skills
• It can be a powerful motivator
• It can teach young people decent manners

In Passage 2
• Although they delay learning to drive, young people are still learning
• The accident statistics for young people could suggest that they’re not being taught well
• Public transport in many areas is inadequate

A3 Some overview:
• Generalisations are unhelpful: not all young people are reckless/live in cities
• Learning to drive has become the reserve of young people from wealthy families
• Being able to drive is still considered an important life skill
• Environmental concerns show a level of responsibility not seen in previous generations
• Modern driving conditions make driving less appealing: the ‘lure of the open road’ has
become a myth
• There are other ‘rites of passage’ these days such as going to university is more significant

The discriminator is the extent to which the views in both passages on learning to drive are weighed
up and evaluated. The advice given should be balanced and well-reasoned. Evidence should be
derived from the ideas and examples in both passages, developing claims and assessing their
implications with clear and persuasive arguments.

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Marking criteria for Section 1, Question 1

Table A, Writing: Use the following table to give a mark out of 25 for Writing.

Band 6 22–25 • Highly effective register for audience and purpose.

• Well-organised and carefully structured for the benefit of the reader.
• Precise use of well-chosen vocabulary with consistent use of own words.
• Appropriate use of varied sentence structures.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate.

Band 5 18–21 • Effective register for audience and purpose.

• Secure overall structure with some helpful organisation of ideas and
information.
• Some precision in vocabulary and mostly own words.
• Appropriate use of sentence structures.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar mainly accurate; occasional errors
arise from ambition.

Band 4 14–17 • Sometimes effective register for audience and purpose

• Ideas generally well sequenced.
• Vocabulary may be plain but adequate; some use of own words
• Mostly correct, if repetitive, sentence structure.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar generally accurate; but with some
errors.

Band 3 10–13 • Some awareness of an appropriate register for audience and purpose.
• Relies on the sequence of the original text.
• Uses simple vocabulary with some reliance on the wording of the original
text.
• Straightforward sentences mostly correct; errors in more complex
structures
• Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar sometimes impair
communication.

Band 2 6–9 • The response is not well sequenced.

• There may be frequent lifting of phrases and sentences from the original
text
• Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar sometimes impair
communication.

Band 1 1–5 • Excessive copying from original text.

• Expression unclear.
• Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impede
communication.

Band 0 0 • A mark of zero should be awarded where response cannot be understood

and/or where it is entirely copied from the original.

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Table B, Reading: Use the following table to give a mark out of 15 for Reading.

Band 6 13–15 • Successfully evaluates ideas and opinions, both implicit and explicit.
• Synthesises and develops a wide range of evidence and is consistently
well-focused on task and texts.
• Assimilates information and ideas to offer a convincing overview.

Band 5 10–12 • Some successful evaluation of ideas and opinions, both implicit and
explicit.
• Synthesises a range of evidence and offers some development with clear
focus on task and texts.
• Re-organises information and ideas to offer a clear overview.

Band 4 7–9 • Begins to evaluate mainly explicit ideas and opinions.

• Selects a range of evidence and is mostly focused on task and texts.
• Some sense of overview

Band 3 5–6 • Selects some straightforward evidence and is sometimes focused on task
and texts.
• Comments on explicit ideas and opinions.

Band 2 3–4 • Selects a little evidence and offers a general response to the task
• Identifies explicit ideas and opinions.

Band 1 1–2 • Reproduces selected sections of the original text(s).

Band 0 0 • A mark of zero should be awarded for no creditable content

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Section 2: Composition

Questions 2, 3, 4, 5

This question tests writing assessment objectives W1 to W5 (40 marks)

Table A
W1 Articulate and express what is thought, felt and imagined
W2 Organise and structure ideas and opinions for deliberate effect

Table B
W3 Use a range of appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures
W4 Use register appropriate to audience and purpose
W5 Make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar

Answer one question in this section.

You should write about 350 to 450 words on one of the following questions. Answer on this
Question Paper.

There are up to 16 marks available for the content and structure of your answer, and up to
24 marks for the style and accuracy of your writing.

Descriptive writing

Question 2

Imagine it is your first day in a new school or college. Describe your first impressions
and your thoughts and feelings in the first few minutes as you enter the school or
college.

OR

Question 3

Describe going on an exciting ride at a fairground or theme park.

OR

Narrative writing

Question 4

Write a story with the title, ‘It’s never too late’.

OR

Question 5

Write a story which involves an unexpected friendship.

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Marking criteria for Section 2, Questions 2, 3, 4 and 5

Use Table A on page 7 to give a mark out of 13 for content and structure, and Table B on page 8 to
give a mark out of 12 for style and accuracy.

Marking criteria for Section 2, Questions 2, 3, 4 and 5

Table A, Composition: Content and structure

Band 6 14–16 • Content is complex, sophisticated and realistic.

• Cohesive response. Overall structure is secure and the constituent parts well
balanced and carefully managed for deliberate effect.

Descriptive Many well-defined and developed ideas and images create a convincing,
original, overall picture with varieties of focus.
Narrative The plot is convincing with elements of fiction such as description,
characterisation and climax, and with cogent detail.
Band 5 11–13 • Content develops some interesting and realistic features in parts of the
writing.
• Writing is orderly, and beginnings and endings are satisfactorily

Descriptive Frequent well-chosen images and details give an impression of reality,

although the overall picture is not sustained.
Narrative The plot incorporates some interesting features, but not consistently so: the
reader may be aware of the creation of suspense and a sense of climax.
Band 4 8–10 • Content is straightforward with ideas, features and images that satisfactorily
address the task; some opportunities for development are taken.
• Overall structure is competent and some sentences are well sequenced.

Descriptive A selection of relevant ideas, images and details addresses the task, even
where there is a tendency to write a narrative.
Narrative The plot is straightforward and cohesive with some identification of features
such as character and setting.
Band 3 5–7 • Content consists of relevant ideas that are briefly developed.
• Overall structure is easily followed, though some constituent parts are too
long or too short to be effective.

Descriptive The task is addressed with a series of ordinary details, which may be more
typical of a narrative.
Narrative Recording of relevant but sometimes unrealistic events outweighs other
desirable elements of narrative fiction.
Band 2 3–4 • Content is simple, and the presentation of ideas and events may only be
partially credible.
• Overall structure is recognisable, though paragraphing is inconsistent and
sequences of sentences insecure.

Descriptive Where a narrative is written, the recording of events may preclude the use of
sufficient descriptive detail.
Narrative The plot is a simple narrative that may consist of events that are only partially
credible or which are presented with partial clarity.
Band 1 1–2 • Content is inconsistent in relevance, interest and clarity.
• Structure is frequently unclear, revealing a limited grasp of purpose.

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Descriptive Some relevant facts are identified, but the overall picture is unclear and lacks
development.
Narrative The plot lacks coherence and narrates events indiscriminately.
Band 0 0 • A mark of zero should be awarded for no creditable content or where the
response cannot be understood.

Table B, Composition: Style and accuracy

Band 6 21–24 • Highly effective style and consistent sense of audience.

• Precise use of well-chosen vocabulary.
• Appropriate use of varied sentence structures.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate.
Band 5 17–20 • Effective style and good sense of audience.
• Some precision in vocabulary.
• Appropriate use of sentence structures.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar mainly accurate; occasional errors
arise from ambition.
Band 4 13–16 • Sometimes effective style and some sense of audience.
• Vocabulary may be plain but adequate.
• Mostly correct, if repetitive, sentence structure.
• Minor errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Band 3 9–12 • Some awareness of audience.
• Uses simple vocabulary.
• Straightforward sentences mostly correct; errors in more complex
structures.
• Occasionally serious and frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and
grammar.
Band 2 5–8 • Limited awareness of audience.
• Simple vocabulary may not always be accurately used.
• The response is not well sequenced.
• Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar sometimes impair
communication.
Band 1 1–4 • Little or no sense of audience.
• Limited use of correct vocabulary.
• Expression unclear.
• Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impede
communication.
Band 0 0 • A mark of zero should be awarded where the response cannot be
understood.

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