1. Read the following extracts from student answers and the mark scheme criteria for this Assessment Task.
2. What level would the extract be if the response continued in the same way? Justify your answer with reasons.

Candidate A

 

Is it me, or is everything just irritating? What is it about MOBILE PHONES though that wind me up so much?

 

The other day I was on the underground in London, the sort that don’t actually go underground for part of the journey. Contradiction in terms as this is, it offers those of us with a mobile the chance to call others whilst on the underground. Great! And you can hear one side of the conversation loud and clear as you sit there, casually minding your own business reading the paper, looking at your strangely distorted reflection in the window opposite – scary, or checking out someone else across the carriage, hoping they might see you, you’ll go on a date and eventually get married and have lots of children together.

 

Hello, it’s Rob here.

I’m on the underground.

Oh, one of those that you aren’t always underground on.

Earls Court.

 

Of course, by the time you’ve heard them give the other person all the details of where you are and not why you are actually calling, you go back into a tunnel.

 

One man called back his mate after reappearing from this void in the mobile world and apologised. ‘I’m sorry, just gone into no man’s land.’

 

No man’s land?

 

Excuse me; this is not ‘no man’s land’. You are in a tunnel on the underground in London. ‘No man’s land’ is a place where millions of people were killed in the First world war. Not some small zone where there are no bars on your phone because you are underground!

 

And people complain because there is no mobile reception underground as well. Can you imagine it at rush hour on the trains? Hundreds of people all crammed together as tightly as possible in the carriage and then your phone starts sounding off. And you have it set to some ridiculous tune, which is funny only to you and exceptionally annoying to everyone else in the whole world! Better still, it’s on vibrate in your trouser pocket.

 

How do you get to it?

Excuse me, sorry, oh was that your leg? Sorry.

You will be very sorry!

 

Candidate B

 

Why do adults ignore what students want?

 

It’s a situtation that I get all the time. Teachers and parents who ignore what I want. It’s really frustrating to be told what to doall the time, but wen I arsk for something I’m just ignored as if I don’t matter.

 

Come on, help me out. I’m not askig for much, just a new phone, or a CD or some nice clothes.

 

I went out the other night and it wasn’ long befour my mum was on the phone callin me all sorts and telling me to cum home now. she didn’t give me a gud reason, and its so annoyin as I didn’t do nothik wrong.

 

I fink it may be catching as my older brother was telling me to tidy my room the other dya. I donno if it was cos my mum told him to or what, but it was just annoyin and I ingnored him.

 

I like goin out at the weekends and hanging around wiv me mates and stuff and talkin’ and doing stuff. It’s better than doing what your told by gorwn ups who don’t respect you.

 

 

Candidate C

 

Why do we have to wear a school uniform? It’s uncomfortable, ugly and just looks old fashioned and silly.

 

There are those who argue that a school uniform gives each school it’s own identity and a sense of unity is formed between the students. This contradicts a society that is trying to encourage the individual to strive above the rest.

 

It is almost impossible to wear school uniform in some lessons. There is the dangerous element to it when doing experiments in chemistry or physics. What happens if a tie gets in a Bunsen burner or caught in a piece of machinery in the CDT lab? Blazers can’t be worn as they might get covered in dangerous chemicals, or a sleeve can accidentally catch the edge of a test tube and send it flying to the floor.

 

Everyone looks the same. We all walk into assembly wearing the same blazer, the same tie, the same trousers and shirt. Are we trying to create a society of machines, all looking the same: surely it is hard for teachers to tell us apart if we are all wearing exactly the same uniform?