Q Orbitals

Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge Ordinary Level
ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1123/11

Paper 1 Writing May/June 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 60
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 will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.
Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2017 series for most Cambridge IGCSE®,
Cambridge International A and AS Level and Cambridge Pre-U components, and some Cambridge O Level
components.
® IGCSE is a registered trademark.
This document consists of 11 printed pages.
© UCLES 2017 [Turn over

1123/11 Cambridge O Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2017
PUBLISHED
Question Answer Marks
MARKING of LANGUAGE Section 1 and Section 2
General Assessment Objectives for WRITING
W1 Communicate appropriately, with a clear awareness of purpose, audience and register.

W2 Communicate clearly and develop ideas coherently, at word level, at sentence level and at
whole text level.
W3 Use accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
W4 Communicate creatively, using a varied range of vocabulary, sentence structures and
linguistic devices.
The above objectives are assessed by impression, using as guides the Band descriptions in
this mark scheme, the Photostats (if available), and any exemplar scripts showing performance
across the expected range of achievement.
Specific Assessment Objectives for Section 1: Directed Writing
To test the candidate’s ability to:

1. write a report which communicates information and persuades clearly, accurately and
economically;
2. carry out the instructions as detailed on the question paper regarding the particular information
required.
Detailed Marking Instructions for Section 1: Directed Writing
The 30 marks are allocated as follows:

Task 15 marks
Fulfilment
Language 15 marks
Note: Assessing task fulfilment means more than including the bullet/content points.
Note: Candidates who address only two points must be in Band 3 or below for TF.
Notation used in Section 1 to indicate where required information is addressed:
Tick 1 – the name of the teacher and an outline of the teacher’s career
Tick 2 – examples of what has made the teacher so popular and successful with students
Tick 3 – what events the students think should be included in the ceremony and why.
© UCLES 2017 Page 2 of 11

PUBLISHED
SECTION 1 TASK FULFILMENT MARK
Band 1 (15–13 marks)

• Good understanding of purpose.
• Clear awareness of situation and audience.
• Format entirely appropriate.
• All required points developed in detail, fully amplified and well organised.
• Given information well used to justify personal opinion and interpretation.
• Tone and register entirely appropriate.
• An understanding of purpose.
• An awareness of situation and audience.
• Format appropriate.
• All required points addressed but not always developed in detail.
• Given information organised to support personal opinion.
• Tone and register appropriate.
• Some understanding of purpose.
• Some awareness of situation and audience.
• Format generally appropriate.
• At least two required points addressed (and partially/fully developed).
• Given information may not be logically used to support opinion.
• Tone usually appropriate, although there may be slips of register.
• Only partial understanding of purpose.
• Some confusion as to situation and audience.
• Format may be inappropriate.
• At least one of the required points addressed (and partially/fully developed).
• Given information may be used irrelevantly.
• Tone may be uneven
• Misunderstanding of purpose.
• Confusion as to situation and audience.
• Little evidence of a specific format.
• None of the required points addressed.
• Given information misunderstood or irrelevant.
• Tone may be inappropriate.
A mark of 0
should be given only when:
• the response is totally incomprehensible or
• the candidate has merely copied out the question or parts of it at random or
• the question is not attempted at all.

PUBLISHED
SECTION 1 LANGUAGE MARK

• Highly accurate, apart from very occasional slips.
• Sentence structures varied for particular effects.
• Verb forms largely correct and appropriate tenses consistently used.
• Vocabulary wide and precise.
• Punctuation accurate and helpful.
• Spelling accurate, apart from very occasional slips.
• Paragraphs have unity, are linked, and show evidence of planning.
• Accurate; occasional errors are either slips or caused by ambition.
• Sentence structures show some variation to create some natural fluency.
• Occasional slips in verb forms or tense formation, but sequence
consistent and clear throughout.
• Vocabulary precise enough to convey intended shades of meaning.
• Punctuation accurate and generally helpful.
• Spelling nearly always accurate.
• Paragraphs have unity, are usually linked and show some evidence of
planning.
• Mostly accurate; errors from ambition do not mar clarity of communication.
• Some variety of sentence structures, but tendency to repeat sentence
types may produce monotonous effect.
• Errors may occur in irregular verb forms, but control of tense sequence
sufficient to sustain clear progression of events or ideas.
• Simple vocabulary mainly correct; errors may occur with more ambitious
words.
• Punctuation generally accurate and sentence separation correctly marked, but
errors may occur
• e.g. with direct speech.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate; some errors in more ambitious words.
• Paragraphs may show some unity, although links may be absent or
inappropriate.
• Sufficiently accurate to communicate meaning, with patches of clear, accurate
language.
• Some variety of sentence length and structure, not always for particular
purpose.
• Errors in verb forms and tense consistency may cause uncertainty in
sequence of events or disturb ease of communication.
• Vocabulary usually adequate to convey intended meaning; idiom may be
uncertain.
• Punctuation used but not always helpful; occasional sentence separation
errors.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate; errors in more difficult words.
• Paragraphs used but may lack unity or coherence.

PUBLISHED

• Overall meaning never in doubt, but errors sufficiently frequent and serious to
hamper precision and distract reader from content.
• Some simple structures accurate but unlikely to sustain accuracy for long.
• Errors in verb forms and tenses will sometimes confuse sequence of events.
• Vocabulary limited, either too simple or imperfectly understood; some idiomatic
errors likely.
• Simple punctuation usually accurate, but there may be frequent sentence
separation errors.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate; frequent errors in more difficult words.
• Paragraphs used haphazardly.
Band6 (5–4 marks)
• Many serious errors of various kinds of ‘single-word’ type (i.e. they could be
corrected without re-writing the sentence); communication established,
although weight of error may cause some ‘blurring’.
• Sentences probably simple and repetitive in structure.
• Frequent errors in verb forms and haphazard changes of tense confuse
meaning.
• Vocabulary conveys meaning but likely to be simple and imprecise; significant
idiomatic errors
• Spelling may be inconsistent.
• Punctuation and paragraphing may be haphazard or non-existent.
• Sense usually decipherable but some error will be ‘multiple’ (i.e. requiring the
reader to re-read and re-organise); meaning may be partly hidden by density
of linguistic error.
• Unlikely to be more than a few accurate sentences, however simple, in the
whole essay.
Band 8 (1–0 mark)
Scripts almost entirely or entirely impossible to recognise as pieces of English writing;

PUBLISHED
Detailed Marking instructions for Section 2: Creative Writing
30 marks are allocated. The ‘best fit’ principle is applied, as in the following table. Note: Primary
emphasis is on quality of Language; comments on Content used to adjust mark within Band.
SECTION 2 MARK

• Sentence structure varied for particular effects.
• Spelling accurate apart from very occasional slips.
– Consistently relevant. Interest aroused and sustained.

– Tone and register entirely appropriate.
– Discursive essays are well developed, logical, even complex, in argument.
– Descriptive essays have well-developed images helping to create complex atmospheres.
– Narratives are complex, sophisticated, possibly tense, and may contain devices such as
flashbacks.
• Accurate: occasional errors are either slips or caused by ambition.
• Occasional slips in verb forms or tense formation but sequence consistent and clear
throughout.
• Vocabulary wide and precise enough to convey intended shades of meaning.
• Paragraphs have unity, are usually linked and show some evidence of planning.
– Relevant. Interest aroused and mostly sustained.

– Tone and register appropriate.
– Discursive essays have clearly-defined, cohesive, logical stages in their argument.
– Descriptive essays have interesting images and range of detail, helping to create effective
atmospheres.
– Narratives have effective detail creating character or setting, and may contain some sense
of climax.

PUBLISHED

• Some variety of sentence structures, but tendency to repeat sentence types may
produce monotonous effect.
• Errors may occur in irregular verb forms, but control of tense sequence sufficient to
sustain clear progression of events or ideas.
• Simple vocabulary mainly correct; errors may occur with more ambitious words.
errors may occur e.g. with direct speech.
• Paragraphs may show some unity, although links may be absent or inappropriate.
– Relevant. Some interest aroused, although there may be some lack of originality and/or
planning.
– Tone usually appropriate, although there may be slips of register.
– Discursive essays make a series of relevant points, with some being developed; linking of
ideas may be insecure.
– Descriptive essays have satisfactory images, ideas and details which help to create
atmosphere
– Narratives are straightforward with proper sequencing of sentences.
language.
• Some variety of sentence length and structure, not always for particular purpose.
• Errors in verb forms and tense consistency may cause uncertainty in sequence of
events or disturb ease of communication.
• Vocabulary usually adequate to convey intended meaning; idiom may be uncertain.
• Punctuation used but not always helpful; occasional sentence separation errors.
– Attempt to address topic but there may be digressions or failures of logic. May lack
liveliness and interest.
– Tone may be uneven.
– Discursive essays have mainly relevant points but may be only partially developed, with
some repetition.
– Descriptive essays have some detail but may rely too much on narrative.
– Narratives are largely a series of events with only occasional details of character and
setting.

PUBLISHED
Band 5 (14–11)
• Some simple sentence structures accurate but unlikely to sustain accuracy for long.
errors likely.
• Simple punctuation usually accurate, but there may be frequent sentence separation
errors.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate, frequent errors in more difficult words.
– Some relevance. Some interest.

– Tone may be inconsistent.
– Discursive essays make a few points but development is simple and not always logical;
some obvious repetition of ideas.
– Descriptive essays are relevant but lack scope or variety.
– Narratives are simple, everyday or immature.
Band 6 (10–7)
corrected without re-writing the sentence); communication established, although
weight of error may cause some ‘blurring’.
• Frequent errors in verb forms and haphazard changes of tense confuse meaning.
idiomatic errors.
– A little relevance. A little interest.

– Some recognition of appropriate tone.
– In Discursive essays only a few points are discernable and the argument progresses only
here and there.
– In Descriptive essays the overall picture is unclear.
– Narratives are very simple and may narrate events indiscriminately.
Band 7 (6–3)
• Sense usually decipherable but some error will be ‘multiple’ (i.e. requiring the reader
to reread and re-organise); meaning may be partly hidden by density of linguistic
error.
• Unlikely to be more than a few accurate sentences, however simple, in the whole
essay.
– Little relevance or interest.

– Tone may be inappropriate.
– In Discursive essays only a very few points are discernable and the argument barely
progresses.
– In Descriptive essays the overall picture is very unclear.
– Narratives are extremely simple and may narrate events indiscriminately.

PUBLISHED
Band 8 (2–0)
• Scripts almost entirely or entirely impossible to recognise as pieces of English
writing; whole sections make no sense at all.
• Where occasional patches of relative clarity are evident, 2 or 1 mark(s) should be
given.
• The mark of 0 is reserved for scripts that make no sense at all from beginning to end.
– Discursive essays are rarely relevant and may well be disordered, as are Descriptive
essays and Narratives.

PUBLISHED
Marking Abnormal Scripts
(a) Irrelevance
i.e. evading the purpose of the examination by deliberate and consistent distortion or change of
subject. These scripts are likely to be rare. Treat the essay as irrelevant only where there is clear
evidence to support your suspicion.
• Action: Consider the performance of the candidate in the rest of the script. If this tends to
confirm your suspicion, ask your T.L. for advice. Write Irrel. in a text box.
(b) In Section 2 if a candidate attempts more than one essay and has not deleted any, you
must mark all and enter a mark for each attempt. Scoris will automatically take the highest
mark.
(c) Short essays, i.e. 200–100 words in Section 1, or 300–200 words in Section 2:
(There is no penalty for essays only slightly under the recommended lengths.)
Short essays will tend to penalise themselves.
• Read the whole essay, underlining all errors and indicating merits as normal, and in Section
1 allocate the appropriate Task Fulfilment mark.
• If you are unsure whether to give it one mark or another for Language, or the Section 2
mark, then give it the lower of the two marks.
(d) Very short essays, i.e. those under 100 words in Section 1, or under 200 words in
Section 2:
• Count the words and note the number at the end of the essay, together with ‘Very short’, using
the text box.
• Read the whole essay, underlining errors and indicating merits as normal, and in Section 1
allocate the appropriate Task Fulfilment mark.
For the Language, or Section 2 mark, allocate the essay to the appropriate Band using the
descriptions above, but award the mark according to the table below:
SECTION 1 LANGUAGE SECTION 2

V. Short Mark V. Short Mark
Band 1 8 Band 1 15/14
Band 2 7 Band 2 13/12
Band 3 6 Band 3 11/10
Band 4 5 Band 4 9/8
Band 5 4 Band 5 7/6
Band 6 3 Band 6 5/4
Band 7 2 Band 7 3/2
Band 8 1 Band 8 1/0

PUBLISHED
1 30
Total: 30
2 30
Total: 30
3 30
Total: 30
4 30
Total: 30
5 30
Total: 30
6 30
Total: 30


Paper 1 Writing May/June 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 60
Published
Teachers.
components.

PUBLISHED
MARKING of LANGUAGE Section 1 and Section 2
General Assessment Objectives for WRITING
W1 Communicate appropriately, with a clear awareness of purpose, audience and register.

W2 Communicate clearly and develop ideas coherently, at word level, at sentence level and at
whole text level.
W3 Use accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
W4 Communicate creatively, using a varied range of vocabulary, sentence structures and
linguistic devices.
The above objectives are assessed by impression, using as guides the Band descriptions in
this mark scheme, the Photostats (if available), and any exemplar scripts showing performance
across the expected range of achievement.
Specific Assessment Objectives for Section 1: Directed Writing
To test the candidate’s ability to:

1. write a report which communicates information and persuades clearly, accurately and
economically;
2. carry out the instructions as detailed on the question paper regarding the particular information
required.
Detailed Marking Instructions for Section 1: Directed Writing
The 30 marks are allocated as follows:
Task 15 marks
Fulfilment
Language 15 marks
Note: Assessing task fulfilment means more than including the bullet/content points.
Note: Candidates who address only two points must be in Band 3 or below for TF.
Notation used in Section 1 to indicate where required information is addressed:
Tick 1 – what students think about having a quiet garden

Tick 2 – what other ideas students have for using the land and why
Tick 3 – which of all the ideas you would choose and how students could help to achieve this.

PUBLISHED
SECTION 1 TASK FULFILMENT MARK

• Good understanding of purpose.
• Clear awareness of situation and audience.
• Format entirely appropriate.
• All required points developed in detail, fully amplified and well organised.
• Given information well used to justify personal opinion and interpretation.
• Tone and register entirely appropriate.
• An understanding of purpose.
• An awareness of situation and audience.
• Format appropriate.
• All required points addressed but not always developed in detail.
• Given information organised to support personal opinion.
• Tone and register appropriate.
• Some understanding of purpose.
• Some awareness of situation and audience.
• Format generally appropriate.
• At least two required points addressed (and partially/fully developed).
• Given information may not be logically used to support opinion.
• Tone usually appropriate, although there may be slips of register.
• Only partial understanding of purpose.
• Some confusion as to situation and audience.
• Format may be inappropriate.
• At least one of the required points addressed (and partially/fully developed).
• Given information may be used irrelevantly.
• Tone may be uneven
• Misunderstanding of purpose.
• Confusion as to situation and audience.
• Little evidence of a specific format.
• None of the required points addressed.
• Given information misunderstood or irrelevant.
• Tone may be inappropriate.
A mark of 0
should be given only when:
• the response is totally incomprehensible or
• the candidate has merely copied out the question or parts of it at random or
• the question is not attempted at all.

PUBLISHED
SECTION 1 LANGUAGE MARK

• Sentence structures varied for particular effects.
• Spelling accurate, apart from very occasional slips.
• Accurate; occasional errors are either slips or caused by ambition.
• Occasional slips in verb forms or tense formation, but sequence consistent
and clear throughout.
• Vocabulary precise enough to convey intended shades of meaning.
• Paragraphs have unity, are usually linked and show some evidence of
planning.
• Some variety of sentence structures, but tendency to repeat sentence types
may produce monotonous effect.
• Errors may occur in irregular verb forms, but control of tense sequence
sufficient to sustain clear progression of events or ideas.
• Simple vocabulary mainly correct; errors may occur with more ambitious
words.
errors may occur
• e.g. with direct speech.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate; some errors in more ambitious
words.
• Paragraphs may show some unity, although links may be absent or
inappropriate.
• Sufficiently accurate to communicate meaning, with patches of clear,
accurate language.
• Some variety of sentence length and structure, not always for particular
purpose.
• Errors in verb forms and tense consistency may cause uncertainty in
sequence of events or disturb ease of communication.
• Vocabulary usually adequate to convey intended meaning; idiom may be
uncertain.
• Punctuation used but not always helpful; occasional sentence separation
errors.

PUBLISHED

• Some simple structures accurate but unlikely to sustain accuracy for long.
• Vocabulary limited, either too simple or imperfectly understood; some
idiomatic errors likely.
• Simple punctuation usually accurate, but there may be frequent sentence
separation errors.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate; frequent errors in more difficult
words.
Band6 (5–4 marks)
corrected without re-writing the sentence); communication established,
although weight of error may cause some ‘blurring’.
• Frequent errors in verb forms and haphazard changes of tense confuse
meaning.
• Vocabulary conveys meaning but likely to be simple and imprecise;
significant idiomatic errors
• Sense usually decipherable but some error will be ‘multiple’ (i.e. requiring the
reader to re-read and re-organise); meaning may be partly hidden by density
of linguistic error.
• Unlikely to be more than a few accurate sentences, however simple, in the
whole essay.
Band 8 (1–0 mark)
• Scripts almost entirely or entirely impossible to recognise as pieces of
English writing; whole sections make no sense at all.
• Where occasional patches of relative clarity are evident, 1 mark should be
given.
• The mark of 0 is reserved for scripts that make no sense at all from beginning
to end.

PUBLISHED
Detailed Marking instructions for Section 2: Creative Writing
30 marks are allocated. The ‘best fit’ principle is applied, as in the following table. Note: Primary
emphasis is on quality of Language; comments on Content used to adjust mark within Band.
SECTION 2 MARK

• Sentence structure varied for particular effects.
• Spelling accurate apart from very occasional slips.
– Consistently relevant. Interest aroused and sustained.

– Tone and register entirely appropriate.
– Discursive essays are well developed, logical, even complex, in argument.
– Descriptive essays have well-developed images helping to create complex atmospheres.
– Narratives are complex, sophisticated, possibly tense, and may contain devices such as
flashbacks.
• Accurate: occasional errors are either slips or caused by ambition.
• Occasional slips in verb forms or tense formation but sequence consistent and clear
throughout.
• Vocabulary wide and precise enough to convey intended shades of meaning.
• Paragraphs have unity, are usually linked and show some evidence of planning.
– Relevant. Interest aroused and mostly sustained.

– Tone and register appropriate.
– Discursive essays have clearly-defined, cohesive, logical stages in their argument.
– Descriptive essays have interesting images and range of detail, helping to create effective
atmospheres.
– Narratives have effective detail creating character or setting, and may contain some sense
of climax.

PUBLISHED

• Some variety of sentence structures, but tendency to repeat sentence types may
produce monotonous effect.
• Errors may occur in irregular verb forms, but control of tense sequence sufficient to
sustain clear progression of events or ideas.
• Simple vocabulary mainly correct; errors may occur with more ambitious words.
errors may occur e.g. with direct speech.
• Paragraphs may show some unity, although links may be absent or inappropriate.
– Relevant. Some interest aroused, although there may be some lack of originality and/or
planning.
– Tone usually appropriate, although there may be slips of register.
– Discursive essays make a series of relevant points, with some being developed; linking of
ideas may be insecure.
– Descriptive essays have satisfactory images, ideas and details which help to create
atmosphere
– Narratives are straightforward with proper sequencing of sentences.
language.
• Some variety of sentence length and structure, not always for particular purpose.
• Errors in verb forms and tense consistency may cause uncertainty in sequence of
events or disturb ease of communication.
• Vocabulary usually adequate to convey intended meaning; idiom may be uncertain.
• Punctuation used but not always helpful; occasional sentence separation errors.
– Attempt to address topic but there may be digressions or failures of logic. May lack
liveliness and interest.
– Tone may be uneven.
– Discursive essays have mainly relevant points but may be only partially developed, with
some repetition.
– Descriptive essays have some detail but may rely too much on narrative.
– Narratives are largely a series of events with only occasional details of character and
setting.

PUBLISHED
Band 5 (14–11)
• Some simple sentence structures accurate but unlikely to sustain accuracy for long.
errors likely.
• Simple punctuation usually accurate, but there may be frequent sentence separation
errors.
• Spelling of simple vocabulary accurate, frequent errors in more difficult words.
– Some relevance. Some interest.

– Tone may be inconsistent.
– Discursive essays make a few points but development is simple and not always logical;
some obvious repetition of ideas.
– Descriptive essays are relevant but lack scope or variety.
– Narratives are simple, everyday or immature.
Band 6 (10–7)
corrected without re-writing the sentence); communication established, although
weight of error may cause some ‘blurring’.
• Frequent errors in verb forms and haphazard changes of tense confuse meaning.
idiomatic errors.
– A little relevance. A little interest.

– Some recognition of appropriate tone.
– In Discursive essays only a few points are discernable and the argument progresses only
here and there.
– In Descriptive essays the overall picture is unclear.
– Narratives are very simple and may narrate events indiscriminately.
Band 7 (6–3)
• Sense usually decipherable but some error will be ‘multiple’ (i.e. requiring the reader
to reread and re-organise); meaning may be partly hidden by density of linguistic
error.
• Unlikely to be more than a few accurate sentences, however simple, in the whole
essay.
– Little relevance or interest.

– Tone may be inappropriate.
– In Discursive essays only a very few points are discernable and the argument barely
progresses.
– In Descriptive essays the overall picture is very unclear.
– Narratives are extremely simple and may narrate events indiscriminately.

PUBLISHED
Band 8 (2–0)
• Scripts almost entirely or entirely impossible to recognise as pieces of English
writing; whole sections make no sense at all.
• Where occasional patches of relative clarity are evident, 2 or 1 mark(s) should be
given.
• The mark of 0 is reserved for scripts that make no sense at all from beginning to end.
– Discursive essays are rarely relevant and may well be disordered, as are Descriptive
essays and Narratives.

PUBLISHED
Marking Abnormal Scripts
(a) Irrelevance
i.e. evading the purpose of the examination by deliberate and consistent distortion or change of
subject. These scripts are likely to be rare. Treat the essay as irrelevant only where there is clear
evidence to support your suspicion.
• Action: Consider the performance of the candidate in the rest of the script. If this tends to
confirm your suspicion, ask your T.L. for advice. Write Irrel. in a text box.
(b) In Section 2 if a candidate attempts more than one essay and has not deleted any, you
must mark all and enter a mark for each attempt. Scoris will automatically take the highest
mark.
(c) Short essays, i.e. 200–100 words in Section 1, or 300–200 words in Section 2:
(There is no penalty for essays only slightly under the recommended lengths.)
Short essays will tend to penalise themselves.

• Read the whole essay, underlining all errors and indicating merits as normal, and in Section
1 allocate the appropriate Task Fulfilment mark.
• If you are unsure whether to give it one mark or another for Language, or the Section 2
mark, then give it the lower of the two marks.
(d) Very short essays, i.e. those under 100 words in Section 1, or under 200 words in
Section 2:
• Count the words and note the number at the end of the essay, together with ‘Very short’, using
the text box.
• Read the whole essay, underlining errors and indicating merits as normal, and in Section 1
allocate the appropriate Task Fulfilment mark.
• For the Language, or Section 2 mark, allocate the essay to the appropriate Band using the
descriptions above, but award the mark according to the table below:
SECTION 1 LANGUAGE SECTION 2

V. Short Mark V. Short Mark
Band 1 8 Band 1 15/14
Band 2 7 Band 2 13/12
Band 3 6 Band 3 11/10
Band 4 5 Band 4 9/8
Band 5 4 Band 5 7/6
Band 6 3 Band 6 5/4
Band 7 2 Band 7 3/2
Band 8 1 Band 8 1/0

PUBLISHED
1 . 30
2 . 30
3 . 30
4 . 30
5 . 30
6 . 30
Total: 60


Paper 2 Reading May/June 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 50
Published
Teachers.
components.

PUBLISHED
Question Answer Marks Allowed Response Not Allowed Response
1(a) Identify and write down the importance of pearls and the problems associated with their
production in former times, and the main methods of pearl production in modern times,
and the benefits these bring, as outlined in the passage.
1 Seen as exquisite / beautiful 1 mark

objects (given) for
each
correct
point
up to a
max. of
15
2 (Used to) make

jewellery // (used as)
centrepiece in
rings / earrings / bracelets / nec
klaces (at least 2 examples)
3 (Used to) adorn clothing (for

men and women)
4 (pearl) fishing brought A lot of money / good ‘made money’ (alone)

(deserved) wealth (to those source of income for for ‘wealth’
who engaged in / controlled it) ‘wealth’
5 Feature in (several) Mentioned in

religions // feature in Chrisitianity / the
Christianity and Islam Bible and Islam / the
Qu’ran
Lift of lines 14–16 ‘in

the Christian
wearing of pearls’
6 (some Indian mythology ‘crushed’ for powdered pearls were

describes) powdered pearls ‘powdered used for illnesses
used for medicinal / medical
purposes / as medicine / to aid
digestion / to cure
indigestion / to cure mental
illness(es)
7 Large
number / many / hundreds of
oysters needed to obtain
three / four / (a) few pearls
8 Divers (had to) descend(ed) to ‘People / they’ for

great depths / depths of (over) ‘divers’
30 metres on a single
breath / holding their breath

PUBLISHED
9 divers faced danger / risk of ‘dangerous’ for ‘sharks’ for ‘hostile

(being attacked by) hostile ‘hostile’ creatures’
creatures // divers could be
attacked by hostile creatures Lift of lines 25–27 Divers faced hostile
‘divers faced creatures (alone)
creatures (off
some waters)
Additional of ‘(–) off

some coasts’
10 (Many) divers (lost

consciousness and)
drowned/died because they
held their breath (too)long
(underwater)
[The agent in points 8, 9 and

10 is ‘divers’. If agent is
missing, penalise the first
omission only.]
11 (vast majority of ) pearls

produced worldwide are
cultured pearls formed
through human intervention
(given)
12 Oysters are kept in farms / are

farmed // oyster farms
13 system which produces (cultured) pearl Cultured pearls imitate

(cultured) pearls imitates farming nature
nature / bead deliberately
introduced as an beads were used as
irritant // bead put under irritants
(oyster) shell as irritant
14 (There is) no risk to human life lift of lines 35–36

‘(nevertheless)
cultured pearl
human life’
15 (Cultured pearls / They) are Cultured pearls can be

produced (much) more quickly produced in (as little as)
than natural pearls / ones 6 months
16 (There is) no unnecessary No oysters are killed

killing of oysters (because
every oyster produces a pearl)
17 Coloured pearls can be

produced by inserting (natural)
dye under oyster’s shell

PUBLISHED
18 Chance/guesswork taken out ‘putting / using’ for

of production ‘inserting’
19 (Pearl industry) a stable form ‘offers employment’

of employment // offers (alone)
employment to very many
people
20 (Cultured pearls are) much Lift of lines 46–47 Poor people can afford
cheaper than natural ‘cultured pearls pearls
pearls / naturally produced naturally produced
pearls // (Owning / wearing) ones’
pearls is no longer limited to
the rich // most / ordinary
people can afford
pearls / them

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1(b) Now use your notes to write a summary in which you explain the importance of pearls
and the problems associated with their production in former times, and the main
methods of pearl production in modern times, and the benefits these bring, as outlined
in the passage.
Candidates have now fleshed out their notes into a piece of formal, continuous prose.
The mark for Style incorporates TWO categories of writing, namely OWN WORDS and USE OF
ENGLISH. The table which follows on a later page provides descriptors of the mark levels assigned
to these TWO categories.
In assessing the overall mark for Style, first of all assign the script to a mark level under the category of
OWN WORDS. Then arrive at the mark level for USE OF ENGLISH.
Under OWN WORDS, key pointers are: sustained, noticeable, recognisable but limited,
wholesale copying and complete transcript. The difference between wholesale copying and
complete transcript is that, whereas in wholesale copying there is nothing / little that is original, the
copying has been selective and directed at the question, but with a complete transcript the
candidate has started copying and continued writing with little sense of a link to the question.
Complete transcripts are rare.
Under USE OF ENGLISH, take into consideration the accuracy of the writing, and the ability to use
original complex sentence structures.
Write marks for OWN WORDS and USE OF ENGLISH separately in a text box (found in the
marking palette) beneath the question. Add the marks for OWN WORDS and USE OF ENGLISH
together and divide by two. Raise any half marks to the nearest whole number e.g. OW 3, UE 2,
giving 3 to be entered in Scoris marks column.
HOW TO ANNOTATE Q1(b)
SERIOUS ERRORS
Wrong verb forms.

Serious tense errors.
Serious errors of sentence structure, especially in setting up subordination.
Omission or obvious misuse of prepositions.
Wholesale misunderstanding over the meanings of words used.
Serious errors of agreement.
Using a comma to replace the necessary full stop.
Mis-spellings of simple, basic words, e.g. were / where // to / too / two // their / there.
Breakdown of sense.
Serious omissions, or serious intrusions e.g. of definite article. Ignore what are clearly slips.
Irrelevance: Put IR in the margin to indicate a stretch / section of irrelevance. This may be a gloss or an
example or elements of the text which do not address the question. Such scripts may be described as
recognisable OW but limited by irrelevance (see Box OW 3).
Wrong or invented material: Put a cross in the margin to indicate a stretch / section of wrong or invented
material.

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Short answers
There is no penalty for long answers but, if a script is OBVIOUSLY short, please count the words, mark
as normal (i.e. arrive at mark under OW and UE, then add together and halve) and award marks to the
following maxima:
66–80 = 4 marks max. for style

21–35 = 1 mark max. for style
0–20 = 0 marks for style. No assessment of OW and UE is necessary.

PUBLISHED
SUMMARY STYLE DESCRIPTORS
Mark Own Words Mark Use of English

5 • Candidates make a sustained 5 • Apart from very occasional slips, the
attempt to rephrase the text language. language is accurate.
• Allow phrases from the text which are • Any occasional errors are either slips
difficult to substitute. or minor errors. There is a marked
ability to use original complex
syntax outside text structures.
• Punctuation is accurate and helpful
to the reader.
4 • There is a noticeable attempt to 4 • The language is almost always
rephrase the text. accurate. Serious errors will be
• The summary is free from stretches of isolated.
concentrated lifting. • Sentences show some variation,
including original complex syntax.
• Punctuation is accurate and
generally helpful.
3 • There are recogniseable but limited 3 • The language is largely accurate.
attempts to rephrase the text detail. • Simple structures tend to dominate
Attempt may be limited by and serious errors are not frequent,
irrelevance or by oblique or although they are noticeable.
mangled relevance. • Where sentences show some variety
• Groups of text expression are and complexity, they will generally be
interlaced with own words. lifted from the text.
• The expression may not always be • Serious errors may occur when more
secure, but the attempt to substitute sophisticated structures are
the text will gain credit. attempted.
• Punctuation is generally accurate.
2 • Wholesale copying of large areas of 2 • Meaning is not in doubt but serious
the text, but not a complete transcript. errors are becoming more
• Attempts to substitute own language frequent. [8+ errors as a guide, but
will be limited to single word balance against sentence structure is
expression. also necessary]
• Irrelevant sections of the text will be • Some simple structures will be
more frequent at this level and below. accurate, although this accuracy is
not sustained for long.
• Simple punctuation will usually be
correct.
1 • Pretty well a complete transcript of 1 • Heavy frequency of serious errors,
the text expression. sometimes impeding reading.
• There will also be random • Fractured syntax is much more
transcription of irrelevant sections of pronounced at this level.
the text.
0 • Complete transcript 0 • Heavy frequency of serious errors
throughout.
• Fractured syntax

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Scoris marking guidance
Award a zero, 1, 2, 3 or NR (no response)
2 From your reading of Paragraph 1, decide whether each of the following statements is
true, false, or not stated in the passage, and tick the box you have chosen.
(i) Pearls are produced when a 1

grain of sand gets under an
oyster’s shell: False
(ii) A substance produced by the 1

oyster makes mother-of-pearl:
True
(iii) Two thousand years ago, all 1

pearl fishers were Chinese:
Not stated
Question Answer Marks Allowed Response Not allowed Response
Award a zero, 1, 2 or NR (no response)
3 Select and write down two of the writer’s opinions, one from Paragraph 1 and one from
Paragraph 2. You may use the words of the text or your own words.
Opinion from Paragraph 1: 1 Preceding / following

pearls (which) are the most
beautiful (of) gems
Opinion from Paragraph 2: Pearl 1

fishing brought deserved wealth
(to those who engaged in it).

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From Paragraph 1
There are three parts to this question. Award a zero, 1 or NR (No response) for each part.
4(a) What caused Mr Lutchman’s sudden interest in photography?
Wilkie / a colleague / friend had a 1 Lift of ‘Wilkie, a He wanted to take

camera (which he would like) to friend at the office, photos (of the sunset)
sell. had mentioned
(casually) that he ‘neighbour’ for ‘Wilkie’.
had a camera (which
he would like to sell’.
4(b) ‘An idea caught Mr Lutchman’s fancy, and soon became a temptation.’ What was Mr
Lutchman tempted to do?
to buy Wilkie’s / his 1 Buy / have a camera

colleague’s / friend’s camera / the
camera (to take photographs of a
sunset)
4(c) Pick out and write down the single word used later in the paragraph which continues the
idea of ‘temptation’.
alluringly 1 The use of the More than one word.

correct word in a
phrase or sentence
provided that it is
underlined or
otherwise
highlighted, e.g. The
word is alluringly.

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From Paragraph 2
There are two parts to this question. Award a zero, 1, 2 or NR (no response) for each part.
5(a) Describe in your own words Mrs Lutchman’s reaction to her husband’s question.
TAKEN ABACK: 1 caught off guard Bewildered / puzzled /

surprised / shocked / disconcerted / confused
astonished / caught unawares /
startled / amazed / astounded /
dumbfounded / nonplussed.
STRANGENESS: 1 Unusual / mystifying / Uniqueness / illogical /

oddness / unexpectedness / oddity curious / puzzling / unknown / abnormal
/ peculiarity / bizarreness / perplexing / random
weirdness / unusualness
didn’t know where it
was coming from
Additional information
This is an OWN WORDS question. Key words are TAKEN ABACK and STRANGENESS
5(b) Mrs Lutchman says: ‘Don’t do anything foolish’. What advice do you think she is giving
her husband?
not to buy a camera // not 1 ‘not to buy the Not to do anything

spend / waste (a lot of) money on a camera’, although foolish / rash / silly
camera she doesn’t know (alone) as it’s a repeat
about it at this stage of the question.
Idea of thinking Not to start taking

carefully before photographs
buying a camera

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From Paragraph 3
There are three parts to this question. Award a zero, 1, 2 or NR (no response) for each part.
6(a) When Mr Lutchman offered a low price for the camera, Wilkie ‘laughed loudly’. What
emotion do you think Wilkie wanted Mr Lutchman to feel?
embarrassment / awkwardness / 1 Regret / sorrow / Stupidity

shame humiliation
that the payment was
adjectives, e.g. too low
embarrassed /
awkward / ashamed he felt bullied
6(b) Wilkie ‘laughed loudly’ at Mr Lutchman. Give two other ways in which he persuades Mr
Lutchman to pay a hundred dollars for the camera.
(i) he tells him the camera / it is 2 Accept ‘good’ for ‘excellent’

an excellent one // he tells him generalisations such
the camera as he tells him it has
additional
features / flashbulbs
and light meters.
(ii) he tells him he will tell the he made him afraid Lift of line 11 ‘I must
‘boys’ / his friends about the of what the boys (remember to) tell the
(low) offer / that he had offered would think of his boys that one’.
him (only) twenty dollars / that (low)offer
he’d made a silly / ridiculous
offer
(iii) he tells him the camera cost Lift of line 15 ‘that Lift of line 15 ‘that
him / originally cost $200 / was camera condition’ camera condition’
expensive AND it is / was in + he said. (alone)
perfect condition
He said it was in He tells him how much
perfect condition the camera cost
and / but he would / He would sell it for half
was prepared to sell price
it for half the price
he paid for it
Accept any two of three for 1 mark each.

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6(c) Pick out and write down the four word phrase from the paragraph which shows that Mr
Lutchman realised that the price of the camera was too high.
Against his better judgement 1 The use of the

correct words in a
sentence provided
that it is underlined
or otherwise
highlighted, e.g. He
bought it ‘against his
better judgement’
// The phrase is
against his better
judgement.
Question Answer Marks Allowed Response Not allowed Response
From Paragraph 4
There are two parts to this question. Award a zero, 1, 2 or NR (no response).
7(a) Explain in your own words why Mr Lutchman disliked the camera’s instruction booklet.
INCOMPREHENSIBLE: 1 Contained difficult / hard

impossible to understand / difficult words (alone)
to understand // unintelligible
Indecipherable /
complicated/senseless /
confusing
BAFFLING: 1 Makes no sense to Complicated / senseless

confusing / puzzling / mystifying / him// meant nothing / surprising / weird /
perplexing / bewildering to him complex / unclear /
inaccurate
This is an OWN WORDS question. Key words are INCOMPREHENSIBLE and BAFFLING.

PUBLISHED
7(b) Explain fully how Mr Lutchman’s use of the ‘large and impressively illustrated book’ was
different from the way it was meant to be used.
he cut out (a) photograph(s) / 1 ‘He took / ripped /

picture(s) / image(s) and put / pulled / used’ for ‘cut’
plastered them on the (sitting- Lift of lines 19–21
room) wall // he cut out (a) ‘(in particular) one
photograph(s) / picture(s)/ photograph wall
image(s) and decorated his (followed soon by
(sitting-room) wall (with them) others)’
instead of using the book to learn 1 It meant to teach It was meant to be read
how to take photographs / instead people / him how to (alone)
of using the book to learn about use a / his camera
photography // instead of using the
photographs as models / examples
(for his own photographs) // the
book was meant to teach / instruct /
inspire / help people / him to take
photographs / to learn about
photography
From Paragraph 5
8 In what two ways does Mrs Lutchman try to comfort her husband over the failure of his
photographs?
(i) she says that nobody is 1 She says that it Nobody is perfect right
perfect (at photography) right takes time to learn away (alone)
away photography /
anything
Lift of lines 28–29

‘nobody is said
(consolingly)’
(ii) she says it was / the spoiled 1 She says it wasn’t Lift of lines 30–31
photographs were the fault of his fault (the ‘maybe developed
the people who developed photographs were them’ (alone)
them spoiled / hadn’t
turned out) Lift of lines 31–32 ‘I
would own
She blamed the photographs’
people who
developed the
photos / them

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From Paragraph 6(d)

9 Give two reasons why the Lutchman children had ‘strained expressions’ on their faces while
they were being photographed.
(i) A group of (curious) 1 Lift of lines 34–35 ‘A They didn’t want to be

neighbours had gathered to group of curious watched
watch / were watching them neighbours had
gathered around (to They were arranged in a
watch)’ line
[allow run on into ‘as The neighbours were

Mr Lutchman line’] laughing at / mocking
them
(ii) Mr Lutchman / their father was 1 ‘‘Grin! Grin!’ their ‘he’ for ‘Mr
losing / lost his temper / was father howled at Lutchman / their father’
shouting / yelling / howling at them’ unless he has been
them mentioned in (i)
Their father was

(getting) impatient
From Paragraph 7
There are two parts to this question. Award a zero, 1 or NR (no response) for each part.
10(a) Mr Lutchman ‘could feel his confidence ebbing away’. What effect does ‘ebbing away’
have which would not be achieved by, for example, ‘left him’?
his confidence/it went away 1 Slowness / bit by bit Mere synonyms of

slowly // he gradually became less ‘ebbing’, (alone) e.g.
confident fading away draining
Effect and not meaning is asked for.

PUBLISHED
10(b) Why was the roar of anger and distress ‘muffled’?
Mr Lutchman / Lutchman’s head 1 ‘He / his head’ for ‘Mr Reference to basins

was under a blanket / under the Lutchman(‘s head)’ clanging / water flowing
bed
Any reference to
darkness
Award a zero, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or NR (no response).
11 Choose five of the following words. From each of them give one word or short phrase
(of not more than seven words) which has the same meaning that the word has in the
passage.
1 casually (L2) 1 mark Accidentally /

for unintentionally /
off-handedly / in passing / each randomly / normally /
nonchalantly / without making a correct informally / carelessly
fuss / without making a big meaning
deal / by the way (max. 5)
2 delicately (L17) slowly
carefully / attentively / gently /
cautiously / sensitively / lightly
3 tackle (L23) Conquer / attack /

overcome / confront /
attempt / take on / try out /try his begin / start / do
hand / undertake / go for / embark
on / try his luck at / venture // have
a go / a shot / a crack / a stab
at / face / deal with / work at / work
on / address / handle
4 mounting (L25) A lot of/(too)

much/great/raising
increasing / growing /escalating /
progressive / building
(up) / heightening / rising

PUBLISHED
5 confining (L33) specialising
restricting / limiting / constraining /
keeping (to) / restraining / sticking
to / dealing with one thing
6 curious (L34) Odd / enquiring / eager /

interested
nosy / inquisitive /
wondering / intrigued / wanting to
know / wanting to find out
7 disconsolately (L41) Displeased /

disappointedly /
unhappily / in a depressed way / dissatisfied /
miserable / dejectedly / sadly / demotivated
discontentedly / despondently /
gloomily / despairingly /
disheartened /
dispirited / downcast / melancholic
ally / ruefully / with a heavy heart /
wretchedly / forlornly
/ morosely / dismally / glumly / fed
up / hopelessly
8 mass (L46) Body / weight / group
heap / bundle / lump / bulk / hunk /
o mound
Mark only the first FIVE words attempted.


Paper 2 Reading May/June 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 50
Published
Teachers.
components.

PUBLISHED
Question Answer Marks Allowed Responses Not Allowed Responses
1(a) Identify and write down the uses and importance of silver in former times, and the uses
and the advantages of silver in modern times, as outlined in the passage.
1 Used to make jewellery 1 mark

(given) for
each
correct
point
up to a
max. of
15
2 Made into coins / money / Silver coins Used as coins/

currency (for everyday money/currency
transactions)
3 (Used in / to facilitate) Lift of lines 13–15 in the

international trade nineteenth
century«porcelain
(alone)
4 In some / various / ancient

languages / Sanskrit and
Hebrew, same word is used
to describe both silver and
money
5 (in many ancient cultures)

associated with religion /
god(s)
6 (Romans / they knew that)

wine stored in silver
containers remained
drinkable for a longer period
of time / for longer / for a
long time
7 (Roman army generals / Silvers coins in stored ‘Water’ (alone) for ‘water
they discovered / knew that) water (storage) containers’
silver coins (dropped) in
water (storage) containers
kept soldiers healthy /
meant that few(er) soldiers
would become sick

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8 (Ancient civilisations / (Used as) medicine

Greece and Macedonia Lift of lines 23–24 (the
used silver / it) for Greek physician)
medicinal / medical Hippocrates«
purposes diseases
(It was thought /
taught that it ) healed
wounds and
controlled diseases
9 (Chinese used silver) Chinese made better

combined with mercury / quality mirrors (alone)
silver and mercury /
amalgam to make better /
quality mirrors
10 Silverpoint used by artists // ‘Art’ for ‘drawing’ ‘painting’ for ‘drawing’

a drawing technique called
silverpoint // a drawing
technique used silver wire
11 Used in solar panels (given)
12 (More effective than Lift of lines 32-33 in ‘lenses’ for ‘mirrors’

aluminium to) coat the past« (more)
telescope mirrors effective
13 (extremely efficient to) ‘Silver reduces heat loss’

insulate glass // reduces (alone)
heat loss through glass ‘glasses’ for ‘glass’
14 (Used in) water purification ‘reduces’ for ‘prevent’ ‘Beneficial to healthy

(to prevent bacteria/ algae living’ (alone)
building up in filters) // helps
oxygen to sanitise water //
prevents need for chlorine
in pools /spas [needs water
context]
15 (Silver mixed) with mercury Silver used to fill teeth

/ amalgam to fill (cavities in) (alone)
teeth // (Silver) mixed with amalgam used in
mercury / amalgam used in dentistry (alone)
dentistry to fill cavities (in
teeth)
16 (In modern medicine used Surgical instruments

to) make / for / in surgical (alone)
instruments // make / for / in
instruments to perform
surgical procedures /
surgery / operations

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17 (Small electrical) devices / Electrical devices are

hearing aids use silver made of silver
oxide batteries due to their
long life / high energy to
weight ratio
18 Speaker wires are produced creates / gives good

using silver (cable) because sound quality
it improves sound quality
19 (Important role in) Suitable alternatives High quality wind

manufacture / production of for ‘fine’ and instruments (alone)
(high) quality wind ‘beautiful’, for
instruments // (used in) wind example, ‘excellent’
instruments for fine sound /
beautiful appearance ‘flutes’ for ‘wind
instruments’
20 (some) brass instruments ‘trumpets’ for ‘brass

are plated with silver instruments’

PUBLISHED
1(b) Now use your notes to write a summary in which you explain the uses and importance of
silver in former times, and the uses and the advantages of silver in modern times, as
outlined in the passage.
Candidates have now fleshed out their notes into a piece of formal, continuous prose.
The mark for Style incorporates TWO categories of writing, namely OWN WORDS and USE OF ENGLISH.
The table which follows on later page provides descriptors of the mark levels assigned to these TWO
categories.
In assessing the overall mark for Style, first of all assign the script to a mark level under the category of OWN
WORDS. Then arrive at the mark level for USE OF ENGLISH.
Under OWN WORDS, key pointers are: sustained, noticeable, recognisable but limited, wholesale
copying and complete transcript. The difference between wholesale copying and complete transcript
is that, whereas in wholesale copying there is nothing / little that is original, the copying has been
selective and directed at the question, but with a complete transcript the candidate has started copying
and continued writing with little sense of a link to the question. Complete transcripts are rare.
Under USE OF ENGLISH, take into consideration the accuracy of the writing, and the ability to use
original complex sentence structures.
Write marks for OWN WORDS and USE OF ENGLISH separately in a text box (found in the marking
palette) beneath the question. Add the marks for OWN WORDS and USE OF ENGLISH together and
divide by two. Raise any half marks to the nearest whole number e.g. OW 3, UE 2, giving 3 to be
entered in Scoris marks column

PUBLISHED
HOW TO ANNOTATE Q1(b)
SERIOUS ERRORS
Wrong verb forms.

Serious tense errors.
Serious errors of sentence structure, especially in setting up subordination.
Omission or obvious misuse of prepositions.
Wholesale misunderstanding over the meanings of words used.
Serious errors of agreement.
Using a comma to replace the necessary full stop.
Mis-spellings of simple, basic words, e.g. were / where // to / too /two // their/ there.
Breakdown of sense.
Serious omissions, or serious intrusions e.g. of definite article. Ignore what are clearly slips.
Irrelevance: Put IR in the margin to indicate a stretch / section of irrelevance. This may be a gloss or an
example or elements of the text which do not address the question. Such scripts may be described as
recognisable OW but limited by irrelevance (see OW box 3).
Wrong or invented material: Put a cross in the margin to indicate a stretch / section of wrong or invented
material.
Short answers
There is no penalty for long answers but, if a script is OBVIOUSLY short, please count the words, mark as
normal (i.e. arrive at mark under OW and UE, then add together and halve) and award marks to the following
maxima:
66–80 = 4 marks max for style
21–35 = 1 mark max for style
0–20 = 0 marks for style. No assessment of OW and UE is necessary.

PUBLISHED
Mark Own Words Mark Use of English
5 • Candidates make a sustained 5 • Apart from very occasional slips, the

attempt to re-phrase the text language is accurate.
language. • Any occasional errors are either slips
• Allow phrases from the text which or minor errors. There is a marked
are difficult to substitute. ability to use original complex
syntax outside text structures.
• Punctuation is accurate and helpful
to the reader.
4 • There is a noticeable attempt to re- 4 • The language is almost always

phrase the text. accurate. Serious errors will be
• The summary is free from stretches isolated.
of concentrated lifting. • Sentences show some variation,
including original complex syntax.
• Punctuation is accurate and
generally helpful.
3 • There are recognisable but limited 3 • The language is largely accurate.
attempts to re-phrase the text detail. • Simple structures tend to dominate
Attempt may be limited by and serious errors are not
irrelevance or by oblique or frequent, although they are
mangled relevance. noticeable.
• Groups of text expression are • Where sentences show some variety
interlaced with own words. and complexity, they will generally
• The expression may not always be be lifted from the text.
secure, but the attempt to substitute • Serious errors may occur when more
the text will gain credit. sophisticated structures are
attempted.
• Punctuation is generally accurate.
2 • Wholesale copying of large areas 2 • Meaning is not in doubt but serious
of the text, but not a complete errors are becoming more
transcript, frequent. [8+ errors as a guide, but
• Attempts to substitute own language balance against sentence structure
will be limited to single word expre- is also necessary]
ssion. • Some simple structures will be
• Irrelevant sections of the text will be accurate, although this accuracy is
more frequent at this level and not sustained for long.
below. • Simple punctuation will usually be
correct.
1 • Pretty well a complete transcript of 1 • Heavy frequency of serious
the text expression. errors, sometimes impeding
• There will also be random reading.
transcription of irrelevant sections of • Fractured syntax is much more
the text. pronounced at this level.
0 • Complete transcript 0 • Heavy frequency of serious errors
throughout.
• Fractured syntax

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2 From your reading of paragraph 1, decide whether each of the following statements is
true or false, and tick the box you have chosen.
1 All civilisations were 1

engaged in the mining of
silver. False
2 Spices were traded for 1

silver in Roman times. True
3 Bolivia, Peru and Mexico 1

were the only countries
producing silver in the late
fifteenth century. False
3 Select and write down two of the writer’s opinions, one from Paragraph 1 and one from
Paragraph 2. You may use the words of the text or your own words.
Opinion from Paragraph 1: 1 Silver is a precious Inclusion of ‘more

Silver is more beautiful (even) metal more beautiful abundant’
than gold. than gold.
Lift of lines 5–6 ‘(but)
no single event«New
World (in the late
fifteenth century)’
Opinion 2 from Paragraph 2: 1 Lift of line 10 ‘(and)

People who wear/ adorn people with good
themselves with silver have taste (still choose to)
good taste // silver jewellery is adorn themselves with
tasteful silver’

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4(a) What was the first sign of Mr Lutchman’s interest in gardening?
he (firstly) bought (himself) (a 1 He noticed his Gardening tools (alone)

set of) gardening tools patchy / poor lawn /
grass Lift of lines 5–6 ‘he looked
over«neighbour’s
Lift of line 4 ‘he garden’
noticed the patchy
remains of lawn (a
ragged«industry)’
4(b) Pick out and write down from the paragraph the single word which shows that Mr
Lutchman had more than just an ‘interest’ in gardening.
passion 1 The use of the correct More than one word

word in a phrase or
sentence provided
that it is underlined or
otherwise highlighted,
e.g. The word is
passion
4(c) Why was Mr Lutchman envious of his neighbour?
the neighbour had healthy / 1 His neighbour had a His neighbour had a
green grass / a healthy strip of healthy / beautiful healthy green strip (alone
grass / a real / proper / healthy / garden – no reference to garden)
beautiful lawn
His neighbour had He compared his lawn /
better grass / a better garden with the
lawn / garden (than neighbour’s lawn / garden
he had)
Lift of lines 5–6 ‘he

looked«neighbour’s
garden’ (but omission
of ‘enviously’ = 0)
Allow ‘he’ or ‘they’ for ‘neighbour’, even when there is ambiguity, for example,
• His lawn / garden was healthy = 1
Correct answers require reference to grass, lawn or garden.

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5(a) What was Mrs Lutchman’s ‘threat’?
Mr Lutchman / her husband / he 1 Lift of ‘Don’t you Mr Lutchman would go to

would go to jail for stealing / realise you’ll go to jail jail (alone)
uprooting grass / public property if you’re caught
rooting up grass like Mr Lutchman would go to
that?’ jail for destroying grass /
public property
Mr Lutchman / her
husband / he would
be arrested / be in
trouble with the police
5(b) ‘Success stimulated ambition.’ Explain in your own words what this means.
SUCCESS: 1 Accept more Victory / triumph /

generalised idea, e.g. progress / winning
(Mr Lutchman / he) got it right / things went well /
achieved / accomplished // he work bore fruit / a Not being caught by the
completed / brought about positive outcome police
/realised his plan (to get the
grass / lawn / garden to grow) // the lawn / garden
he made the grass / lawn / flourished
garden grow / made his lawn /
grass / garden beautiful
AMBITION: 1 Accept more Passion / curiosity /

generalised idea, e.g. dedication / enthusiasm /
(Mr Lutchman / he) wanted to do grand(er) ideas / determination / continuing
/did better / more (things) / make going further / far // he / repetition / goal / aim /
other / new things grow // wanted / decided to drive (alone)
wanted to make the grass / lawn have / buy plants /
/ garden grow better flowers / roses // he
had / got / bought
plants / flowers / roses
This is an OWN WORDS question. Key words are SUCCESS and AMBITION

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5(c) Mr Lutchman had developed a ‘new air of domesticity’. In which two ways is this
‘domesticity’ shown?
(i) he took his children out / on 1 Lift of line 15 ‘the He became the happy
an excursion / on a trip // he excursion«school family man / he was in a
took his children to buy flowers / holidays’ good mood / he wore a
rose trees / things / items straw hat
Lift of lines 14–15 ‘it was

the purchase of these
items«school holidays’
He spent time with his
children (alone)
(ii) he spent (most of) his spare 1 He decided to have flower

/free time (at home playing) with beds / rose bushes
his (set of) gardening tools /
gardening / tending the garden Lift of line 19 ‘ he was
content to spend most of
his spare time at home’
(alone)
He spent most of his time

in the garden

PUBLISHED
6(a) What was it about the landscape on the day of the excursion which showed that it was
‘dry and uncultivated’?
(it was reddish) brown 1 Lift of ‘the A definition of dry and

predominant colour uncultivated, e.g. there
changing from green was no moisture / nothing
to (reddish)-brown’ grew
Inclusion of reference to
rice / watercress
6(b) The sign said ‘Plants for sale’. Give two reasons from the paragraph why this is
surprising.
(i) dead / dying plants in baskets 1 Lift of ‘there was a The gardener shouted
rambling, red-brick etc. (the focus is on
house from which plants)
hung dead and dying
plants in baskets’
Excess denies
Idea that baskets of

dying plants were
inside the house
(ii) the garden was decaying / 1 Lift of ‘the house was The road / landscape was
dead / rotting set in an extensive, decaying etc.
decaying garden
(dotted with mango The lawn was being
trees)’ watered by a gardener

PUBLISHED
6(c) The sign also said ‘Visitors welcome’. Give one reason from the paragraph why this is
surprising.
The gardener told them to stop / 1 ‘the owner’ for ‘the ‘the man / he’ for ‘the
stopped them / told them it was gardener’ gardener’
private property// the gardener the passive, e.g. Mr
did not welcome them/ was Lutchman / he / they Lifting of any or all of the
unfriendly / hostile /rude // the were told it was direct speech starting at
gardener shouted at them / private property ‘Stop«’ (alone)
/suggested they shouldn’t have
come Lift of line 27 ‘the It was private property
gardener«furiously’
Lift of lines 27–28 ‘

the gardener«private
property you know’
The gardener stopped

them from entering
the house
Correct answer linked

to the idea that they
went into the house
If more than one reason is offered, reward the first acceptable one.

PUBLISHED
7 What exactly was the ‘logic’ of the gardener’s generosity?
the orchid/ plant was half price 1 He gave Mr Lutchman He said he would give
because it was already half the orchid at half price him the orchid at half
dead / half alive so that he would buy / price (alone)
spend more The orchid was half dead
/ dying / decaying (alone)
‘Half of the plant was
dead’ for ‘half dead’ ‘it / they’ for ‘orchid / plant’
Plurals, i.e. orchids / He sold the orchid at half

plants price because it was
(nearly) dead
Lift of lines 30–31 ‘I’ll give

it to you«half dead’
‘roses/rose bushes’ for

‘orchids/plants’

PUBLISHED
8(a) What was Mr Lutchman ‘tempted’ to do?
steal / take / snatch the 1 Lift of ‘could he not snatch up

(avocado) tree put the tree outside
the gate and collect it Lift of ‘could he not put
later when they were the tree outside the gate
driving back?’ + and collect it later when
without paying they were driving back?’
(alone)
get the tree for free
He was tempted to steal it
He was tempted to snatch

the tree / it
He stole / snatched / tried

to steal the tree
8(b) Mr Lutchman swooped down to take the tree. What effect does ‘swooping down’ have
that would not be achieved by, for example, ‘bent down’?
Suddenness / abruptness / 1 Other parts of speech, Secrecy / concealment /

speed / quickness / swiftness e.g. quick / quickly vigilance / stealth /
cunning
Quicker (than
bending) Snatched / grabbed
Look for effect of swooping down, not consequence.

PUBLISHED
8(c) The gardener showed his disapproval of Mr Lutchman by wagging his finger at him. In
what one other way did the gardener’s behaviour show his disapproval?
he made / was making (small) 1 Inclusion of he came up

scolding noises behind him / tapped him
on shoulder. One feature
of behaviour is required.
8(d) Explain in your own words what the gardener did to ‘to disguise the fact that he was
making up the prices’ of the various items ‘as he went along’.
ENUMERATE: count / calculate 1 Tell / give Increase / highlight /

/ tally / add up / total / reckon / mention / record / come
tot up / sum up / itemise / list / up with / sort out / check /
state / name / spell out/ change / write / said /
announce identify / describe
EXAGGERATED: elaborate(d) / 1 Showy / made a deal Extreme / great / extra /

emphasised / in great detail / of / enhanced more / unnecessary /
laboured / too much / excessive made up / abnormal /
/ fake / overdone / artificial / unusual
forced / pretend
This is an OWN WORDS question. Key words are ENUMERATE and EXAGGERATED

PUBLISHED
9 Mr Lutchman planted the avocado tree in the back yard. Explain fully why this was
‘ironic’.
he didn’t want anyone to steal it/ 1 Lift of lines 42–43 ‘ he

he didn’t want it to be stolen / he had planted«less
wanted to protect it from thieves likely to be stolen’
/ he thought someone would
steal it Lift of line 43 ‘ it was
less likely to be stolen’
It would not get stolen
(but) he had tried to steal it 1 He had stolen it

(himself / in the first place)

PUBLISHED
10 Choose five of the following words or phrases. For each of them give one word or short
phrase (of not more than seven words) which has the same meaning that the word has in
the passage.
1 unpremeditated (L2) 1 mark Unexpectedly / without

For warning / suddenly /
unplanned / not thought out / each unannounced / for no
without thinking / not calculated / correct reason / unintentionally /
not pre-determined / out of the mean- surprisingly /
blue / spontaneous / impromptu ing uncontrollably / naturally /
/ on the spur of the moment / (max 5) inadvertently /
from nowhere / off the cuff unpredicted / by chance
2 industry (L5) Factory / production /

dedication / creation /
work /endeavour / labour / drive / diligence /
spade work / effort / toil application
3 set to (L6) Got ready to / decided to /

moved to / got back to /
started / began / commenced / left for
embarked on / got cracking with
/ busy oneself / got (down) to /
went ahead / went to / got under
way / got the ball rolling /
launched into / got stuck into
4 persisted (L12) Tried / was determined /

stayed determined / was
continued / kept on / firm / was steadfast /
persevered/ didn’t give up / refused to listen / was
carried on / went on / kept going stubborn / did not change
/ pressed on / stayed with it /
plugged away / didn’t stop /
stuck with / still did / was
tenacious / stuck to his guns /
stood by what he wanted
5 encouraged(L31) Reassured / heartened /

cheered / forced /
spurred on / motivated / satisfied / pleased /
persuaded / emboldened /given convinced / influenced /
hope /stimulated / urged on / rallied / invigorated /
boosted / inspired / roused / moved / impressed
optimistic about / pushed /
egged on / driven / moved on /
given confidence / prompted /
enthused / supported

PUBLISHED
6 dilapidated (L38) Ancient / useless /

obsolete / worn out /
run down / ruined / worse for beaten up / neglected /
wear / in disrepair / falling to broken / uncared for /
pieces /falling apart / falling to destroyed / damaged /
bits / battered / decrepit / tatty / tattered
ramshackle / rickety /
tumbledown / in bad condition /
in poor condition / broken down /
rotting / shabby / wrecked /
decaying / badly maintained
7 reluctantly(L44) Hardly / barely / hesitantly

/ with difficulty / cautiously
unwillingly / not wanting to / / slowly /
resistingly unenthusiastically /
grudgingly / unhappily /
lazily
8 comprehension (L47) Explanation / conclusion /

truth / learning / reason /
understanding / realisation knowledge
/awareness/ enlightenment /
perception / apprehension
Mark only the first FIVE words attempted.

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Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge Ordinary Level

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1123/11

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This document consists of 11 printed pages.

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MARKING of LANGUAGE Section 1 and Section 2

General Assessment Objectives for WRITING

W1 Communicate appropriately, with a clear awareness of purpose, audience and register.

Specific Assessment Objectives for Section 1: Directed Writing

To test the candidate’s ability to:

Detailed Marking Instructions for Section 1: Directed Writing

The 30 marks are allocated as follows:

Notation used in Section 1 to indicate where required information is addressed:

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SECTION 1 TASK FULFILMENT MARK

Band 1 (15–13 marks)

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SECTION 1 LANGUAGE MARK

Band 1 (15–14 marks)

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Band 5 (7–6 marks)

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Detailed Marking instructions for Section 2: Creative Writing

Band 1 (30–27 marks)

– Consistently relevant. Interest aroused and sustained.

– Relevant. Interest aroused and mostly sustained.

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Band 3 (22–19 marks)

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– Some relevance. Some interest.

– A little relevance. A little interest.

– Little relevance or interest.

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Marking Abnormal Scripts

SECTION 1 LANGUAGE SECTION 2

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© UCLES 2017 Page 11 of 11

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1123/12

® IGCSE is a registered trademark.

This document consists of 11 printed pages.

© UCLES 2017 [Turn over

Question Answer Marks