Cambridge Assessment International Education: First Language English 0500/32 March 2019

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Cambridge Assessment International Education

Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/32


Paper 3 Directed Writing and Composition March 2019
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 50

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 March 2019 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE™, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level
components.

This document consists of 12 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alongside the
specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond the
scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assessed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level
descriptors.

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GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however - the use of the full mark range may
be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thresholds or
grade descriptors in mind.

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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 (15 marks)

W1 articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined


W2 sequence facts, ideas and opinions
W3 use a range of appropriate vocabulary
W4 use register appropriate to audience and context
W5 make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar

and reading assessment objectives R1 to R3 (10 marks)

R1 demonstrate understanding of explicit meanings


R2 demonstrate understanding of implicit meanings and attitudes
R3 analyse, evaluate and develop facts, ideas and opinions

Imagine that you are trying to decide whether or not to apply for a university place. A relative has sent you the information in the two
passages.

Write a letter to your relative in response to what you have read.

In your letter you should:


• evaluate the opinions and ideas about going to university in the two passages
• explain whether or not you think going to university might be useful for you.

Base your letter on what you have read in the article and extract, but be careful to use your own words. Address each of the bullet points.

Begin your letter, ‘Dear «’

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing.
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Question Answer Marks

1 Responses might use the following ideas: 25

A1 Some ideas from the passage/possible evaluation points

• you can get a lot out of university as long as you work hard/might not be worth going if you don’t
• research suggests that graduates find work after university but no evidence that they were good jobs
• research includes people who go on to study more – but that’s not employment
• necessary to do more than study hard to acquire other skills
• there is little leisure time if students are going to succeed in becoming employable, even with a degree/adds pressure on
students
• not everyone wants to, or can be, an entrepreneur
• risky to think you’ll pay debts off in a good job
• Hazel might have time to grow up and develop a career in the time it would take to get a degree
• Ajay is focused on earning a living/independence – nothing wrong with that
• Edon – not everyone is cut out for university but being unemployed is worse
• no point going to university if you don’t know what you want to do/education for its own sake is an expensive luxury
• you could change subjects once you’re there – don’t have to know for sure which career you want
• loans might motivate as much as daunt students/good training for adult life
• university education is a good training for adulthood
• you can try new jobs after university – doesn’t have to be instead of going.

A2 Own views which might show evaluation

• whether to go to university depends on the individual


• students’ attitude to debt will vary as will the impact of debt on their futures
• you seem to have to be quite driven to succeed at university
• studying might be an easier life than working
• everybody has to earn a living at some point, so why delay?
• education is a good thing in itself.

The discriminator is the evaluation of the arguments, which requires candidates to draw inferences and make judgements
about whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in this particular case. Perceptive responses may weigh up the
different arguments, and this should affect the decision. Ideas and opinions must be derived from the passage, developing its
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 15 for Writing.

Band 7 Consistent sense of audience; authoritative and appropriate style. Fluent, varied sentences; wide range of vocabulary. Strong
13–15 sense of structure, paragraphing and sequence. Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate.

Band 6 Sense of audience mostly secure; there is evidence of style and fluency; sentences and vocabulary are effective. Secure overall
10–12 structure; mostly well sequenced. Spelling, punctuation and grammar generally accurate.

Band 5 Occasional sense of audience; mostly written in correctly structured sentences; vocabulary may be plain but adequate for the task;
7–9 mostly quite well structured. Minor, but more frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Band 4 Inconsistent style; simple or faultily constructed sentences; vocabulary simple; basic structure. Frequent errors of spelling,
5–6 punctuation and grammar.

Band 3 Inappropriate expression; the response is not always well sequenced. Errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impair
3–4 communication.

Band 2 Expression unclear; flawed sentence construction and order. Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impede
1–2 communication.

Band 1 The response cannot be understood.


0

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Table B, Reading:

Use the following table to give a mark out of 10 for Reading.

Band 6 Gives a thorough, perceptive, convincing response. Reads effectively between the lines. Shows understanding by developing much
9–10 of the reading material and assimilating it into a response to the task.

Band 5 Some evidence of evaluation, engaging with a few of the main points with success. Uses reading material to support the argument.
7–8 Occasionally, effective development of ideas from the passages.

Band 4 Reproduces a number of points to make a satisfactory response. The response covers the material adequately, but may miss
5–6 opportunities to develop it relevantly or at length.

Band 3 Selects points from the passages rather literally and/or uses the material thinly. Points should be connected.
3–4

Band 2 Parts of the response are relevant, though the material may be repeated or used inappropriately.
1–2

Band 1 There is very little or no relevance to the question or to the passages, or the response copies unselectively or directly from the
0 passages.
First variant Mark Scheme

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Section 2: Composition

Questions 2(a), 2(b), 3(a) and 3(b)

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

W1 articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined


W2 sequence facts, ideas and opinions
W3 use a range of appropriate vocabulary
W4 use register appropriate to audience and context
W5 make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar

Write about 350 to 450 words on one of the following questions.

Up to 13 marks are available for the content and structure of your answer, and up to 12 marks for the style and accuracy of your writing.

Descriptive Writing

2(a) Describe the kitchen of a busy restaurant at lunch time.

OR

2(b) Imagine your school or college 25 years from now.

Narrative Writing

3(a) Write a story about fulfilling a dream or an ambition.

OR

3(b) Write a story using the title, ‘The Cancellation’.

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

Table A, Composition: Content and structure

Specific criteria
General criteria
Descriptive Writing Narrative Writing

Band 7 11–13 W1: Content is complex, sophisticated Many well-defined and developed ideas The plot is convincing with elements
and realistic. and images create a convincing, original, of fiction such as description,
W2: Overall structure is secure and the overall picture with varieties of focus. characterisation and climax, and
constituent parts well balanced and with cogent detail.
carefully managed.

Band 6 9–10 W1: Content develops some interesting Frequent, well-chosen images and details The plot incorporates some
and realistic features in parts of the give an impression of reality, although the interesting features, but not
writing. overall picture is not consistent. consistently so: the reader may be
W2: Writing is orderly, and beginnings aware of the creation of suspense
and endings are satisfactorily managed. and a sense of climax.

Band 5 7–8 W1: Content is straightforward with ideas, A selection of relevant ideas, images and The plot is straightforward and
features and images that satisfactorily details addresses the task, even where cohesive with some identification of
address the task; some opportunities for there is a tendency to write a narrative. features such as character and
development are taken. setting.
W2: Overall structure is competent and
some sentences are well sequenced.

Band 4 5–6 W1: Content consists of relevant ideas The task is addressed with a series of Recording of relevant but
that are briefly developed. ordinary details, which may be more typical sometimes unrealistic events
W2: Overall structure is easily followed, of a narrative. outweighs other desirable elements
though some constituent parts are too of narrative fiction.
long or too short to be effective.

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Specific criteria
General criteria
Descriptive Writing Narrative Writing

Band 3 3–4 W1: Content is simple, and the Where a narrative is written, the recording The plot is a simple narrative that
presentation of ideas and events may of events may preclude the use of sufficient may consist of events that are only
only be partially credible. descriptive detail. partially credible or which are
W2: Overall structure is recognisable presented with partial clarity.
though paragraphing is inconsistent and
sequences of sentences insecure.

Band 2 1–2 W1: Content is inconsistent in relevance, Some relevant facts are identified, but the The plot lacks coherence and
interest and clarity. overall picture is unclear and lacks narrates events indiscriminately.
W2: Structure is frequently unclear, development.
revealing a limited grasp of purpose.

Band 1 0 W1: Content is rarely relevant and there Individual ideas are not properly The plot is hard to follow and is only
is little material. communicated and the effect is one of partially relevant.
W2: The structure is disorderly. incoherence.

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Table B, Composition: Style and accuracy

Band 7 11–12 Writing is consistent, stylistically fluent, linguistically strong and almost always accurate; has sense of audience.

W3: Consistently wide range of appropriate vocabulary.


W4: Subtle and effective sense of audience; appropriate use of varied sentence structures.
W5: Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate.

Band 6 9–10 Writing is mostly fluent, sometimes linguistically effective and generally accurate; may have some sense of audience.

W3: Obvious attempt to use range of vocabulary to interest the reader.


W4: Partial or inferred sense of audience, with appropriate sentence structures.
W5: Spelling, punctuation and grammar mainly accurate.

Band 5 7–8 Writing is clear, competent, if plain in vocabulary and grammatical structures; errors minor, but frequent.

W3: Occasional precision and/or interest in choice of words.


W4: Accurate if repetitive sentence structures
W5: Minor but frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Band 4 5–6 Writing is clear and accurate in places, and uses limited vocabulary and grammatical structures; errors occasionally serious.

W3: Plain but mostly correct choice of words.


W4: Correct use of simple sentence structures; some errors of sentence separation.
W5: Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Band 3 3–4 Writing is simple in vocabulary and grammar; overall meaning can be followed, but errors are distracting and sometimes
impair communication.

W3: Words may sometimes communicate meaning satisfactorily.


W4: Frequent weakness in sentence structures.
W5: Errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impair communication.

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Band 2 1–2 Writing is weak in vocabulary and grammar; persistent errors impede communication.

W3: Insufficient language to carry intended meaning.


W4: Faulty and/or rambling sentence structures.
W5: Persistent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impede communication.

Band 1 0 Writing is impossible to follow. Language proficiency is lacking; incorrect sentences; multiple errors of spelling, punctuation
and grammar.

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