Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

TM
Cambridge IGCSE / IGCSE (9–1)
Literature in English 0475 / 0992
For examination from 2020

Version 1
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Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Question 1 - Poetry.......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Example Candidate Response – high........................................................................................................................... 6
Example Candidate Response – middle....................................................................................................................... 9
Example Candidate Response – low.......................................................................................................................... 12

Question 2 - Prose......................................................................................................................................................... 14
Example Candidate Response – high......................................................................................................................... 14
Example Candidate Response – middle..................................................................................................................... 17
Example Candidate Response – low.......................................................................................................................... 19
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Introduction
The main aim of this booklet is to exemplify standards for those teaching Cambridge IGCSE / IGCSE (9–1) Literature
in English 0475 / 0992, and to show how different levels of candidates’ performance (high, middle and low) relate to
the syllabus requirements.
In this booklet candidate responses have been chosen from the November 2020 exam series to exemplify a range of
answers.
For each question, the response is annotated with a clear explanation of where and why marks were awarded or
omitted. This is followed by examiner comments on how the answer could have been improved. In this way, it is
possible for you to understand what candidates have done to gain their marks and what they could do to improve their
answers. There is also a list of common mistakes candidates made in their answers for each question.
This document provides illustrative examples of candidate work with examiner commentary. These help teachers
to assess the standard required to achieve marks beyond the guidance of the mark scheme. Therefore, in some
circumstances, such as where exact answers are required, there will not be much comment.
The questions and mark schemes used here are available to download from the School Support Hub. These files are:

November 2020 Question Paper 42

November 2020 Paper 42 Mark Scheme

Past exam resources and other teaching and learning resources are available on the School Support Hub:
www.cambridgeinternational.org/support

4
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

How to use this booklet

This booklet goes through the paper one question at a time, showing you the high-, middle- and low-level response for
each question. The candidate answers are set in a table. In the left-hand column are the candidate answers, and in
the right-hand column are the examiner comments.

Examiner comments are

alongside the answers. These
Answers are by real candidates in exam conditions. explain where and why marks
These show you the types of answers for each level. were awarded. This helps you
Discuss and analyse the answers with your learners in to interpret the standard of
the classroom to improve their skills. Cambridge exams so you can
help your learners to refine
their exam technique.

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The crucial discriminator between Band 6 and Band 7 is a critical understanding of the writer’s purpose and the
satirical nature of this poem and the way the writer uses the clichés of school reports as a protective weapon which
teachers deploy in the battleground to avoid blame is clearly explained. The candidate clearly addressed AO2 and
their integration of brief supporting quotation in their answer addressed AO1.
• The candidate analysed the connotations of word choice and imagery and the rhythmic effects achieved through
punctuation and lineation. The candidate also explained sound effects such as alliteration. This answer went further
to explore how the reader reads the poem and responds to its slow pace and ironic tone, based on contradictions
and juxtaposition of ideas. Higher level answers to this question addressed the final bullet point and the extension
of the language and metaphor of reporting to life itself and even to the gravestone.

This section explains how the candidate could

have improved each answer. This helps you to
interpret the standard of Cambridge exams and
helps your learners to refine their exam technique.

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• Candidates often struggled to identify the dramatic scenario created and the ironic nature of the poet’s voice.
Sometimes candidates expressed their personal views of the opinions expressed, or of the language of school
reports, instead of looking at what the poet said.
• Many candidates picked up the cynical and defensive tone of the poetic voice. However, they would benefit from
understanding that when questions refer to ‘the poet’ we mean ‘the poetic voice’, which is a literary and dramatic
construct. Candidates should ask themselves who is speaking in a poem, and who they are speaking to. The
idea of someone sending up the defensive language of school reports in order for the teacher to avoid blame or
misinterpretation might have then been better understood.
Lists the common mistakes candidates made
Often candidates were not awarded in answering each question. This will help your
marks because they misread or learners to avoid these mistakes and give them
misinterpret the questions. the best chance of achieving the available marks.

5
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 1 – Poetry

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 This is a strong opening. The

candidate addresses the question
directly and gives an overview,
commenting on both the bland
1 nature of the language of reports
and the different ways in which
2
words can be interpreted. The bullet
points are reinterpreted and not just
repeated.
3 2 Stronger responses to this
poem show an understanding of the
last two stanzas. The candidate’s
phrase ‘a larger metaphor for life’
is an apt summary of how the poet
moves beyond the language of
4 school to address bigger issues.
The candidate already shows overall
understanding (AO2) and begins to
5
address the writer’s methods (AO3).
3 Attention to rhythm marks out
stronger answers to the poetry
questions. The candidate attends to
punctuation, word length and sound
effects (AO3) and this is followed by
some comment of the effect on the
reader (AO4).
6
4 Terminology is incorporated
within a response to the effect of
juxtaposing ‘multi-purpose’ and
‘meaning nothing’. This is followed
7 by a concise response to military
imagery, with an explanation of why
the metaphor is appropriate.
5 AO3 includes form and
structure as well as language and
the candidate shows they can write
about structural effects and rhythm
here.
6 The candidate’s comments
show sensitivity to the choice of
words, but also go beyond surface
meanings (AO2).
7 The candidate shows a very
clear understanding of imagery
here.

6
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

8 The candidate could have

unpacked this metaphor further but
its purpose, context and meaning
are all understood.
8
9 The candidate shows further
sensitivity to detail and to the
connotations of words.
9
10 The candidate now expands
the response to address the third
bullet point and the cycle of life
the poet alludes to. The third
bullet point often allows a broader
personal response and a degree
10 of evaluation, which the candidate
picks up and addresses (AO4).
11 The wider application of
the language and euphemisms
of school reports are clearly
11 understood here (AO2).
12 This is a very successful
overview. However the ironic
application of individual phrases
from school reports and the
relationship between the cycle of
12
disappointed expectations both
in school and in life is not fully
developed.
13 The effect of alliteration (AO3)
and reference to cliché is succinct in
13
this addition to paragraph 2.

7
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

14 14 The candidate addresses the

question, the bullet points and the
overall meaning of the poem, both
in respect to school reports and the
patterns of life.

Total mark awarded =

22 out of 25

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The main differences between answers in Band 6 and answers in Band 7 were that Band 7 answers showed
a critical understanding of and clearly explained both the writer’s purpose and the satirical nature of the poem;
and the way the writer used the clichés of school reports as a protective weapon which teachers deployed in
the battleground to avoid blame. The candidate clearly addressed AO2 and their integration of brief supporting
quotation in their answer addressed AO1.
• The candidate analysed the connotations of word choice and imagery and the rhythmic effects achieved through
punctuation and lineation. The candidate also explained sound effects such as alliteration. This answer went further
to explore how the reader reads the poem and responds to its slow pace and ironic tone, based on contradictions
and juxtaposition of ideas. Higher level answers to this question addressed the final bullet point and the extension
of the language and metaphor of reporting to life itself and even to the gravestone.
• Although examiners assessed the quality and not the quantity of points made, Band 8 answers required a more
sustained and detailed evaluative engagement with the text. For example, the candidate made excellent comments
on the first three lines, but did not explore the defensive tone of ‘Don’t give them anything / To take hold of’, or the
implications of ‘Even / pronouns are dangerous’ to show how the experienced teacher counselled her colleague to
avoid the questionable territory of judgement and identity. Some candidates commented on the cowardice of simply
satisfying the good with the term ‘satisfactory’.
• The candidate could have explored further the extended metaphors, such as the military semantic field of ‘be on
your guard’ or the religious allusions of ‘read / Your scripture backwards’ as well as ‘unholy trinity’.
• The candidate could have extended their discussion of how exactly those school report judgements fitted different
stages of the life cycle and what sort of instruction and closure emerged from the final words of the gravestone.
• The candidate could have shown more sustained attention to detail, for example the way the italics of the poem
dramatised particular voices and their implicit intonation. This could have pushed this answer into the top Band.

8
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 The candidate begins

successfully with a point about how
the poem uses language, basing the
1
poem around the ‘comment bank’
used by teachers in constructing
school reports. The candidate
makes a personal judgement about
the tone of the poem, although
this is assertive rather than fully
2 developed. There is a little reference
to the language of the text (AO2)
and the candidate begins to develop
a personal response (AO4).
2 The candidate uses terms like
‘harsh’ and ‘offensive’ to describe
3 the effects of words and phrases.
However, they need to clearly
explain or analyse why they have
such an effect in the context of
the poem, or explore the writer's
purpose. They need to show a
clearer understanding of how the
writer is addressing another teacher.

4 3 The candidate is beginning

to substitute their own narrative,
about a particular ‘student’ instead
of exploring the dramatic context of
the poem, which is explained in the
introductory rubric. The speculative
5
questions which the candidate now
adds are not relevant.
4 There is some understanding
here and some response to
language and tone, so there are
elements of a relevant personal
response, but the candidate’s
personal assertions are a substitute
for clear understanding.
5 The candidate shows an
understanding of how the meaning
of the poem broadens out beyond
the classroom to consider life as
a whole. However, they focus on
a particular child and their destiny,
while the poet’s point is much more
general.

9
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

6 The candidate recognises

how the poet uses the language of
school reports. However, they do not
6
appreciate their ironic tone in both
the context of school and of life as a
whole in the poet’s commentary.
7 The candidate’s comment is
stronger here. They should include
a clear understanding of the context
7
of the phrase in the poem. However,
they show some understanding of
meaning and reference to the poet's
use of religious metaphor. The
candidate is beginning to unpack
the poet’s imagery.
8
8 This comment begins to
address the poem’s tone, with some
understanding (AO2) and this is
followed by a personal response to
that tone (AO4). The candidate does
not really understand the defensive
nature of the language nor the
poet’s satirical purpose.
9 The candidate’s comments on
how the teacher reports on weaker
and stronger students shows some
relevant understanding, without a
focused appreciation of the writer’s
points. The candidate is beginning
to drift into personal assertion not
fully supported by the text.

10
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

10 The concluding remarks

reiterate the candidate’s points
about the tone of remarks cited in
the poem with some appreciation
of tone, but miss the point that
the poet is addressing another
teacher and not writing for students.
The candidate wants to apply the
10 poem to real-life scenarios instead
of exploring the situations which
the poet dramatises for her own
purposes.

Total mark awarded =

13 out of 25

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate’s answer met all the criteria for Band 4. The answer showed some understanding of meaning and a
little reference to language, supported by relevant textual detail and began to develop a personal response.
• The candidate needed to pay more careful attention to the introductory rubric, which clarified that the poet was
dramatising a situation in which a teacher was giving advice to another, perhaps less experienced, colleague about
the language she should use.
• The candidate needed to pay more attention to the bullet points, which would have guided them to a more
controlled and structured answer. The bullet points suggested that candidates should start by exploring the
meaning of those phrases in italics and then how other people (parent, child, head) would interpret those phrases.
This approach would have guided the candidate towards a clearer understanding of meaning and would have
encouraged a developed response to the language and imagery. The candidate explored word choice and
analysed imagery and techniques which allowed them to address AO3 and appreciate the effects of the writer’s
choices on the reader.
• The candidate substituted their own narrative for the poet’s, so the personal response was not ‘reasonably
developed’ from the words of the text, but was based on an imagined narrative of the candidate’s own. The phrase
‘school is the world’ suggests that the poet wanted readers to move beyond the situation of individual students at
school and look at how our lives might be judged and recorded.

11
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 The straightforward comments

show some basic understanding,
1 as the poet’s purpose is to break
down the standard phrases used in
reports.
2 These are reasonable
comments but very general in
nature. The candidate begins to
2 3 show some ability to use quotations.
3 The candidate makes a
reasonable introductory comment
4 but this needs to be followed up with
a comment on how the poet reports
on the language of reports and what
judgements she comes to.
4 The candidate’s commentary on
‘the wright of words’ should form the
5
body of a good answer, but these
remarks need examples.
5 There is some evidence of a
simple personal response to the
6
implicit meanings of phrases in
school reports, but the example
cited is one of the candidate’s own
and not a quotation from the text.
6 The last two sentences show an
attempt to broaden out the answer
and consider the relationship the
poet wants to explore between
school life and life as a whole,
but this is very broad and without
specific textual support.
Total mark awarded =
7 out of 25

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate’s straightforward comments showed a few signs of surface understanding and some evidence of
personal response, but their reference to details of the text was very limited.
• The candidate met all the criteria for Band 2, but the response was not sufficiently developed and did not have a
clear enough grasp of basic surface meaning for Band 3.
• To improve their answer the candidate needed to structure their argument and pay closer attention to detail.
• The candidate could have worked through the poem using the sequence provided by the bullet points which would
have scaffolded a reasonably developed answer. This would also have allowed the candidate to address the
language, imagery and their personal response to the poet’s arguments.
• The candidate needed to make use of quotations to support the points made about the text and could have
followed this with an analysis of word choice and poetic techniques. They needed to recognise the writer’s craft,
but comment on its effect on the reader too.

12
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• Candidates often struggled to identify the dramatic scenario created and the ironic nature of the poet’s voice.
Sometimes candidates expressed their personal views of the opinions expressed, or of the language of school
reports, instead of looking at what the poet said.
• Many candidates picked up the cynical and defensive tone of the poetic voice. However, they would benefit from
understanding that when questions refer to ‘the poet’ we mean ‘the poetic voice’, which is a literary and dramatic
construct. Candidates should ask themselves who is speaking in a poem, and who they are speaking to. The
idea of someone sending up the defensive language of school reports in order for the teacher to avoid blame or
misinterpretation might have then been better understood.
• Many candidates found the cynicism of the teacher shocking and could not empathise with it.
• Candidates needed to understand that in poetry, the convention is that italics represent direct speech or quotation,
so the interpretation of the connotations of the phrases used in school reports is central to the meaning of this
poem.
• Some candidates misapplied the phrases of the reports and did not appreciate that the poem was about teachers’
attitudes, rather than about students.
• Many candidates struggled with how the final stanzas applied the clichés of school to life as a whole.
• More reading and understanding of poems with an ironic tone of voice would have helped candidates with this text.
• It was not necessary to write a very long answer to achieve high marks, as shown in these exemplars.

13
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 2 – Prose

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 The candidate quickly

appreciates that the text focuses
on the perspective of a teenage
girl: it is viewed ‘through this lens’.
It is especially important, when
writing about prose passages, to
1 appreciate the viewpoint through
which the reader sees the events of
2
the narrative and to understand the
tone and limitations of the narrative
voice. These are important aspects
of narrative structure and form
(AO3).
2 The bullet points encourage
candidates to begin by looking
at what the mother says, but it
is important to remember that
this is the mother as seen from
the perspective of her teenage
daughter.
3
3 The candidate shows sensitivity
to the imagined scenario and draws
appropriate inferences from the
mother’s tone, as well as using apt
4
quotation to illustrate content. Both
AO2 and AO3 are addressed here.
4 The candidate perceptively
notes that the mother is not correct
5 in her assumptions here.
5 The candidate shows sensitivity
to the implicit reasons why George
includes these details.
6 6 This sentence on ‘culture shock’
shows an impressive overview of
why this experience is so striking
for George and appreciates its
role in her own development as an
adolescent.

14
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

7 References to the text are

neatly embedded to support this
point.
7
8 The candidate embeds
quotations here to illustrate the
change of focus to a different time of
day and the transition from everyday
life to costumed performance.
9 The candidate’s supported
8 comments show sensitivity to
the ways in which the writing
deliberately appeals to the reader’s
senses.
10 These sentences show
understanding of the communal
9 action that impresses George so
much.
11 The candidate shows a
critical understanding of George’s
perspective and the capacity to
reflect on the opening section of the
text once again and re-evaluate it.

10

11

15
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

12 The candidate shows an

appreciation that this experience
may have drawn George and her
12 mother closer together. This is never
made explicit in the passage which
works through implication, leaving
the reader to draw inferences.
13 The concluding remark returns
explicitly to the question and to
13
the terms of the bullet points. The
candidate shows an understanding
that the experience of visiting this
city has made a deeper impact on
the teenage George than she likes
to let on.

Total mark awarded =

24 out of 25

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• This answer demonstrated the qualities that examiners look for in top-level responses to prose questions. These
are different qualities to those of a good poetry answer, because the techniques that writers use are different.
Strong responses to poetry have the opportunity to examine each of the writer’s word choices and images in detail,
whereas strong prose responses need to be more selective. Above all, they need a clear grasp of the structure and
purpose of the extract.
• The candidate’s writing in this answer was mainly descriptive. There were times in the second and the penultimate
paragraphs, where the candidate could have paid more attention to how the writing communicated the sights and
sounds of the city to the reader.
• Syntax and sentence variation needed more sensitive attention. The candidate could have provided an analysis of
the writer’s techniques in the repeated ‘Nobody’s’ of the second paragraph, or the long sentence describing sounds
at midnight.
• The key to the whole passage was understanding its focus. Because everything seen in this passage was through
the focal viewpoint of the teenage girl, George, the reader needed to infer what it showed of her impressionability
and how she related to her mother (and even what the candidate described as the brother she ‘largely ignores’).
This candidate did this with sensitivity, individuality and flair.
• The candidate demonstrated a deep understanding that the passage marked a crucial stage in George’s
development and showed that George was beginning to form independent judgements about what she saw and
its emotional impact on her. The candidate could have provided more analysis, for example, on the choice of
adjectives.
• The structure of the passage, as well as its viewpoint, was very well understood, with contrasts made between
the mother’s assumptions and what George actually noticed; between George’s home city and this city; with its
strong sense of inclusion, community and harmony and between the city by day and by night. The candidate made
a sensitive comment on how the mother noticed George’s growing independence when they both looked at the
boy with the pretty girl perched on the handlebars of his bike. This answer showed the sustained personal and
evaluative engagement expected of the top Band and showed the candidate had a critical understanding of the
writer’s purpose, through comments that demonstrated individuality and insight.
• The candidate could have paid more detailed attention to language and syntax, but they also showed a sensitive
appreciation of the writer’s narrative perspective and its intended effect, with some especially perceptive comments
on the cultural awakening to difference, which the girl experiences.

16
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 The candidate begins by

addressing the bullet points in
turn, but there is no overview
or consideration of the stem
question. The candidate shows
some understanding which
1 goes beyond the literal, but the
children’s response to the mother’s
enthusiasm is a little more complex
than this.
2 These comments are a little
2
more sophisticated and show
some synthesis of information
from different parts of the text.
However, the candidate does not
use quotations or make an explicit
reference to the language used.
3 The candidate makes good
reference to the details of the
description of the city to show
what George finds striking, with
supporting textual reference, but
this is not in the form of a quotation.
3 There is therefore no comment on
the writing itself, although George’s
perspective is understood.
4 This paragraph is also
an effective paraphrase as
the candidate shows implicit
4 understanding of the structural
contrast and the deep impression
made on George, but analysis of the
writer’s craft is not evident.
5 The candidate shows the
5
beginnings of an answer to the
6 writer’s choices of comparison, but
it is a solitary example and it is not
followed by a comment on why such
a domestic comparison is apt for
George.
6 The candidate’s final
statement captures both George’s
astonishment and that the
ceremonies seem normal for the
inhabitants of the city. More support
for this could be given, but it is an
accurate summary of why she finds
those ceremonials so impressive.
Total mark awarded =
12 out of 25

17
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• Although the answer was very short, it was the result of careful attention to the text, its contents and its tone. The
candidate’s level of understanding was sound. It went beyond basic understanding because George’s viewpoint
and emotions, as the focal point of this extract, were addressed and some implications were understood.
• To improve their answer, this candidate would need a better understanding of the specific requirements of
answering this sort of question. Textual reference in the form of quotation, not paraphrase, would be essential for
higher marks and there was only one quotation in this answer. The quotation should be followed by careful analysis
of the choice of words and images and their likely effect on the reader. Prose passages are as carefully written as
poetry and the writer will have made conscious choices, such as the decision to tell the story in the present tense,
in order to make the descriptions more vivid. Sights and sounds appeal to the reader’s senses, while sentence
variation contributes to pace and the mood created.
• The answer showed an engagement with detail, some understanding of how George saw things and made a little
reference to language. The candidate began to shape a personal response and met several of the criteria for Band
4, but they could have further developed their ideas or critical commentary on language choices.

18
Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 The candidate repeats the

question and bullet points.
2 The candidate uses quotations
1 followed by a literal paraphrase.
In fact, the passage reveals that
George is more deeply impressed
by the palace than she likes to let on
to her mother.
3 The second bullet point is
copied out, but the quotation copied
2
is more about the tourists than the
qualities of the city itself.
4 This comment is correct, but
3
the way the inhabitants behave has
not been explained so it misses the
point and does not tackle what kind
of tourists George and her family
themselves are.
5 George is not really intimidated
4 by this boy, but embarrassed by his
sense of freedom.

5 6 The candidate uses close

paraphrasing to respond to a
bullet point which has been copied
out. This does not demonstrate
understanding and these are very
straightforward factual remarks.
6 7 The candidate shows an
appreciation of the mood of the
passage, but does not show how
this mood is communicated.
8 The candidate does not
clearly distinguish between what
7 is quotation and what is simply
copied out from the passage without
acknowledgment. Quotations need
8 to be clearly indicated, so the details
of the writing can be distinguished
from the candidate’s commentary on
them.

Total mark awarded =

6 out of 25

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• Although this answer was longer than the middle range answer and used more quotations, there was a great deal
less to it. The question and bullet points were copied out, rather than interpreted and quotations were lifted from
the text, often without quotation marks and without clear evidence of understanding.
• The candidate’s answer to the text was a narrative rather than an argument. This kind of paraphrasing, which
copied out content without evidence of understanding, could not be awarded a high mark. There was not enough
evidence of basic understanding, even at narrative level, for Band 3.
• To improve their answer, the candidate could have used the stem question and bullet points to give a paragraphed
structure to their answer. They would need to clearly distinguish between quotations from the text and their own
comments and try to comment on the effect of the details of the writing on the reader.
• If the candidate had explored how the writing created a ‘good mood’ for George and her family, which she wanted
to share with the reader, it would have been awarded a much higher mark.
• The candidate needed to show evidence of individual thinking, personal response and engagement with textual
detail.

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• Some candidates struggled to identify what was distinct about George’s personal viewpoint.
• Candidates needed to engage further with the writer’s choice of tense, a very important technical consideration in
prose. They also needed to explore the use of a third person limited perspective.
• Stronger answers used the bullet points in order to appreciate the structure and sequence of events in the passage
and George’s changing moods.
• Some candidates thought that George was simply bored by her mother, but at the end of the passage they shared
emotions and George remembered details of the paintings she had seen in the palace when she described the
evening festivities.
• Stronger answers focused on sense impressions and explored the writer’s innovative syntax and how it mirrored
the development of George’s thoughts and emotions.
• More successful candidates commented on the importance of contrasts in this passage: between George’s home
city and this experience; between tourists and inhabitants; between the city by day and by night; between the noise
of the evening and the quiet at midnight.
• Some candidates missed the element of magic in the descriptions of the ceremonies and the harmony of the last
two paragraphs which drew George and her mother closer together.
• Some candidates felt that George remained an unimpressed and cynical teenager throughout, but stronger
candidates appreciated her sense of wonder and how that was communicated through the writer’s language
choices.
• For higher marks, candidates needed to realise that the question asked for a personal response to the writing,
not just to the situation. George was an impressionable teenager, working out her response to this foreign city
and new experience for herself. Although she was listening to her mother’s explanations more closely than she
pretended to, for example referring back to them in the antepenultimate paragraph, the writing primarily conveyed
her own sense impressions. There was a musical quality to the writing in the paragraph describing the bells and
the humming of musicians which required closer attention. Some candidates needed to explore further the visual
details of the second paragraph which conveyed a very Italian dolce fa niente in which no one was rushed or
aggressive.

20
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