The study of written language, controlled assessment guidance - CCEASample question

You will be asked to complete one written response which will last one hour.

You will be allowed to have an unannotated copy of your literary text or texts. For example, you can write about a text that you are studying for GCSE English Literature such as Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird or Lord of the Flies.

There are also other novels, poems or plays which your teacher may choose.

Your question will be linked to a theme which CCEA sets every year. Further details of these themes can be found on the CCEA English Language microsite.

If your task is based on a selection of poetry, or a number of shorter extracts from short stories of varying genres, you may be required to make comparisons between the texts. However, comparison of texts is not a formal requirement.

For example, the theme for your controlled assessment might be violence or danger. Below is an example of the type of task you could be set.

With reference to the ways Steinbeck presents Curley in Section 3 of the novel, show how far you would agree that he is a danger to others in Of Mice and Men. You should:

• focus on the key terms of the question
• refer to relevant textual details, including Steinbeck’s use of language and its intended impact on the reader
• focus on how Steinbeck uses linguistic and presentational features to engage the reader
• use relevant quotations to support your opinions

In your controlled assessment you should demonstrate that you:

• read and understand texts
• understand how meaning is constructed
• select material appropriate to purpose
• recognise the effect of language choices and patterns
• explain how writers use linguistic and presentational features to sustain the reader’s interest
• evaluate how texts may be interpreted differently depending on the reader’s perspective.