Examiner's Grade
A
The examiner gave this sample answer a Grade A.
Now read the comments below to understand why this grade was given.
The examiner also provides tips on how the answer might be improved.
Comment
This essay’s main strength is that it considers the passage as a whole and resists ‘telling the story’. The opening does not repeat the question but provides two challenging statements, which the candidate goes on to explain. Quotation is integrated into the argument. Perhaps a little more could be said about Elizabeth’s replies but the student has left room to consider the part the scene plays in the novel. It is usually risky to refer to external evidence such as films but here it is used to make a point about the situation.
For an A* grade
- Include more of Elizabeth’s replies to add balance and show that the extract is a dialogue.
- Try not to overstate ideas – you can gain marks by showing that there are degrees of meaning.
- Remember to comment on Austen’s techniques.
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