CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education

MARK SCHEME for the March 2016 series

0500 FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH

0500/32 Paper 3 (Directed Writing and Composition),
maximum raw mark 50

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 March 2016 series for most Cambridge IGCSE®
and Cambridge International A and AS Level components.

® IGCSE is the registered trademark of Cambridge International Examinations.

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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

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 a 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 you are the parent of an IGCSE student in the Headteacher’s school. You do not
agree with what he has said. Write a letter to the Headteacher in response to his
proposals about the new homework policy.

In your letter you should:

• identify the Headteacher’s views about his new homework policy

• evaluate how you think this might affect you, your child, and other students and
parents.

Base your letter on the speech you have read, but be careful to use your own words.
Address each of the bullets.

Begin your letter, ‘Dear Headteacher«’

Write about 250 to 300 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the
quality of your writing. [25]

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Responses might use the following ideas:

A1 Ideas given in favour of the new policy:

• Current ideas about homework are unrealistic

• The same homework doesn’t suit all students
• Teachers can’t plan properly when students don’t complete homework
• Home circumstances differ from one student to another, affecting homework
• Homework can badly affect students’ family lives and outside interests
• Planning their own homework develops students’ maturity and accountability
• Choosing an appropriate level of homework is more educationally appropriate.

A2 Some criticisms of the policy might be inferred:

• The school has abdicated its responsibility to make students do their homework
• The disparity between students’ home circumstances won’t change with the new policy
• Some students/parents will abuse the system in various ways
• Teachers may not be in favour/may resent increased workloads.

A3 Some ideas from a parent’s perspective might be offered:

• Homework is the school’s responsibility, not the student’s/parent’s

• IGCSE studies are too important to make radical changes
• Students are too young to make sensible decisions about homework
• Parents are ill-equipped to police the new arrangements
• There may be some family benefits but there are extra burdens too.

The discriminator is the evaluation of the arguments, which requires candidates to draw
inferences and make judgements about the possible benefits/drawbacks to the new homework
policy. Perceptive responses may consider the purpose of homework and the relative
responsibilities of teachers/students/parents, 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.

Consistent sense of audience; authoritative and appropriate style. Fluent, varied

Band 1 13–15 sentences; wide range of vocabulary. Strong sense of structure, paragraphing
and sequence. Spelling, punctuation and grammar almost always accurate.

Sense of audience mostly secure; there is evidence of style and fluency;

Band 2 10–12 sentences and vocabulary are effective. Secure overall structure; mostly well-
sequenced. Spelling, punctuation and grammar generally accurate.

Occasional sense of audience; mostly written in correctly structured sentences;

Band 3 7–9 vocabulary may be plain but adequate for the task; mostly quite well structured.
Minor, but more frequent, errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Inconsistent style; simple or faultily constructed sentences; vocabulary simple;

Band 4 5–6
basic structure. Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Inappropriate expression; the response is not always well sequenced. Errors of

Band 5 3–4
spelling, punctuation and grammar impair communication.

Expression unclear; flawed sentence construction and order. Persistent errors of

Band 6 1–2
spelling, punctuation and grammar impede communication.

Band 7 0 The response cannot be understood.

Table B, Reading:
Use the following table to give a mark out of 10 for Reading.

Gives a thorough, perceptive, convincing response. Reads effectively between

Band 1 9–10 the lines. Shows understanding by developing much of the reading material and
assimilating it into a response to the task.

Some evidence of evaluation, engaging with a few of the main points with
Band 2 7–8 success. Uses reading material to support the argument. Occasionally effective
development of ideas from the passages.

Reproduces a number of points to make a satisfactory response. The response

Band 3 5–6 covers the material adequately, but may miss opportunities to develop it
relevantly or at length.

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

Parts of the response are relevant, though the material may be repeated or used
Band 5 1–2
inappropriately.

There is very little or no relevance to the question or to the passages. Or, the
Band 6 0
response copies unselectively or directly from the 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.

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 a 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) Imagine you have recently moved house. In the attic you find a box containing some
objects which belonged to the previous owners. Describe some of the objects you discover
and your thoughts and feelings when you find them. [25]

OR

(b) Describe a town or village after a heavy rainstorm. [25]

Narrative Writing

3 (a) Write a story which includes a pleasant and unexpected revelation about a friend or
relative. [25]

OR

(b) Write a story entitled, ‘The Challenge’. [25]

Marking criteria for Section 2, Questions 2(a), 2(b), 3(a) and 3(b)

Use table A to give a mark out of 13 for content and structure, and table B to give a mark out of 12 for
style and accuracy.

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Table A, Composition: Content and structure

Specific criteria
General criteria
Descriptive Writing Narrative Writing
Band 1 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 2 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 3 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.
Band 5 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.

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Specific criteria
General criteria
Descriptive Writing Narrative Writing
Band 6 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 7 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

Writing is consistent, stylistically fluent, linguistically strong and almost always

accurate; has sense of audience.

Band 1 11–12 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.

Writing is mostly fluent, sometimes linguistically effective and generally

accurate; may have some sense of audience.

Band 2 9–10 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.

Writing is clear, competent, if plain in vocabulary and grammatical structures;

errors minor, but frequent.
Band 3 7–8
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.

Writing is clear and accurate in places, and uses limited vocabulary and
grammatical structures; errors occasionally serious.

Band 4 5–6 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.

Writing is simple in vocabulary and grammar; overall meaning can be followed,

but errors are distracting and sometimes impair communication.
Band 5 3–4
W3: Words may sometimes communicate meaning satisfactorily.
W4: Frequent weakness in sentence structures.
W5: Errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar impair communication.

Writing is weak in vocabulary and grammar; persistent errors impede

communication.

Band 6 1–2 W3: Insufficient language to carry intended meaning.

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

Writing is impossible to follow. Language proficiency is lacking; incorrect

Band 7 0
sentences; multiple errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

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