3 Grade 9 responses to the 2023 Language Paper 2 Question 5 question which involved writing a speech in which students had to give their opinion on a statement related to cars. Speech 1: Written in the powerful and emotional style with environmental concerns at the forefront Speech 2 Written in a slightly humorous/satirical style Speech 3: Begins and ends with an anecdote. All 3 speeches should achieve grade 9 due to the sustained use of ambitious vocabulary, a full range of punctuation and sentence structures used for effect alongside the use of cohesive devices to assist whole text structure and organisation.

Here are my model answers to questions 1 to 5 of the AQA Language Paper 1 exam where the exam was based on an extract from Life of Pi. They may be useful for students who want to know how they could have improved on their mock. The extract and questions are available on the AQA website. Each answer has been written to try and aim for the top band of the mark scheme. For Q5, I chose to do the story rather than the description. For model responses to the November 2022 paper on The Old Man and the Sea use this link: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12934137 Model responses for June 2022 on The Pearl can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-13031986

High level model answers for questions 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the 2023 AQA Language Paper 2 paper on trains which was, by all accounts, a challenging pair of extracts. Also includes some notes for helping to answer the reading questions.

Perhaps due to the recent coronation, many experts are predicted kingship would be the theme for the exam in 2023. They were wrong. Maybe 2024 will be the year for this key theme to be on the exam. Therefore I have created a 20 slide PowerPoint that guides students through how to plan and respond to a question on kingship in Macbeth. Students go on to write their own response and then compare it to the model response. I believe the model response is full marks and would easily achieve grade 9; however, there will always be some teachers who claim nothing short of postgraduate level writing will receive the much coveted 9 so I am reluctant to make the claim that it would definitely achieve a 9.

Punctuation worksheet with 3 parts. Section 1: Students add the missing semi colon to 20 sentences. Section 2: Students add the missing colon to 20 sentences. Section 3: Students add the misses single or pair of dashes to 20 sentences. Answers on page 2.

A bank of 200 ambitious adjectives to support students with creative writing on one printable sheet.

A grade 9 model answer focusing on the character of Juliet. The model answer starts with a thesis statement. It moves on to analyse the youthful, idealistic nature of Romeo’s feelings for Romeo early in the play. The second half of the essay moves on to explore the growing maturity of Juliet’s feelings later in the play. The word count for the response is 1014 words. Also includes revision cards for critical perspectives into Romeo’s character to really help push for that grade 9 in A03.

A timeline focusing on how the character of Macbeth changes during the play. There is also a question template to help students explore their own interpretations of the different stages of Macbeth’s descent into evil. Also includes 2 exemplar high grade exemplars to the question for students to compare and consider which are the most perceptive in meeting the criteria for level 6/grade 9. Also includes 12 character flashcards to help trace how the different aspects of Macbeth’s complex personality are communicated in the play.

A grade 9 response to the AQA June 2020 Paper 2 Question 5 about whether or not travel was a waste of time. It starts with a powerful anecdote, has 2 paragraphs arguing the benefits of travel, then it looks at and dismisses the counter argument before reaching a conclusion which links back to the opening anecdote to gain marks for whole text structure and organisation. Vocabulary is sophisticated throughout and punctuation is advanced.

Model answers for questions 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the November 2022 language exam based on the extract from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, For each question, I have provided 2 different answers so students can compare the merits of each. Both are aimed at meeting the top band (level 4) criteria. For question 5 I have provided a high level response to both questions - the fishing village and the unlikely friendship. The extract is available on the AQA website.

An exam-style grade 9 response that would comfortable fit into band 6 that explores how Shakespeare presents Macbeth as an evil/violent character. I have not included the 2019 question or extract but it is available on the AQA website under assessment materials. There is perceptive debate with judicious use of quotations and assured analysis of methods and wider ideas. Also contains a differentiated adaptive writing frame to help lower ability students achieve a grade 4.

PowerPoint with click-animated text which goes through 4 big ideas in the collection concerning the power of nature, conflict over identity, abuse of power and the power of memories. For each big idea, I go through key quotations from specific poems with detailed analysis written in short form to assist with note-taking. Students then move on to try using big ideas to help plan responses to 3 exam-style questions. My most comprehensive resource on Power and Conflict poetry is available here with revision posters on every poem: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/power-and-conflict-revision-sheets-12884928

A free student workbook version of my 15 page power and conflict revision booklet. There are spaces underneath all of the key quotations from each poem so that students can write down their ideas about each quotation. The full resource with detailed analysis of key quotations from each poem is available here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12886246

Handy one page revision sheet on Half Caste by John Agard for the Edexcel conflict anthology. It contains 10 analytical questions and 10 developed responses to the questions. My most popular resource on Edexcel conflict poetry, which puts together all my resources into one booklet, is available here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/edexcel-conflict-poetry-revision-booklet-12955594

A grade 9 level response looking at the theme of greed in A Christmas Carol. Also contains 6 revision cards analysing 6 useful quotations for exploring the theme of greed.

A worksheet for exploring the significance of the opening stage directions of A Streetcar Named Desire. It also comes with a suggested answer sheet with high grade responses to the questions. The opening stage directions are so rich in meanings and wider significance that it is worthwhile helping students to become experts in analysing this section because it can be used in a wide range of potential essay questions. Hopefully this worksheet should help. This also contains a sheet closely analysing the significance of the epigraph.

‘Because, But, So’ is a tool to help students demonstrate the depth of their understanding. This free resource collates 6 ‘because, but, so’ paragraphs on 6 characters from A Streetcar Named Desire to model how to structure the ‘because, but, so’ method.

Free basic but effective template for planning responses comparing Handmaid’s Tale and Feminine Gospels. There are 8 questions that try to predict the theme that might come up in the AQA 2B modern times exam.