Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Cambridge O Level
English Language 1125
for centres in Mauritius
For examination from 2024
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 v1

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Cambridge University Press & Assessment retains the copyright on all its publications. Registered centres
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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 4
Details of the assessment............................................................................................................. 5
Section A: Directed Writing........................................................................................................... 6
Question 1................................................................................................................................ 7
Section B: Composition .............................................................................................................. 13
Question 3.............................................................................................................................. 13
Question 4.............................................................................................................................. 19
Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Introduction
These specimen answers have been produced by Cambridge International ahead of the examination in 2024
to exemplify standards for those teaching Cambridge O Level English Language 1125. We have selected
questions f rom Specimen Paper 2, Questions 1, 3 and 4.
The marks given are f or guidance only and are accompanied by a brief commentary explaining the
strengths and weaknesses of the answers. Comments are given to indicate where and why marks were
awarded, and how additional marks could be obtained. There is also a list of common mistakes and
guidance f or candidates f or each question.
The specimen materials are available to download f rom Mauritius School Support

2024 Specimen Paper 02

2024 Specimen Paper Mark Scheme 02

Past exam resources and other teaching and learning resources are available on Mauritius School Support

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Details of the assessment

The syllabus f or Cambridge O Level English Language 1125 is available at Mauritius School Support

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Section A: Directed Writing

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Question 1

Specimen answer (1)

Do you have a taste for travel?

There are those who suggest that travelling within your own country is just as valuable as a

trip abroad, without many of the downsides that can be associated with international travel.
For example, some people may consider that the extortionate cost of travel to other countries

is an unnecessary expense, preferring instead to opt for a staycation. It is true that many of
us live in a country our whole lives without truely exploring all it has to offer. Do you really
need to travel to America to take on Route 66 when we have the Karakoram Highway
(officially one of the world’s greatest road trips) right here on our doorstep? And it’s not just
road-trippers who will find something to entertain them closer to home. Pakistan is rich in
culture and history, not to mention home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the
world. Staying closer to home also has benefits for the environment; choosing to travel by
public transport, bike or on foot helps reduce your carbon footprint as well as saving you

money.

Having said this, others suggest that travel broadens the mind and that you don’t need to

spend a lot of money to have a life-changing trip. A growing number of young people choose
to travel during their gap year, participating in charity projects or activity programmes. This
not only keeps costs low but allows participants to experience a country as one of the locals,
gaining insight that would be impossible as a tourist. Its also a great way to make new
friends!

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

There are clearly some drawbacks of traveling abroad, but the ability of travel to develop a
person’s character and expose them to life experiences they can’t get at home can’t be denied.

To any young people out there considering a trip abroad, I would encourage you to take some
time to explore your own country first – this way, you will be prepared for all an
international trip can bring and will ensure that you make the best memories.

Mark for Reading = 10 out of 10

Mark for Writing = 14 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 24 out of 25

Examiner comment
Reading
The response has a total of 345 words, and has addressed both the bullet points, selecting a wide range of
relevant ideas and opinions from both texts, and analysing, evaluating and developing the chosen content in
a way that clearly f ulf ils all elements of the task. The response is f ocused and relevant with all content
directly relating to the task. Overall, the response f ulf ils all the criteria within the top level f or reading.
Writing
This is an ef f ective response which considers both the advantages and disadvantages of travelling abroad
assimilating ideas from the texts and developing these well with own opinions. The response adopts an
appropriate tone and register for the purpose and audience from the outset with a suitable, lively headline
supplied and the use of the rhetorical question used effectively to engage the reader’s interest. Use of the
additional rhetorical question within the body of the text, as well as the f requent use of direct address
demonstrates consistent awareness of audience throughout the response.
A wide range of well-constructed sentences is used accurately, with simple, compound and complex
structures used effectively to secure reader engagement. The response uses a wide range of vocabulary
precisely and ef f ectively including examples such as ‘extortionate’, ‘insight’ and ‘denied’.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar are highly accurate in this response despite slips such as the misspelling
of ‘truely’, the missing apostrophe in ‘Its’, and the omission of ‘on’ preceding ‘foot’. To achieve a mark in the
top band, a response does not need to be entirely error-f ree and as the slips here do not impede
communication, this response is awarded a top-level mark.

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Specimen answer (2)

Advantages and disadvantages of travelling abroad

We all enjoy going on holiday, but do we really need to travel to other countries to have a
great experience? There are clearly advantages and disadvantages to travelling abroad and
before booking your next trip it is worth taking some time to think about these.

Firstly, a huge advantage of travelling abroad is that it is educational. You can learn a lot

from travelling to another country. For example, you can learn historical facts about the place
you are visiting or about the geography of the country. Learning these things helps to improve

your general knowledge and will also help you back in school. As well as helping you to learn
about the world, travelling to other countries can also help you to appreciate the beauty of
our planet. You don’t need to spend a lot of money either as some of the most spectaculer
sights are free.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to travelling abroad. The most ovious disadvantage is
the impact on the environment. Flying to other countries increases your carbon footprint and

this is not good for the planet. Going on holiday in your own country avoids this because you
can choose more eco-friendly ways to travel such as cycling or walking. Staying closer to
home for your vacation can also give you time to spend with your friends and family, relaxing
and enjoying experiences together. I went to visit my grandparents for the last school
vacation. We played board games, walked to the local park, and spent time talking about
their lives. My grandmother told me about how she met my grandad which is a story I hadn’t

heard before. This was a lot of fun, as I didn’t realise how young they were when they first
met.

So, you don’t need to travel to other countries to have a good holiday. It is possible to have a
great holiday in your own country spending time with your family, enjoying the local sites
and in doing so, protecting our planet.

Mark for Reading = 6 out of 10

Mark for Writing = 10 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 16 out of 25

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Examiner comment
Reading
This 342-word response identifies sufficient ideas from both texts, focusing on the educational benef its of
travelling abroad and appreciation of the beauty in the world f rom Text 2, set against the negative
environmental impact of air travel and the benefit, when holidaying at home, of being able to spend time with
f amily from Text 1. The response is reasonably focused, although the addition of the personal anecdote in
the third paragraph signif ies a deviation f rom the task.
This is a top Level 3 response.
Writing
The content of this response is developed and effective, with development of the ideas taken f rom the two
texts, for example including the suggestion of how knowledge gained f rom travel would be benef icial in
school. The response is securely organised, with discourse markers signposting movement from one idea to
the next. Ideas f rom the texts are suitably combined and the response is paragraphed ef f ectively.
A straightforward headline is provided, and the use of the rhetorical question and direct address indicate
purpose and support appropriate tone.
A range of sentence structures is used accurately, including some complex ones and the range of
vocabulary employed is effective with examples such as ‘educational’, ‘appreciate’ and ‘impact’ showing
some ambition.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar is accurate with occasional errors which do not mar the quality of
communication. Although accurate, the response is not error f ree, with misspellings of ‘spectaculer’ and
‘ovious’, as well as confusion between the homophones ‘sites’ and ‘sights’. Although full stops, commas and
the question mark are used accurately, the range of punctuation could have been extended.
This is a low Level 4 response.

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Specimen answer (3)

There are advantages and disadvantages of travelling to other countries. For example there is
so much to see in their native land. I had taken a trip with my family to Khewra salt mine. I
appreshiate it is beautiful. It helped me to learn about history of salt. I have also visit Lahore
Fort and Badshahi mosque and my family were very happy to see the history. The building
are beautiful. It is good to see the beautiful places in Pakistan and it is fun to spend time with
my family. I had the best time and I hope you can see somewhere beautiful like this too.

Also going to another country cost a lot of money because you have to travel in a airoplane
and this is bad for enviroment because of the fuel-guzzling aeroplane and it can make the
climate change worse, you need to think about this if you are travelling abroad. The climate
change refers to the global warming which is the tempreture on earth is getting hotter day
by day and this is the biggiest problem for the planet. The global warming is cause by
carbendioxide, reducing the amount of carbendioxide can slow down the global warming and
make the climate change better. Everybody can make a differance to the global warming if

they make a change and this will be better for the planet. It cost a lot of money for my
family to travel abroad so it is better for us to stay in Pakistan for a holiday. When you
travelling abroad it costs a lot of money to buy food and hotels as well as you have to pay

high prices to go into the tourist attractions which means it is too expansive. This is biggiest
disadvantage of travelling to other countries. I think you should stay at home instead of
travelling to other countries because there is lots to see and it is bad for the enviroment and
costs a lot of money.

Mark for Reading = 4 out of 10

Mark for Writing = 5 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 9 out of 25

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Examiner comment
Reading
The 335-word response identif ies some relevant points f rom Text 1 and is sometimes f ocused in its
development of these. However, it does not engage with Text 2 and, particularly in the development of the
idea of the environmental concerns associated with international travel, it loses f ocus on the question.
This response f ulf ils Level 2 criteria.
Writing
The content of this response is straightforward with occasional development. There is an attempt to organise
and structure ideas from Text 1, with the initial paragraph focusing the idea that there is much to see in one’s
own country and the second paragraph considering both the cost and environmental impact of travelling
abroad. The opening and concluding sentences show awareness of purpose, however the required headline
is not provided, and both tone and register are uneven, with phrases such as ‘I hope you can see
somewhere beautif ul like this too.’ less suitable f or a magazine article.
Simple sentence structures are used accurately but, in the f irst paragraph, these are repetitive. The
vocabulary used is simple and repetition of words such as ‘beautif ul’ and the use of phrases f rom the text
(‘there is so much to see in their native land’ and ‘fuel-guzzling aeroplane’) that limits reader engagement.
Spelling of simple vocabulary is generally accurate, with misspellings of more complex choices such as
‘appreshiate’, ‘tempreture’ and ‘carbendioxide’. Sentence separation is marked with generally accurate use
of full stops, however there is some comma splicing in the second paragraph. Grammar is generally accurate
although there are some tense and agreement errors.
Overall, this response f ulf ils criteria f or Level 2.

Common errors and general guidance for candidates

• Features of the text type should be included, for example, for an article, a suitable headline should
be supplied, and f or a letter an appropriate salutation and valediction would be required.
• When ref erencing ideas and opinions in the texts, candidates may use phrases like ‘Some may say
... ’ or ‘Others might consider …’ rather than ‘[Name] says …’ or ‘The voice in Text A suggests …’
• When evaluating ideas and opinions f rom the stimulus texts, candidates should consider how
sensible/ convincing the arguments presented are, evidence of bias (thinking caref ully at the given
age/ occupation, etc. of the writer can be helpful for this aspect), how well supported the argument is
(with evidence), ref erence to others’ viewpoints and use of language.
• Candidates should caref ully consider the audience and purpose of their response and adopt a
suitable tone and register accordingly.
• The recommended indicative word count of 250–350 words is important and it is better f or
candidates to remain within this.
• Candidates should consider carefully the structure of their response, paragraphing their writing and
using connectives and transition signals (f or example, using words/ phrases such as, Firstly, In
addition, Conversely, Similarly etc.) to ensure their writing is ef f ectively linked.
• Candidates should ensure that they respond to both bullet points, evaluating the ideas and opinions
in both texts and giving their own views on the issue presented.
• It would be beneficial to candidates to underline/ highlight ideas and opinions in each text bef ore
beginning to write their response as this will help focus on the first bullet point of the question and
ensure a suitable range of ideas and opinions are covered.
• Although candidates are expected to base their response on the ideas and opinions in both texts, it
is important that they use their own words when writing about these.
For f urther information about common mistakes made by candidates, please ref er to the examiner
reports which are published af ter the f irst exam series in 2024 on the Mauritius School Support

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Section B: Composition
Question 3

Specimen answer (1)

9am.

I feel sick; I can’t do this.

As I stand in the corridor furiously trying to cram in last minute revision, the fear eating at
my stomach prevents me from being able to concentrate. Two years of English studies have
hurtled by and now it is time for the final reckoning. The last exam. One last test which will

determine my fate: pass and I can head to university; fail and a future in fast food awaits.

9.15am

Convinced I have forgotten everything that I have ever been taught (and resigned to iminent
failure), I shuffle into the hall. Why do I feel like a death row prisoner walking to their doom?

9.20am

Taking my allocated seat right in the centre of the room, I’m exposed. My heart is pounding
like an inmate determined to break free of their prison. It’s a furnace in the exam hall and
the backs of my legs stick to the uncomfortable plastic chair. The air is heavy with tension.
Sweat blooms through the back of my shirt and my tie is stifling me.

9.25am

Silence. The only sounds are the tick of the clock and the tap of the invigilator’s shoes as she
moves among the desks. My paper is slid onto the desk. The urge to be sick intensifies.
Shaking, I fill in my details in the required spaces. My hand feels tight; my writing is already
a mess.

9.29am

The clock sluggishly inches nearer to 9.30am. I don’t want to open the paper, but
simultaneously need to know what is inside. The anxious anticipation is almost unbearable. The
minute hand crawls towards the 6 and with one final, protracted click signals the start of the
exam.

“You may begin.”

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

* * *

“You have five minutes remaining.”

After 2 hours of non-stop writing, as the invigilator gives the five-minute warning, I finish
my final sentence. Closing the paper, I want to cry. The emotion of the last two hours seems
determined to spill over and I take some steadying breaths.

As I hand over my paper, a wave of relief washes over me as I realise that my exams are
complete. I have done my best and feel the paper has gone as well as it could. The theme I
revised the most thoroughly came up and I feel lucky.

Walking out into the warm embrace of the sunshine, a whole summer free of work stretching
ahead, a glow of blissful contentment envelopes me; the joy I feel in this moment as I listen to
my friends’ excited chatter is unrivaled. Freedom is finally ours.

I no longer feel sick; I have done it!

Mark for Content and structure = 10 out of 10

Mark for Style and accuracy = 15 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 25 out of 25

Examiner comment
Content and structure
This is a consistently effective response to the task which uses a wide range of f eatures, including sensory
description, simile, metaphor, personification, and alliteration, to convey the required feelings. The response
is well-balanced, covering both parts of the question, with structural devices (including the use of time and
short sentences) used effectively to build a feeling of tension in the first half of the response and the absence
of these conveying the sense of freedom signalled by the end of the exam. The structure is clear, with the
repeated sentence structure and image bookending the response electively to convey a sense of completion
and showing clear evidence of planning.
The response is well balanced, considering both aspects of the question, the slightly shorter second half of
the response deliberately emphasising the f lood of relief being described f ollowing the event.
This response f ulf ils all the criteria of Level 5 f or content and structure.
Style and accuracy
The response uses well-constructed simple, compound, and complex sentences accurately, manipulating
sentence structures for specific effect for example, the one-word sentence ‘Silence’ which emphasises the
all-encompassing nature of the lack of sound and, in the penultimate paragraph, the long sentence which
ref lects the expanse of time lying ahead. The vocabulary chosen is wide and ambitious with examples such
as ‘blooms’ intentionally selected to convey precise meaning. The use of spelling and grammar is highly
accurate with only occasional slips (such as the misspelling of ‘iminent’ and ‘unrivaled’) caused by ambition
which do not alter the response’s overall high level of accuracy.
A wide range of punctuation is used with the response crafted to ensure the opportunity to include a colon,
semi-colons, brackets, speech marks, a question mark and exclamation mark demonstrating the ability to
use these accurately.
For style and accuracy, this is a response at the top of Level 5.

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Specimen answer (2)

I am scared. I am standing backstage. It is the biggest night of the school year, the talent
show. I have been preparing for weeks. I have spent hours after school rehearsing and
perfecting the performance. This is the first time I have performed in the show and I am
feeling really nervous.

Around me, there is lots of hustle and bustle. Students are putting last minute touches to
their makeup, doing vocal warmups, and ajusting their costumes. The music teacher is
walking around with a clipboard, checking that everyone is present and ready to perform.

There is excited chatter all around as everyone waits for the start of the show. Unlike
everyone around me, I am feeling too sick to be excited. Why am I doing this to myself? I

adore singing and enjoy nothing more than belting out my favourite numbers in a car or
bathroom karaoke session, but this is differant. This time there are people watching. This time
I will be judged. I look at my watch. It is five minutes until show time. My heart is now
pounding in my chest, my hands are sweaty, and I am shaking.

On stage, I heard the headmaster welcome everyone to the talent show and before I know it I
heard my name being announced as the first competitor. Taking a deep breathe, I hesitantly

walked out onto the stage and into the blinding spotlight.

Taking my place in front of the microphone, I hear the first notes of my song. I close my eyes
and start to sing.

What seems like only a few moments later, I sing the final note and my performance is over.

There is a moment of silence. I slowly open my eyes. Suddenly, the audience are on their feet,
clapping and cheering loudly. I realise that my performance went well, and a smile lights up
my face like the sun. Stepping to the side of the microphone, I take a slow bow. This feels
incredible!

As I walk off the stage, I am greeted by the enthusiastic congratulations of the other students.
I can’t stop smiling. I feel like jumping for joy and the relief is huge. My heart rate and
breathing are begining to slow down, and I am so excited with how my performance went. I
have no idea if I have done enough to win, and there are lots more competitors to take to the
stage before the end of the evening, but no matter what the result is, I am proud that I
pushed myself to do something which scared me.

Mark for Content and structure = 7 out of 10

Mark for Style and accuracy = 10 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 17 out of 25

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Examiner comment
Content and structure
The response is 433 words, producing a mostly ef f ective answer to the task which uses a range of
descriptive features to good ef f ect. Sensory description is used ef f ectively to convey f eelings with this
mirrored before and after the event, indicating careful planning of the response. The use of alliteration and
simile contribute to the ef f ectiveness of the piece.
The cyclical structure of the response (beginning with the image of being scared in the initial paragraph and
returning to this in the final sentence) is a choice made for deliberate effect, while in the second paragraph
short sentences are used to heighten tension and reinf orce the f eelings described.
The response is fairly well balanced, focusing on both aspects of the task with slightly more detail given f or
the f eelings before the event. Paragraphing is effective with conditional clauses used effectively to link f rom
one to the next.
This is a low Level 4 response.
Style and accuracy
The response uses a range of sentence structures accurately, including some complex ones. The range of
vocabulary employed is effective with some repetition (‘excited’) while more ambitious choices employed to
convey precise shades of meaning, including ‘’perf ecting’, ‘adore’, ‘belting’ and ‘enthusiastic’. There are
occasional spelling errors, including ‘ajusting’, ‘differant’ and ‘’breathe’ (which should read ‘breath’), however
overall spelling is accurate.
Punctuation is accurately used throughout, including the demarcation of sentence separation with full stops,
the correct punctuation of the rhetorical question and the use of the exclamation mark to emphasise extreme
emotion. Commas are used accurately to separate items in lists and to separate the clauses in complex
sentences, however the use of commas in compound sentences is not always accurate. Tense and
agreement are generally secure throughout with occasional slips (f or example, in paragraph three).
For style and accuracy, this response f ulf ils the criteria f or a low Level 4 mark.

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Specimen answer (3)

“Ali, hurry up we’re on in a minuet” shouted Rashid. “I don’t think I can do this Ali” I replied.
“Don’t be silly we have been training for months” Rashid said. I was in the boys changing
room. I was feeling sick. We had been preparing for the game for months, but I still didn’t feel
ready. The other team were the best in the city. I knew that we didn’t have much chance of
beating them. I was the best player on our team and everyone thought that I would win the
match for us but I didn’t feel ready, I felt nervous. This was our best chance to win the
trophie and I didn’t want to let the team down. We had started training six months ago.
Every night we came to the school football pitch and worked on our skills. It was tiring and
hard to manage with school at the same time, but we all did it because we really wanted to

win.

Now it was the day of the big game and I was too nervous to leave the changing rooms. After
Rashid spoke to me I felt a bit better and decided that I should go out and play with my

team. I tied up my boots and followed Rashid out onto the pitch for the big game. I was so
nervous I was shaking like a leaf when we got to the pitch and my heart was beating really
fast. I was sweating and I had a headache. I wished I was somewhere else but it was to late

now because my team were counting on me.

Phwwwwwhht! The whistle went for the start of the game and I was feeling better. I ran and
tackled and even had a couple of shots on goal, but I didn’t score. In the second half of the

game I finaly scored and at the end of the game we had won by one goal.

Phwwwwwhht! When the final whistle went, everyone on my team came running over and
jumped on me because I was the one who had won the game for us. Everything that I was
worried about before the game wasn’t true and now we were the champions. It was the best
feeling. I was really exited and cheered with the rest of my team. I couldn’t stop smiling as
everyone hugged me. I was really happy that I had done my job and won the match for us. I

suppose you never know what you can do until you try.

Mark for Content and structure = 5 out of 10

Mark for Style and accuracy = 7 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 12 out of 25

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Examiner comment
Content and structure
This 428-word response is sometimes effective. Both aspects of the task have been attempted, however
there is a lack of balance between the two parts, with the f eelings in the lead up to the event covered in
much greater detail than the feelings experienced afterwards. The use of direct speech at the outset of the
response introduces a narrative, rather than descriptive, element and there is f luctuation between narration
and description throughout the piece. Some descriptive f eatures are incorporated including use of the
senses, alliteration and simile. The structure is reasonably clear, with generally accurate paragraphing.
Organisationally, the response initially describes the required feelings leading up to the event, losing f ocus
slightly in its consideration of previous training at the end of the first paragraph, before returning to the given
subject in paragraphs three and five. Some structural choices are made for deliberate effect, specif ically the
use of the sound of the whistle to add liveliness and a sense of realism to the f inal two paragraphs.
This response f ulf ils the content and structure criteria f or low Level 3.
Style and accuracy
The response uses simple sentences accurately and attempts complex ones with some success, f or
example, at the start of the final paragraph. Where compound sentences are used, the comma preceding the
coordinating conjunction is sometimes missing.
A straightforward range of appropriate vocabulary is used, but repetition of some choices (f or example,
‘nervous’ and ‘best’) indicates some limitation. Spelling of straightforward vocabulary is generally accurate
with occasional errors including, ‘minuet’, ‘trophie’, ‘f inaly’ and ‘exited’. Sentence separation is marked
accurately, and commas are sometimes used correctly. Speech marks are used; however the punctuation of
direct speech is not secure. Exclamation marks are used to ef f ectively to emphasise the sound of the
whistle. Control of tense is secure throughout.
This response f ulf ils the style and accuracy criteria f or low Level 3.

Common errors and general guidance for candidates

• Where direct speech is used, attention should be given to accurate punctuation.
• Where a descriptive writing question has two branches (indicated by the word and in bold) it is
essential that candidates respond to both parts of the question.
• Candidates are reminded that descriptive writing describes a person, place or situation in detail so
that the reader can picture it, while narrative writing tells a story containing a sequence of connected
events which may be real or imaginary. It is important that candidates ensure that the type of writing
they produce matches the question type chosen.
• Correct punctuation (full stops, commas) and a more varied use of punctuation (colons, semi-colons,
and exclamation marks) will help candidates to raise the level of their response.
• The use of a wide range of vocabulary is to be encouraged, however it is important that where this is
used by candidates, it is done so precisely and accurately.
• The use of descriptive features (such as metaphor, simile, use of the f ive senses, onomatopoeia,
hyperbole, etc.) will help candidates create a consistently ef f ective response.
• When selecting a descriptive writing question f ocused on a place or situation, candidates should
f ocus on creating a sense of atmosphere, moving f rom overview to f ocus on specif ic details and
stiving to convey a sense of how it would feel to be in that place or situation at the specif ied times.
• If the question requires description of people (rather than an experience), it is important to move
beyond description of physical appearance and f ocus also on personality using well-chosen
adjectives and exemplif ying these with descriptions of the person’s behaviour/ actions.
• Adopting a clear, well-balanced structure and making structural choices for deliberate effect will help
candidates achieve marks in the top level f or content and structure.
For f urther information about common mistakes made by candidates, please ref er to the examiner
reports which are published af ter the f irst exam series in 2024 on the Mauritius School Support

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Question 4

Specimen answer (1)

The whole school had been eagerly anticipating the event for months and finally the day had
arrived where we would take on our fiercest rivals, Greenbank High, in the inter-area football
championship. Preparations had been underway for the whole of the last term: bi-weekly
skills practises, conditioning sessions in the gym and warm-up matches against local teams.
We had done all we could; we were ready.

The day of the match brought with it a festival atmosphere; spectators flanked the pitch, the
hum of excited chatter and the fizz of intense rivallry bubbling among them. The grass was

perfectly manicured, the lines solidly chalked and the goalposts wearing a fresh lick of crisp
white paint.

From his vantage point under a gazebo placed level with the centre line, the PE teacher’s

voice carried through his megaphone, “How are we doing, Bay View?” he called to the
delighted hoots of the home supporters. “Welcome to the final of the regional football
competition. Kick off will be in 10 minutes, so let’s hear you make some noise for our boys –

the Bay View First XI!”

We jogged onto the pitch, to the uproarious sound of our friends and family giving shouts of
encouragement. Forming a tight huddle in our defending half of the pitch, our captain, Adnan

had a few last-minute inspirational words before we broke away to take up our start
positions. On the opposite side of the pitch, our mirrors, the Greenbank team, performed the
same ritual.

There was a moment’s pause as the two teams stared off against each other, the warm breeze
ruffeling hair and shirts as the crowd momentarily fell silent in anticipation of kick off.

Suddenly, from nowhere, a blur tore onto the pitch. It headed straight for the ball awaiting
the first kick on the centre line, grabbed it and made a dash towards the trees at the edge of
the school ground.

“Somebody catch that monkey!” yelled the coach. The crowd screeched with delight and
amusement as the furry beast tore across the pitch, ball grasped tightly in its leathery grip.
Clearly without thinking, Adnan gave chase, quickly gaining precious metres in his pursuit of
the primate. As the monkey reached the fence at the edge of the school field and effortlessly
swung itself up and into the nearest tree, Adnan made a heroic dive, fingertips just grazing

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

its tail. The crowd erupted in whoops of mirth. Adnan lay on the ground, chest heaving, with
the monkey taunting him from the safety of the canopy.

This was certainly not the start either team (or the spectators) were expecting, but no matter

what the final score, this match would definitely go down in school history.

Mark for Content and structure = 10 out of 10

Mark for Style and accuracy = 15 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 25 out of 25

Examiner comment
Content and structure
The response is 450 words and is a consistently ef f ective answer to the task which uses a wide range of
narrative f eatures to build tension and create a sense of climax. Use of devices such as onomatopoeia
(‘hum’), alliteration (‘pursuit of the primate’) and personification (‘goalposts wearing a f resh lick of crisp white
paint’) help to build setting and advance plot, while the use of direct speech in conjunction with appropriate
reporting clauses adds a sense of dynamism to the narrative. The structure is clear, well balanced, and
caref ully organised for deliberate effect. Beginning with exposition, the narrative moves through rising action,
caref ully builds anticipation bef ore introducing the unexpected conf lict.
The climax, falling action and conclusion which links back to the question indicate that this is a caref ully
craf ted narrative which engages and sustains the reader’s attention throughout.
This response satisf ies all the criteria of Level 5.
Style and accuracy
A wide range of well-constructed sentences are used accurately, including complex sentences, which f ulf ils
the f irst criteria in the top level. The response precisely and ef f ectively uses a wide range of ambitious
vocabulary with adjectives and verb/adverb combinations chosen to convey precise meaning, f or example,
‘f iercest’, ‘leathery’ and ‘grasped tightly’ among others.
Throughout the response, complex vocabulary choices such as ‘uproarious’ and ‘inspirational’ are spelled
correctly. While there are occasional errors (‘rivallry’ and ‘ruffeling’) these are slips which do not detract f rom
the meaning or flow of the piece and, as a response does not need to be flawless to achieve a top mark, do
not af f ect the overall level of the response.
A wide range of punctuation marks are used accurately throughout the response. As well as the accurate
use of full stops, commas, a question and exclamation marks, more complex choices such as a colon, semi-
colons and brackets are used. In addition, direct speech is punctuated accurately. Control of tense and
agreement is also secure throughout.
This response satisf ies all the criteria of Level 5 f or style and accuracy.

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 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Specimen answer (2)

My name is Fasil. I am sixteen years old. I go to school at Rockhampton SS. I have always
loved acting. When I heard that there was going to be a school play, I knew I had to audition.
It was going to be a performance of Macbeth. I really wanted to play Lady Macbeth. I was
nervous because I knew that there were lots of talented other girls. But when the cast list was
put on the notice board, my name was right there, right next to the character I had been
dreaming of playing.

Backstage it is cayos. Everyone trying to get into their costumes, do their make-up and do

one last run through of their lines. This was the night when all our hard work would pay off
and we would get to show our friends and family what we had been spending all our time

working on. The atmosphere was exiting. I was nervous but I couldn’t wait to step onto the
stage. We could hear the hum of conversation coming from in front of the curtains as the
audience took their seats.

“Break a leg” I whispered to Sanuktha, Rachna and Amina. The speakers in the theatre

played the sound of thunder and they cackled onto the stage as the three witches. The first
four scenes wizzed by in a blur and suddenly it was time for my enterence. I picked up my

prop letter and I walked out on to stage reading. “They met me“ I was totally in the moment
and focusing on giving the best performance I could. I was loving my moment in the spot
light. Adil came on stage and said that Macbeth was on his way and then it was time for my

big moment. The spot light shined down on me. I took a moment and then began “The raven
himself“

Bang! Suddenly the stage went completely dark. I stopped.

What was happening? Should I carry on? I was frozen not sure what to do next. I looked to
the side of the stage for help, but it was dark there too. I waited for what seemed like forever
before the headmaster came on stage carrying a torch. “Please accept my apologies ladies and
gentlemen. There has been a power cut and we are working to get the genorater up and

running as soon as possible”. Well this was unexpected, but as the saying goes, the show must
go on. A few moments later, the genorater sprung into life. I took a deep breath and carried
on.

Mark for Content and structure = 7 out of 10

Mark awarded for Style and accuracy = 8 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 15 out of 25

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Examiner comment
Content and structure
The response is 433 words and is a mostly effective answer to the task. Some narrative f eatures are used
with a suitable introduction establishing both character and setting and rising action building towards a
suitably unexpected climax. The f irst-person narrative voice is used consistently throughout helping to
engage the reader’s interest.
The structure is mostly clear, with slight confusion regarding the temporal shift at the start of paragraph two
causing some uncertainty. Despite this, the response is well organised and progresses logically with some
choices made for deliberate effect, specifically the use of a short paragraph for the moment of the blackout
and the repetition of rhetorical questions to indicate the character’s conf usion regarding the situation.
This response f ulf ils the criteria f or a low Level 4 f or content and structure.
Style and accuracy
This response uses most sentence structures accurately, sometimes attempting complex ones with success,
f or example in the first paragraph where a number of simple sentences are f ollowed by an accurate complex
one. A straightforward range of appropriate vocabulary is used with occasional more ambitious phrasing
such as ‘hum of conversation’, ‘cackled onto the stage’ and ‘sprung into lif e’.
Straightforward punctuation is used, with f ull stops marking sentence separation and commas used to
separate dependent and independent clauses in a complex sentence and preceding the coordinating
conjunctions in some compound sentences. Speech marks are used to indicate direct speech, however
commas preceding this are omitted as is the required punctuation inside the closing speech mark.
Straightforward spellings are accurate, with errors seen in less f requently used words including ‘cayos’,
‘wizzed’, ‘enterence’ and ‘genorator’. Overall control of tense is secure, with slight conf usion between past
and present tense in the second paragraph.
This response f ulf ils the criteria f or mid-Level 3.

Specimen answer (3)

The sun was shinning. There were lots of people on the school feild. The stalls was all
decoriated in bright colours. The parents were trying to sell the cakes and other things. There
was a table with a game where you can win a jar of sweets if you can guess how many bright
colours sweets there is in the jar. There’s music and everyone was having a nice time. The
event was to raise money for the school. I was helping with the stall where you had to throw
a ring over a peg and if you got the ring over the peg then you win a prize like a book or a
pen. I have made the game in my spare time and painted the pegs with bright colours and it
looked good and lots of people want to play my game and I get a lot of money when they
play the game. It started at 2pm and finished at 5pm it was already 3pm and everything
was good. Lots of people had tried to win a price on my stall and I was having a nice time

talking to everyone. The sky was blue and the sun was shinning. The stall selling the cold
drinks and ice creams got a lot of money. When we had been talking about the event we had
talked about what drinks to sell and my friend had said that “we need to sell coffee” but I
had said that “the cold drinks would be better because the weather will be hot on that day”
my friend didn’t agree but my other friends had said that I was right so they told him “the

22
 Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

coffee is a drink for the winter and it is the summer so we will sell the cold drinks”. I was
happy that they agree with me. Everyone was having nice time buy the cold drinks.

Suddently I heared a rumbly noise. The blue sky had suddently clouds in it. The wind started
that was cold. Everyone was wearing t-shirts and the shorts because it was sunny and now
they were worried because it is cold. Suddently, big raindrops were dripping in the sky and
everyone is getting wet. They started to run under the stalls canopys to keep from getting
wet then there was a big crash and a lightening was in the sky. It was unexpected that it
would rain and be thundering and lightening because it was full sun before. After 10 minutes
it stopped thundery and lightning and the sun is shinning out so everyone was having a nice
day again.

Mark for Content and structure = 4 out of 10

Mark for Style and accuracy = 5 out of 15

Total mark awarded = 9 out of 25

Examiner comment
Content and structure
The response is a 435-word adequate response to the task which attempts to convey what is thought and
f elt. The response is adequately focused on the task, with the unexpected storm at a school f undraising
event the climax of the narrative. The structure is occasionally clear, with an introduction which attempts to
convey the atmosphere and purpose of the event bef ore describing the unexpected storm and its ef f ect.
Towards the end of the first paragraph, the narrative loses some focus in its description of the conversation,
prior to the event, between the narrator and his/her f riends regarding beverage choice f or the event, but
there is some attempt at organisation to achieve ef f ects with the use of short sentences to signal the
surprising speed with which the weather changes.
There is an attempt at paragraphing and the start of a new paragraph at the moment the storm breaks
emphasising the shif t in atmosphere. This response satisf ies the criteria f or the top of Level 2.
Style and accuracy
Simple sentence structures are generally used accurately, but the repetition of these produces a
monotonous effect. The vocabulary chosen is also simple, with repetition of ‘bright colours’, ‘nice’ and the
misspelled ‘suddently’ and ‘shinning’ among others. Demarcation of sentence separation is generally
accurate, however this slips towards the end of the first paragraph as the response attempts to include direct
speech. Control of tense and agreement is not always secure.
Overall, this response satisf ies the criteria f or Level 2.

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Specimen Paper Answers – Paper 2

Common errors and general guidance for candidates

• The correct use of direct and indirect articles is essential at all levels and is vital to ensure the
achievement of higher levels.
• Candidates should avoid the use of repetitive sentence structure, using instead a range of simple,
compound, and complex sentences accurately.
• Narratives should have a clear beginning, middle and end and should include a sense of climax.
• The consistent use of correct tenses and agreement will help candidates reach the higher levels.
• Taking a little time to plan their response would be beneficial to candidates as this will help them to
avoid repetition of ideas and ensure their structure is clear.
• Candidates may adopt the first or third-person voice for their narrative but should be consistent with
whichever is chosen throughout their response.
• While the narrative question chosen here is of the ‘Write a story in which . . .’ f ormat, if candidates
choose the question asking them to write a story using a given sentence, this should be integrated
convincingly. Pre-prepared essays into which the given sentence is inserted without clear purpose
should be avoided.
• When including direct speech, selecting suitable reporting clauses and varying whether these come
bef ore, after, or are embedded within, what is said will help to create a more engaging response.
• Leaving time at the end of the examination to proofread their response will ensure that candidates
can correct slips and improve the overall accuracy of their writing.

For f urther information about common mistakes made by candidates, please ref er to the examiner reports
which are published af ter the f irst exam series in 2024 on the Mauritius School Support

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