Author
NickThe best way to improve any essay is to know how you are assessed, and what skills you are being assessed on. This page has been created to give you a sense of what examiners are looking for in a full-mark response. It contains:
In Section B, you are required to have knowledge of the whole text and you will need to demonstrate your comprehension, critical reading and analytical skills. You must also make links to the context in which the play was written and you are required to write with clarity and coherence using accurate Standard English. You are more likely to perform well on the paper if you keep in mind the dominant assessment objectives for Section B. For this section you are assessed on AO1, AO3 and AO4: you are awarded 16 marks for AO1, 16 marks for AO3 and 8 marks for AO4.
The mark scheme for the Edexcel GCSE English Literature specification can seem intimidating at first. However, it is crucial that you have a thorough understanding of the mark scheme because you will know exactly what you are being assessed on and how to improve.
AO1, AO3 and AO4 are assessed as part of Section B. The weighting for this question is:
Here is a simple version of the Edexcel mark scheme for the Post-1914 question.
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AO1 |
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AO3 |
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AO4 |
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The following task is based on a November 2020 English Literature Paper 1 question for An Inspector Calls. However, the commentary is designed to highlight how to structure your response and integrate all aspects of the assessment objectives, and therefore the model could be applied to any of the plays in the examination.
In Section B you need to draw on your knowledge of the text and give examples from the play. You must also make links to the context in which the play was written.
We will now explore how you can create an informed and coherent argument using an example of a question from Section B. Read through the question below:
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Gerald: “I drink to you – and hope I can make you as happy as you deserve to be.” Explore how the relationship between Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling changes throughout the play. |
We will now explore how you might structure a response for this question. With a question about character(s), or relationships between characters, it is a good idea to address your points chronologically to track their development over the course of the play. This means it’s a great idea to start your essay with how character(s) or relationships are presented at the play’s outset. This is shown in the table below:
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Question focus |
Explore how the relationship between Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling changes throughout the play. |
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Introductory statement |
An Inspector Calls is set on the evening of Sheila and Gerald’s engagement and in Act I Priestley initially presents a couple who appear happy together, as evidenced through Sheila’s statement: “now I really feel engaged”. |
Analysis |
At this point of the play, their relationship appears to be one of genuine affection, despite the fact a motivation for their union is to benefit their parents’ businesses. Gerald appears content to become one of the Birling family: “I’ve been trying long enough.” Set in a patriarchal time, many middle- and upper-class women married to enhance or maintain the family’s social standing and power and Sheila’s marriage to Gerald is portrayed as benefiting the Birlings’ family position. Similarly, Sheila appears to defer to Gerald’s judgement and lacks her own opinion at the start of the play and when he presents her with an engagement ring she comments: ‘“Is it the one you wanted me to have?” which further signifies her lack of autonomy as a woman. |
After dealing comprehensively with one point, develop your argument by starting another paragraph with a statement that also relates to the question. Here, the next point presents a contrast:
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Question focus |
Explore how the relationship between Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling changes throughout the play. |
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Introductory statement |
The relationship between Gerald and Sheila changes as a result of their differing attitudes towards Eva/Daisy and their involvement in her death. |
Analysis |
When Gerald finally discloses his relationship with Eva/Daisy in Act II, their relationship is irreparably altered. Gerald first attempts to hide details of his affair from Sheila and his first reaction to the dead girl is to distance himself from it, though he does show some empathy towards her. In contrast, Sheila is the first character (apart from the Inspector) to empathise with Eva’s predicament and also the first to confess to having treated the girl poorly. |
Below you will find a full-mark, Grade 9 model answer for Section B. The commentary labelled in each section of the essay illustrates how and why it would be awarded Grade 9. Despite the fact it is an answer to a question on An Inspector Calls, the commentary is relevant to any of the plays, because it is modelling how to structure an answer incorporating the relevant assessment objectives. AO1 is demonstrated throughout in terms of the coherence of the overall response.
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In An Inspector Calls, Priestley demonstrates a dramatic change in the relationship between Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling. At first, the couple appear happy and content at the prospect of marriage. However, their relationship changes significantly as the play progresses and their seemingly content relationship is deeply impacted by conflict, tension and eventual reconciliation. An Inspector Calls is set on the evening of Sheila and Gerald’s engagement and in Act I Priestley initially presents a couple who appear happy together, as evidenced through Sheila’s statement, “now I really feel engaged”. At this point of the play, their relationship appears to be one of genuine affection, despite the fact a motivation for their union is to benefit their parents’ businesses. Gerald appears content to become one of the Birling family: “I’ve been trying long enough.” Set in a patriarchal time, many middle- and upper-class women married to enhance or maintain the family’s social standing and power and Sheila’s marriage to Gerald is portrayed as benefiting the Birlings’ family position. Similarly, Sheila appears to defer to Gerald’s judgement and lacks her own opinion at the start of the play and when he presents her with an engagement ring she comments: ‘“Is it the one you wanted me to have?” which further signifies her lack of autonomy as a woman. In this act, however, there is a brief moment of tension between the couple when Sheila alludes to “last summer” and how Gerald “never came near” her. This foreshadows the revelation later in the play of Gerald’s relationship with Eva/Daisy. The relationship between Gerald and Sheila changes as a result of their differing attitudes towards Eva/Daisy and their involvement in her death. When Gerald finally discloses his relationship with Eva/Daisy in Act II, their relationship is irreparably altered. Gerald first attempts to hide details of his affair from Sheila and his first reaction to the dead girl is to distance himself from it, though he does show some empathy towards her. In contrast, Sheila is the first character (apart from the Inspector) to empathise with Eva’s predicament and also the first to confess to having treated the girl poorly. Sheila dramatically exits the stage when first shown a photograph of Eva and appears genuinely regretful of her actions, which is in contrast to Gerald’s conduct and is one of the reasons why their relationship alters. When Sheila discovers Gerald’s affair, her attitude towards him changes and she initially becomes sarcastic and undermines him, referring to him as “the hero”. She also later mocks him by calling him a “wonderful Fairy Prince”. While Gerald feels genuine regret for his treatment of Eva, it is short-lived and he ultimately fails to change, unlike Sheila. This causes a rift within their relationship as their attitudes towards Eva are so different. For example, Sheila’s dialogue reveals her sensitive nature and her compassion and empathy for others less fortunate than herself. She is moved by the words of the Inspector and accepts responsibility, while there is limited change in Gerald, who later tries to prove the whole thing was a “hoax”. Through his treatment of Eva/Daisy, Gerald reflects the rigid class divisions and attitudes towards women by many men in their social position at the time. Despite Sheila’s initial shock and betrayal of Gerald’s affair, Sheila demonstrates a level of maturity and introspection which Gerald does not, which alters their relationship significantly. By the end of the play, Sheila refuses to continue her engagement with Gerald even though he claims “everything’s all right now”. Priestley uses her character to represent the younger generation, which provides an element of hope. As a result of her maturity, Sheila’s relationship with Gerald therefore becomes more honest when she acknowledges her own part in Eva’s/Daisy’s death and, because of his honesty, she begins to respect him more. Towards the end of the play, there are signs of reconciliation between the couple and they appear to have a greater understanding and empathy. Nevertheless, Sheila returns Gerald’s engagement ring as she realises that they “aren’t the same people” as they were before. The change in attitude and increasing confidence of Sheila reflects the way many women were reconsidering their positions within society at the time of the emerging Suffrage movement at the start of the 20th century. In conclusion, Priestley presents the change in Sheila and Gerald’s relationship as one which was initially based on superficiality and conformity to one which becomes much more mature and honest, despite the breakdown of their engagement. |
Commentary:
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Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.