English Paper One + English Paper Two = Good Grade?

StaticNoise

I got posted an interesting email today from a student who needs some advice on her English examination. She asked me for advice and an answer, but I don't want to say something if it's wrong. I hence have arrived here to get some facts.

As she told me, she sat Paper One on Wednesday, as per usual. She started with her Comprehensions and completed both required parts, as she describes 'Very well', with good pages on each respective question, but she was left with only the guts of an hour to do her Composition.

As far as I know, she answered a question on an article, and she gave great detail and thought into it, with some 'interesting and solid pieces' in it. However, she was pushed for time and only 'got about 2 & 1/2 pages written'. The girl has standard writing sizes, and a very good level of English, but she's worried that she may not get the B that she needs.

The question was, could she still obtain a B on the higher level paper with paper one being as it is, and a decent paper two?

I felt here would be good to ask for her as there are a lot of teachers and past students who can give some credible insight into what is her scenario. I'd answer for her, but I don't want to give her incorrect details.

Thanks.

implausible

That's an unanswerable query! There's no minimum amount of writing to get a minimum grade. If her composition was well-written, she'll get the marks. If it wasn't, she won't. Tell her to study for paper II instead of doing a pointless post-mortem on paper I.

sock puppet

I only wrote 3 pages on the composition and I've fairly big writing. It's quality over quantity so if it's good she'll be okay. No point stressing about it now anyway.

Ginja Ninja

"If it can be right it is right" a quote my english teacher gives us every day

but equally if I wrote less than 4 pages I always got a D3 if I wrote 4+ I got a C1/C2 I'd say it depends on the examiner.But they wouldn't dock her marks for not writing enough.More likely she didn't get enough in[I.E no. of points she made]

StaticNoise

deemark wrote: »

That's an unanswerable query! There's no minimum amount of writing to get a minimum grade.

Exactly, but most teachers are recommending students to write about 800-1000 words for the Composition, which I've heard myself.

sock puppet wrote: »

I only wrote 3 pages on the composition and I've fairly big writing. It's quality over quantity so if it's good she'll be okay. No point stressing about it now anyway.

As referenced above in the size issue. I'm guessing this has befuddled her slightly.

Ginja Ninja wrote: »

"If it can be right it is right" a quote my english teacher gives us every day

but equally if I wrote less than 4 pages I always got a D3 if I wrote 4+ I got a C1/C2 I'd say it depends on the examiner.But they wouldn't dock her marks for not writing enough.More likely she didn't get enough in[I.E no. of points she made]

So, would you cast out a B with a decent paper two?
I'll link her to this thread.

Are you past students or teachers, by the way?

Gi joe!

Examiners will always prefer a well written and concise composition compared to a 7+ page meandering piece of garbage. Quality ftw!




Unless her 2 and a half pager was a meandering piece of garbage, thens shes fooked

StaticNoise

Gi joe! wrote: »

Examiners will always prefer a well written and concise composition compared to a 7+ page meandering piece of garbage. Quality ftw!




Unless her 2 and a half pager was a meandering piece of garbage, thens shes fooked

Nicely put, I guess.

Quality is important, I know that personally. I'd say she wrote of great quality.

To be honest, I don't think she's anything to worry about, as she's the kind that has probably got near the 100 points mark from the Comprehensions, I'd say.

Lucet

I wrote nearly three pages in my composition (my writing is quite small) and I was pissed off... Comprehension part was grand, but composition... I was in a hurry, so the structure of the essay was horrible. Well, let's hope that I got some marks in that piece of mess .

StaticNoise

Lucet wrote: »

I wrote nearly three pages in my composition (my writing is quite small) and I was pissed off... Comprehension part was grand, but composition... I was in a hurry, so the structure of the essay was horrible. Well, let's hope that I got some marks in that piece of mess .

Seems like a few in the same boat so.

Gi joe!

I always thought some of the stuff that i wrote for paper 1 was crap, but everytime getting it back id do fine

I think paper 1 is marked fairer than some people give it credit for ''touch wood''

.DarDarBinks

Definitley i always mess paper 1 up somehow and recover on paper 2

phic

Once it was well-written, stuck to the question asked and made a few solid points she was nothing to worry about!
theres nothing really about lenght in the marking scheme, I've seen essays of around 2/3 pages get marks in the 80's and 90's.
I'm doing my leaving this year, but my english teacher teaches us by showing us examples and having us grade them ourselves based on the marking scheme, so I've seen a lot of examples, and am very familiar with the standard expected on paper 1.

Jam-Fly

Despite all the "quality over qunatity" stuff, 2.5 pages is still not enough to get full marks. In order to get 85+/100 in the composition, I would say an absolute minimum of 3 pages is needed, more realistically 3.5 pages.

phic

Jam-Fly wrote: »

Despite all the "quality over qunatity" stuff, 2.5 pages is still not enough to get full marks. In order to get 85+/100 in the composition, I would say an absolute minimum of 3 pages is needed, more realistically 3.5 pages.

you'd be suprised, I've seen essays that came to less than an A4 page when typed, and got very high grades. Not saying this is always the case, but if she has as high a standard of English as OP says, it's possible she'll get a good mark. Easily get her B anyway, with a good paper 2.

StaticNoise

I think she'll be very happy when she sees these posts later tonight. I've contacted her with your answers. Good thing I didn't answer originally!

Thanks for all the help guys.

RetroRainbow

I got two and a third pages done, but I've incredibly small writing. Hopefully they'll factor that in.