AO6-3 Balance content and technical accuracy in extended writing Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. Which assessment objective covers vocabulary, sentence structures, spelling and punctuation in writing?

   • Assessment objective AO7, which covers presentation skills in a formal setting during spoken language work
   • Assessment objective AO1, which covers identifying explicit and implicit information in a text
   • Assessment objective AO6, covering a range of vocabulary and sentence structures with accurate spelling and punctuation
   • Assessment objective AO3, which compares how writers convey ideas and perspectives across two or more texts

2. What share of the total marks across the whole specification does AO6 carry?

   • Around 20 per cent of the marks for the specification as a whole
   • Around 10 per cent of the marks for the specification as a whole
   • Around 50 per cent of the marks for the specification as a whole
   • Around 35 per cent of the marks for the specification as a whole

3. How are the 40 marks for the extended writing question on Paper 1 divided between content and technical accuracy?

   • 24 marks for content and 16 marks for technical accuracy
   • 16 marks for content and 24 marks for technical accuracy
   • 30 marks for content and 10 marks for technical accuracy
   • 20 marks for content and 20 marks for technical accuracy

4. In extended writing, what does the content strand of the mark scheme mainly reward?

   • Exact reproduction of a memorised model answer that matches the prompt given on the paper
   • The number of paragraphs produced within the time allowed for the writing task overall
   • A count of every spelling and punctuation mark used correctly across the whole of the response
   • Clear ideas, a well-organised response and writing that suits the stated purpose and audience

5. A student writes: 'Their was no reason to stay, so we left.' Which accuracy error is present?

   • Placing an apostrophe inside a plural noun that has no possessive meaning
   • Confusing the spelling of the possessive word 'their' with 'there'
   • Writing the clause in the passive voice rather than the active voice
   • Using a semicolon where a comma would have been the correct mark

6. Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

   • The rain soaked her coat, and she walked home slowly afterwards
   • Walking home, she noticed the rain soaking through her thin coat
   • Walking home, the rain soaked her coat before she reached the gate
   • She walked home in the rain, and her coat was soaked through

7. Which change best improves the sentence 'The festival was big. It was loud. It was busy.' for a descriptive essay?

   • Repeating the word 'big' in each sentence so the reader can see the same idea clearly
   • Adding exclamation marks after each of the three short statements for extra emphasis
   • Starting every sentence with the word 'It' so that the structure stays consistent
   • Combining the three statements into one varied sentence with a list and a subordinate clause

8. Which revision strategy is most effective for technical accuracy in a timed extended response?

   • Reserving a few minutes at the end to proofread for spelling, punctuation and agreement errors
   • Copying the title of the prompt into every paragraph so the examiner sees the topic clearly
   • Leaving every full stop until the final sentence so the paragraphs stay as one long block
   • Writing the whole response in capital letters so that errors are easier to find on the page

9. Which vocabulary choice is most precise for a formal report on a derelict park?

   • The council sorted out the park so that it looked a lot nicer for the people who visit it
   • The council transformed the neglected park into a thriving, well-maintained public space
   • The council did some repairs on the derelict park and gave it a fresh coat of paint for visitors
   • The council made a few changes to the park, which had got a bit of a mess, so it looked better overall

10. A writer wants to show that a visit to the coast felt slow and calm. Which sentence structure best supports this?

    • Lists of commands in the imperative mood that push the reader to hurry through
    • Long, flowing sentences with several clauses and gentle pauses that mirror the calm mood
    • Questions in every paragraph that keep the reader guessing about what happens next
    • Short, clipped fragments with no verbs that suggest a rushed and anxious atmosphere

11. Which pair shows a correctly used apostrophe for possession?

    • The student's' results were published on Monday morning after the exam board checked them
    • The students' results were published on Monday morning after the exam board checked them
    • The students results were published on Monday morning after the exam board checked them
    • The student's results were published on Monday morning after the exam board checked them

12. What is the best way to avoid a comma splice in 'The bell rang, the class stood up'?

    • Add a second comma between 'class' and 'stood' so that the three parts stay in one sentence
    • Join the two independent clauses with a semicolon or with a coordinating conjunction such as 'and'
    • Replace the verb 'rang' with a noun so that the first clause no longer contains a verb
    • Put the second clause in quotation marks to show that it is a separate spoken statement

13. Which example best demonstrates the use of a range of sentence types in extended writing?

    • Only simple sentences of about six words each, repeated many times across the response
    • A mix of simple, compound and complex sentences chosen to suit the point being made
    • Only sentences that begin with a subordinating conjunction so the structure looks consistent
    • Only very long sentences with more than fifty words each to show ambition in the writing

14. In the sentence 'Despite the storm, the crew sailed on', what type of clause is 'Despite the storm'?

    • A prepositional phrase acting as an adverbial that gives the context for the main clause
    • A passive construction in which the crew becomes the receiver of the action of sailing
    • A main clause with its own subject and finite verb that could stand alone as a sentence
    • A relative clause that defines which storm the writer is referring to in the sentence

15. Which word class is the word 'quickly' in 'She quickly closed the door'?

    • An adverb modifying the verb 'closed' and describing how the action was performed
    • An adjective modifying the noun 'door' and describing what kind of door it was
    • A determiner specifying which door was closed by the person in the sentence above
    • A conjunction linking the main clause to a second clause about the closing of the door

16. A writer repeats 'never' three times in one short paragraph. What is the most likely effect?

    • An ellipsis that signals the writer has left out a word the reader is expected to supply
    • Anaphora that builds emphasis and rhythm and makes the point more forceful for the reader
    • A spelling error that should be corrected because the same word cannot be repeated at all
    • A tautology that weakens the point and should always be removed from any formal response

17. Which mark scheme feature is most likely to lower a technical accuracy score despite strong ideas?

    • A clear structure with one idea per paragraph that is logically ordered from start to finish
    • Frequent errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that disrupt the reader's understanding
    • Varied sentence openings that are used deliberately to create emphasis at key moments
    • A wide range of vocabulary that is used accurately and suited to the purpose and audience

18. Which is the best reason for planning the content of an extended response before writing it?

    • Planning means the writer does not need to check spelling or punctuation at the end at all
    • Planning lets a writer organise ideas and select vocabulary and structure before time runs out
    • Planning guarantees a full 24 content marks regardless of how the final response is written
    • Planning removes the need for paragraphs, because the ideas are already listed in the notes

19. Which sentence uses the colon correctly?

    • She had one goal, to: finish the marathon before the sun went down that evening
    • She had one goal: to, finish the marathon before the sun went down that evening
    • She had one goal: to finish the marathon before the sun went down that evening
    • She had: one goal to finish the marathon before the sun went down that evening

20. Which word is spelled correctly in a formal response?

    • Acommodate, meaning to provide room or a place for someone or something
    • Accomodate, meaning to provide room or a place for someone or something
    • Accommodate, meaning to provide room or a place for someone or something
    • Acommmodate, meaning to provide room or a place for someone or something

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