Guidance

English language: grade descriptors for GCSEs graded 9 to 1

Updated 6 September 2017

Applies to England

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1. Grade 8

1.1 Critical reading and comprehension

In relation to a range of texts, to achieve grade 8, candidates will be able to:

  • summarise and critically evaluate with detailed and perceptive understanding
  • understand and respond with insight to explicit and implicit meanings and viewpoints
  • analyse and critically evaluate, with insight, detailed aspects of language, grammar and structure
  • substantiate their understanding and opinions with illuminating references to texts and contexts
  • make convincing and apt links and comparisons within and between texts

1.2 Writing

To achieve grade 8, candidates will be able to:

  • communicate with impact and influence
  • produce ambitious, accomplished and effectively-structured texts
  • use a wide range of well-selected sentence types and structures and precise vocabulary to enhance impact
  • spell, punctuate and use grammar accurately so that writing is virtually error-free

2. Grade 5

2.1 Critical reading and comprehension

In relation to a range of texts, to achieve grade 5, candidates will be able to:

  • summarise and evaluate with accuracy and clear understanding
  • understand and make valid responses to explicit and implicit meanings and viewpoints
  • analyse and evaluate relevant aspects of language, grammar and structure
  • support their understanding and opinions with apt references to texts, informed by their wider reading
  • make credible links and comparisons between texts

2.2 Writing

To achieve grade 5, candidates will be able to:

  • communicate effectively, sustaining the reader’s interest
  • produce coherent, well-structured and purposeful texts
  • vary sentence types and structures and use vocabulary appropriate to purpose and effect
  • spell, punctuate and use grammar accurately with occasional errors

3. Grade 2

3.1 Critical reading and comprehension

In relation to a range of texts, to achieve grade 2, candidates will be able to:

  • describe and summarise with some accuracy and understanding
  • respond in a straightforward way to most explicit information and viewpoints
  • make some relevant comments about language and structure
  • support their comments and opinions with some general references
  • make straightforward links between texts

3.2 Writing

To achieve grade 2, candidates will be able to:

  • communicate simply with some clarity for the reader
  • produce texts with basic structures and some awareness of purpose
  • show some control over sentence type and structure and use familiar vocabulary to some effect
  • spell, punctuate and use grammar with limited accuracy
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