COMPOSITION (Question 1): how the 20 marks are awarded.
Topic: Composition — grade bands and marking
Answer
THE GRADE BANDS
The examiner reads the whole composition and places it in a band, then fixes a mark within that band.
BAND A (top) — language is accurate and varied; the matter is original and clearly relevant to the topic; expression is fluent; ideas are arranged in a definite order with a clear beginning and end; vocabulary is precise and well chosen.
BAND B — language mostly accurate with occasional errors that do not obscure meaning; matter relevant but less original; arrangement sound; vocabulary adequate and mostly appropriate.
BAND C (middle) — meaning generally clear but errors are frequent; matter thin or partly off the topic; arrangement loose; vocabulary limited and repetitive.
BAND D — errors interfere with meaning in places; ideas disorganised; much of the composition strays from the question.
BAND E and F (bottom) — language breaks down; the composition does not answer the question set.
THE COMPONENT SPLIT (planning aid) Content and relevance — about 8 marks Expression and style — about 6 marks Vocabulary — about 3 marks Grammar, spelling and punctuation — about 3 marks
RULES THAT COST MARKS MECHANICALLY A composition NOT WRITTEN IN PARAGRAPHS is penalised — this is an explicit deduction, not a matter of judgement. Write four to six paragraphs with a clear opening and a definite ending. The length is 300-350 words. A very short script is not penalised by a fixed deduction, but it cannot carry the content marks, because there is not enough matter to reward. Going well beyond 350 is not penalised either, but it steals the time you need for the other four questions. ATTEMPT ONE OPTION ONLY. Writing two earns marks for one and wastes the time for the rest of the paper. Spend no more than 30 MINUTES here. The question itself says so.
WHAT IS OFFICIAL AND WHAT IS STANDARD PRACTICE CISCE grades compositions in BANDS rather than publishing a mark-by-mark split, and the band descriptors below follow the official evaluation guidance. The component split (content, expression, vocabulary, accuracy) is the standard teaching breakdown used by schools and guide books — it is what most examiners mark to in practice, but it is not published by CISCE as a formula. Treat the bands as authoritative and the split as a planning aid.
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Before you write, decide three things in the margin: which option, which form (story, description, argument), and the four or five paragraphs you will use. Two minutes spent here is worth more than two minutes of extra writing.
The single most common reason for a middling mark is not bad English — it is a composition that drifts off the exact question. Underline the requirement in the question paper and check your ending against it.
See the four worked models in this chapter for the shape each type should take.