- AO1 is not about retelling the story — it is about your argument.
- The examiner already read the book — they want your opinion, not a summary.
- Students lose marks by describing what happens instead of arguing what it means.
- Q1 asks whether AO1 is just retelling the story in your own words.
The rain hammered against the window. Leo pulled his knees up to his chest and stared at the door. Every creak of the old house made him flinch.
"I don't need your help," Sam said, turning away. "I know you don't," replied Jordan quietly. "But I'm staying anyway." Sam said nothing, but moved slightly to the side, making room on the bench.
The old man had been sitting on the same bench for hours. A pigeon landed next to him. He broke off a piece of his sandwich and held it out. The pigeon took it and stayed. For the first time all day, he smiled.
E - Evidence: Use a short quote from the extract
E - Explain: Use "This suggests that..." or "This implies that..."
L - Link: End with "This makes the reader feel..." or "Therefore the writer wants us to see..."
The letter sat on the table, unopened. She had circled it three times now, picking up the kettle, putting it down, wiping the counter that was already clean. Her hand hovered over the envelope twice. Both times she pulled it back.
Point → Evidence → Explain → Link
No sentence starters are provided for this question.
The instructions were simple. Step one: open the box. Step two: do not look inside. Step three: close the box and forget you ever saw it. He opened the box, looked inside, and could not look away.
He found the photograph at the bottom of a drawer. Her face smiled up at him. He had not called in seven years. He did not know her number anymore. He put the photograph back, closed the drawer, and sat in the dark for a long time.