Structuring an Extended Written Response: Question 3
Syllabus W1, W2
Read this extract from a student's discursive essay about a proposed bike-share scheme.
"The local council has proposed introducing a bike-share scheme in the town centre. ___, several residents have raised concerns about where the docking stations would be placed, arguing that pavements in the old town are already narrow."
Which word or phrase, placed in the gap, most clearly links these two sentences? [1]
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Worked solution
Assessment focus
This question tests whether a candidate can identify the logical relationship between two sentences (here, contrast) and select the discourse marker that signals it accurately, rather than one that merely sounds plausible in context.
Why B is correct
“However,” correctly signals that the second sentence contrasts with the first: the council has proposed the scheme, but residents oppose an aspect of it. This is a relationship of contrast/concession, which “However” is designed to mark.
Why the distractors are wrong
- A (“Similarly,”) signals agreement or a parallel point, but the residents’ concern does not support or resemble the council’s proposal, it opposes an aspect of it.
- C (“For example,”) signals that what follows illustrates the previous statement, but the residents’ concern is not an example of the council’s proposal. It is a response to it.
- D (“In addition,”) signals that a second, similar point is being added, but the second sentence shifts to an opposing viewpoint rather than extending the first idea.
Mark scheme
- 1 mark for selecting B.
- 0 marks for any other option. No partial credit, since this is a discrete single-answer selection question.