Reading questions and how to concisely respond to them.

Let's look closely at this question taken from SAMs material C1.

  1. Use the highlighter tool to identify 4 key details the question gives you.
  2. Highlight as many details as you can to show WHY HE WENT TO SOUTH AFRICA in the text.

Use the show highlights button to compare your ideas.

PDF Reference:
1a. Sample answers | 1b. Marking scheme

Question A1

List five reasons why Obed Ramotswe went to South Africa. [5]

I am Obed Ramotswe. I love my country and I am proud I was born in Botswana. There’s no other country in Africa that can hold its head up as we can. I had no desire to leave my country, but things were bad in the past. Before we built our country we had to go off to South Africa to work. We went to the mines. The mines sucked our men in and left the old men and the children at home. We dug for gold and diamonds and made those white men rich. They built their big houses. And we dug below them and brought out the rock on which they built it all. I was eighteen when I went to the mines. My father said I should go, as his lands were not good enough to support me and a wife. We did not have many cattle, and we grew just enough crops to keep us through the year.

Highlights

List five reasons why Obed Ramotswe went to South Africa. [5]

I am Obed Ramotswe. I love my country and I am proud I was born in Botswana. There’s no other country in Africa that can hold its head up as we can. I had no desire to leave my country, but things were bad in the past. Before we built our country we had to go off to South Africa to work. We went to the mines. The mines sucked our men in and left the old men and the children at home. We dug for gold and diamonds and made those white men rich. They built their big houses. And we dug below them and brought out the rock on which they built it all. I was eighteen when I went to the mines. My father said I should go, as his lands were not good enough to support me and a wife. We did not have many cattle, and we grew just enough crops to keep us through the year.

Use the mark schemes provided, mark the sample answers.

Mark Scheme

This question tests the ability to identify explicit and implicit information and ideas. Award one mark for each separate point identified by the candidate, to a maximum of five:

  • Things were bad (in Botswana);
  • To (find) work;
  • His father said he should go / encouraged him;
  • The family’s lands were not good enough to support Obed and a future wife;
  • They did not have many cattle for food/money;
  • They grew just enough crops/didn’t make any money out of farming;
  • He felt a sense of obligation / duty to his family.

No mark should be awarded for unabridged quotation of whole sentences.

Based on the activities you have completed, create a checklist of what a successful AO1 list question requires.

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