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See what a stronger written answer does
Try one short response, then compare it with a model answer. Check whether it answers the question, uses evidence and explains the point. The model and checklist help you practise together. This sample is not human marking.
The last bus
Ellie pressed her face to the steamed-up window. The last bus out of the village had broken down halfway up Crow Hill, and the driver had gone to find help. Rain drummed on the roof.
Across the aisle, an old man was unwrapping a paper bag of toffees. He offered one to every passenger in turn: the tired nurse, the boy with the football, and finally Ellie. “Might as well enjoy the wait,” he said.
Soon the nurse was laughing at the boy’s stories, and the old man was teaching Ellie a card trick. When the replacement bus arrived, nobody moved at first. Then, slowly, they all climbed off together, still talking.
The task
How does the mood on the bus change, and what causes the change? Use evidence from the passage.
Practise it over four weeks
For tests with written answers, our free four-week plan swaps one reading session for a model-and-checklist session like this one.