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EE Playbook

English Language & Literature EE Criteria Guide

Turn a focused text or corpus question into sustained language-and-literature analysis.

Use this guide to keep your research question precise, your corpus manageable, and your analysis grounded in language, context, audience, and purpose.

Criteria Breakdown

Did You Know? The easiest score jumps usually come from explicitly naming what the criterion rewards and supporting it with direct evidence.

Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 marks)

Examiner Focus

Topic, research question, and methodology for a literary or language/textual investigation

Top-Band Move

- Topic is communicated accurately and effectively - Research question is clearly stated, sharply focused, and framed as a question - Methodology is complete, with evidence of informed selection of texts, corpus boundaries, contextual material, and an analytical approach appropriate to the research question

Common Penalty

- Topic is communicated unclearly or incompletely - Research question is stated but unclear, unfocused, or too broad for a studies in language and literature EE - Methodology is limited, with weak explanation of selected texts, corpus, context, research materials, or analytical approach

Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks)

Examiner Focus

Knowledge of text(s), context, and terminology for literature, language, media, audience, and purpose

Top-Band Move

- Knowledge and understanding of the text(s), contexts, audiences, purposes, and chosen area of investigation are excellent - Subject-specific terminology and concepts are used accurately, consistently, and with discernment

Common Penalty

- Knowledge and understanding of the text(s), context, and area of investigation are limited - Terminology and concepts are unclear, inaccurate, or limited

Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 marks)

Examiner Focus

Research, textual analysis, argument, discussion, and evaluation

Top-Band Move

- Research is excellent, focused, and effectively integrated - Analysis is excellent, detailed, and sustained, with close attention to how meaning is constructed in the selected text(s) - Discussion and evaluation are excellent, producing a coherent, persuasive, and critically engaged argument

Common Penalty

- Research is limited or only loosely connected to the research question - Analysis is limited, descriptive, or mainly narrative - Discussion and evaluation are limited *(Max 3 marks if the topic or research question is inappropriate for studies in language and literature)*

Criterion D: Presentation (4 marks)

Examiner Focus

Structure, layout, referencing, and academic presentation

Top-Band Move

- Presentation is good, with a clear structure, appropriate academic layout, consistent referencing, and well-integrated supporting material

Common Penalty

- Presentation is acceptable but may contain weaknesses in structure, layout, citation practice, bibliography, corpus documentation, or integration of supporting material

Criterion E: Engagement (6 marks)

Examiner Focus

Engagement with the research process as evidenced in the RPPF

Top-Band Move

- Engagement is good to excellent, showing thoughtful reflection on research decisions, intellectual initiative, challenges, and growth across the process

Common Penalty

- Engagement is limited, with mostly descriptive reflection or little evidence of decision-making

Markbands

Criteria point markbands to benchmark where your current draft sits and what a stronger band demands.

Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 marks)

Points 0

The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.

Points 1-2

- Topic is communicated unclearly or incompletely - Research question is stated but unclear, unfocused, or too broad for a studies in language and literature EE - Methodology is limited, with weak explanation of selected texts, corpus, context, research materials, or analytical approach

Points 3-4

- Topic is communicated adequately - Research question is clearly stated but only partially focused - Methodology is mostly complete, with generally relevant literary or non-literary texts and research materials *(Max 4 marks if the topic or research question is inappropriate for studies in language and literature)*

Points 5-6

- Topic is communicated accurately and effectively - Research question is clearly stated, sharply focused, and framed as a question - Methodology is complete, with evidence of informed selection of texts, corpus boundaries, contextual material, and an analytical approach appropriate to the research question

Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks)

Points 0

The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.

Points 1-2

- Knowledge and understanding of the text(s), context, and area of investigation are limited - Terminology and concepts are unclear, inaccurate, or limited

Points 3-4

- Knowledge and understanding of the text(s), context, and area of investigation are good - Terminology and concepts are generally adequate and relevant *(Max 4 marks if the topic or research question is inappropriate for studies in language and literature)*

Points 5-6

- Knowledge and understanding of the text(s), contexts, audiences, purposes, and chosen area of investigation are excellent - Subject-specific terminology and concepts are used accurately, consistently, and with discernment

Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 marks)

Points 0

The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.

Points 1-3

- Research is limited or only loosely connected to the research question - Analysis is limited, descriptive, or mainly narrative - Discussion and evaluation are limited *(Max 3 marks if the topic or research question is inappropriate for studies in language and literature)*

Points 4-6

- Research is adequate and mostly relevant - Analysis is adequate, though uneven or partly descriptive - Discussion and evaluation are adequate, with some line of argument

Points 7-9

- Research is good and consistently relevant to the question - Analysis is good, with effective attention to textual choices, language, form, culture, context, audience, and purpose as appropriate - Discussion and evaluation are good, with a clear, generally sustained argument

Points 10-12

- Research is excellent, focused, and effectively integrated - Analysis is excellent, detailed, and sustained, with close attention to how meaning is constructed in the selected text(s) - Discussion and evaluation are excellent, producing a coherent, persuasive, and critically engaged argument

Criterion D: Presentation (4 marks)

Points 0

The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.

Points 1-2

- Presentation is acceptable but may contain weaknesses in structure, layout, citation practice, bibliography, corpus documentation, or integration of supporting material

Points 3-4

- Presentation is good, with a clear structure, appropriate academic layout, consistent referencing, and well-integrated supporting material

Criterion E: Engagement (6 marks)

Points 0

The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors below.

Points 1-2

- Engagement is limited, with mostly descriptive reflection or little evidence of decision-making

Points 3-4

- Engagement is adequate, showing some reflection on choices, challenges, and development of the research process

Points 5-6

- Engagement is good to excellent, showing thoughtful reflection on research decisions, intellectual initiative, challenges, and growth across the process

Build Sequence

Did You Know? Most weak drafts fail from sequence chaos, not lack of ideas.

Step 1

Choose the category

Decide whether the essay is literary, comparative literary, or category 3 language/textual analysis before drafting.

Step 2

Define the corpus

Set clear boundaries for the text, campaign, media sample, or body of material you will analyze.

Step 3

Build an analytical lens

Connect textual choices to audience, purpose, culture, context, and meaning rather than describing content.

Step 4

Audit argument flow

Check that each section advances the research question and does not drift into general commentary.

Submission Checklist

  • Research question is narrow enough for 4,000 words.
  • Corpus or primary text selection is explicit and justified.
  • Analysis focuses on language, form, context, audience, and purpose.
  • RPPF reflections show decisions and revisions, not just progress notes.

Quick Wins

  • Replace broad social-issue claims with evidence from specific textual choices.
  • Add one sentence per section explaining why this material belongs in the corpus.
  • Use terminology only when it helps analysis, then explain its effect.

Did You Know?

Get Rubric Feedback Before You Submit Your EE

Upload your English A Language & Literature EE draft to Marksy and get criterion-level feedback on focus, textual analysis, structure, and engagement. Marksy is built to grade faster with criterion-level precision, so you can improve before final submission.

1. Upload your EE draft PDF to Marksy.
2. Get criterion-by-criterion feedback fast.
3. Revise and resubmit with focused improvements.
Marksy grading results view

Instant Grading Results

See where your score is now, not just where it could be.

Marksy criteria-wise feedback highlights

Criterion-Level Feedback

Marksy explains feedback by rubric criterion, so revision is targeted.

Marksy actionable todo feedback list

Action List To Improve

Get concrete next edits instead of vague "improve analysis" advice.

Marksy AI detection and highlight review

Confidence And Integrity Signals

Review flagged sections and strengthen authenticity before submission.