Practice Task 2 — Magazine Article (40 marks)

Question: Write a lively article for a teenage magazine with the title: "Switch It Off: Why My Generation Needs a Digital Detox."

You should write about 350–450 words. (40 marks: 24 AO5 + 16 AO6)

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Mark Scheme — Band 5 (33–40 marks)

AO5 (22–24)

• Punchy headline retained; sub-headings or strapline used
• Opening hook — anecdote, shocking statistic, or rhetorical scenario
• Sustained engaging voice for teenage audience: colloquial register without slipping into slang errors
• Structural arc: hook → problem → personal anecdote → counter-view → call to action; circular ending

AO6 (14–16)

• Tonal shifts handled with control — wit alongside sincerity
• Sophisticated punctuation: parenthetical dashes, ellipses for trailing thought, semicolons
• Variety of sentence openers; deliberate one-word sentences for impact ("Endless.")
• Tier-3 vocabulary: ubiquitous, dopamine-driven, hyper-connected, attention economy

Indicative content: Statistics on screen-time, anecdote of phone-free weekend, concession that tech connects us, rebuttal that connection ≠ presence, witty kicker line.