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The 150-Word Task — Higher Section C
✍️ The 150-Word Task — Higher Section C
Higher Paper 4 Section C is the highest-stakes writing task on the entire paper — typically 20 marks. You write around 150 words in response to one or two bullet points. At this level AQA expects sophisticated vocabulary, complex grammatical structures, consistent accuracy, and a minimum of three tenses. Band 4 is reserved for students who demonstrate all four. Everything in this topic is Higher tier.
Mark Scheme — What Separates Band 4 from Band 3
Les voyages en avion, bien que pratiques, sont très néfastes pour l'environnement.
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Plan your structure — 5 minutes planning saves 10 minutes of rewriting mid-task
- Front-load your best structures — examiners are influenced by strong openings
- Use different opinion verbs: penser, croire, trouver, estimer, avoir l'impression que, être convaincu(e) que — variety shows range
- Check every adjective for gender/number agreement before you finish — un problème grave not un problème graves
- A single well-handled subjunctive (bien que ce soit, pour que nous puissions) is worth more than ten correctly used present tenses for range marks
- If you use si + imparfait → conditionnel, check: the verb after si must be imparfait, NEVER conditionnel (si j'avais ✓ / si j'aurais ✗)
❌ Common error: Writing 150 words entirely in the present tense with simple sentences and basic vocabulary — content is relevant and both bullets are addressed, but language is all simple structures.
✓ Correct: Even one conditional sentence, one relative clause, and one discourse marker like cependant lifts the language band significantly. Quality of structures matters as much as quantity of words.
Why it costs marks: A present-tense-only response is capped at Band 2 for language (maximum 2/5) regardless of how accurately it is written. The 150-word task explicitly tests range. No range = no Band 3 or 4.