Assessment Objectives common mistakes

Common mistakes

• Ignoring Context

  Failing to connect the text to its historical or cultural context.

  Fix itAlways consider how the context influences the themes and characters in the text.

• Over‑reliance on surface description

  Focusing only on what is literally stated in the text without linking linguistic choices to broader meanings.

  Fix itAlways connect linguistic features (e.g., diction, syntax) to how they shape reader interpretation and thematic development.

• Over‑generalising Context

  Assuming a single context explains all aspects of a text without evidence.

  Fix itAlways support claims with specific textual evidence and recognise multiple, interacting contexts.

• Confusing Narrator and Speaker

  Students often treat the narrator and the speaker as interchangeable, leading to inaccurate analysis of voice.

  Fix itClarify that the narrator is the storyteller, while the speaker is the voice within the text. Distinguish between the narrator’s perspective, the speaker’s voice, and any characters’ dialogue.

• Confusing Narrator with Speaker

  Assuming the narrator and speaker are always the same person.

  Fix itIdentify the narrative perspective first; then determine whether the narrator’s voice is also the speaker’s voice.

• Confusing Narrator with Character

  Assuming the narrator is a character in the story rather than a distinct voice.

  Fix itIdentify the narrator’s role by examining whether they describe events from inside or outside the story world and whether they reveal personal thoughts.

• Assuming context is background information only

  Treating historical or social context as merely background rather than a driving force behind linguistic choices.

  Fix itAlways link contextual factors directly to specific language decisions, citing evidence from the text.

• Assuming Authorial Intent Equals Reader Response

  Students often conflate the writer’s intended meaning with how readers actually interpret the text, ignoring the influence of context.

  Fix itClarify that reception is shaped by the audience’s cultural and historical context, not solely by the writer’s intentions.

• Confusing Narrator and Speaker

  Assuming the narrator is always the same as the speaker.

  Fix itThe narrator is the voice that tells the story, while the speaker is the character who delivers a specific line or monologue. Distinguishing between them clarifies who is conveying information and who is expressing personal thoughts.

• Confusing Narrator and Speaker

  Treating the narrator as the same person as the speaker or character.

  Fix itClarify that the narrator is the storyteller, the speaker is the voice within the text, and the character is the individual portrayed.