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can anyone mark or give me a score on my answer to language paper 2 question 5 aqa?

can anyone mark or give me a score on my answer to language paper 2 question 5 aqa?
‘Holidays don’t need to be faraway and expensive. They just need to give people a break
from everyday life and the chance to relax.’
Write an article for a magazine in which you argue your point of view on this statement.

Holidays: a step to a greater mindset
Relaxation, peace, tranquillity. The offer is yours.

Holidays don’t have to be faraway and expensive. Simple as that. It can simply be a trip to your local beach. What price comes with that? The decision ultimately lies with you. Just something to take the edge off. You deserve a break. It is something we all recognise. Picture yourself, ebulliently resting your feet against the copious sand. Sounds like a dream. But honestly it could be a reality.

Mental Health Impact
Holidays aren’t just for pleasure it also acts as mental health therapy. Ineffable. Proven by the UK mental health organisation to “increase moods by up to 20%, leaving people happier when they get back to work”. It sounds completely quixotic; as work is viewed as draining and tiresome. However, one holiday could evidently change that. It kindly offers you a chance to feel a sense of tranquility; happiness. A single despondent mood can be turned upside down. Too much stress without a break can lead to death, literally. Just imagine, your future self, lugubrious. Therefore, it’s absolutely vital to take a break overseas.

New Experiences
The sun, a special mad yellow like an omelette. Or, perhaps, a chilling, yet cooling day, snowflakes gracefully dancing on your hand. That smile as stiff as frozen fish, gone. The waves being a constant heartbeat telling you there is still more to life. It opens doors to new cultures, experiences, one-of-a-kind journeys that are definitely not ubiquitous. Quoted by John Smith, “out of all holidays, the only one I remember is the one where I met my wife”. This quite perfunctorily provides evidence that holidays aren’t just for new experiences; you can meet the love of your life. Your life. If that isn’t good enough, picture yourself. Feet splashing against the waves whom vociferously express their opinions. Nights like this are young, the way an actual person is young. Sunsets falling through the western sky, the colour of blood through a fistful of water. An open door to opportunities. Sure to allow a wave of warmth to spread through you.

Downsides
Indeed, holidays come with a cost. It’s not just going on a 12 hour flight to Canada and not paying a ‘penny’. Prices are indeed ‘rising’ with each flight, as Elton John previously stated, “even though I have the money I can't afford but to only go on one holiday a year”, I have to admit - that is devastating. However this still does not act as a restriction. Not every holiday has to be ‘far’ and expensive. Of course not. Don’t let a heavy cloud of sorrow hang above your head. Yes, you. Restrict despair seeping into every corner of your mind. Holidays can be more than cheap if you make it. Just a 1 hour drive to your local seaside it really does cost nothing. It’s hardly even far in distance.
A final reflection

Therefore, I won't urge you. Because you should know better to make the right decision. Holidays are all a person needs to secure their happiness. It really is. Life-long impacts at a cost of nothing. The choice ultimately lies with you.

Reply 1

Original post
by rana.x
can anyone mark or give me a score on my answer to language paper 2 question 5 aqa?
‘Holidays don’t need to be faraway and expensive. They just need to give people a break
from everyday life and the chance to relax.’
Write an article for a magazine in which you argue your point of view on this statement.
Holidays: a step to a greater mindset
Relaxation, peace, tranquillity. The offer is yours.
Holidays don’t have to be faraway and expensive. Simple as that. It can simply be a trip to your local beach. What price comes with that? The decision ultimately lies with you. Just something to take the edge off. You deserve a break. It is something we all recognise. Picture yourself, ebulliently resting your feet against the copious sand. Sounds like a dream. But honestly it could be a reality.
Mental Health Impact
Holidays aren’t just for pleasure it also acts as mental health therapy. Ineffable. Proven by the UK mental health organisation to “increase moods by up to 20%, leaving people happier when they get back to work”. It sounds completely quixotic; as work is viewed as draining and tiresome. However, one holiday could evidently change that. It kindly offers you a chance to feel a sense of tranquility; happiness. A single despondent mood can be turned upside down. Too much stress without a break can lead to death, literally. Just imagine, your future self, lugubrious. Therefore, it’s absolutely vital to take a break overseas.
New Experiences
The sun, a special mad yellow like an omelette. Or, perhaps, a chilling, yet cooling day, snowflakes gracefully dancing on your hand. That smile as stiff as frozen fish, gone. The waves being a constant heartbeat telling you there is still more to life. It opens doors to new cultures, experiences, one-of-a-kind journeys that are definitely not ubiquitous. Quoted by John Smith, “out of all holidays, the only one I remember is the one where I met my wife”. This quite perfunctorily provides evidence that holidays aren’t just for new experiences; you can meet the love of your life. Your life. If that isn’t good enough, picture yourself. Feet splashing against the waves whom vociferously express their opinions. Nights like this are young, the way an actual person is young. Sunsets falling through the western sky, the colour of blood through a fistful of water. An open door to opportunities. Sure to allow a wave of warmth to spread through you.
Downsides
Indeed, holidays come with a cost. It’s not just going on a 12 hour flight to Canada and not paying a ‘penny’. Prices are indeed ‘rising’ with each flight, as Elton John previously stated, “even though I have the money I can't afford but to only go on one holiday a year”, I have to admit - that is devastating. However this still does not act as a restriction. Not every holiday has to be ‘far’ and expensive. Of course not. Don’t let a heavy cloud of sorrow hang above your head. Yes, you. Restrict despair seeping into every corner of your mind. Holidays can be more than cheap if you make it. Just a 1 hour drive to your local seaside it really does cost nothing. It’s hardly even far in distance.
A final reflection
Therefore, I won't urge you. Because you should know better to make the right decision. Holidays are all a person needs to secure their happiness. It really is. Life-long impacts at a cost of nothing. The choice ultimately lies with you.

hi, i got a 9 (98%) last year and have read through this!

this is a really strong piece and i can't give an exact mark but you're defo looking at sort of a grade 8+ piece here.

some feedback (which is always helpful):

your tone is extremely persuasive and the use of a conversational tone engages the reader really well

you use nice vocab 'ebulliently' and 'copious' etc., which enhances the appeal of local holidays

you have a well-organised and balanced argument and consider a variety of valid points (mental health, new experiences etc.)

you could try and develop your intro further by clearly stating your overall argument in a more detailed way

try and explain the significance of the statistics and quotations a bit more ('increase moods by up to 20%' reinforcing how important holidays are for boosting self-esteem and well-being etc etc)

you introduce a John Smith but don't explain explicitly who he is, is he a mental health expert, a travel agent?? try to avoid just sticking people in for the plot as you start losing the examiner and enter into a ramble, try and think 'every point/statistic/person i make, why is this important to my argument'

try and work on linking your paragraphs more smoothly by using discourse markers and transitions, which will help clarity and flow.

overall, as i stated early, this is an extremely strong piece, and if you replicated this in an exam, i have no doubt you would be looking at the higher end grades (7/8/9). i hope the feedback is helpful and not too bossy, lmk if you want any more help!!

:smile:
(edited 1 month ago)

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