2016 MCAS
Grade 10 English Language Arts
Question 27 - Score Point 4

This response provides a clear, complete, and accurate explanation of how the author creates suspense in both excerpts. The response begins by describing the atmosphere in Jaws as "suspended in bewilderment and fear," which results from "the calm yet troubling imagery of the shark." The response also describes how the author's use of words like "'fathomless,'" "'bloodless,'" and "'steely'" sets the scene, and it elaborates on his effective creation of an unsettling, calm atmosphere that makes the reader "[expect] that something bad is going to happen." This atmosphere is disrupted by short sentences that capture the reader's interest and "[make] the reader read more quickly in suspense." The response also describes how Benchley builds suspense in a similar way in "Swimming with Nightmares": "short sentences and looming images of the shark" generate "panic and anticipation," which "[leave] the reader to anticipate the fearful events to come." Repetition of the word "suspend" is also discussed as an effective technique that increases suspense. The response clearly and accurately uses relevant and specific details from both excerpts to illustrate the use of suspense by the author.