Trevor Millum, director of development and communications for the National Association for the Teaching of English, asks what the advice writing task has to do with Shakespeare. The answer is, of course, nothing, since it is the writing task. The reading task came afterwards.

The spokeswoman for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority reckons teacher response to test trials was positive, yet whenever our pupils have participated in such trials the test materials have been strictly unavailable to teachers.

Lionel Warner Head of English and drama Newlands girls school Farm Road Maidenhead Berkshire.