Answering Question 4

Section A: Creative Reading - Question 4

In Section A of Paper 1, you will be given a 40-50 line extract from a modern piece of fiction. Unless you are very lucky and have already read the text, this extract will be unseen.

Question 4

Question 4 is worth 20 marks. You should spend around four minutes reading and 20 minutes writing.
This is an evaluation question. You will be asked to focus on a particular section of the source and respond to a statement. You are basically being asked to explain if you agree with the statement given, and why you think that.

Tips for answering Question 4

AQA have said that students are allowed to agree, disagree, or agree/disagree partially with the statement. But bear in mind that disagreeing completely with the statement is much harder to do successfully. It is much easier to agree or to partially agree and disagree.
AQA have also stated that students must give their own opinions in this question – it is asking you what you think, so don’t be afraid to share your ideas!

Critically evaluate

You should focus on the statement and make a judgement on how effective the writer has been.
You should use evaluation phrases and make a clear judgement based on the statement you have been given.
You should identify key language devices/methods used by the writer.
You should show that you understand the value and effect of the methods you have picked and that they work really well with your argument.

Use varied information from the text

You should carefully select quotations because they are important to the point you have made. They should prove your ideas really well.
It should be clear that your point and evidence work perfectly together. You should not choose any quotation at random and try to make a point around it.
Your quotations should be short, well-chosen, and match your points perfectly.

Form a critical response

You should explain why the writer’s choice of language/approach is effective, making clear links to the statement.
You should select a quotation which links perfectly to the question, and explain why the writer has chosen to use this particular quotation/idea. You must bring all of your ideas back to the question and the statement you were given.
You should explain why the writer chose to use the particular method you highlighted because of the effect it creates.

Form a critical response (cont.)

To get the top marks, your ideas must be original, showing that you are thinking outside the box and picking up on small details in the text. You should analyse and explain the effect of the writer’s linguistic choices in the text.

1Key Terms

1.1Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentence Types

1.1.2Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language

1.1.3Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood

1.1.4Key Terms - Other Techniques

1.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Terms

2Language Techniques

3Paper 1: Reading

3.1Structuring Your Answer - Section A

3.1.1Overview - Section A

3.1.2Answering Question 1

3.1.3Answering Question 2

3.1.4Exam-Style Questions - Paper 1: Reading

3.1.5Answering Question 3

3.1.6Answering Question 4

3.1.7End of Topic Test - Section A

3.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Paper 1: Reading

4Paper 1: Writing

4.1Structuring Your Answer

4.1.1Overview - Section B

4.1.2Answering Section B

4.1.3Answering Section B - Checklist of Techniques

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Section

4.1.5Exam-Style Questions - Paper 1: Writing

5Paper 2: Reading

5.1DAFORESTER

5.1.1Direct Address

5.1.2Alliteration

5.1.3Facts

5.1.4Opinions

5.1.5Repetition

5.1.6Exaggeration (Hyperbole)

5.1.7Statistics

5.1.8Triples (Rule of 3)

5.1.9Emotive Language

5.1.10Rhetorical Questions

5.1.11End of Topic Test - DAFORESTER

5.2Structuring Your Answer

5.2.1Overview - Section A

5.2.2Answering Question 1

5.2.3Answering Question 2

5.2.4Answering Question 3

5.2.5Exam-Style Questions - Paper 2: Reading

5.2.6Answering Question 4

5.2.7End of Topic Test - Section A

5.2.8Exam-Style Questions - Paper 2: Reading

6Paper 2: Writing

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