Writing About Social Groups
English Language: AQA A Level, topic 3.2.1
Writing About Social Groups in Your Exam
Your knowledge of social groups can be assessed in a couple of ways:
Paper 2, Section A, Question 1
- Question type: Evaluate the idea that…
- This question is asking you for a discussion of your knowledge of sociolect.
- It is worth 30 marks – 10 are for your argument and terminology, 20 are for your knowledge of theories and concepts.
- You should write formally and in an academic style.
Paper 2, Section B, Question 4
- Question type: Write a/an…
- This question is worth 30 marks and assesses your ability to write creatively (10 marks) and your knowledge of theories and concepts (20 marks).
- It will ask you to write an opinion-based piece based on two articles you will have analysed in the previous question.
- You MUST bring in your knowledge of sociolect, and it must be relevant to the topic the articles are about. You should also try to bring in these articles to your piece.
When to NOT bring in knowledge
- In Paper 1, Section A, questions 1,2 and 3, you may get texts which are about/feature an aspect of social group study. You should not bring in your theories into these questions at all.
- In Paper 2, Section B, question 3, the texts may be about sociolect – you MUST NOT bring theory into this question.
Test yourself on Writing About Social Groups
Which questions should you NOT bring theories about social groups into?
How many marks is Paper 2, Section A, Question 1 (Evaluate the idea that...) worth?
How many marks is Paper 2, Section B, Question 4 (Write a/an…) worth?
Which exam questions should you bring in your knowledge of social groups and sociolect?
What style of writing should you adopt when answering Paper 2, Section A, Question 1 (Evaluate the idea that…)?