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Paper 1: Reading - Answering Question 2

English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 3.1.3

Section A: Creative Reading - Question 2

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 2

Question 2

  • Question 2 is worth eight marks. You should spend around two minutes reading and 8 minutes writing.
  • In this question, you will be asked to read a specific section of the text (e.g. lines 13 to 20) and explain how the writer uses language to describe a character, thing, place or event.
Use correct terminology

Use correct terminology

  • You need to show that you can identify the techniques used by the writer, such as:
  • Personification, simile, metaphor.
  • Irony, tone, emphasis, rhetorical question.
  • Hyperbole, repetition, alliteration.
  • Technical word classes (e.g. abstract noun, stative verb, noun phrase, semantic field).
Use varied information from the text

Use varied information from the text

  • You must 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 just choose any quotation at random and try to make a point around it – you should choose an excellent quotation to match your point perfectly.
  • You should explain how your quotation links to your point.
Analyse language

Analyse language

  • You should explain how the language used helps to describe whatever character, thing, place or event the question asks about.
  • You must consider:
  • Connotations of words and alternative meanings of words.
  • The effect of the language technique you have highlighted – Do NOT just label the techniques but explain their effect.
Example exam technique

Example exam technique

  • Example question: How does the writer use language in this extract to create tension?
  • Example process:
  • Consider what the question means - what is tension?
  • Throughout your answer, stick to the question – you are looking at language which creates tension and nothing else.
  • Find three quotations which add tension.
  • Spend 30 seconds on each quotation, creating a brief mindmap of how the words create tension.
  • Select one of your quotations and write 2 - 3 paragraphs to answer the question.

The PETER Structure - Section A: Question 2

You don't have to stick to this structure, exactly, but it helps you to remember including everything you need to get the most marks.

Point

Point

  • Write your idea or argument and link it to the question.
  • Here are some example sentence starters:
  • In the text, the writer uses language to ________.
  • The writer structures the text to ________________.
  • Throughout the text, the writer ________________.
Evidence

Evidence

  • Choose a quotation from the text which supports the point that you have made.
  • Here are some examples of using a quotation to support your point:
  • In paragraph three, the author says, “________”.
  • The author describes the sky as “________”.
  • The description “________” is stated at the start of the text.
Technique and explanation

Technique and explanation

  • Identify a language technique in the quotation. These techniques could be similes, metaphors, adverbs, rule of three or another technique.
  • Then explain what the technique means, referring to the quotation or words used.
  • Here are some example sentences:
  • Within the quote, the simile suggests that ________.
  • The adjective “________” indicates that ________.
  • The writer’s use of repetition here shows ____________
  • The metaphor “________” could mean ________. Alternatively, it could mean ________.
Refer to the question and the writer's intention

Refer to the question and the writer's intention

  • Answer why you think the writer used this language?
  • What do you think the writer is trying to show?
  • What effect does the quote have and how does this relate to the question?
  • Some examples of this are:
  • In my opinion, the writer has done this to show ________.
  • Therefore, the language here suggests that ________.
  • Therefore, the author structured the extract in this way to highlight ________.

Test yourself on Paper 1: Reading - Answering Question 2

  • What do you need to do when answering Question 2?

  • You are making the point that a character, James, is stubborn. Which quotation would back up your point best?

  • What should you consider when you are answering Question 2 of the reading section (Section A)?

  • How Does the Writer use Language in this Extract to Emphasise Romance?

  • Ordering the Parts of your Paragraph to Analyse Language

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