Paper 1: Writing - Overview - Section B
English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 4.1.1
Paper 1, Section B: Creative or Descriptive Writing
In Section B of Paper 1, you will be given two questions - a written scenario and a picture stimulus - to choose from. You will select one thing to write about.
Links with Section A
- The writing section (Section B) will be linked to the reading materials in Section A – try to use some information from section A, but do not just copy it!
Tips for answering Section B
- Choose ONE task – do not do both!
- Write in paragraphs.
- Read the instructions very carefully – check if you are writing a description or a narrative piece.
- A narrative piece follows a story line – it has action and tells the reader about some sort of experience that happened (either real or fake).
- A descriptive piece uses more sensory detail (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to describe a place, person or feeling. There is no story line.
- We will cover these two types of pieces in more detail later.
Timings for Section B
- Spend 10 minutes planning your ideas before you start writing your answer – this plan can take whatever form you like (spider diagram, bullet points, etc) because it will not be marked.
- Spend 30 minutes writing your answer.
- Spend 5 minutes checking – focus on spelling, punctuation, and whether or not your sentences make sense.
Marks for Section B
- Section B is worth 40 marks.
- Spelling, punctuation and grammar is worth 16 marks.
Test yourself on Paper 1: Writing - Overview - Section B
How many marks are spelling, punctuation and grammar worth in Paper 1, Section B?
How long should you spend answering Section B of Paper 1?
How should you approach Section B of Paper 1?
How many marks is Section B of Paper 1 worth?