Paper 1: Writing - Answering Section B (option 2)
English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 4.1.5
Section B: Creative Writing - The Questions
In Section B of Paper 1, you will be given two questions - a written scenario and a picture stimulus - to choose from.
Creative writing question
- The two writing options are usually linked – you can always use one idea to inspire the other.
- For example, your exam options could be:
- Write a description based on the picture of a natural disaster,
OR - Write the opening of a story about someone surviving a natural disaster.
- If you choose to write about the story, you could use the picture of the natural disaster to inspire your planning.
Use sophisticated vocabulary
- You get marks for attempting to use more complex/sophisticated vocabulary, even if you spell it incorrectly, so don’t be afraid to try!
Use sophisticated punctuation
- You also get marks for a range of punctuation so, at the very least, try to put an exclamation mark, a semi-colon and a pair of brackets into your writing.
Make mistakes and edit
- Don’t worry about getting things wrong at first – you are allowed to cross out in your exam. As long as you leave some time at the end to correct your work, it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes to begin with.
Do NOT use writing used before
- Some students try to write a perfect piece of writing before going into the exam and then just adapt it to any question in the exam – this is a bad idea! Examiners can tell that you have done this, and this type of strategy generally means you end up with lower marks because your prepared piece doesn’t quite match the task in the exam.
Planning in the Exam
Always plan your creative writing. Students who create some sort of plan before they start writing always score more marks. It doesn’t matter what your plan looks like – your plan will not be marked. Here are some examples:
Bullet points
- You could simply jot down your ideas as they come to you, and then number them in the order you're going to write about them.
- Example question: Write a description of a stormy sea.
- Zoom out – colour of stormy sky and sea. Add metaphor. (5)
- Zoom in – on small boat in the middle of the waves. Add personification. (2)
- Sound – waves crashing against the rocks. Use onomatopoeia. (1)
- Feeling – people in boat being soaked and feeling scared. Use emotive language. (3)
- Sight – people in boat can only see the waves – adds to fear. Use simile. (4)
Spider diagrams (or mindmaps)
- Spider diagrams (/mindmaps) are great for mind mapping your initial ideas about a picture or storyline.
- An example spider diagram is on the next slide.
Flow charts
- Flow charts are great for planning narrative writing, as you can plan out how your story will flow.
- The flowchart above is an example plan for the task: Write a story about a time when things went from bad to worse.
Test yourself on Paper 1: Writing - Answering Section B (option 2)
What should you NOT do in the writing section (Section B) of Paper 1?
What will you get top marks for using in the writing section (Section B) of Paper 1?
Will you be marked down if you make mistakes in your writing exam (Section B)?
What should you consider if you are answering the picture question of Section B?
You have chosen to answer the written scenario question in the writing section (Section B) of Paper 1. What should you NEVER use to answer the question?