Paper 2 Overview (AQA GCSE English Language)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
GCSE English Language Paper 2 Overview
By now hopefully you will be aware that achieving top marks in this exam is all about revision, but revision in terms of knowing exactly what to expect on each paper, what the examiner is expecting from you in your answers and mastering the underpinning skills required to achieve the best possible outcome in each question.
Language Paper 2 is the “non-fiction” paper, and is all about exploring writers’ viewpoints and perspectives. It is divided into two sections:
Section A: Reading
Here you will be assessed on the quality of your reading skills based on two non-fiction texts
40 marks
Section B: Writing
Here you will be assessed on the quality of your writing to present a viewpoint
40 marks
Overview |
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There are five Assessment Objectives for this paper. These are the skills which you will be assessed on:
Section A | |
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AO1 | Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas |
AO2 | Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views |
AO3 | Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts |
Section B | |
AO5 | Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts This is referred to as content and organisation |
AO6 | Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation This is referred to as technical accuracy |
Timings
It does not matter whether you complete Section A or Section B first, although the topic of the source documents in Section A will, in some way, link to your writing prompt in Section B. What is essential, however, is that you are aware of your time and manage how long you spend answering each question, so that you do not run out of time in the exam. It is equally important that you judge how much you need to write according to the number of marks awarded. For example, do not spend 30 minutes answering an 8-mark question and only leave yourself 10 minutes for a 16-mark question.
In Section A, AQA advises that you should spend 15 minutes reading through the source documents and the Section A questions before you start to write. It is probably a more sensible use of time to skim the source material to get an overall sense of what they are about, read each question carefully, and then carefully read the section or whole of the source documents, according to the question instructions.
Below are some suggested timings for the four reading questions including reading time:
Question | Marks | Suggested timing (including reading time) | What skill is this testing? | Links to question-specific revision notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | 10 minutes | AO1 – true or false | |
2 | 8 | 15 minutes | AO1 – interpret and summarise | |
3 | 12 | 15 minutes | AO2 (language) – how does the writer use language...? | |
4 | 16 | 20 minutes | AO3 – compare how the writers... |
In Section B, you should spend 5 minutes reading the task carefully and planning your response, 35 minutes writing and 5 minutes to re-read your response. Please refer to our detailed guides on Paper 2 Question 5 here.
Examiner comments
Section A:
Make sure you read each question carefully and identify which source text, or section of text, is being referred to
For Question 1, track the information given in the eight statements chronologically through the given extract, and read all of the statements before selecting any as true
Also for Question 1, ensure you follow the instructions regarding how to identify your answers in the answer booklet
To get the highest marks in Question 2, be clear in your interpretation of the texts and then provide additional detail, but as relevant to the clear focus of the question
For Question 3, ensure you comment on the effects of language use, rather than inferring the possible “effect” on the reader
Avoid writing at great length in Question 4 - keep your answer concise, focused and comparing like-for-like across both texts
In any answer, do not simply list linguistic features or word types without any relevant or sensible analysis of the writer’s intention and how these things contribute to the effect
Section B:
Planning is essential for a controlled and cohesive response
Identify your point of view and clearly develop your argument over your paragraphs of writing - do not go back and forth between agreeing and disagreeing
Do not waste time on layout features that do not add to your arguments (such as drawing columns for an article)
Ensure you use a variety of sentence structures and punctuation accurately for the highest marks
Make sure you identify what you are writing, who you are writing for and why you are writing before you begin
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