Paper 2 Section B Overview (AQA GCSE English Language)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Paper 2 Section B Overview
This guide is an overall summary of Paper 2 Section B.
Overview
Paper 2 is called “Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives” and is the “non-fiction” paper. The whole Paper 2 exam is 1 hour 45 minutes long, and is worth a total of 80 marks (50% of your GCSE).
Section B is the writing section and is worth a total of 40 marks. You have one non-fiction writing task to complete, related to the theme of Section A. You should spend 45 minutes on this section of the exam and aim to write three to four sides of A4.
The task you will be given will be of a specific genre, such as an article or letter, and it will specify audience and purpose. It will use a range of opinions, statements and writing scenarios to provoke a response.
There are two Assessment Objectives for Paper 2 Section B. These are:
AO5 24 marks | 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 16 marks | Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation (this requirement must constitute 20% of the marks for each specification as a whole) This is referred to as technical accuracy |
Here is an example of a Paper 2 Section B task:
Exam tips
Your writing needs to be convincing and compelling to achieve top marks, with tone, style and register confidently adapted to suit the audience and the purpose of the task
Examiners are looking for the use of ambitious vocabulary
Your ideas need to be convincing and well developed, which means it is essential to plan what you are going to include before you start writing:
You should spend about 10 minutes on planning
Your paragraphs need to be linked fluently
As with Paper 1 Section B, you should demonstrate secure and accurate use of spelling, sentence structure and a range of punctuation
DAN FOREST PIE
D | Direct address | Writing directly to your audience is a great way of showing the examiner that you have a thorough understanding of who you are writing for and how to address them. This is especially the case if you are writing to convince your audience of something |
A | Audience | Including your audience is also a persuasive technique, such as “we all know that…” |
N | Not only, but also | Good for adding to your arguments. For example, “Not only would this benefit the local economy, but also has wider implications on a national level.” |
F | Facts | Facts in an exam situation can be made up, but use them sparingly! Then they will have more impact |
O | Opinions | If you are trying to persuade or convince an audience that your point of view is valid, then presenting your opinions as fact is one way of putting forward a strong argument |
R | Rhetorical questions | Questions that do not require an answer are useful for engaging an audience, especially at the start of your piece of writing |
E | Emotive language | Think carefully about your choice of language and the connotations certain words have. “Crowd” and “mob”, for example, have very different connotations, with “mob” being much more emotive (and negative). Choose your language depending on the effect you want to have on your reader |
S | Statistics | Statistics, especially ones that are made up in an exam situation, should be used sparingly as part of the development of an argument. Do not over-rely on them |
T | Triplets (rule of three) | Political speeches often use this technique to group together three related ideas for impact. This is not the same as just listing three things |
P | Personal pronouns | Depending on the audience and purpose, make good use of “I”, “we” and “you”, which can give weight to your arguments |
I | Imperatives | Commanding your audience should not be aggressive, but can be seen as a call to action. For example, “Act now or regret later.” |
E | Exaggeration | Well-considered exaggeration can be used for persuasive effect, especially if the topic is one you feel strongly about |
Please continue to the question-specific revision notes for more detailed guidance and advice!
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