Paper 2 Question 3: Mark Scheme (AQA GCSE English Language) : Revision Note
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The Question 3 mark scheme
If you want to achieve a Grade 9, you should be aiming for a Level 4 response for Question 3. Below is a simplified version of the AQA mark scheme for this question.
Student-friendly mark scheme
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic, simple comments about how the language features work, without much detail | Some effort to pick out specific language features and explain their effects | Clear and well-explained answers that look at several language features and/or techniques and how they work in context | Detailed and thoughtful analysis of how the writer has chosen to use language in the text, with a focus on the intended effects of these features |
To demonstrate a clear understanding of a writer's use of language, your answer should include:
Accurate subject terminology
Evidence (quotes or textual references)
Clear explanation of the effects of the language features
To analyse the language of the text effectively, you should be asking three important questions:
WHAT is the effect of the writer’s language choices? | HOW does the writer achieve this? | WHY do those language features create the effect you have identified? |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The mark schemes for Level 3 and Level 4 make the distinction between “analysis” and “explanation”. To be awarded a Level 4, you must provide an analysis of the writer’s use of language in your response.
While explanation focuses on providing clear descriptions of specific aspects of a text, analysis involves a deeper exploration and interpretation. Analysis seeks to uncover the underlying meaning and artistic choices of the writer: what is their overall intention for this piece of writing?
How to get full marks on Paper 2 Question 3
To get the highest marks for the language question, it’s really important to understand what examiners are looking for.
Examiner tips for a Grade 9
Avoid phrases such as “this makes the reader feel”:
Instead, focus on the writer’s intended effects
Cover 3 or more aspects of the text in your answer:
Try to make 3–4 separate points
Use more than one piece of evidence for each point if possible
Use subject terminology (alliteration, metaphor) accurately:
But only use it if it enhances your point
Look for patterns across the extract
Consider a writer’s overall ambition across the passage:
What is their intention as a whole?
Levelling up your Question 3 answer
Understanding the different levels: analysis versus explanation
To get a Grade 9, you will have to reach Level 4 for Question 3, which means your response should show “perceptive, detailed analysis” rather than just “clear relevant explanation”. The image below shows what an examiner would expect to see in a Level 3 versus a Level 4 response:
Moving from a Level 3 to a Level 4 response
Below is an example of a paragraph for a Level 3 response, and one for a Level 4. It is based on the June 2019 AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2 past paper. It is useful to read through this extract and the wording of Question 3 before exploring the model responses below.
We’ve included annotations to show why each would be awarded each level.
Level 3 response (7–9 marks) | Level 4 response (10–12 marks) |
|---|---|
The writer explains how powerful the sea is by describing how he is “sucked into the belly of the wave”. The verb “sucked” suggests the writer is swallowed up very quickly by the sea, emphasising how easily he is overpowered. The personification used in “the belly of the wave” creates an image of the wave as a powerful giant who eats people up by sucking them into his enormous belly where they disappear and drown. | The phrase “sucked into the belly of the wave” effectively portrays the sea as a greedy monster, the use of personification suggesting the sea has an insatiable appetite. The curling motion of the wave as it engulfs him is reflected in the metaphorical image of the wave’s rounded “belly” as he is consumed by the ravenous sea. In “sucked”, the writer chooses a short, single syllable verb to echo the speed with which he was suddenly plucked out of the boat and into the water by the relentless strength of the ocean. |
Learn more and test yourself
For more great tips and tricks, check out our dedicated revision notes on how to answer Paper 2 Question 3 and our fully annotated Paper 2 Question 3 model answer.
You can also test yourself on Paper 2 Question 3 by answering full questions and getting them marked by Smart Mark, our AI model created by English Language experts.
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