Question 2 (AQA GCSE English Language)

Exam Questions

2 hours66 questions
11 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“The trenches stretched endlessly, a series of parallel gaping wounds carved into the earth.” 

What mood is created by the description of the trenches in this sentence?

  • chaotic

  • reflective

  • bleak

  • mysterious

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21 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Light from the window illuminated the snow globe in my shaking hand.”

What mood is created by the description in this sentence?

  • peaceful

  • joyful

  • reflective

  • tense

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31 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Beyond the archway, the mist thickened.”

What mood is created by the description in this sentence?

  • eerie

  • calm

  • adventurous

  • joyful

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41 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Inside, the bus was warm, in contrast to the chill of the night air beyond the glass.”

What mood is created by the contrast between the inside of the bus and the outside environment?

  • tension and unease

  • loneliness and isolation

  • comfort and safety

  • indifference and detachment

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51 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“The bus drew to a halt and several passengers trudged their way to the front and began to join the shapes outside.” 

What mood is created by the description of the passengers leaving the bus?

  • weary and detached

  • excited and lively

  • nervous and tense

  • cheerful and welcoming

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61 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Outside, the city lights were a blur of colour — fiery reds, electric blues, and flashes of sickly yellow — as if the streets themselves were alive, pulsing like the heartbeats of an unsleeping metropolis.”

What tone is conveyed by the description of the city lights in this sentence?

  • lively and exciting

  • sad and thoughtful

  • dark and frightening

  • calm and neutral

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71 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Beyond the window, the world moved on in a ceaseless, chaotic swirl.”

What mood is created by the description of the world outside the window?

  • restless and disordered

  • peaceful and calming

  • mysterious and intriguing

  • detached and indifferent

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81 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“The glorious, late summer sun had morphed into a dark, gloomy sky, and the clouds were burdened with rain and thunder.”

What mood is created by the description of the changing sky?

  • peaceful and calming

  • tense and foreboding

  • reflective and nostalgic

  • joyful and uplifting

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91 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“‘What are we going to do?’ worried Grace, her voice becoming slightly shrill.”

What mood is created by Grace’s dialogue in this sentence?

  • anxious

  • calm

  • reassuring

  • confident

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101 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“‘There must be a petrol station around here somewhere,’ I muttered.”

What mood is created by the narrator’s dialogue in this sentence?

  • confident and assertive

  • joyful and excited

  •  reflective and thoughtful

  • uncertain and doubtful

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11 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“A gentle wind rustles through the towering evergreens, their branches swaying back and forth as though caught in the breath of an enormous forest creature. In the stillness, one can hear only the music of nature.”

What tone is created by the description of the forest in this passage?

  • The tone is peaceful, as the gentle wind and stillness create a sense of harmony.

  • The tone is playful, as the movement of the branches is deliberately humourous.

  • The tone is tense, as there is an enormous creature within the forest.

  • The tone is nostalgic, as the natural imagery evokes fond memories of a simpler time.

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21 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Sharp shards of light split the polished floor into pools of sunshine, turning those standing under them into the palest of ghosts.”

What tone is created by the description of light and shadows in this passage?

  • The tone is dramatic, as the contrast between light and shadow adds an urgency to the scene.

  • The tone is critical, as the pools of sunshine bring intense light to the scene.

  • The tone is eerie, as the sharp light and ghostly imagery create a sense of unease.

  • The tone is energetic, as the description describes the light and shadow with enthusiasm.

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31 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“The room was dim, illuminated only by the faint glow of a dying fire, its ruby red embers no longer quite keeping at bay the icy chill from outside.”

What tone is created by the description of the room in this sentence?

  • The tone is angry, as the description reveals the speaker’s annoyance about the dying fire.

  • The tone is peaceful, as the strong light of the fire creates a quiet and soothing atmosphere.

  • The tone is optimistic, as the speaker is protected from the icy chill by the fire.

  • The tone is gloomy, as the faint glow of the fire and the chill suggest a fading warmth and discomfort.

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41 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“I tried to scream but my voice was lost in the darkness. The only sound was the air that made a noise like a whistling kettle as I pirouetted downwards.”

What tone is created by the description in these sentences?

  • The tone is mystical, as the description of the air and movement suggests an otherworldly quality.

  • The tone is terrifying, as the inability to scream and the whistling air create a sense of fear and helplessness.

  • The tone is calm, as the focus on sounds and movement gives a sense of peace despite the situation.

  • The tone is reflective, as the description of the fall emphasises reflection and thoughtfulness.

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51 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Groggily, I came to my senses to discover that I was cocooned in the icy embrace of a frozen star: I had landed on a giant snowflake, still drifting delicately down.”

What tone is created by the description in this passage?

  • The tone is tense, as the description suggests unease and danger in the strange surroundings.

  • The tone is whimsical, as the imagery of a "frozen star" and "giant snowflake" creates a magical feeling.

  • The tone is foreboding, as the icy embrace and drifting snowflake hint at an impending danger or unease.

  • The tone is melancholic, as the icy surroundings hint at loneliness or sadness.

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11 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Against a background of gaudy signs, silhouettes of figures filled the panorama: shadows queued outside fast food outlets, stood in groups at the door to a pub, and marched like worker ants past a lurid pink nail salon.”

What evidence best supports the idea that the writer presents a critical tone in this sentence?

  • the use of words like “pub” and “salon”

  • the use of words like “background” and “panorama”

  • the use of words like “queued” and “groups”

  • the use of words like "gaudy" and "lurid”

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21 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“Crow’s feet spread outwards from his eyes, but there was no tiredness in his expression; instead, his eyes twinkled with a gentle light like far-flung stars in the night sky. These eyes were wise and content.”

What evidence best supports the idea that the writer presents a positive and admiring tone in these sentences?

  • the use of words like "crow’s feet" and "tiredness"

  • the use of words like "twinkled" and "gentle light"

  • the use of words like "expression" and "eyes“

  • the use of words like “sky" and “light"

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31 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“As the sun drew lower in the sky, the men said their goodbyes and returned to the trenches. The frost bit harder now, and laughter faded into the familiar uneasy silence. Each man knew what tomorrow would bring.”

What evidence best supports the idea that the writer presents a sombre tone in these sentences?

  • the use of phrases like “uneasy silence”

  • the use of phrases like “”the men said”

  • the use of phrases like “into the familiar”

  • the use of phrases like “as the sun drew”

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41 mark

Look at the following sentence:

“The old man sat quietly, his weathered face a map of memories etched into his skin. Carved across his brow, deep grooves and furrows stretched like riverbeds worn smooth by the passage of years, each wrinkle telling a story of laughter, sorrow, toil and triumph.”

What evidence best supports the idea that the writer presents a reflective and reverent tone in these sentences?

  • the use of phrases like “memories etched into his skin”

  • the use of phrases like “stretched like riverbeds”

  • the use of phrases like “the old man”

  • the use of phrases like “across his brow”

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