The final AQA English Language paper is tomorrow – good luck to all year 11 students completing this paper.

If you have last minute nerves or queries about the paper, these slides may help to clarify the content of the paper as well as some tips on how to approach each question.

Before all of that, here are my top tips for success in this exam:

  • Read the extracts and questions very carefully – ensure that you understand the focus of each question before you read the source as this helps to focus your reading. Annotate key information as you read.
  • Ensure that your responses to questions 2, 3, and 4 all contain short quotations from the extract to support your interpretations.
  • Be mindful of timings and marks awarded for each question – the marks available increase with each question – so spend more time on the larger mark questions.
  • Spend time PLANNING and PROOF-READING/EDITING your written response to question 5. This may enable some excellent changes and have an impact on your final grade.

READING PAPER OVERVIEW:

QUESTION ONE: 

This is a simple reading comprehension activity where you have to select four statements which are true.

Q11Q12

QUESTION TWO:

This question asks you to summarise the differences in the ideas/perspectives in the two texts. This involves some reading inference so that you can establish the perspectives in each text.

DO NOT ANALYSE LANGUAGE/STRUCTURE OR EFFECTS ON READERS IN THIS QUESTION.

Q21Q22Q23

QUESTION THREE:

This questions asks you to explore the LANGUAGE METHODS and EFFECTS used by the writer. Try to comment on 3-4 different pieces of evidence.

Q31Q32Q33Q34

QUESTION FOUR:

This question asks you to compare the methods and language features used by each writer to convey their ideas. You could compare form, purpose, perspectives, linguistic techniques, structural features…

Q41Q42Q43Q44

QUESTION 5 – WRITING QUESTION – worth 40 marks

Your final job is to produce a peice of NON-FICTION WRITING – to ARGUE or PERSUADE. Please be mindful about this piece of writing. It deserves a plan, plus your grammar/punctuation/spelling need to be ACCURATE and EFFECTIVE. SHOW OFF what you have learned over the last 11 years of learning literacy at school.

Q5