English Language Paper 1 - Questions 1 & 2

Hi folks,

Here's some advice ahead of Paper 1 on Wednesday.

First, a reminder of the questions and suggested timings:

These timings come from AQA, so serve as a useful guide. But remember, there's only one text to read (about a side) so you might well be able to read and annotate the text carefully in ten minutes. If so, I'd save that extra five minutes for Q4. Another general tip: underline key words in the question.

Q1) List four things...

Try to get this one done in less than 5 minutes.

Your only concern here is to avoid basic errors. So, remember:

• The points must be taken from the lines specified in the question.
• The points must refer to the key word in the question (e.g. if the question asks about the car in lines 1 – 5, you mustn’t comment on, for example, the weather/the dog/the woman).
• Write each answer in your own words in a simple sentence. E.g:

Q2)  Language

You have about 10 minutes to answer this 8-marker.

This question should be fairly straightforward. You are directed towards a short passage from the text. You have to comment on the writer's language choices and methods (perhaps including sentence structure) and their effects. That means you should be looking out for (and annotating):

• word choices (e.g. stong verbs? adjectives? adverbssemantic fields? positive/negative connotations? hyperbole? contrasts? emotive language?) Also consider how sound has influenced word choices (e.g. alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia).
• imagery (e.g. simile/metaphor/personification)
• sentences (e.g. congeries/lists, simple sentences, tricolon, anaphora, anadiplosis etc.)  

Remember, as always, it is vital that you don't stop at noticing techniques - you must comment on why they are effective. 

Some example sentence stems for Q2: 
Making a point

• The writer uses metaphor in order to...
• The writer uses a string of powerful verbs to...
• The writer uses plenty of alliteration; the use of plosives creates a cacophony of sound to imitate the sounds of the storm...
• In the middle of the extract, a congeries is used to pile up the descriptive detail and overwhelm the reader...

Follow up your quotes by analysing and commenting on effect (ZOOM IN):

• The word ___________ has connotations of...
• The word __________ has the effect of...
• This suggests...
• This use of imagery has the effect of...
• The use of the short sentence at this point is particularly effective because...

Here's a good example from your mock:

For a good explanation of the different alliterative sounds writers might use (and their effects), see here.

Finally, here's a quote from an AQA examiner following a training session for examiners:

"...we were categorically told that the examiners would be told not to look for ‘feature spotting’ – the most weighting of the awarded marks lies in the comments on effect. We were told that candidates could still get a top band without subject-specific language; that decent analysis of a metaphor is more important than using the word ‘metaphor.’"

In other words, technical langauge is great if you know it, but explaining the effect of each technique is the most important thing.
 

Check your emails for examples of papers.
In my next posts, I'll be going through the structure and evaluation questions (Q3 & 4).


Mr M