AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing overview quiz quiz

Two non-fiction texts from different centuries

A poem from the anthology

One unseen literature fiction extract

A Shakespeare extract

Evaluate how successfully the writer holds the reader's interest

Compare the methods used in two separate texts

Analyse the structure of the whole extract

List information that is true according to a few named lines

AO4

AO1

AO2

AO3

It focuses only on the writer's word and phrase choices in a few named lines

It is a whole-text question about how the extract is ordered and shaped

It compares the methods used in two different texts

It asks you to produce a piece of creative writing

A non-fiction viewpoint piece, such as a formal letter, speech or newspaper article

A detailed comparison of the methods used in two texts

One piece of descriptive or narrative writing from a choice of two prompts

A spoken presentation delivered to the rest of the class

An equal split of 20 for AO5 (content and organisation) and 20 for AO6 (accuracy)

16 for AO5 (content) and 24 for AO6 (technical accuracy)

All 40 marks awarded to AO5 content and organisation

24 for AO5 (content and organisation) and 16 for AO6 (technical accuracy)

Explaining the effect of each choice on the reader, not just naming it

Listing as many named techniques as possible, whether or not they have any effect

Quoting whole paragraphs of the extract at length

Comparing the extract carefully to another unseen text

2 hours 15 minutes, 60%

1 hour 45 minutes, 50%

1 hour 30 minutes, 40%

2 hours, 50%

Because long, ambitious plots are completely banned by the mark scheme rules

Because description and figurative language are not allowed

Because it leaves time to craft vivid detail and to proofread for accuracy

Because a small focused moment needs no planning at all

You gain extra bonus marks for wider reading

It is credited under the AO2 language question

It improves your mark on the later evaluation question instead

It scores nothing, because only the named lines count

About 45 to 50 minutes on Section A reading and the rest on Section B writing

All of your time on the Section A reading questions and none at all on the writing

All of your available time spent on the Section B writing task

Exactly ten minutes spent on each separate question

Write as much as you possibly can to fill every line of the answer booklet

Leave time to proofread for sentence accuracy, punctuation and spelling

Use only very short and simple sentences throughout

Avoid all ambitious vocabulary so nothing is spelled wrongly