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WalesEnglish Language & Literature

Language reading skills (English Language Units 2 and 3)

8 dot points across 8 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you analyse a writer's use of language for effect in WJEC reading questions?

Analysing language for effect: examining a writer's word choices, imagery and language techniques in unseen texts, and explaining the effect on the reader using subject terminology (AO2).
How to analyse a writer's use of language for effect in WJEC GCSE English Language reading questions: examining word choices, imagery and techniques in unseen texts, and explaining the effect on the reader with precise subject terminology (AO2).
9 min answer →

How do you analyse the structure of an unseen text for effect in WJEC reading questions?

Analysing structure for effect: examining how a text is organised, including openings, shifts, focus, paragraphing and endings, and explaining the effect on the reader (AO2).
How to analyse the structure of an unseen text for effect in WJEC GCSE English Language reading questions: examining openings, shifts in focus, paragraphing, sequencing and endings, and explaining how the organisation works on the reader (AO2).
9 min answer →

How do you synthesise and compare two writers' perspectives in WJEC reading questions?

Comparing perspectives and attitudes: synthesising information across two texts and comparing writers' ideas, viewpoints and attitudes, supported by evidence (AO3).
How to synthesise and compare writers' perspectives in WJEC GCSE English Language reading questions: drawing information together across two texts and comparing their ideas, viewpoints and attitudes with evidence, including a 19th and a 21st century text (AO3).
9 min answer →

How do you tackle the WJEC editing task at word, sentence and text level?

Editing at word, sentence and text level: demonstrating understanding of a short text by correcting and improving it for accuracy and clarity in the editing task (AO4).
How to tackle the WJEC GCSE English Language editing task in Unit 2: demonstrating understanding of a short text at word, sentence and text level by correcting spelling, punctuation and grammar and improving clarity for accuracy marks (AO4).
8 min answer →

How do you evaluate an unseen text critically in WJEC reading questions?

Evaluating a text critically: judging how effectively a text achieves its purpose, recognising bias and viewpoint, and supporting an evaluative response with evidence (AO3).
How to evaluate an unseen text critically in WJEC GCSE English Language reading questions: judging how effectively it achieves its purpose, recognising bias and viewpoint, responding to a statement, and supporting evaluative judgements with evidence (AO3).
9 min answer →

How do you make and support inferences from unseen texts in WJEC reading questions?

Inference and deduction: reading between the lines to work out implied meanings, attitudes and feelings, and supporting each inference with evidence from the text (AO2).
How to make and support inferences in WJEC GCSE English Language reading questions: working out implied meanings, attitudes and feelings from unseen texts, and supporting each inference with precise textual evidence rather than retelling (AO2).
8 min answer →

How do you answer WJEC retrieval and locate questions accurately and quickly?

Locating and retrieving information: finding and selecting explicit facts and details from unseen texts accurately, including short list and find questions (AO2).
How to answer WJEC GCSE English Language retrieval and locate questions: finding and selecting explicit information from unseen texts accurately, staying inside the lines specified, and avoiding inference where only facts are asked (AO2).
8 min answer →

How do you read and interpret non-continuous texts in WJEC reading questions?

Reading non-continuous texts: interpreting information presented in non-continuous forms such as lists, tables, graphs, captions and layout features, and using it accurately (AO2).
How to read and interpret non-continuous texts in WJEC GCSE English Language reading questions: making sense of lists, tables, graphs, captions and layout features, retrieving and interpreting their information accurately, and linking them to the continuous text (AO2).
8 min answer →