Year 11

GCSE English Language AQA

Securing a ‘Grade 5’ and Beyond

Course Overview – English Language GCSE

External Examination 100% of the GCSE total marks

Two papers 80 marks awarded for each paper

Speaking and Listening element A grade is awarded and recorded but will not enhance the overall grade of the examination.

There is no coursework.

Paper 1 - FICTION

Q1 – List 4 things (4 marks)

Q2 – Focus on language (8 marks)

2 to 3 detailed PEEAIRE paragraphs

Q3 – Focus on structure (8 marks)

2 to 3 detailed PEEAIRE paragraphs

Q4 – To what extent… Focus on language and structure (20 marks)

4 to 5 detailed PEEAIRE paragraphs

Reading section – 1 HOUR (15 MINS SUGGESTED READING TIME)

Overview of The Exam Paper

Paper 1 - FICTION

Q5 – Descriptive writing (40 marks) Assessed for creative content, use of methods and SPAG 1 ½ to 2 pages You could include… Interesting verbs Adjectives Similes, metaphors and personification Juxtaposition Repetition and reiteration of words Shift in perspective – big to small/outside to inside Narrative perspective Isolated words or sentences You should consider… Semi-colons Colons Accurate use of apostrophes Range of verbs, adverbs and prepositions to open your sentences/paragraphs

Writing section – 45 minutes (5 MINS SUGGESTED PLANNING TIME)

• You have one source for this paper. You are advised to spend 15 minutes reading the source.

• Top Tip – Time Saver! Read what you need for each question. You don’t need to have read the whole text until Q3.

Paper 2 – NON-FICTION

Q1 – True or false (4 marks)

shade the boxes

Q2 – Summary and synthesis (8 marks)

2 points of synthesis for each source - PEE

Q3 – Focus on language (12 marks)

3 detailed PEEAIRE paragraphs

Q4 – Comparison (16 marks)

3 detailed ‘twin’ PEEAIRE paragraphs

Reading section – 1 HOUR (15 MINS SUGGESTED READING TIME)

Overview of The Exam Paper

Paper 2 - FICTION

Q5 – Argue/Persuade writing (40 marks) Assessed for content, use of methods and SPAG 1 ½ to 2 pages You could include… Clear openings and closings Aspects of MERRVS or AFORREST that support the genre that you are writing for Use of second person/collective pronouns to build a rapport with your implied reader Anecdotal evidence, if appropriate Range of discourse markers and formal openers You should consider… Genre Audience Purpose

Writing section – 45 minutes (5 MINS SUGGESTED PLANNING TIME)

• You have two sources for this paper. You are advised to spend 15-20 minutes reading the sources.

• Top Tip – Time Saver! Read Source 1 to answer Q1 then read Source 2 to answer Q2 (which is on both texts).

• Read the Qs before you read the sources so that you know what you are looking for. Circle or highlight the ‘focus’ words to keep your answered focussed throughout.

• Stick to timings! Follow the rule ‘a mark a minute’ to answer. Remember that if

you go over by a minute, you need to adjust your timings for the following questions.

• Claw back some minutes from Q5. It won’t take you 45 minutes to prove you’re a

good writer. Get all the good stuff in early in case you do run out of time. And ALWAYS find 3 minutes to proof-read for silly skills errors.

• Be cheeky! Use the sources to help you craft your own writing for Q5. For all the

methods you identified in the Reading section, use them in the Writing section. Use the sources as inspiration but just don’t plagiarise!

• ANSWER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS! You will never achieve a Grade 6 (typical entry

grade to Sixth-form) if you leave questions unanswered.

Top Tip! Plan directly on the sources. Highlight your chosen quotes, circle the powerful words or images that you want to analyse in more detail then

write the connotations around the outside.

The tricky questions!

• Paper 1, Question 3 (structure)

• Paper 1, Question 4 (To what extent…?)

• Paper 2, Question 2 (summary comparison)

• Paper 2, Question 4 (Comparing viewpoints and perspectives)

Paper 1, Question 3

QUESTION 3

You now need to think about the whole of the source.

This extract is from the beginning of a novel.

How has the writer structured the text to engage the reader?

You could write about:

What the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning.

How and why the writer changes this focus as the extract goes on.

Any other structural features that interest you.

[8 marks]

Use the bullet points to guide you

• What does the writer focus the reader’s attention on at the beginning of the source?

• What does the writer shift our attention to as the source develops? Why do they do this? What impact does it have?

• How does the source end? How does it leave us feeling at the close of the source and why is this engaging?

What other structural features can you identify and why are they engaging or interesting?

You could explore…

• Narrative perspective

• Big to small/outward to inward perspective

• Repetition or reiteration of ideas

• The development of tension across the whole text

• The introduction of a character at a particular point

Exemplar Grade 5 The writer focusses our attention on the overarching view of the Seam – the conditions, the people, the town – ‘Men and women with hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles’. This highlights the poverty in District 12 and sets the scene, almost, for the reader. This is engaging because it allows us to sympathise with the narrator somewhat, particularly as we later learn what she is forced to do to survive. As the narrative is first person, this complements our sympathy and the reader has a greater vested interest in her safety.

The perspective shifts in the middle of the extract to a more internal perspective. This is noteworthy because the reader learns about Katniss and where she is and what she is doing. It is in this section that the writer reveals the dangers of the Seam. This builds tension to the point where the reader is told that Katniss is about to ‘flatten out on [her] belly and slide under a metre-long stretch’. The danger is further emphasised when Katniss discloses that her father is dead: a mining accident.

Interestingly, this tension is foreshadowed in the first paragraph when we learn that ‘the black cinder streets are empty’. This is where the reader learns of the Reaping for the first time. There is a sense of foreboding at this point although it is not until the close of the extract that we feel the tension heighten, exemplified by the warning that the writer leaves us with: “District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety”. Even in the last sentence we are reminded that ‘someone might overhear you’, adding to our anxieties for the narrator, Katniss, and the idea that the inhabitants of District 12 are being watched. The extract evokes a scene of Dystopia and it is this vivid description of setting as well as narrative perspective that truly engages the reader.

Paper 1, Question 4

Mark Scheme:

Level 4 Perceptive, detailed

• Critically evaluates the text in a detailed way

• Offers examples from the text to explain views convincingly

• Analyses effects of a range of writer’s choices

• Selects a range of relevant quotations to validate views

To what extent…

For this question, assume that the examiner wants you to agree, however, you need to establish the extent to which you agree. Wholly? To some extent? Your job is to find evidence to support the statement.

You should refer to a range of methods including

language and structure.

You must comment on the writer’s intentions and the effect or impact on the reader.

Exemplar Grade 5 In this Dystopian extract, the reader can see clearly that the writer has used many methods in order to create a nightmare setting. It is not nightmarish in the sense that it fills us with dread like a horror or slasher movie might, but it certainly allows us to see how difficult and dangerous the environment is. In the opening of the extract, the writer describes the ‘flesh eaters’, ‘venomous snakes’ and ‘rabid animals’. The adjectives have been chosen carefully to evoke a sense of danger; we are especially concerned for the narrator at this point as we learn that she is about to enter this almost apocalyptic environment. It is particularly interesting that nouns such as ‘illegal’, ‘poaching’ and ‘rebellion’, together with verbs such as ‘executed’ reinforce the nightmare setting as we associate these words with criminality, punishment and, in some cases, death. Thus, the reader is thoroughly engaged throughout: ultimately, we desire to know how society became this way and what will become of the narrator. Furthermore, the strength of the character is evident at this point as she has been constructed as father-less. The fact that she was eleven when he died exemplifies her need to be strong (we learn that she is the bread-winner: ‘there’s also food if you know how to find it’) and that this strength is tested by the dangerous surroundings and the necessity to venture into the woods. The writer deliberately allows the reader to see the character’s past when she divulges that her father was ‘blown to bits’. This nonchalant and rather violent phrase, perhaps, represents her strength: she has had to live with his death for so long – and the dangers of the Seam – that she explains it as if it were just another event. To some extent we can deduce that she expected it, although the use of the verb ‘screaming’ later connotes her vulnerability. Despite this, she is characterised as strong and warrior-like, epitomised by her ‘bow and sheath of arrows’: a modern heroine in a world that seems very unlike the one we live in. Revealing this information early on in the extract allows us to feel sympathy for the young girl. This complements the first person narrative which cements this relationship between the reader and the character. In essence, the writer wants us to feel an affinity with Katniss Everdene – to understand her struggles in a dystopian land where threats are the norm and only strength of character and determination in the face of adversity will see you succeed. To conclude, the writer is successful at presenting both the strength of the character and the nightmare setting of the Seam. The most successful method, however, is the use of language. The writer’s choices allowed the reader to develop a close relationship with the narrator so that we will her to have the strength to survive.

Naming specific methods is key!

In the opening of the extract, the writer describes the ‘flesh eaters’, ‘venomous snakes’ and ‘rabid animals’. The adjectives have been chosen carefully to evoke a sense of danger; we are especially concerned for the narrator at this point as we learn that she is about to enter this almost apocalyptic environment. It is particularly interesting that nouns such as ‘illegal’, ‘poaching’ and ‘rebellion’, together with verbs such as ‘executed’ reinforce the nightmare setting as we associate these words with criminality, punishment and, in some cases, death. Thus, the reader is thoroughly engaged throughout: ultimately, we desire to know how society became this way and what will become of the narrator.

Sentence Prompts I agree wholly that the writer brings the town to life

because… through his description of… by describing the…

The writer describes the town in such a vivid way when he states, ‘ ,’ which enables the reader to…

He successfully achieves this by conjuring images in the reader’s mind of…

Interestingly, it makes us think/feel… We understand that Coketown is… In particular, the *technique/word class* is powerful

because… It allows the reader to… Thus, making the reader feel as if we are standing in

the middle of Coketown, looking up at the…

Paper 2, Question 2

You need to refer to both Source A and Source B for this question:

Use details from BOTH sources. Write a summary of the differences between the technology described in Source A and Source B

Look closely at what the question is asking

• Use details from BOTH sources. Write a summary of the differences between the technology described in Source A and Source B. It is designed so that you can SELECT pieces of INFORMATION from both texts and bring them together.

• Read the question and highlight the main FOCUS point – What is the SUBJECT that you are being asked to write about?

• This is the focus.

• You should keep THE FOCUS WORD in mind throughout! This is what your answer must about.

The Key Skills

• Demonstrate a clear understanding that the texts are different and will present ideas in a different way.

• Make some perceptive comments about how they might be interpreted.

• Select at least 2 quotes from each text.

• Employ connectives/linking phrases.

• Include relevant quotes.

Having found your quotes

For this question you need to…

• Make a point using the key word from the focus.

• Use evidence to support this.

• Now explain what this suggests, infers, implies, conveys, portrays, and use a linking phrase to your next point which should be statement about the other text backed up by a quote.

SOURCE A

SOURCE B

Linking the two sources by content Exemplar Grade 5

A) The writer in Source A believes that we are slaves to technology. B) Fanny Kemble feels that technology is incredible. Point Evidence Explain with LINK to new Point Evidence Explain The examiner will expect at least 2 of these ‘twin’ paragraphs.

The writer in Source A believes that we are slaves to technology. The title of the article poses the question “Is there too much technology in our lives?” It is implied that people’s lives are overwhelmed by the availability of technology, therefore ‘too much’ suggesting that we should look to decrease the amount of technology. On the other hand, Fanny Kemble appears to be extremely positive about the advances in technology when she describes ‘the magical machine, with its flying white breath and rhythmical, unvarying pace’ which conveys the idea that technology is an incredible aspect of our lives. It further infers that technology is a thing to be admired.

Linking phrases which create synthesis

Whereas…

Unlike…

… but…

However,

On the other hand,

Alternatively,

Whilst…

… which differs from…

In contrast,

Words which demonstrate inference

suggests

infers

postulates

claims

implies

conveys

portrays

reveals

theorises

Paper 2, Question 4

Q: Compare how the two writers convey their different attitudes to parenting and education.

Compare the different attitudes.

Compare the methods they use to convey their attitudes.

Support your ideas with quotations from both texts.

This is a comparison question! • However it is not a generic comparison of the sources

and their content. • This is about the writer, but not just about what the

writer is doing. • It’s about what the writer is thinking, feeling,

imagining, experiencing. • It’s about the methods they choose to show those

thoughts, feelings, imaginings and experiences. It builds on the skills of both Q2 and Q3!

How is Question 4 different to Question 2?

Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how those are conveyed, across two or more texts.

The Key Skills

Ask yourself the questions… • What is the writer’s intention in each text? • What message is each writer trying to give me?

Find the most powerful quotations which epitomise these ideas. Less is more! Selecting the right quotations is the key to success in the time. This planning can be done directly on the source to save time. Number the quotes or ideas so you know which you will write about first… second… third… last…

Planning

Q4 – 16 marks in 16 minutes!

In order to answer this question fully, you now need to think about what the writer has actually done to show you this viewpoint.

In other words:

• What language features have they used?

• What structural features have they used?

These are the methods the writer has used to present their viewpoint effectively just as you use different features in your own writing for Question 5.

So, what could you comment on?

Interesting verbs

Choice of adjectives to create description

Semantic fields – groups of words from the same category, such as ‘war’ or

‘religion’ or ‘love’, which conjure particular images

Metaphors and similes

Appeal to the senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste

Use of collective/second person pronouns (synthetic personalisation) to

build a rapport with the reader

Juxtaposition of ideas or images

Shift in perspectives - big to small or outward to inward

Any other structural device such as listing or repetition

What the mark scheme requires… Using our grade boundaries, the top of ‘clear and relevant’

should secure a Grade 6 response.

Level 3 Clear, relevant 9-12 marks

• Compares ideas and perspectives in a clear and relevant way

• Explains clearly how writers’ methods are used • Selects relevant detail to support from both texts • Shows a clear understanding of the different ideas

and perspectives in both texts

Level 2 Some, attempts 5-8 marks

• Attempts to compare ideas and perspectives • Makes some comment on how writers’ methods are

used • Selects some appropriate textual detail from one or

both texts • Identifies some ideas and perspectives

ANALYSIS of methods

DETAILED understanding of differences

JUDICIOUS selection of

quotes

PERCEPTIVE comparisons

Use implies, suggests and conveys to demonstrate that you can interpret the text. Offer more than one interpretation by using ‘On one hand…’ and ‘On the other hand…’.

Exemplar Grade 5 The writer, Jay Rayner, uses humour effectively in his article, both in his attitudes to parenting - when he states, ‘too busy killing things on Skype,’ which conveys his relaxed and, perhaps, warm attitude towards his son – and in his attitudes to education. He refers to his own education by using self-deprecating humour; this is exemplified through his use of the simile, ‘like a line of Pac-Men doing a conga,’ to refer to his own grades. This suggests that he values education, yet he admits that he was less successful at school than he hopes his own son will be. We can deduce from this that he wants the best education for his son. Interestingly, this is in direct contrast to…

Success Criteria I have directly compared the different attitudes of the two writers

by using comparative discourse markers and conjunctions such as ‘both’, ‘whereas’, ‘however’ and ‘in comparison’.

I have carefully chosen lots of short quotes to support my points, looking at how these ideas compare across the two sources.

I have demonstrated that I understand how the perspectives of the writers are different.

I have analysed the different methods (the different ways) that the writer conveys their opinions. How do we know that they feel the way they do?

I have explained why the writers might have different viewpoints. I have evaluated or judged the success of different methods across

both articles and used evaluative language such as ‘interestingly’, ‘successful’. Which method or source is the most successful at conveying the writer’s attitudes and perspectives and why?

I have looked at multiple interpretations – On one hand, … On the other hand, …

I have explored the connotations of language where this is appropriate and the writer’s intentions.

Language that shows the examiner you are analysing!

… has connotations of…

… signifies…

… represents…

… symbolises…

… embodies…

… has overtones of…

… has undertones of…

…creates an atmosphere of…

The tone of the piece…

The mood of the piece…

… which echoes…

… has an association of…

Explore the relationship between the reader and the setting or character or writer.

Key phrases that the examiner loves

… fully immerses the reader in the narrative/story/writing.

… epitomises the writer’s viewpoints. … builds a rapport between the writer and the reader. … creates a sense of… … makes the reader imagine they are

seeing/hearing/tasting/smelling/touching/ what the writer is.

… creates vivid descriptions which… …takes the reader on a visual/auditory/sensory

journey… …enables the reader to experience the

character’s/writer’s thoughts/feelings.