AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 Notes

Question	Marks	Suggested Timing	Skill Tested	Links to Question-Specific Revision Notes
1	4	10 minutes	AO1: comprehension	Paper1 Question 1
2	8	15 minutes	AO2 (language): language analysis	Paper1 Question 2
3	8	15 minutes	AO2 (structure): structure analysis	Paper1 Question 3
4	20	20 minutes	AO4: evaluation	Paper1 Question 4
5	40	45 minutes	AO5: narrative or description & AO6: spelling, punctuation, grammar	Paper1 Question 5

Section A
- Stick to the given lines in the question.
- In Question 1, avoid copying text that doesn’t make sense on its own.
- In Question 2, focus on individual words and phrases and explain the writer's choices.
- Keep quotes short, relevant, and precise.
- In Question 3, focus on structure, not language features, and explain their effect.
Section B
- Plan ahead to keep writing controlled and cohesive.
- Stay focused with limited characters and one setting.
- Choose subtle vocabulary to build mood.
- Limit dialogue.

Section A is the reading section, focusing on a literature text.
It contains 4 questions and is worth 40 marks, which is 25% of the GCSE.
The section assesses reading skills.
Students should spend 1 hour on Section A, including 15 minutes of reading time.
The extract will be from a 20th or 21st-century piece of literature, such as a novel or short story, focusing on openings, endings, narrative perspectives, description, and characterization.

AO1: Finding and understanding information (4 marks)
- Spot and understand obvious and implied information and ideas in a text
AO2: Analysing language and structure (8 marks)
- Explain how writers use words and structure to create effects and make readers think or feel a certain way.
- Use subject terminology (like metaphor, simile, etc.) to back up your ideas.
AO4: Evaluating texts (20 marks)
- Judge and give your opinion on a text, using quotes or references to support your thoughts

Embedding quotations
- Embedding quotes from the text means that the quotation forms part of your sentence.
Active reading
- Active reading simply means reading with a focus, actively and critically engaging with what you read.
- Some active reading strategies include:
  - Skimming to get the overall sense of what you are reading
  - Scanning for specific information
  - Using clues
  - Highlighting key information
  - Annotating in the margins of the source document(s)

Section B focuses on writing, either descriptive or narrative.
Students answer one question from a choice of two, one with an image prompt.
Worth 40 marks, comprising 25% of the GCSE.
Assessment includes writing skills and control of spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPaG).
Spend 45 minutes on Section B, including planning and proofreading.

AO5: Content and Organisation (24 marks)
- Write clearly and creatively, using a suitable tone and style for your purpose and audience
- Organise your ideas so your writing flows well and makes sense
AO6: Technical Accuracy (16 marks)
- Use a wide range of vocabulary and sentence types to make your writing interesting and effective
- Check spelling and punctuation to keep your writing accurate

Your use of tenses (e.g. present or past tense) must be consistent
Try to include ambitious language and detail to bring your writing to life and engage the reader
You should also try to demonstrate the accurate use of a range of punctuation
Your paragraphs should be fluently linked, so think about how each links to the last
Remember to use figurative language
There are lots of figurative language techniques you can employ to give your creative or descriptive writing interesting detail, but a useful acronym to remember in the exam is RAMPOS:
- R: Repetition
- A: Alliteration
- M: Metaphor
- P: Personification
- O: Onomatopoeia
- S: Simile