AQA English Language Paper 1 Question 2 (2025 onwards)

Summary

This video tutorial focuses on tackling AQA English Language Paper 1 question 2, which requires analyzing a text extract to explain how language choices create specific effects. It clarifies that while identifying language features is part of the task, the key is to discuss their precise impact within the context. The video advises spending no more than 10 minutes on this question to avoid time loss on higher-mark sections. It emphasizes using subject-specific terminology and provides an example analysis, illustrating how the writer's language paints an idyllic setting, using the simile of 'a chime of fairy bells' to evoke a sense of enchantment and refuge.

Takeaways

• 📉 Fewer than 40% of students achieved above half marks in AQA English Language Paper 1, question 2 in the 2018 summer exams.
• 📝 The question is more about analyzing the effects of language rather than just identifying language choices.
• 🔍 AQA English Language Paper 1, question 2 assesses students on their ability to explain, comment, and analyze how writers use language and structure.
• 📊 The question often provides a small extract (6 to 10 lines), and students are asked to analyze the writer's language use.
• 📚 It's important to focus on relevant language features like word choices, language techniques, and sentence forms but you don’t have to cover all three.
• ⏱️ Students should spend around 10 minutes on this 8-mark question, being mindful of time so they can focus on higher-mark questions.
• 🚫 The exam is not just about feature spotting (like identifying metaphors or similes); it requires explaining the specific effect of language choices.
• 🎯 To achieve higher marks, students must provide specific, contextualized explanations of how language creates particular effects in the text.
• 🏞️ The provided text example uses language to create an idyllic and appealing setting, with magical imagery like 'fairy bells'.
• 💡 The key to success is explaining the specific effects of language choices with precision, avoiding vague comments.

Q & A

What was the performance of students in AQA English Language Paper 1 question 2 during the 2018 summer exams?

Fewer than 40% of students achieved above half marks, indicating that the question is challenging and requires a nuanced understanding of language analysis.

What does AQA English Language Paper 1 question 2 assess?

It assesses the language element of assessment objective 2, which involves explaining, commenting on, and analyzing how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers.

What does the term 'language analysis' in the context of this exam entail?

It refers to the writer's use of words/phrases, language features and techniques, and sentence forms.

How long should students typically spend on question 2 of AQA English Language Paper 1?

Students should spend around 10 minutes on this question to avoid running out of time on longer, higher mark questions.

Are students required to cover all three bullet points in their analysis of the text?

While students could cover all three bullet points (words and phrases, language features and techniques, sentence forms), it is not mandatory, especially if time is limited.

What is the significance of 'relevant subject terminology' in the assessment objective for question 2?

It means that students should use specific terminology related to the subject when discussing the effects of language choices in the text.

Why is it not sufficient to merely identify language features in the analysis?

Because the question is about the effects of language choices, not just their identification. Students need to explain the specific effects or reasons behind the writer's choices.

What should students avoid when discussing the effects of language in the text?

Students should avoid making vague and generalized comments that could apply to any text. Instead, they should provide specific and contextualized comments.

How can students determine the specific effect the writer is trying to achieve in the text?

By reading the extract and asking what specific effect the writer is trying to achieve, such as creating an emotive effect or revealing something about a character.

What is an example of how the writer uses language to create an idyllic setting in the provided extract?

The writer uses a simile comparing the sound of water to 'a chime of fairy bells' to convey a delicate and pretty sound, suggesting a magical and appealing environment.

What is the importance of being specific about the effects of language choices in the writer's text?

Being specific about the effects allows for a more precise and contextualized analysis, which is key to achieving higher marks in the assessment.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Analyzing Language in AQA English Exams

The video discusses the challenges students faced in the 2018 AQA English Language Paper 1, where less than 40% scored above half marks in question 2. This question requires students to analyze the writer's use of language to achieve effects and influence readers, focusing on word choices, language features, and sentence forms. The video emphasizes the importance of being precise and contextualized in the analysis. It also clarifies that while the question provides bullet points for analysis, students are not required to cover all points if time is limited or if certain aspects are not applicable. The video advises students to spend no more than 10 minutes on this question to manage time effectively for the exam. The key to scoring well is to focus on the specific effects of the writer's language choices rather than merely identifying language features.

05:05

🌿 Depicting an Idyllic Setting Through Language

In the second paragraph, the video script provides an example of how to analyze a specific text extract, focusing on the writer's language choices to create an idyllic and appealing setting. The example uses the simile 'a chime of fairy bells' to describe the sound of water, which not only conveys a delicate and pretty sound but also suggests a magical and sentimental world. This world is posited as an escape for the character Brightly, who lives a difficult life outside. The video encourages students to look for such specific effects in the text and to explain how the language contributes to these effects, rather than making generic statements. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content by liking and subscribing to the channel.

Keywords

💡AQA

AQA stands for Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, which is an examining body that offers qualifications, including GCSEs and A-Levels, in the UK. In the context of the video, AQA refers to the organization responsible for setting and grading the English Language Paper 1, which is the focus of the video's discussion on question 2.

💡English Language Paper 1

This refers to the first paper of the English Language examination, typically focusing on the analysis of language use in a given text. The video discusses the difficulty students face with question 2 of this paper, emphasizing the need for precise and contextualized analysis of language.

💡Assessment Objective 2

This is a specific educational goal that students are expected to meet in the AQA English Language exam. It involves explaining, commenting on, and analyzing how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers. The video script highlights the importance of meeting this objective in answering question 2 effectively.

💡Language analysis

Language analysis in the video refers to the examination of a writer's use of words, phrases, language features, techniques, and sentence forms to achieve specific effects. The video emphasizes that this analysis is not just about identifying language features but understanding their impact on the reader.

💡Relevant subject terminology

This term is used in the video to stress the importance of using specific language and literary terms when analyzing text. Students are advised to avoid generic comments and instead use precise terminology that directly relates to the text's language features and their effects.

💡Effect

In the context of the video, 'effect' refers to the impact or result that the writer's language choices have on the reader. The video script makes it clear that to achieve high marks, students must be specific about these effects and explain how the writer's choices contribute to them.

💡Generic effects

Generic effects are broad and non-specific descriptions of how language might influence a reader, such as 'it's powerful' or 'it draws the reader in.' The video warns against using such generic terms, as they do not provide a clear analysis of the text's specific language choices.

💡Specific effect

This term contrasts with 'generic effects' and refers to the precise impact that the writer intends to create through their language choices. The video encourages students to identify and explain these specific effects to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text.

💡Contextualised

Being 'contextualised' in the video means that the analysis of language must be specific to the text's context. It involves relating the language choices to the particular extract from the text, rather than making general statements that could apply to any text.

💡Time management

The video script advises students on the importance of time management during exams, suggesting that they should spend no more than 10 minutes on question 2 to ensure they have sufficient time for higher-mark questions later in the exam.

💡Mark scheme

The 'mark scheme' refers to the criteria used by examiners to grade student responses. The video mentions that the mark scheme for question 2 emphasizes the need for specificity in analyzing the effects of language, with only half marks available for generic comments.

Highlights

In the 2018 summer exams, less than 40% of students achieved above half marks in AQA, English Language Paper 1 question 2.

The question is more about writing about the effect of language choices rather than just spotting them.

AQA English Language Paper 1 question 2 assesses the language element of assessment objective 2.

The question requires explaining how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers.

Language analysis in the exam includes a writer's use of words, phrases, language features, techniques, and sentence forms.

Students are given a section of text and asked to analyse the writer's use of language.

The bullet points in the question suggest looking at words and phrases, language features and techniques, and sentence forms.

It's not necessary to cover all three bullet points if time is limited.

For an 8 mark question, students should spend around 10 minutes maximum.

The assessment objective emphasizes the use of 'relevant subject terminology'.

The question is not just about identifying and labelling language features but about the effect they create.

Generic effects such as 'powerful' or 'draws the reader in' will only achieve half marks at best.

Comments must be specific to the text, precise, and contextualised to the extract.

Asking 'what is the specific effect the writer is trying to achieve?' can guide analysis.

The extract may use language to symbolize contrasts or reveal character traits.

The language is used to make the setting sound idyllic and appealing.

Words and phrases like 'a chime of fairy bells' convey a delicate and pretty sound, emphasizing the setting's loveliness.

The 'fairy bells' symbolize a magical, sentimental world, possibly offering an escape for Brightly's existence.

Students are encouraged to give the video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel for more content.

Transcripts

In the 2018 summer exams, fewer than 40% of students achieved above half marks in AQA

English Language Paper 1 question 2, proving once again that this question is less about

spotting language choices and more about writing about their effect in a manner which is precise

and contextualised. In this video we’ll look at how to do just that.

AQA English Language Paper 1 question 2 assesses the language element of assessment objective

2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers

use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject

terminology to support their view. Now in this exam, what we mean by language

analysis is pointed out in the bullet points of the question: a writer’s use of word/phrases/language

features and techniques and sentences forms. In this question, you’re given a section

of the text (historically around 6 to 10 lines in length) and asked to analyse how the writer

uses language. Let’s look at a typical question, based

on the sample paper which you can download free of charge at mrbruff.com.

Look in detail at this extract, from lines 8 to 17 of the source.

How does the writer use language here to describe the setting?

You could include the writer’s choice of: Words and phrases

Language features and techniques Sentence forms.

Now it’s worth pointing out that those bullet points COULD be followed - but you don’t

HAVE to cover all three, especially if you run out of time before you can do so. In fact,

in the November 2018 paper, the examiners’ report pointed out that there were no sentence

forms worthy of analysis in that particular extract of the text, so the key thing about

these three bullet points is that you COULD write about all three, but you don’t have

to. As an 8 mark question, you really only want

to spend around 10 minutes on this question, and yet many students spend way longer, because

there are just so many different examples you could write about. However, you don’t

have to write about everything you find. Obviously, if you spend too long on this relatively low

mark question, you’re going to run out of time on the longer, higher mark questions

to come. So keep an eye on the clock and don’t go over ten minutes or so.

Now the assessment objective for question 2 refers to the use of ‘relevant subject

terminology’, and this has led some students to approach the question as if it is all about

feature spotting - looking out for similes, metaphors, personification, that kind of thing.

But this question is not simply about identifying and labelling language features: it’s all

about effect. And the mark scheme makes it very clear that

you can only achieve half marks at best if you write about generic effects such as this

is powerful, or it draws the reader in or it creates a picture in our heads.

So, they key to this question is to be specific about the effects the writer’s language

choices have, or explain a reason behind the writer’s choices. Your comments have to

be specific to the text - they need to be precise and contextualised to the extract.

One way to do this, is to read the extract and ask yourself ‘what is the specific effect

that the writer is trying to achieve?’ Sometimes it might be an emotive effect like creating

a sense of fear, or mystery, and sometimes it might be something else, like revealing

something key about a character. And it’s not necessarily only one thing: for example,

an extract might use contrasting positive and negative language to symbolise the contrast

between a character’s dreams and their reality. So let’s look at the extract and ask ourselves:

what is the specific effect the writer is trying to achieve?

Brightly had a home. The river saw to that; not the Tavy, but the less romantic Taw. On

the Western side of Cawsand are many gorges in the great cleft cut by the Taw between

Belstone and Sticklepath. These narrow and deep clefts have been made by the persistent

water draining down to the Taw from the bogs above. In the largest of these clefts Brightly

was at home. The sides were completely hidden by willow-scrub, immense ferns, and clumps

of whortleberries, as well as by overhanging masses of granite. The water could be heard

dripping below like a chime of fairy bells. In winter the cleft appeared a white cascade

of falling water, but Brightly's cave was fairly dry and quite sheltered. He had built

up the entrance with shaped stones taken from the long-abandoned copper-mines below. The

cleft was full of copper, which stained the water a delightful shade of green.

So What effect is the writer looking for here? Well, of course there’s more than one possible

answer, but I would certainly say that language is used to make the setting sound idyllic

and appealing. And once you’re clear on that effect, THEN

you can pick out words, phrases, language features and techniques and sentence forms

that create that effect. But remember, it’s not enough just to spot

one of these things: you need to be able to clearly explain the effect it has, avoiding

vague and generalised comments that could be applied to ANY text.

Let’s finish this example by looking at a sample paragraph:

The writer describes the setting in a way that makes it sound idyllic. The sounds of

water resembles ‘a chime of fairy bells’. This simile conveys how delicate and pretty

the sound was, and emphasises how lovely it would have been to hear if you lived there.

It’s almost as if the surroundings are magical, and trying to resemble a real home for Brightly,

who lives outside like a homeless person. The ‘fairy bells’ symbolise a magical

sentimental world, that perhaps provides an escape for Brightly’s difficult existence.

If you found this video useful, please do give it a thumbs up and please please subscribe

to the channel!