AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 1 (2024 onwards)

Summary

This video focuses on tackling AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 1, a four-mark question assessing AO1 skills: identifying and interpreting explicit and implicit information. The video emphasizes reading between the lines and highlights common pitfalls, such as misinterpreting closely worded statements. Practical tips include drawing a box around the specified lines, reading statements methodically in their order of appearance, and allowing five minutes to carefully analyze answers. It also explains the importance of inferencing and warns against overconfidence with seemingly simple questions.

Takeaways

• 📉 Less than half of the students achieved full marks (4/4) in AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 1 during the November resit.
• 🔍 The question assesses Ao1: the ability to identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas.
• 📝 The task asks students to choose four correct statements out of eight from the given text.
• 📏 A simple but important tip is to carefully mark the section of the text (lines 1-25) to avoid confusion while answering.
• 🤔 This question may require inference, making it more challenging than the straightforward Paper 1, Question 1.
• 🎯 Correct statements might be harder to spot; students need to infer meaning, such as recognizing jokes or subtle ideas in the text.
• ⚠️ Some incorrect statements are tricky because they closely resemble the original text, so careful reading is essential.
• ⏳ Spend around five minutes on Question 1 to ensure accuracy, as the total exam allows for roughly one minute per mark.
• 🧩 The true statements are presented in the same order as the text, helping students systematically check their answers.
• 🔔 The video encourages careful and close reading of the text, as that is key to scoring well in this part of the exam.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to teach students how to get 4 out of 4 marks on AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 1, by providing tips and strategies for identifying the correct answers.

What is AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 1 about?

AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 1 is a four-mark question that asks students to identify four true statements from a list of eight, based on a specific section of the provided text.

What assessment objective does Question 1 test?

Question 1 tests AO1, which involves identifying and interpreting explicit and implicit information and ideas from the text.

What is the first tip provided for answering Question 1?

The first tip is to carefully draw a box around the part of the text you are asked to focus on (in this case, lines 1-25) without striking through any lines, as you will need to refer back to this section for other questions.

How is Question 1 different from Question 1 on Paper 1?

While both questions involve identifying true statements, Question 1 on Paper 2 may require students to infer information and read between the lines, making it slightly harder.

Can you give an example of a straightforward true statement?

A straightforward true statement is 'Andrew Bruff makes online video tutorials,' which can be directly verified by reading the text.

What is an example of an inferred true statement?

An inferred true statement is 'Liam Murphy makes a joke to excuse his poor exam results.' The text doesn't explicitly say this, but students must infer the joke from the line, 'If I’d gone to an all-boys’ school, I might have been a brain surgeon.'

What common mistake did students make in the November 2018 resit paper?

Many students mistakenly chose a statement that closely resembled the wording in the text but wasn't actually true. For example, the text mentioned that 'most students who revise online use YouTube,' but students incorrectly selected 'most students revise online' as a true statement.

Why is it important to read the text carefully?

It is important to read the text carefully because AQA isn't trying to trick students. The statements must be selected based on a close and accurate reading of the source material.

How much time should be allocated to Question 1 during the exam?

Students should spend around five minutes on Question 1, allowing enough time to carefully read the text, examine the statements, and choose the correct answers.

What is a useful tip for verifying the correct statements?

A useful tip is to note that the statements are presented in chronological order, making it easier to methodically check and confirm the correct answers as you go through the text.

Outlines

00:00

📉 Understanding the Low Success Rate in November's Resit Paper

The paragraph introduces the AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 1 and highlights that fewer than half of the students achieved 4/4 in the November resit paper. It discusses the hidden complexities of this supposedly simple question, promising to teach viewers how to secure full marks.

📘 Overview of AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 1

This paragraph explains that Question 1 is a four-mark question focused on identifying explicit and implicit information, aligning with Ao1. It instructs students to choose four true statements from a set of eight, emphasizing the need for careful reading.

📚 Essential Tip: Marking the Text for Clarity

The paragraph provides a practical tip: draw a box around the lines of text you are instructed to reference (in this case, lines 1-25). It cautions students to avoid crossing out any words, as they'll need to revisit this section for other questions.

🔍 Comparing Paper 1 and Paper 2 Questions

This paragraph contrasts Question 1 of Paper 2 with that of Paper 1, noting that Paper 2's question is harder because it may require inference. The presenter provides an example to illustrate this difference, emphasizing the importance of 'reading between the lines.'

🧠 Example: Inferring from the Text

The example provided focuses on a statement about Liam Murphy making a joke about his exam results. The paragraph explains how to infer the meaning from the text even when it's not explicitly stated, highlighting the need for careful interpretation.

⚠️ Common Pitfall: Misinterpreting Similar Statements

This paragraph describes a common mistake students make: choosing statements that closely resemble the text but are incorrect. It gives an example from the November 2018 paper, where students misinterpreted a statement about students revising online.

⏱️ Avoiding Traps: Reading Carefully and Taking Time

The paragraph reassures students that the exam board is not trying to trick them. It stresses the importance of reading carefully and mentions that students have enough time to approach the questions methodically.

📝 Time Management for Paper 2

This paragraph offers guidance on time management, advising students to allocate 15 minutes for reading the sources and around 5 minutes for answering Question 1. It highlights that there's enough time to read, reread, and carefully select answers.

🔲 Final Tip: Chronological Order of Statements

The final tip reminds students that the statements are always presented in the same order as the text. This makes it easier to methodically check for the correct answers, helping to prevent mistakes.

📺 Conclusion and Call to Subscribe

The paragraph concludes the video, encouraging viewers to subscribe to the channel if they found the content helpful. It wraps up the lesson on how to successfully approach AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 1.

Keywords

💡AQA English Language Paper 2

This is the specific exam being discussed in the video, focusing on English language skills. The video's purpose is to help students succeed in answering one of the questions on this paper, emphasizing the structure and content of the exam.

💡Question 1

Question 1 on the AQA English Language Paper 2 is a four-mark question that asks students to identify true statements from a set of eight. The video centers on strategies to correctly answer this question, which assesses the ability to identify explicit and implicit information in a given text.

💡Ao1

Ao1 refers to an assessment objective in the AQA exam, which focuses on identifying and interpreting explicit and implicit information and ideas in a text. The video highlights how this objective is central to answering Question 1 effectively by closely reading the text.

💡Explicit information

Explicit information is data clearly stated in the text, making it easy to find and understand. The video explains that some correct answers in Question 1 are based on explicit information, like identifying that 'Andrew Bruff makes online video tutorials.'

💡Implicit information

Implicit information refers to details not directly stated but inferred from the text. The video gives an example where students need to infer that Liam Murphy made a joke to excuse his poor exam results, teaching them to 'read between the lines.'

💡Inference

Inference is the process of deducing information from the text that is not explicitly stated. In the video, students are shown how to infer from statements like Liam Murphy’s joke, demonstrating that some true statements require careful thought.

💡Chronological order

Chronological order refers to how the true statements are presented in the same order as they appear in the text. The video emphasizes this as a tip for students to methodically locate the correct answers in a structured way.

💡Careful reading

Careful reading is a skill emphasized throughout the video. It encourages students to not only skim but to closely examine the text to avoid misinterpreting similar-sounding statements, such as the example of students confusing online revision habits.

💡Exam strategy

Exam strategy refers to the approach students should take to manage their time and answer questions correctly. The video suggests allocating about five minutes to Question 1 and provides tips like drawing boxes around text sections to stay organized.

💡Misleading statements

Misleading statements are those that may seem correct but are not, due to subtle differences in wording or meaning. The video highlights how some incorrect answers in the exam closely resemble the text, tricking students who don’t read carefully.

Highlights

Less than half of the students achieved 4 out of 4 in AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 1 in the November resit.

The question assesses the first bullet point of AO1: identifying and interpreting explicit and implicit information and ideas.

The task is to select four true statements out of eight, based on a given text excerpt.

Draw a box around the relevant part of the text (e.g., lines 1-25) to stay organized without striking through any lines.

Although Question 1 may seem similar to Paper 1's Question 1, it can be more challenging, requiring inference and reading between the lines.

Some true statements are easily identifiable, such as Andrew Bruff creating video tutorials for YouTube, which can be directly found in the text.

Inferences are necessary for some statements, such as understanding that a character's joke about exam results excuses their poor performance.

Incorrect statements can be tricky, as their wording may closely resemble the source text but convey different meanings.

In the November 2018 resit, many students incorrectly selected a statement that appeared similar to the text but was factually incorrect.

A close and careful reading of the text is crucial to avoid mistakes, as required by AO1.

Students have sufficient time to complete the exam with around one minute per mark available, which allows five minutes for this question.

The statements in Question 1 are always presented in the same chronological order as the text.

It is essential to shade the circle next to the correct statements to indicate your answer.

Students should avoid rushing through and misinterpreting statements that are not supported by the text.

The video encourages methodical reading and consistent checking to maximize accuracy in identifying correct answers.

Transcripts

In last year’s November resit paper, fewer than half of the students entered achieved

4/4 in AQA English Language Paper 2 question 1.

It's supposed to be a simple question, but there are some hidden depths to it, and in this video, I'll teach you how to get 4 out of 4 in this potentially difficult question.

In this video we’re looking at AQA English Language Paper 2 question 1, which is a four

mark question assessing the first bullet point of

Ao1: to identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas.

Question 1 presents you with eight statements, asking you to identify four which are true.

Let’s look at a typical question, taken from Mr Bruff’s guide to GCSE English Language,

available in paperback on Amazon or eBook at mrbruff.com

Read source A from lines 1 to 25. Choose four statements which are true.

Shade the circles in the boxes of the statements which are true.

So the first simple tip is to draw a box around the part of the text you’re being asked

to take your answers from: in this case lines 1-25. Just make sure you do that carefully,

and don’t strike through any actual lines of text in the source, because you’re going

to need to look back at this part of the text when you’re working on other questions and

you don’t want to find that you can’t read some of the words.

You might think this question is similar to paper 1 question 1, but it is actually a bit

harder, as it MAY require you to infer and read between the lines. Let me show you what

I mean by that: Some of the true statements will be easy to

find, like statement B: ‘Andrew Bruff makes online video tutorials’. That’s easily

identified as true from a reading of the line in the source ‘He creates video tutorials

for English language and literature, and uploads them onto youtube.com/mrbruff’.

But the correct statements are not always as easy as that to find.

Look at statement H: Liam Murphy makes a joke to excuse his poor exam results.

Now there is nowhere in the text that explicitly says ‘Liam Murphy makes a joke to excuse

his poor exam results’ What you have to do is read the line ‘I

won’t tell you my exam results but, if I’d gone to an all-boys’ school, I might have

been a brain surgeon’, and actually infer from that that a) this is a joke, and b) the

joke is excusing his poor exam results. Now that is true, but the point I’m making is

that you have to read between the lines to work it out.

And there are other challenges too: In the November 2018 resit paper, many students

chose an incorrect statement which was worded very similarly to a statement from the text.

So the original text said something like ‘Speak to most students who revise online, and you’ll

discover that Youtube is their number one website of choice for learning’ and one

of the statements in the question was ‘Most students revise online’. And you can see

that the wording of the statement is very similar to what it says in the text, but that’s

not actually what the source is saying. The statement is incorrect. The source doesn’t

say that most students revise online, it makes a statement about what most students who revise

online do when they are there. And what happened in the November 2018 exam, and what you need

to make sure you avoid yourself, is many students selected that statement as correct, and then

just looked for three more correct statements. The truth was that that statement was not

correct, and there were therefore four more correct statements to find.

Now the exam board isn’t trying to catch you out - a careful and close reading of the

text is what A01 is all about, but this is a good reminder to read the text very carefully.

And you have time to do so: The entire exam paper, just like with paper

1, is worth 80 marks, and the exam is a 1hr 45 minute exam. Now if you allow 15 minutes

for reading the sources, you’re left with 90 minutes to achieve a possible maximum of

80 marks, which means you should spend around 1 minute per mark available on each question.

So with question 1, you should spend around five minutes on it. That’s more than enough

time to read the eight statements, re-read the section of the text in question, and carefully

choose your answers. Once you’ve found a correct statement, you

need to shade the circle in the box next to it.

And here’s a very useful final tip: The statements are always presented in the same

chronological order as the text, so it should be easy to check in a methodical and consistent

way that you’ve identified the correct answers. If you found this video useful, please do

subscribe to the channel.