Paper 2 Question 4: Model Answer (AQA GCSE English Language): Model Answers

14/16 Answer

Both sources reveal that people living in poverty are due to work and unfairness, where Source A reveals the problem of 'underpaid work', and Source B shows them 'watching eagerly for the opportunity to commence their labours'. In Source A, the use of the adjective 'underpaid' reveals that although times are changing, and more is being done to support the homeless, they are still being mistreated. The fact that 'many of them' experience this, reveals how society is failing to serve its people, as the adjective 'many' reflect the large numbers of people who are suffering. Like Source A, Source B also reveals that work has been a central point of poverty. The complex sentence of which the quote comes from, has a triadic list, which reveals how time-consuming work is for them. The present participle 'watching' suggests that they are actually quite dedicated to their labours, as it implies this sense of repetitiveness: their work is always the same. However, the adverb 'eagerly' implies that they are both desperate and excited for their work, creating a further sense of urgency, as their work is all that they have to keep them going.

Another similarity in both sources is how they both use triadic lists, which share this idea that poverty is an important concern. Source A uses a triplet to show how despite 'all change and hope, and all the wealth generated', there are still signs of unfortunate injustice to the people in poverty. The fact that the triadic list both ends the source, and is within a long complex sentence, creates a tone of never-ending issues, allowing the readers to feel a sense of doubt towards the welfare state. The semantic field of prosperity is seen where the 'change... hope... and wealth' seem to juxtapose the reality: not all the lives of those in poverty has been improved. Similarly, Source B reveals how, in a list, the suffering they face is very apparent. The copious use of verbs, such as 'plash' and 'peer', reveal that they suffer hardship to earn any sign of money or wealth. The verb 'peer' in particular, implies that caution is being taken; their lives are still just as important. The fact they do this 'anxiously', illustrates an added source of tension, as they are very meticulous as they worked. However, this wouldn't be necessary if they had a society to support them.

Another notable similarity, is that both sources display how the people living in poverty are being neglected by society. Source A states that 'the growing use of food banks' should be able to 'prompt us' into fully seeing these neglected people in poverty.' The methodical use of the present participle 'growing,' suggests that as the food banks increase, so does the population of homeless people. This can be further seen as one of the only ways people are supporting the homeless; not much is being done. The verb 'prompt' thus tells us that only this has been a clear reminder to us, that we are neglecting the problem of poverty. Likewise, in Source B, the utilising of first person can mirror a similar message. The fact that the writer says their appearance is the 'most deplorable […] of any I have met,' signifies that one, he is used to seeing the masses of poverty and two, he has not done anything to help. The superlative and adjective 'most,' depicts the extremity of their living conditions, further showing that the 'deplorable' state - one that he finds to be abnormal - is symbolic of the suffering endured.

Feedback:

Strengths	Weaknesses
Effective comparison of poverty through work and unfairness in both sources.	Some sentences could be more concise for clarity.
Appropriate and well-chosen quotations to support points.	Minor repetition in parts of the analysis.
Good analysis of adjectives, present participles, and triadic lists to convey central themes.	Final point on neglect could be more developed, linking back to work and unfairness theme explicitly.
Explores implications of language choices and their broader impact on the reader.
Well-structured with clear points and logical progression.
Makes insightful inferences about societal implications and neglect faced by those in poverty.

To achieve 16/16, the student should ensure clarity and conciseness in their expression, avoiding repetition and developing each point equally. Additionally, they should expand their analysis by linking points back to the main themes and discussing broader societal implications.