Paper 1: How to Answer Question 3 (AQA GCSE English Language): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
Paper 1: How to Answer Question 3
What is it asking?
- the question requires you to focus on the structure of the extract and its impacts to you as the reader
Timings
| Marks | Timings |
|---|---|
| [8] | 12-15 minutes |
Structure
- You will be using 3 paragraphs, focusing on different parts of the text: the beginning, shift in focus, final shift
- A useful acronym to guide you is BEST SECONDZ, which we will look at in the Paper 1: Question 3 Skills: Structural Analysis section!
| Paragraph | Notes | Sentence structure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – Beginning | • What does the writer focus on at the start? • What is the overall structure of the piece? (e.g. is there a major turning point?) • What is the effect of this on the reader? | The extract begins by focusing on [summary of section]. This is shown in the quote '…'. The structural technique of [BEST SECONDZ] is presented as… |
| 2 – Shift | • When is there a change in what the text is talking about? | There is then a shift in focus from [summary of beginning] to [summary of shift]. This is shown in the quote '…'. The structural technique of [BEST SECONDZ] is important as… |
| 3 – Final shift | • When is the final time the text shifts in focus? | The extract ends with a final shift in focus from [summary of initial shift] to [summary of final shift]. This is shown in the quote '…'. The structural technique of [BEST SECONDZ] is significant as… |
chatImportant
Top tips:
Remember to read the question!
- Q3 is easy to predict as it will always ask you the same question: How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader? Therefore, it is important for you to practice writing answers so that you can remain in the time frame AND to make sure that you do not deviate away from the question!
- The question will give you context as to where the text came from. such as the extract coming from the middle of a novel. Take this into account when writing your answers
- Do not overcomplicate the question. All you need to do is consider: Where? What? Why?