Paper 2 Section A: Overview (AQA GCSE English Language): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
Paper 2 Section A: Overview
SECTION A: READING – Assessment Objectives
In Section A you will answer four reading questions based on two sources (one 19th-century and one 20th/21st-century).
Each question links to specific Assessment Objectives (AOs):
| AO | What it means in practice | Which question(s)? |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 | • Find information (explicit = obvious, implicit = implied). • Pick out facts and ideas. • Use evidence from the text. | Q1 (true statements) Q2 (summary of differences/similarities) |
| AO2 | • Explain how writers use language and structure. • Analyse word choices, imagery, and techniques. • Use subject terminology (e.g. metaphor, tone, sentence length). | Q3 |
| AO3 | • Compare writers' ideas and perspectives. • Show how their viewpoints are similar/different. • Use evidence from both texts. | Q4 |
| AO4 | • Judge how convincing or effective a text is. • Back up your opinion with quotes. | (AO4 is assessed in Paper 1, not Section A of Paper 2) |
The Four Questions on Paper 2 Section A
- Q1 (4 marks) – Choose the 4 true statements about Source A. (AO1)
- Q2 (8 marks) – Summarise the differences/similarities between the two sources. (AO1)
- Q3 (12 marks) – Analyse how the writer of one source uses language. (AO2)
- Q4 (16 marks) – Compare how the two writers present their perspectives/ideas. (AO3)
Absolute minimum to remember:
- Q1 = find facts (4 marks)
- Q2 = summarise across texts (8 marks)
- Q3 = analyse language (12 marks)
- Q4 = compare viewpoints (16 marks)