Questions 4 & 5 (Edexcel GCSE English Language): Model Answers

Paper 2 Question 4:

From lines 20–27, identify one piece of advice the writer offers to people planning to move into a smaller home. (1 mark)

The first is about clutter. You can't cram a quart into a pint pot, as Granny used to say, so be realistic. Take a deep breath, get some plastic boxes and start half a year before the move. Categorise things as pure rubbish or charity-shop and jumble-sale. Note which of your children, nephews, nieces or friends' offspring are setting up home, and ply them with your unwanted furniture, curtains, crockery and kitchen equipment. It's nice to think of it being used, and frankly, one rarely misses anything. A bonus is that as you reduce the volume, you rediscover long-forgotten treasures. In the new house are pictures, objects, photos and nice jugs we hadn't registered for years, because they were in the spare bedroom or a dark cupboard.