Paper 1 Reading

Question 1

1. Is English Language Paper 1 fiction or non-fiction?

Answer 1

The fiction paper.

You have to read a fiction (made-up) text, and then write a fiction (made-up) story, based on a photograph.

Question 2

2. What should you do before you read any of the questions in English Language fiction paper?

Answer 2

Spend at least 10 minutes reading the information box and then slowly reading the text to make sure you understand it.

Question 3

3. Whilst you’re reading the text slowly, how can you check you understand?

Answer 3

Keep asking yourself the basic questions:

• Who is this part of the text about?
• Where are they?
• What are they doing?
• Why are they doing it?

Summarise each paragraph in a few words.

Question 4

4. How long should you spend answering each question on English Language paper 1 ?

Answer 4

Question 1 4 marks = 3 minutes
Question 2 8 marks = 12 minutes
Question 3 8 marks = 10 minutes
Question 4 20 marks = 25 minutes
Question 5 40 marks = 45 minutes.

Question 5

5. What is paper 1 question 1 about?

Answer 5

Finding four things that we learn.

Question 6

6. How should you phrase your answers to paper 1 question 1?

Answer 6

Answer: use direct quotes from the extract, avoid combining ideas or inferring

Question 7

7. Which technique is this an example of:

The storm chased him around the village, cruelly snatching away everything that he loved.

Answer 7

Answer: Personification - giving human qualities to a non-human thing

The storm can’t chase him and be cruel – only a person can.

Question 8

8. Which technique is this an example of:

My child’s toys are like priceless jewels to me.

Answer 8

Simile - comparing two things using “like” or “as”

My child’s toys are not actually jewels. I’ve compared them using ‘like’ or ‘as’ because they’re similar, so it’s a simile.

Question 9

9. Which technique is this an example of:

My child’s toys are priceless jewels to me.

Answer 9

Metaphor - comparing two things saying one is the other.

My child’s toys are not actually jewels. I’ve said that they are to show that they have something in common, so it’s a metaphor.

Question 10

10. Which technique is this an example of:

The birds were singing in the trees, the grass was green and the sun was shining in the blue sky.

Answer 10

Semantic field of… (remember you must name the semantic field)

A group of words about a similar topic or theme. In this example, all words are connected to nature so it’s a semantic field of nature.

Question 11

11. Which kind of word (e.g. adjective / verb / noun / adverb) are these?

Disgusting Tall Ancient Wooden

Answer 11

Adjectives

They all describe people (tall), places (ancient) or things (wooden, disgusting)

Question 12

12. Which kind of word (e.g. adjective / verb / noun / adverb) are these?

Jumped Believed Loving Wish

Answer 12

Verbs

They’re all actions we can do, either with our bodies (jump), our minds (believe) or our hearts (wish)

Question 13

13. Which kind of word (e.g. adjective / verb / noun / adverb) are these?

slowly suddenly fast badly

Answer 13

Answer: Adverbs

They all describe how someone does an action
(a lot of adverbs end in -ly)

Question 14

14. What is paper 1 question 2 about?

Answer 14

Language (the words and techniques a writer chooses)

Question 15

15. How should you organise your answer to paper 1 question 2?

Answer 15

What, Where, How, Why (1 paragraph with at least two quotations)

Question 16

16. How should you start your answer to paper 1 question 2?

Answer 16

The writer uses language to present (question word) as…

E.g. The writer uses language to present the storm as…

NB higher-level answers should name a specific techniques in their opening sentence too

Eg. The writer uses a metaphor to present the storm as…

Question 17

17. Choose the best two quotations for analysing the language a writer uses to present a storm in Q2:

A) The storm was violent
B) The waves brutally punished the shore
C) It seemed to last forever and it was the most incredible storm he’d ever seen
D) The silence before the thunder was deathly

Answer 17

The best quotations to choose are the ones with interesting words and techniques

B) The waves brutally punished the shore (personification and adverb ‘brutally’)

D) The silence before the thunder was deathly (adjective ‘deathly’)

Question 18

18. What can you write to show you are ‘zooming in’ on a key word or technique in question 2 or question 4?

Answer 18

In particular, the word ‘…’ suggests / implies…

OR

Specifically, the adjective ‘…’ suggests…

Question 19

19. What words should you use to create a ‘clear explanation’ in question 2 or question 4?

Answer 19

Add to your explanation using because or as

E.g. ‘The word ‘brutally’ implies that the storm is very aggressive and violent, because ‘brutal’ people enjoy violence and causing damage.

Question 20

20. CHALLENGE - What are two ways to gain higher marks in language questions, like question 2 and question 4?

Answer 20

CHALLENGE Answer:

a) Consider more than one interpretation of a word, using ‘possibly’, ‘perhaps’, ‘this could also’ or ‘alternatively’

E.g. ‘The adjective ‘deathly’ shows that the storm could put people in mortal danger. It could also possibly foreshadow that a character will be killed by the storm.

b) Include abstract ‘bigger ideas’ in your explanation

E.g. This shows the storm’s destructive force, and the power it has over life and death.

Question 21

21. What is question 3 about on English Language Paper 1?

Answer 21

Structure (how the whole text is organised)

Question 22

22. Which parts of the text do you focus on for question 3?

Answer 22

Beginning

Middle

End

(or any significant changes in the focus of the text)

Question 23

23. Name at least 5 key structure techniques for question 3.

Answer 23

• Introduction of character
• Introduction of setting
• Shift in focus / tone / time / setting
• Raising tension
• Climax

Question 24

24. What are some of the effects that structure techniques can have?

Answer 24

Create an atmosphere of… (explain how)
Create a sense of foreboding… (explain how)
Raise tension by… (explain how)
Cause the reader to ask questions about… (explain how)
Release tension by… (explain how)

Question 25

25. How can you start each of your three paragraphs for the fiction paper question 3?

Answer 25

At the start, the writer immediately captures the reader’s attention by describing…

Later on, the writer maintains the reader’s attention by focusing on…

At the end, the writer brings the scene to a climax by describing…

Question 26

26. Do you include quotations in fiction paper question 3?

Answer 26

Yes – include very short ones as part of your sentence. Don’t analyse the language or ‘zoom in’.

E.g. White Fang was ‘still’ at the beginning and ‘waited patiently’ for the intruder to come into the room.

Question 27

27. Do you analyse words and language techniques in fiction paper question 3?

Answer 27

No, not in question 3.

Question 28

28. CHALLENGE - What are some ways to get higher grades for the fiction paper question 3?

Answer 28

CHALLENGE Answer:

a) Consider more than one effect of the structure, using ‘possibly’ , ‘perhaps’ , ‘this could also’ or ‘alternatively’

E.g. This could impress the reader, as when we first meet White Fang he seems so calm and powerful. It might also possibly make the reader excited to see the attack later on in the text, as White Fang is likely to attack in a spectacular manner.

b) Include abstract ‘bigger ideas’ in your explanation

E.g. This emphasizes White Fang’s dominance and experience as a predator.