AQA, GCSE, English Language (Paper 1) - Practice Paper and Guidance: ‘Whispers of the Past’ Text

This comprehensive guide is designed to help GCSE students excel in both the reading and descriptive writing sections of AQA, English Language Paper 1. It provides clear, practical strategies for approaching each type of question, with step-by-step advice and model responses tailored to exam requirements.

Reading Section:
Extract and Practice Questions: The extract is taken from a psychological narrative set in the the early 21st Century. Typical AQA questions are provided to assess comprehension.
In-Depth Question Guidance: Detailed advice on how to respond to each question type, from basic information retrieval to deeper analysis and evaluation.
Model Answers: Example responses to show students how to structure answers, use subject-specific vocabulary, and apply evaluative language.
Exam Skills: Strategies to help students identify key information, understand how to interpret language and structure, and analyze the writer’s techniques effectively.

Descriptive Writing Section:
Practice questions: A picture prompt and story writing task is provided.
Exam-Specific Tips: Tailored advice for AQA Paper 1.
Model Descriptive Paragraphs: High-quality example paragraphs that demonstrate effective use of descriptive techniques and language choices.