English Language, GCSE (AQA), Paper 2 - Practice Paper and Model Answer (Pollution)

The Practice Paper for GCSE English Language ,Paper Two offers comprehensive support for teachers following the AQA curriculum. Here’s an overview of its content and its usefulness in supporting students in understanding how to respond to the different questions:

Reading Section: The paper contains two rich, contrasting texts on pollution -one set in the 1990s and the other in the 1880s. Students are tasked with summarizing differences, analyzing language, and comparing perspectives across both texts. This structure mirrors AQA exam questions, enhancing students’ exam readiness.

Writing Section: The second part requires students to compose a letter or an article about pollution, allowing them to practice persuasive writing and structuring arguments effectively.

Marking Support: Teachers can use the provided mark scheme to evaluate responses across reading and writing tasks, using AQA’s assessment objectives Additionally, the model answers act as exemplars, illustrating what successful responses should look like. These provide an opportunity to look closely at the language features and the structure of successful reading responses.

As an extension, students can also use a descriptive writing prompt to use descriptive vocabulary and varied sentence structures to write about a littered beach.

This paper will be invaluable for AQA teachers, offering realistic practice and clear guidance aligned with curriculum expectations.