AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (2024)

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 Revision

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5

Ready to let your imagination run free? Question 5 is the perfect place to let your creative skills take over.

Here you will find out:

  • The format of the question
  • How to approach answering the question
  • The Assessment Objective (AO) of the question

This page will also feature an extract from a model answer to highlight what is expected of you if you want to gain the most marks possible.

Assessment Objectives (AOs)

Question 5 is covered by AO5 and AO6.

For A05, you are required to:

  • Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register to different different forms, purposes and audiences.

Well, what does this mean?

Tone is the overall feeling that is given off the by the writer’s words, in other words, the tone of writing creates a particular mood – you will need to select the right tone for the chosen format of writing in the exam. Does the text need to be persuasive or emotive, for example?

Style is the way the text is written – the writer’s use of language and structural features will affect the style of writing – in your exam, you need to be wise with the choices you make.

You also need to make sure that your writing suits the register of the chosen format. Should it be chatty or professional for example?

For AO6, you are required to:

  • Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Well, what does this mean?

This AO point is a lot clearer than the one above!

Vary the length of your sentences and use detailed and sophisticated vocabulary throughout – remember to check your answer for any spelling or punctuation errors.

GCSEAQA

Question Format

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (1)

For Question 5 in the AQA GCSE English Language exam, you have a choice of two questions to answer.

You can either write a description based on an image, or you can write a story with a title relevant to the theme of the paper.

On the right is an example question in the same format that you will find in your exam.

Remember you only have to answer one of the two questions.

Notice that there is an introductory phrase to accompany the question – this varies in each paper, however you will always be asked to write a description or a story!

GCSEAQA

Timings

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (2)

There are no sources to read for this question – you’re imagination is your source!

This question is worth 40 marks – you are assessed on the content of your writing as well as its accuracy.

As this question has the highest number of marks on offer, you are advised to spend the most amount of time on this question.

Spending around 45 minutes on this question should ensure that your answer contains enough detail to score highly!

Let’s have a look at how to approach Question 5 in Paper 1 next…

GCSEAQA

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (3)

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (4)

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (5)

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How to Approach

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (6)

If you plan on writing the description, take a careful look at the image and analyse every aspect of it. If you immersed yourself in the image, what would you be able to hear, see, smell, touch?

Use everything available to you to ensure that you have enough to talk about.

To ensure that your answer is structured and well planned out, it is recommended that you take some time before writing to note down the key points you want to mention…

A good way to do this is to create a mind map with the relevant information!

If you plan on writing the story, you have more freedom with what you write, as long as it relates to the given title.

To ensure that your answer has structure, draft up a rough plan for the beginning, the middle and the end.

You will lose marks if the writing does not flow naturally – the examiner will feel that the writing is rushed and unbalanced!

Regardless of which option you decide to go with, always remember to include lots of language techniques!

This will enable the examiner to visualise what you are describing or narrating in a more vivid and impressive way.

The result? Your answer will stand out to them, which means you will gain more marks!

GCSEAQA

Extract from Model Answer: Description

Please note: the following is just a small extract from an answer – your answer will have to include more points than this!

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (7)

Why is this a good answer?

  • The writer has immersed themselves in the image to provide a detailed and accurate description.
  • A number of language techniques are used, including simile and personification.
  • Complex sentences have been used accurately.
  • Sophisticated language has been used to enhance the description.

GCSEAQA

Extract from Model Answer: Story

Please note: the following is just a small extract from an answer – your answer will have to include more points than this!

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (8)

Why is this a good answer?

  • The story is allowed to flow nicely through the use of long and short sentences.
  • A number of language techniques are used, including the rule of 3 and rhetorical question.
  • Complex punctuation has been used effectively, including semi-colon and colon.
  • The story aligns with the title given on the question paper.

GCSEAQA

AQA: Paper 1 Question 5 (2024)

FAQs

How to answer language paper 1 question 5 aqa? ›

Longer, more complex sentence forms can be used to aid description or to help a reader build up an understanding of character. So when you write your answer to Question 5, think about what kind of tone and pace you want to create and how you can use different sentence types to affect the reader, too!

How to write a good paper 1 question 5? ›

Paper 1 Question 5: Descriptive Writing Model Answer (AQA GCSE English Language)
  1. The tone (sound of the narrator's 'voice') is appropriate and convincing.
  2. The register (vocabulary and phrasing) is suitable for the purpose.
  3. The style of the writing (sentence structure and overall structure) is dynamic and engaging.

How much should I write for English language paper 1 question 5? ›

Aim for approximately 45-50 minutes to plan and write your response. What's the recommended word count for Question 5? Write a story with around 300-350 words.

What is the question 5 creative writing task? ›

Paper 1 Question 5 is the writing question. It asks you to apply what you know about imaginative and creative fiction writing, such as in the text you read in Section A, and use these same techniques in your own writing. AO5 rewards you for your ideas, as well as the style and the fluency of your writing.

What skills does language paper 1 question 5 test you on? ›

Question 5 tests your ability to adapt your writing for a particular purpose. You will have already analysed a section of fiction writing in Section A, and in Question 5 you are asked to apply this knowledge to your own writing and create a text which is constructed in an appropriate manner.

How many marks are available for content in paper 1 question 5? ›

Paper 1: Question 5

Writing a well-crafted piece of creative writing in 45 minutes can be a challenge, but with plenty of practice this is an excellent opportunity to pick up marks. There are 40 marks for this question. 24 marks are for content and organisation.

How many marks do you need to pass paper 1 English language? ›

Much like GCSE Maths, GCSE English Language is a mandatory subject that's taken by every single student in the United Kingdom. With the new scoring system, the minimum grade that's required to pass GCSE English Language is a 4, with anything above this being a pass mark.

How many paragraphs for a 30 mark question? ›

The main body of the essay should be around 3 or 4 paragraphs for a 20 marker and 4 or 5 paragraphs in length for a 30 marker, meaning that there should be 4 or 5 points that come from both the item that you have been given as well as your own knowledge.

How to write a 40 marker in English? ›

This is a complex question but to keep it brief you should follow the structure of having a brief introduction outlining what you will write about in the essay, then use the structure of PANEL for your points of argument or discussion, which is Point, ANalysis, Evidence, Link, and you should aim to make 3 points of ...

What are the 5 C's of creative writing? ›

I will now explain each of these in more depth and then discuss tensions between them in writing for different academic audiences.
  • Clarity. "Ambiguity is very interesting in writing; it's not very interesting in science." — ...
  • Cogency. ...
  • Conventionality. ...
  • Completeness. ...
  • Concision. ...
  • Tensions and Relative Importance.

What are the 5 R's of creative writing? ›

Gutkind defines the essential elements of creative nonfiction as five “R's”: real l ife, reflection, research, reading, and (w)riting.

What are the 10 rules of creative writing? ›

Onto the rules.
  • Never open a book with weather. ...
  • Avoid prologues. ...
  • Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue. ...
  • Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said” … ...
  • Keep your exclamation points under control. ...
  • Never use the words “suddenly” or “all hell broke loose.” ...
  • Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.

How many paragraphs for a 40 mark question? ›

Don't repeat points, as this will lose you content marks, and if you start really running out of time, its better to make 2 really good, meaty, paragraphs with good analysis than rush 4 - examiners can easily tell if your rushing. You have 45 minutes to do this question, and you should be writing around 2-3 pages.

How to get a grade 9 in English language paper 1? ›

Students must master each AO to get a grade 9. They must read complex texts closely and evaluate the writer's language for effect. They must also write clearly and fluently, showing mastery of sentence structure, vocabulary, and punctuation.

How many paragraphs should you write for language paper 1 question 3? ›

You should aim to write around three paragraphs for this answer, with a different topic sentence in each paragraph focusing on different aspects of the question.

How to pass English paper 1? ›

Ten Top Study Tips for Passing Your English Exams
  1. Write a Timetable. ...
  2. Do your Homework. ...
  3. Learn How to Pronounce Words. ...
  4. Learn Spelling Patterns. ...
  5. Learn the Meaning of Questions. ...
  6. Learn your Stock Phrases. ...
  7. Make a List of Vocabulary. ...
  8. Immerse Yourself in the Language.

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