Question 5: Descriptive or Narrative Writing Flashcards
All 67 cards in this deck
How many marks is Paper 1 Question 5 worth, and how long should you spend on it?
40 marks: 24 for content and organisation (AO5) and 16 for technical accuracy (AO6). It is the whole of Section B, so spend about 45 minutes on it: half of Paper 1's marks.
What do AO5 and AO6 each reward in Question 5?
AO5 (24) rewards communicating clearly and imaginatively, matching tone, style and register to the task, and organising your ideas with structural features. AO6 (16) rewards a range of vocabulary and sentence forms, plus accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar. They are marked separately and added together.
What does the 2026 descriptive option ask, and do you have to describe the picture?
It asks for "a description of … from your imagination" and says you "may choose to use the picture provided for ideas". The picture is optional: you can use it as a starting point or ignore it, and you aren't marked on how closely you follow it.
What does the 2026 wording "Write the opening of a story about …" ask you to do?
Write only the start of a story: establish a narrator or character, a setting and a question or tension that could carry on. You do not need a full plot or a resolution, and trying to fit one in usually makes the writing rushed.
Will the two Question 5 options always be one description and one story?
No. Usually they are, but AQA has never guaranteed it: you could get two descriptions or two story openings. Read both, then pick the one where you can most clearly picture one specific moment, not the one that sounds most exciting.
What is the context line at the start of Question 5 for (e.g. "A wildlife magazine is running a competition…")?
It sets the audience and purpose. You don't need to mention it, but your tone and content should suit it: a piece for a Year 7 anthology or a magazine readership should still be crafted, but in a register that fits those readers.
What does a top-band (Level 4, 19–24) AO5 answer typically show?
Writing that is compelling and crafted: original imagery, vocabulary chosen with precision rather than for show, a varied and inventive structure, subtle shifts in mood, and paragraphs that link fluently. AQA's typical features list is "not a checklist".
What happens to your AO5 mark if you don't address the focus of the task?
It is capped at 12 (the top of Level 2), however well written it is. If the task is the opening of a story about a rescue, a polished story about a holiday with no rescue can't get past 12.
What is the most common examiner complaint about Question 5 stories, and how do you avoid it?
Whole plots that are fast-paced and superficial. Avoid it by writing about one episode, a few minutes or hours of time, and giving it depth: setting, thoughts and small details rather than a string of events.
Apart from over-plotting, what other habits do examiners criticise in Question 5?
Long stretches of dialogue, rushed endings, mechanical five-senses checklists, pre-learned vocabulary dropped in where it doesn't fit, and over-long answers where control slips.
How should you split your 45 minutes on Question 5?
About 5–10 minutes planning (choose the option, pick the moment, plan five or six paragraphs and the ending), about 30 minutes writing, and about 5 minutes checking sentence endings, spelling and missing words. Checking protects AO6, which is 16 marks.
Is a longer Question 5 answer likely to score more?
No. There is no word count, and examiners reward quality and control, not length. A focused, carefully crafted piece of moderate length beats pages of rushed writing, where accuracy and structure usually fall apart.
How is a Question 5 description different from a story?
A description captures a place or moment: it moves through details, images and mood rather than events. There may be people in it, but nothing much needs to happen. A story needs a character and a sense of change.
Why is it better to describe one small moment or space than a whole place?
It gives you room for depth and subtle detail, which is what the higher levels reward. Touring a whole city or a whole day turns into a list of things you saw, with no single image developed.
What is the "five-senses checklist", and why do examiners criticise it?
Writing one paragraph per sense ("I could see… I could hear… I could smell…"). It is mechanical and predictable, and the "I could" frame keeps the reader at a distance. Use a sense only where it adds to the mood, and build it into the image: "Bleach and wet coats" rather than "I could smell bleach."
What is "zooming in" in a description, and what does it do?
Moving from a wide view to one small, telling detail, such as a single glove on a railing. It focuses the reader's attention and lets a small object suggest a bigger feeling, such as loss, without you having to state it.
How can a description have a shape if nothing happens?
Give it a thread of change: time passing (dawn to morning), light or weather shifting, moving through a space (gate to centre), or a single figure arriving or leaving. The reader feels progress without a plot.
How should you use people in a description?
As brief, telling details that bring the place alive: a cleaner leaning on a mop, a child counting coins. Keep them small. If they start talking and doing things, the description drifts into an unplanned story.
What does "show, don't tell" mean in a description?
Let the details create the mood rather than naming it. Instead of "The kitchen felt lonely", show it: "Two mugs on the draining board; one of them hadn't been used." The reader works out the feeling, which makes it stronger.
What is pathetic fallacy, and how can you use it without a cliché?
Weather or surroundings that reflect a mood. Storms for danger are predictable. Try a subtler or contrasting version: bright, careless sunshine over a sad scene can make the sadness sharper.
How do you build a strong atmosphere in a description?
Decide on one dominant mood before you write, then choose details, verbs and sounds that all serve it. One deliberately contrasting detail (a child laughing in a silent waiting room) can make the mood stand out further.
How should you use a picture prompt without just listing what's in it?
Treat it as a starting point: choose one corner of it, invent what's beyond the frame, change the time of day, or follow one figure. A response that inventories every object in the picture reads like a list.
In "Rain had reduced the market to a few stubborn stalls.", what technique is used and what is its effect?
Personification: the rain "reduced" the market and the stalls are "stubborn". It suggests the weather has been winning a battle and makes the remaining stallholders seem defiant, setting a mood of decline with a touch of grit.
In "Somewhere behind the flats, a dog barked once, then thought better of it.", what technique is used and what is its effect?
Personification: the dog "thought better of it". The single bark followed by silence makes the quiet feel deliberate and slightly unnerving, as if something has hushed the street, with a dry hint of humour.
What does "an episode, not a plot" mean for a Question 5 story?
Write about one event over a short span of time, not a chain of events. Not "a whole school trip", but "the ten minutes after the coach leaves without you". Examiners reward depth in a small episode over a fast-paced, superficial plot.
What should the opening of a story achieve?
Establish a voice, a character the reader cares about, a setting and a question or tension that makes the reader want more. It doesn't have to explain everything; leaving gaps is part of the hook.
What is starting in medias res, and what is its effect?
Beginning in the middle of the action, without introduction: "By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, the water was already at my ankles." It hooks the reader at once and raises questions that the rest of the opening can answer.
How much dialogue should a Question 5 story contain?
Very little. Examiners criticise long exchanges, which slow the story and take over from description. A few purposeful lines, each revealing character or raising tension, are enough.
How can you cut back a long dialogue exchange without losing its content?
Keep the one line that matters, turn the rest into reported speech or a summary, and use action to carry feeling: "She didn't answer. She just kept folding the same towel."
What makes an ending "rushed", and how do you avoid it?
A rushed ending ties everything up in a sentence or two: a sudden rescue, "it was all a dream", everyone dying. Plan the ending before you start, leave time for it, and give the last paragraph the same care as the first.
If the task is the opening of a story, how should you end your piece?
On a turn, decision or unanswered question, not a resolution. The reader should feel the story could clearly carry on, for example with a character stepping through a door or a revelation that changes everything.
What does first-person narration offer compared with third person?
First person ("I") gives direct access to one character's thoughts and voice, building intimacy, but limits what the reader can know. Third person ("she") allows more distance and can move between characters or reveal what the main character can't see.
How many characters should a Question 5 story focus on?
One or two, properly developed. Each extra character needs introducing and handling, and in 45 minutes that spreads the writing thin and makes it superficial.
How can you show a character's personality without stating it?
Through actions, choices and small details. Instead of "Dad was anxious", write "Dad checked the tickets, then checked them again." The reader infers the trait, which makes the character feel real.
How can you control pace at the key moment of a story?
Slow it down: stretch a few seconds over a paragraph with thoughts, sensory detail and short sentences. Move quickly through less important moments. Controlling pace is something the higher levels explicitly reward.
What are "temporal" and "spatial" shifts, which the mark scheme mentions?
Temporal: moves in time, such as a brief flashback or a jump forward. Spatial: moves in place, such as from a street to inside a room. Skilful, purposeful shifts are a typical feature of top-level narratives.
In "I'd rehearsed the apology forty times on the bus. Then she opened the door, and all forty versions left at once.", what technique is used and what is its effect?
Hyperbole and personification: the rehearsed apologies "left at once". It shows the narrator's panic and blank mind in a vivid, slightly comic way, and the short second sentence marks the moment everything goes wrong.
What should a Question 5 plan contain?
The moment you're writing about, a dominant mood, five or six paragraph boxes each with its own focus, and the ending decided in advance. A few words per box is enough.
What is a shift in focus, and what does it do in your own writing?
A deliberate move from one thing to another: wide to narrow, outside to inside, one character to another, or present to memory. It guides the reader's attention and lets you change the mood without telling the reader you are doing so.
What is a cyclical structure, and what is its effect?
Ending by returning to the opening image or line, usually changed in some way. It gives a sense of completeness and highlights what has changed between the beginning and the end.
A description opens "The swing creaked in the empty playground." and ends "By dusk the swing had stopped, and nobody had come back for the red glove." What structural technique is used and what is its effect?
A cyclical structure: it returns to the swing from the opening. The image is now still, and the abandoned glove adds a sense of loss, so the reader feels the mood has darkened since the start.
When should you start a new paragraph in creative writing?
At a change of time, place, topic or speaker, and also for effect: a new paragraph can mark a shift in focus or isolate a key moment. Paragraphs that link fluently are part of what the top AO5 band rewards.
What is the effect of a one-sentence paragraph?
It isolates and emphasises a moment, creating a pause, a shock or a turning point: "Then the lights went out." Used once or twice it has impact; used constantly, it loses force.
How do you link paragraphs smoothly in creative writing?
Use time and place links ("By the time the lights came on…", "Further along the pier…") and echo a word or image from the end of one paragraph at the start of the next. Avoid essay connectives like "Firstly" and "In conclusion".
What is foreshadowing, and how can you use it in Question 5?
An early hint at something that matters later, such as a loose railing mentioned in the first paragraph. It builds tension and makes the writing feel planned and cohesive when the hint pays off.
How can a brief flashback help a Question 5 piece?
It adds depth by explaining a character's feelings or a place's past, and it creates a temporal shift. Keep it short and signal clearly when you move into it and back out, or the reader gets lost.
What is the effect of withholding information from the reader?
It creates mystery and tension: the reader keeps reading to find out what is being held back. For example, a narrator who refers to "what happened last summer" without explaining it.
How can contrast or juxtaposition work as a structural device in Question 5?
Placing opposites side by side, such as a crowded beach in one paragraph and the same beach at night in the next. The contrast sharpens both moods and can show change over time.
Why shouldn't you memorise a list of "ambitious" words to use in Question 5?
Examiners criticise pre-learned vocabulary forced in where it doesn't fit ("a plethora of trees"). They reward words used judiciously: a simple word in exactly the right place can show more skill than a rare one used for show.
Why choose precise verbs and nouns rather than piling up adjectives?
One precise word does the work of several weak ones. "The old, tired, slow man walked" becomes "The man shuffled". Precision creates a clearer image and keeps the rhythm tight.
What is wrong with a clichéd image like "as cold as ice", and what should you do instead?
It is so familiar that the reader doesn't picture anything. Create a fresh image linked to your scene: "The air in the stairwell was cold enough to make the handrail ache."
What is an extended metaphor, and what is its effect in your own writing?
A metaphor developed across several sentences, such as treating fog as a slow tide washing over a town. It sustains one mood and ties the piece together, which shows conscious crafting.
What is the effect of a short simple sentence after longer ones?
It jolts the reader: emphasising a key moment, creating tension or marking a sudden change. "…the hallway, the stairs and the landing were all exactly as she'd left them. Except the door."
What is a minor sentence, and when is it effective?
A sentence without a main verb, such as "Silence." or "Rain, again." It creates a snapshot or a sharp pause. Use it sparingly: two or three in a piece have impact, but a dozen look like a trick.
How can a complex sentence that delays its main clause build suspense?
By making the reader wait for the key information: "Just as the queue began to move, and before anyone had noticed the smoke, the alarm began to scream." The delay mirrors the tension of waiting.
What is the effect of a list without conjunctions (an asyndetic list) in description?
It creates a sense of abundance, speed or being overwhelmed: "Horns, shouts, brakes, a dropped tray." Dropping "and" makes the items crowd in on the reader.
How can a semantic field build atmosphere in your writing?
Choosing words from one area of meaning creates a mood without stating it. Words like "rusted", "peeling", "sagging" build a feeling of neglect across a paragraph.
How many language devices should you try to fit into a Question 5 answer?
There is no target. Examiners reward devices that are deliberate and effective, not a checklist. Forcing alliteration or a rule of three into every sentence makes writing feel artificial.
In "The streetlights came on one by one, like people reluctantly getting out of bed.", what technique is used and what is its effect?
A simile. It makes the lights seem sluggish and human, giving the evening a weary, unwilling mood and suggesting a tired town.
In "Her smile arrived a second after the rest of her face.", what technique is used and what is its effect?
Personification of the smile as something that "arrived" late. It suggests the smile is forced or insincere, letting the reader infer her real feelings without being told.
How can sound devices like sibilance or onomatopoeia help your own description?
They let the reader hear the scene. Sibilance (repeated s sounds) can feel soft or sinister: "the sea's slow hiss across the stones". Onomatopoeia like "clatter" or "drip" gives sharp, immediate sounds.
What if the Question 5 task asks you to describe a person rather than a place?
Treat the person like a place: one moment, one setting, one mood. Show them through a few telling details (hands, clothes, a habit, how others react to them) rather than a head-to-toe inventory, and let the place they're in reflect who they are. Don't give them a life story.
Why shouldn't you describe a person from head to toe?
A list of features ("She had brown hair, blue eyes and a red coat") tells the reader nothing about who the person is. Choose two or three details that reveal character, such as bitten nails, a carefully mended coat, or a laugh that's too loud, and develop them.
How can you reveal a person's character without telling the reader what they're like?
Through action, habit and objects: what they do with their hands, how they move, what they carry or keep. "He straightened the salt and pepper pots before he sat down" shows someone anxious or particular, without saying so.
How can other people's reactions help you describe a person?
Showing how others respond (people stepping aside, a child going quiet, a shopkeeper's smile) tells the reader about the person's effect on the world around them. It's subtler than describing them directly, and it builds atmosphere at the same time.
In "Her hands, which had kneaded bread for sixty years, rested on the table like two folded maps", what techniques are used, and what is their effect?
A relative clause ("which had kneaded bread for sixty years") compresses a lifetime of work into one detail, and the simile of "folded maps" suggests the lines on her hands record a long, well-travelled life. Together they create quiet respect without telling us how old or hardworking she is.
How can you structure a description of a person?
Use a shift in focus, as you would for a place: for example, start with a wide view of them in their setting, zoom in to one revealing detail, step back to show how others see them, then end on a small change or gesture that echoes the opening.