How to Answer Paper 1 Question 5 Flashcards
All 12 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.