How to Answer Paper 2 Question 5 Flashcards
All 12 cards in this deck
How many marks is Paper 2 Question 5 worth, and how are they split?
40 marks: 24 for AO5 (content and organisation) and 16 for AO6 (technical accuracy). It is a quarter of the whole GCSE.
How long should you spend on Paper 2 Question 5?
About 45 minutes: roughly 5–10 minutes planning, 30 minutes writing and 5 minutes checking.
What does a Paper 2 Question 5 task look like?
A quoted statement that people could disagree with, then "Write a/an [form] for [audience] in which you argue/explain your point of view on this statement." There is one task and no choice.
In Question 5, what is the difference between being asked to argue and to explain your point of view?
Argue: push the reader towards your side, forcefully. Explain: set out and justify your view more calmly, often weighing other views. Both still need a clear point of view.
Do you have to agree with the Question 5 statement?
No. Agree, disagree or agree in part. What matters is a clear, consistent viewpoint that responds to the whole statement, not one that flips back and forth.
What does a top-band (Level 4) Question 5 answer do for AO5?
It is convincing and compelling: tone and register suit the audience with confidence, ideas are detailed and complex, paragraphs flow seamlessly, and language and rhetoric are deliberately crafted.
What happens to your AO5 mark if you don't address the statement directly?
It is capped at 12 (the top of Level 2), however well written, because the writing can't be clear or convincing about the task.
Are AO5 and AO6 marked together in Question 5?
No, separately. A strong argument can earn a high AO5 mark even with some errors, and accuracy is judged on its own 16-mark grid.
What do examiners criticise about abstract Question 5 arguments, and how do you avoid it?
Big general claims ("pollution is bad for the planet") with nothing specific behind them stay in Level 2. Ground each point in a concrete example: a particular situation, a named type of place, your own experience widened to others.
Why shouldn't you invent statistics in Question 5?
Examiners call made-up figures "spurious": "94.7% of teenagers…" sounds false and weakens your credibility. Use well-known facts, reasoned examples or a clearly hypothetical case instead.
Is a longer Question 5 answer a better one?
No. Examiners can usually place an answer by the end of its first or second page. Very long answers lose control of the argument and pick up more errors. Write a carefully crafted piece and leave time to check it.
Why do examiners warn against pre-learned vocabulary and stock openings in Question 5?
Memorised "ambitious" words and stock openers like "Picture this…" usually don't fit the audience or tone, so they sound clumsy and can pull the mark down. Choose the precise word that suits your reader.