How to Answer Paper 2 Question 3 Flashcards
All 11 cards in this deck
What does Paper 2 Question 3 ask, and how many marks is it worth?
15 marks, AO2. 'Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage the reader', about the whole of Text 1. Bullets remind you to write about language features and techniques, structural techniques and the effect on the reader.
What happens if your Paper 2 Question 3 answer covers only language, or only structure?
It can't go above the top of Level 2, which is 6 marks. Analysis of both is needed for Level 3 and above.
What are the five levels for Paper 2 Question 3?
Identification (1–3), comment (4–6), explanation (7–9), exploration (10–12) and analysis (13–15) of how both language and structure work, with references that grow from limited to discriminating.
How long should you spend on Paper 2 Question 3?
About 15–20 minutes: it's worth 15 of Section A's 56 marks, and you'll need time for Questions 6 and 7 too.
What does "interest and engage the reader" mean for your answer?
Every point should explain how a choice affects the reader: what it makes them feel, think, picture or want to read on to find out. That's the focus of the question, so a technique with no effect on the reader earns little.
What do examiners say separates the best Paper 2 Question 3 answers?
They think about what kind of text it is and who it was written for, a newspaper report, a memoir, a magazine piece, and explain the writer's choices in that light.
What is feature spotting, and why does it hold Question 3 answers back?
Listing techniques ('alliteration, personification, a simile') without explaining their effect. It stays at Level 1 or 2 however many features you find.
What structural features can you write about in non-fiction?
The headline or opening, the order of paragraphs, shifts between anecdote, fact and reflection, quotations from other people, changes of time or focus, sentence lengths, and how the text ends. Explain why each comes where it does.
What is a sensible plan for Paper 2 Question 3?
Work through Text 1 from beginning to end, picking four or five points that mix language and structure. Each one: method, short quotation, effect on the reader, linked to the kind of text and its purpose.
A student writes: 'The writer uses lots of facts.' How could it be improved for Paper 2 Question 3?
Name the facts and explain their effect: 'Opening with stark figures ("forty homes flooded overnight") shocks the reader at once and gives the report authority, so we trust the account that follows.'
Do you need to compare Text 1 with Text 2 in Question 3?
No. Question 3 is about Text 1 only. Comparison is for Question 7.