How to Answer Paper 2 Question 6 Flashcards
All 10 cards in this deck
What does Paper 2 Question 6 ask, and how many marks is it worth?
15 marks, AO4, on the whole of Text 2. It states what the writer attempts (for example, 'the writer attempts to share his memories of a childhood holiday') and asks you to evaluate how successfully this is achieved.
How is Paper 2 Question 6 marked?
With the same five-level AO4 ladder as Paper 1 Question 4: description, comment, explanation, analysis, evaluation. Techniques count above Level 1 only when they support your judgement.
How long should you spend on Paper 2 Question 6?
About 15–20 minutes: it's worth 15 marks, the same as Question 3.
What is the first thing to do in Paper 2 Question 6?
Underline exactly what the writer attempts to do. Every point you make should judge how well the text achieves that, not just what the text is about.
How is evaluating non-fiction different from evaluating fiction?
Think about the writer's purpose and audience: a memoir shares experience, a report informs, a column persuades. Judge how well the choices suit that purpose, for example whether personal detail makes a memory vivid and believable.
What do examiners criticise in Paper 2 Question 6 answers?
Summarising what the writer says, covering only part of the text, and listing techniques without judging them. The best answers sweep across the whole extract with a clear, developed judgement.
What is a sensible plan for Paper 2 Question 6?
Take four or five points from across Text 2: the opening, key moments, the ending and anything that runs throughout. For each: what the writer does, a short quotation, and how successfully it achieves the stated aim, with a reason.
Which text is Paper 2 Question 6 about?
Text 2 only. Questions 4, 5 and 6 are on Text 2. Writing about Text 1 here earns nothing.
Question 6 says 'the writer attempts to show how frightening the storm was'. Is 'The writer describes the storm and the damage it caused' a good opening sentence?
No: it only summarises. Better: 'The writer is highly successful in showing how frightening the storm was, because she shows it through the eyes of people who lost everything, so the reader feels its impact personally.'
Can you write about structure in Paper 2 Question 6?
Yes, when it helps your judgement: how the text opens, how it builds, where the writer places a key moment and how it ends can all show how successfully the aim is achieved.