Mini practice paper: 8 questions
Mixed-difficulty questions from across the English Language syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.
Q1 · Difficulty 1/3
In AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2, which of the following best describes the purpose of the writing task in Section B?
- To write a story using descriptive techniques
- To express a viewpoint or perspective on a given topic
- To summarise two non-fiction sources
- To analyse the language used in an unseen extract
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — To express a viewpoint or perspective on a given topic
Paper 2, Section B asks students to write for a specific audience and purpose, expressing a viewpoint or perspective on a topic. This contrasts with Paper 1, which focuses on narrative and descriptive writing. The other options describe tasks from different sections or papers.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
Which form would be most appropriate if a student is asked to write a persuasive piece targeting school governors about improving student wellbeing?
- A personal diary entry
- A formal letter
- A short story
- A film review
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — A formal letter
A formal letter is the most appropriate form when addressing figures of authority such as school governors, as it matches the audience and purpose effectively. Personal diary entries and short stories are narrative forms unsuited to persuasive viewpoint writing. A film review serves a different communicative purpose entirely.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3
Which of the following is an example of a phatic expression in spoken language?
- A) 'Could you explain that again, please?'
- B) 'Nice weather we're having, isn't it?'
- C) 'The report needs to be submitted by Friday.'
- D) 'I strongly disagree with your argument.'
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — B) 'Nice weather we're having, isn't it?'
Phatic expressions are social utterances that serve to maintain relationships rather than convey specific information. 'Nice weather we're having' is a classic example used to establish social contact.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3
In terms of AQA marking, what does it mean for writing to be 'matched to purpose'?
- The writing is exactly 450 words long as recommended
- The writing uses the correct genre conventions and tone for the task set
- The writing includes at least five different language techniques
- The writing avoids using any first-person pronouns
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — The writing uses the correct genre conventions and tone for the task set
Being 'matched to purpose' means the student has recognised whether the task requires descriptive, narrative, or another form of writing and has applied appropriate conventions, structure, and tone accordingly. Word count and technique quantity are not what this criterion measures.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3
A student writes: 'The government has failed us. It has failed our children. It has failed our future.' Which rhetorical technique is being used?
- Hyperbole
- Anaphora
- Litotes
- Personification
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Anaphora
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses for rhetorical effect, as seen in 'It has failed…' repeated here. Hyperbole involves deliberate exaggeration, litotes uses understatement, and personification gives human qualities to non-human things. Recognising and using anaphora is a mark of sophisticated viewpoint writing.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3
A writer opens an article with: 'Every single day, thousands of children go hungry.' Which technique is primarily being used?
- Sibilance
- Hyperbole
- Statistic used with emotive framing
- Understatement
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Statistic used with emotive framing
The writer uses a statistic ('thousands of children') combined with emotive framing ('every single day', 'go hungry') to provoke concern and urgency. This dual technique is common in persuasive non-fiction writing.
Q7 · Difficulty 3/3
A student is asked to evaluate how effectively a writer argues their viewpoint. Which response best demonstrates evaluative skill?
- The writer uses rhetorical questions to engage the reader.
- The writer's use of statistical evidence effectively persuades readers because it provides factual authority, though over-reliance on data may alienate less informed audiences.
- The writer includes facts and opinions throughout the article.
- The text is very persuasive and uses lots of good language techniques.
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — The writer's use of statistical evidence effectively persuades readers because it provides factual authority, though over-reliance on data may alienate less informed audiences.
Evaluation requires a judgement about effectiveness supported by reasoning, including consideration of limitations or alternative perspectives. Simply identifying techniques or making vague statements does not constitute evaluation.
Q8 · Difficulty 3/3
A linguist studying a transcript notes that one speaker consistently uses 'innit' as a tag question regardless of the grammatical subject of the sentence. What does this suggest about the feature?
- A) It is a deliberate formal rhetorical device
- B) It has become a fixed discourse marker in the speaker's idiolect
- C) It is evidence of the speaker making grammatical errors
- D) It shows the speaker is converging towards RP
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — B) It has become a fixed discourse marker in the speaker's idiolect
When 'innit' is used invariantly (not changing with subject or tense), it functions as a discourse marker or tag rather than a true grammatical tag question. This reflects features of the speaker's idiolect and social identity rather than grammatical error.
AQA GCSE English Language FAQ
What does the AQA GCSE English Language exam look like?
The AQA GCSE English Language exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification. Paper 2: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification. Paper 3: Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions. Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Can I download a free AQA GCSE English Language past paper?
Real AQA past papers are published directly by AQA on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is AQA GCSE English Language graded?
Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.