2. Reading a text
You should spend 1 hour 10 minutes on this section of the paper
(45-50 minutes on the writing section)
• Read the first text – answer the first set of questions on this
text. Then read the second text and answer the questions on
this text. This will ensure you don‟t get muddled with the texts
and give your hand a rest!
• After you have read the text, you need to unpack the text.
Which means deciding on what the purpose of the text is, who it
was written for and what tone the writing has.
• DON‟T start the reading questions until you are confident that
you have:-
Read the passage to the end
Formed a view of what it is about
Considered some of the ways the writer has tried to
communicate his/her point of view
And remember: Underline and annotate the text to help you plan
your answers the questions.
3. The Foundation Paper -
Reading
There are two reading passages and one set of questions on
each passage.
The questions on the first passage will ask you WHAT the
passage is about.
•The questions on the second passage will ask you HOW the
writer has presented the material.
Each question is worth 20 marks so spend no more than 35
minutes on each text.
Don‟t forget this when you are planning your time
management in the examination
4. So when reading the extracts for the
first time, you should identify…
• Tone (friendly, argumentative,
sad, shocking, excited etc.)
• Purpose (persuade, argue,
advise, inform, entertain etc.)
• Audience (age, gender,
interests, education...)
• Form (e.g. letter, broadsheet
article, tabloid article, leaflet etc.)
5. Outline = Summary
With the first text you will be asked to
outline two or three elements of the text in
an outline or summary. This is not asking
you to explore or explain what the writer has
written, just „WHAT‟ the text says about the
points in the question.
Imagine it like this: you are an editor
and have been asked to rewrite the
text without all the excess.
6. The Outline Question: What
the examiners are looking for
• Understanding of TASK and TEXT
• An OVERVIEW of the material
• A clear focus on each separate, relevant
point you make without overlap into other
points
• Confident use of “own words” with NO
copying/lifting from the text
• A range of (but not necessarily all of the)
points
7. The second text
With the second text you will be asked to explore
‘HOW’ the writer has achieved the effect and tone
of their piece.
These questions will be about the presentation of
the text.
Examine how the passage has been written and
produced: make points about structure, information
and language which are supported with examples
from the text.
These questions are looking for you to explore
HOW the writer has achieved their tone and
purpose and you will have to use evidence to
support your answers.
8. Presentation – What are you looking for as evidence?
Persuasive
Structural techniques: list of The writer’s
3, emotive,
features repetition... language
Balance of fact
Descriptive
devices: imagery,
choices
and opinion onomatopoeia,
speech...
Language and
Presentation
Informative
How does the
techniques:
writer support their
imperatives,
points?
facts...
How is the reader
How the piece
addressed? Is it
begins, develops
friendly,
and ends.
aggressive....
9. The second text – TOP TIPs
You should always structure your answer
around the effect/tone/mood the text has and
then use the language, structure and non-
written features to support your point. Avoid
making the language/structure feature your
point.
E.g. The tone of the text is sarcastic. The writer
achieves this by insert evidence Or: The purpose of the
text is to shock the reader, the headline intensifies this
with its use of insert evidence.
Instead of: There is imagery in the piece and this...
The best way to ensure you do this is to PLAN
10. Avoiding the generic
In order to analyse and explore a text in detail, and
reach those higher bands, you have got to avoid
those awful generic phrases: this is effective... this
draws the reader in... It is powerful...
Instead think about:
• This draws the reader in = it creates a friendly
tone/ excitement/ shock/mystery/tension BY ...
• It is powerful = technique X makes the reader
feel.../causes the reader to feel...
• This is effective = the effect of X is to make the
writer‟s point.../ is to make the reader feel.../ is to
highlight the...
11. What the Examiners are looking for
on the second text questions?
• A range of relevant points (about information,
language and structure as appropriate)
• Effective supporting reference to the text with a
clear attempt at analysis of what is referred to
• A good understanding of the TASK and the
TEXT
12. The Foundation Paper- Writing
You will be asked to do ONE writing task from a choice
of TWO. In both Foundation and Higher Tiers this task
will be worth a total of 40 marks.
At least a third of the marks will be awarded for the
technical aspects of your writing, which includes
spelling and punctuation.
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on Section
B and write between a side and a side and a half.
Do ensure you have time to PLAN your response
before you begin to write.
13. The Foundation Paper-
Writing
In Section B of the written examination you will be
assessed on Assessment Objective 4:
write to communicate clearly, effectively and
imaginatively, using and adapting forms and
selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and
purpose in ways to engage the reader
This requires you to develop your own ideas, and
present them clearly using an engaging choice of
vocabulary, tone and structure to keep your reader
interested.
14. The Foundation Paper- Writing
organise information and ideas into structured and
sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using
a variety of linguistic and structural features to support
cohesion and overall coherence
You must organise your writing in a logical, helpful way so that
the reader can follow your ideas easily. A strong beginning is
essential and an effective ending. Careful planning is
essential to achieve this.
use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and
effect, with accurate punctuation and spelling.
Using a variety of sentence structures helps keep your writing
interesting by varying the pace. It is important that you check
your spelling and punctuation carefully.
15. Writing – Top Tips
• DO plan your work carefully! Take five minutes at least
to work out WHAT you are going to say and HOW you
are going to say it.
• DON‟T write too much! If you are going onto more
than three sides ask yourself why!
• Remember that QUALITY is all important and that
QUANTITY need only be enough to show what you
can do at your best.
• Accurate spelling, punctuation and sentence structure
matter.
16. What the Examiners are looking for:-
(Grade C)
• General control of the material: but some ambition, too.
• A relevant understanding of what you have set yourself
to do. Sense of the audience, where there is one.
• Some variety of vocabulary: “fit the word to the idea not
the idea to the word”.
• A clear beginning, middle and end.
• Effectively linked paragraphs.
• Generally accurate sentence structures.
• Mainly accurate spelling: possibly some errors in
ambitious vocabulary.
• Simple punctuation mostly accurate and secure.
