Paper 1: Section B Overview (AQA GCSE English Language) : Revision Note

Deb Orrock

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

Updated on

Writing section summary

Section B overview

  • Part of the fiction paper: you will write your own piece of descriptive or narrative writing

  • Answer 1 question from a choice of 2 (one with an image)

  • Section B is worth 40 marks in total

  • It counts as 25% of the GCSE

  • You are assessed on your writing skills, as well as your use and control of spelling, punctuation and grammar 

Timings

Spend 45 minutes on Section B

In Section B: Writing of Paper 1 (Question 5) you will be given the choice of writing to describe or writing to narrate (this option asks you to write a story). One of the options will also contain a picture prompt to use as the basis for your writing.

How long should I spend writing for Question 5?

You should aim to spend about 45 minutes on Section B, but don’t spend all of that time writing. For the best marks, it’s crucial to plan your answer and, after it’s written, to check it for mistakes:

AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 Section B Timings
Paper 1 Section B timings

For expert guides on planning and proofreading, check out our exam skills pages on How to Plan Your Creative Writing at GCSE and How to Check and Proofread Your Writing at GCSE.

What am I tested on in Section B: Writing?

For Question 5, you are tested on your ability to create an effective narrative or description and your use and control of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG). 

Understanding the assessment objectives (AOs) of Section B in more detail will help you:

  • Know what skills you are expected to show in the exam

  • Help you identify areas to improve on

Section B

AO5

Content and organisation (24 marks)

  • Write clearly and creatively, using a suitable tone and style for your purpose and audience

  • Organise your ideas so your writing flows well and makes sense

AO6

Technical accuracy (16 marks)

  • Use a wide range of vocabulary and sentence types to make your writing interesting and effective

  • Check spelling and punctuation to keep your writing accurate

Expert tips for the writing question

  1. Understand what the question is asking

  • The image is only a prompt:

    • Don’t just describe what you see

    • You need to include additional, original ideas to what the image gives you

  • For either option, you need to focus on using a variety of appropriate techniques and linguistic devices to add detail, ambition and sophistication to your writing:

    • For example, don’t add dialogue to a description

  1. Plan before you write!

  • Your writing needs to be controlled and structured, so spend 5–10 minutes planning your writing

  • Before you start writing, make sure you have decided on the following:

Planning checklist

Structure

The beginning, middle and end planned

Point of view

Who is narrating? What is their backstory?

Location

What is the setting like? (It’s best to stick to one location)

Characters

Who is involved? (It’s best to stick to two characters, maximum)

Examiner Tips and Tricks

If you are writing a story, start at the point just before something eventful happens. By starting at the destination, rather than including lots of set-up, you are more likely to write an engaging piece of creative writing. 


You’ll also be much more likely to finish your piece of writing: completing your piece of creative writing is vital to achieve top marks in the exam.

  1. Expert writing tips

  • Your use of tenses (e.g. present or past tense) must be consistent

  • Try to include ambitious language and detail to bring your writing to life and engage the reader

  • You should also try to demonstrate the accurate use of a range of punctuation

  • Your paragraphs should be fluently linked, so think about how each links to the last

  1. Remember to use figurative language

  • There are lots of figurative language techniques you can employ to give your creative or descriptive writing interesting detail, but a useful acronym to remember in the exam is RAMPOS:

R

Repetition

Of a word, phrase, image or idea. This is much more effective if you think of repetition as a motif that you use throughout your piece of writing

A

Alliteration

Remember, the words starting with the same consonant sound do not have to be consecutive.

M

Metaphor

Metaphors can be as simple as figures of speech, but are especially effective where they are extended and developed

P

Personification

A great way to create atmosphere at the start of your writing is by personifying the setting to your story or description

O

Onomatopoeia

The representation of sound on paper should be more sophisticated than comic-book terms such as “boom”. It is also not helpful to put onomatopoeic words all in capital letters. Consider sound as a way of evoking the senses in order to create atmosphere

S

Simile

A simple comparison using “like” or “as” should be used sparingly, as this creates more impact

Learn more

For a more detailed breakdown of the question, the mark scheme and a model answer, check out the following revision notes:

You've read 1 of your 5 free revision notes this week

Unlock more, it's free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Deb Orrock

Author: Deb Orrock

Expertise: English Content Creator

Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

Kate Lee

Reviewer: Kate Lee

Expertise: English Content Creator

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.

Download notes on Paper 1: Section B Overview