Paper 1: Question 1 Example (AQA GCSE English Language) : Revision Note
Paper 1 Question 1 of the AQA GCSE English Language exam is changing:
If you are sitting your exam in 2025 (including any resits), you will be tested on the existing style of question
If you are sitting your exam from 2026 onwards, you will be assessed with the new question style
Please refer to the appropriate part of this page to understand how to answer Question 1 on your exam paper.
Sample answer to Question 1 (2025 question style)
Paper 1 Question 1 is designed to settle you down into the exam, so even though it is only worth 4 marks, these should be easy marks to pick up.
Let’s have a look at the question, which is about lines 1-5 of the source text:
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Have a go at writing your four answers to the example question, and then compare what you have written to the suggested answers below.
The examiner will accept any other valid response that they are able to verify by checking the text. They will also accept answers that start with “There are…” or “She can see…”
Paper 1 Question 1 suggested answers
The examiner will award one mark for each point about Zoe’s surroundings.
The table below details examples of what you would be awarded a mark for, and what you would not get a mark for (and why):
One mark each | No marks |
|---|---|
It was snowing It is snowing It is snowy | It was dark (no mention of this in the text) |
The snow is gentle | It is gentle (no mention of snow) |
The snow is beautiful (implied) | |
The snow has six-pointed flakes | The snow has flakes (not specific enough) |
The snow flakes settled on Zoe’s jacket sleeve | |
The snow looked like it was from a picture book (implied) | The snow is from a picture book (it’s not - it just looks like it is) |
The surroundings are magical (implied) | |
Zoe is on a mountain | |
The mountain air is icy The air was icy The air prickled with ice | |
The air smells of pine resin | The air smells (doesn’t say of what) |
Saint-Bernard-en-Haut is below her | Below her is Bernard (not specific to the text) |
There is a village/resort below her | She is in a village (no she’s not - she is on a mountain) |
There is a Pyrenean resort village several hundred metres below her | |
To the west she can see the Pyrenees There is a mountain range to the west | She can see a range (needs to specify mountain range) |
The mountain range has irregular peaks | It was irregular (must include mountains or peaks) |
She can see the dark outlines of the village below her | She can see outlines (needs to specify of what) |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You will see that some valid answers are implied, which means that the information is found between the lines. Check out our explicit and implicit information exam skills page for more information.
However, to get four marks, you can include just explicit information in your response.
Sample answer to Question 1 (question style from 2026)
Paper 1 Question 1 is designed to settle you down into the exam, so even though it is only worth 4 marks, these should be easy marks to pick up.
Let’s have a look at the question, which is about lines 1-9 of the source text:
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Have a go at writing your four answers to the example question, and then compare what you have written to the suggested answers below.
Paper 1 Question 1 correct answers
Question part | Correct answer | Marks |
|---|---|---|
What worries Pi about the hyena? | Remembering what his father told him about hyenas | 1 |
How do hyenas usually attack? | As a group | 1 |
What sort of attackers are hyenas? | Tough | 1 |
What does Pi hope will distract the hyena away from him? | The other animals on the boat | 1 |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Some valid answers for this question may not be explicit, but instead be implied, which means that the information is found between the lines. Check out our explicit and implicit meaning exam skills page for a detailed guide on how to find both types of information in an exam.
Learn more and test yourself
For more great tips and tricks, check out Paper 1: How to Answer Question 1.
You can also test yourself on Paper 1 Question 1 with expert-created model answers, with fully explained examiner comments, as part of our Paper 1 Question 1 exam questions offer.
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