Paper 2 Question 5: Letter Model Answer (AQA GCSE English Language) : Revision Note

On this page we’ve included a fully annotated sample letter answer to a real past paper Question 5 from Paper 2 of the AQA English Language GCSE. Underneath the example answer, we show you how to structure a full-mark answer, and include some expert tips on how to get to that top grade.

Paper 2 Question 5 Grade 9 letter model answer

If you want to achieve a Grade 9, you should be aiming for a Level 4 across two assessment objectives: AO5 and AO6. Here is a past paper question and an example of a full-length Level 4 model answer.

Why would this letter achieve top marks?

• The answer convincingly matches the required purpose and audience:

  • It uses the correct salutation (greeting) and sign-off

  • Its tone is lively and suitable for a letter to a newspaper editor

• Sustained crafting:

  • It is very clearly planned, its structure is easy to follow yet sophisticated

  • The introduction puts across the writer’s point of view clearly

  • The argument is also balanced, introducing a counter-argument, but this is well challenged

  • Sentences are varied throughout for effect

• A wide range of ambitious vocabulary and punctuation is used throughout:

  • These choices are accurately used and always add meaning or impact

• A range of linguistic devices are confidently used for effect:

  • Rhetorical questions, direct address and anecdotes are used to emphasise points of the argument

Writing a GCSE English Language letter

For top marks, you’ll need to carefully consider: 

• The tone:

  • The sound of the writer’s “voice”

• The register:

  • The vocabulary and phrasing

• The style of the writing:

  • The sentence structure and overall structure

All of these should be appropriate for the form, audience and purpose of the piece of writing. For example, your register would need to be more formal for a letter written to an MP than an article in a travel magazine.

Breaking down the task

To work about what to include and how to write your answer, first perform a GAP analysis (what/who/why):

• This task asks you to write a formal letter as it is to the editor of a newspaper:

  • Letters will be formal if they are to people you do not know well

  • This means the register will be sophisticated

• As the task asks you to argue your point of view, you will need to sound convincing:

  • It will be necessary to use persuasive techniques

  • However, ensure you maintain a calm and controlled tone and a balanced argument

Expected features of a letter

These are the basic features of a letter the examiner would expect to see:

• A date

• An appropriate mode of address or greeting:

  • An informal letter will name the recipient, e.g., “Dear Joe,”

  • A formal letter will address the recipient using the surname or appropriate address, e.g., “Dear Sir/Madam,” or “Dear Mr Jones,”

• An appropriate mode of signing off:

  • Yours sincerely (for someone you know the name of)

  • Yours faithfully (for “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Editor”; someone you don’t know the name of)

You may wish to write addresses, but this is definitely optional because it can waste time. For more on the expected features of a letter, check out our page on how to write a letter for GCSE.

Structuring your letter

Planning your GCSE letter

Once you are sure of the form you should write in, and you have considered your audience and the tone you wish to adopt in your writing, you should 10 minutes planning the content (and the order of your content) of your response:

• Mind-map or write a list of points and techniques to use:

  • It can also be helpful to number your ideas to structure your answer in a specific order

  • You can use the ideas you read in the texts in Section A, as well as your own experiences

  • Try to include what persuasive techniques you will use for each point of your argument

• Your letter should be structured into 5–6 paragraphs:

  • Each paragraph does not have to be the same length

  • Better answers vary the lengths of their paragraphs for effect

  • Develop separate ideas or points in each paragraph

GCSE English Language letter layout

This letter template includes:

• The date

• A greeting

• A sign-off:

  • This letter is signed off using the appropriate sign-off for a letter to someone you don’t know the name of

  • If you choose to start the letter with “Dear Mr Peters,” for example, you should sign off with “Yours sincerely,” 

Step-by-step guide to structuring your letter

1. Directly address the reader:

   1. Introduce your argument — what you are writing about, why you are writing and what your opinion is

   2. Consider your use of pronouns, e.g., “you” or “we” 

2. Offer a fact or some research to support your opinion:

   1. This will gain you credibility and prove you are knowledgeable about the topic

   2. These can be made up, but make sure they are plausible

3. Engage the reader on a personal level using a counter-argument:

   1. This suggests you understand your reader and have already considered their concerns

4. Provide an anecdote to offer an example which proves your argument:

   1. This builds rapport with your reader by engaging with them on a personal level 

5. Offer more research or studies in the form of:

   1. Statistics

   2. A witness statement

   3. A poll

   4. A quote from an expert

6. End your letter with an emotive plea or solution to the issue:

   1. Use emotive language to engage your reader

   2. Ending your letter on a single sentence, perhaps using a triplet, is an effective conclusion

7. Sign off your letter in the correct way

Putting your letter ideas into a paragraph

Let’s look at how you might turn your ideas into paragraphs that hit the highest levels of the mark scheme for both assessment objectives (AOs) for this question. 

The AOs are:

The following is reflective of a full-mark answer for both AO5 and AO6. Below it, we’ve included an explanation of the types of things you need to include to reach this mark:

Learn more and test yourself

For more great tips and tricks, check out our dedicated revision notes on how to write a letter for GCSE and our student-friendly Paper 2 Question 5 mark scheme.

You can also test yourself on Paper 2 Question 5 by building your writing skills with our Paper 2 Question 5 multiple-choice questions and by writing your own letter and getting it marked by Smart Mark, our AI model created by English Language experts.