Daniel O.
GH-T1118
English teacher and former AQA Literature examiner
PromotedExaminer experience verified
English Language · English Literature · Birmingham
£50/hour
View profile GCSE subject guide
GCSE English Language
English Language tests reading unseen texts and writing for a purpose. There are no set books, so progress comes from practising with the question types and building a reliable writing routine.
AQA 8700 · Edexcel 1EN0 · Eduqas C700
- Papers
- 2 exam papers (AQA: 1 hr 45 min each)
- Texts
- Unseen fiction and non-fiction, 19th–21st century
- Spoken Language
- Reported separately as Pass, Merit or Distinction
- Tiers
- Single tier, grades 1–9
What the papers ask for
On AQA, Paper 1 pairs a fiction extract with a descriptive or narrative writing task; Paper 2 pairs two linked non-fiction sources with a viewpoint writing task. Pearson Edexcel follows a similar fiction and non-fiction split, with transactional writing on the second paper. Knowing which assessment objective each question targets stops students from writing everything they know.
Where marks are usually lost
Language-analysis answers that name techniques without explaining their effect, comparison questions answered as two separate summaries, and writing tasks that start strongly but lose structure. Accuracy marks for spelling, punctuation and sentence variety are worth protecting in the last ten minutes.
How a tutor usually helps
Short, frequent writing with specific feedback works better than long essays marked once. For students who use English as an additional language, a tutor can also build the vocabulary for analysis, such as verbs for describing a writer’s choices.
Details differ by board and change over time. Always check the current specification on the exam board’s website.
Approved tutors for GCSE English Language
Window T.
GH-T1201
13
English Language · London
£65/hour
View profile Further reading
How to use past papers properly
Past papers help most when they are used to find gaps. Doing paper after paper without reviewing them rarely changes a grade.
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