AQA Paper 1 English Language sample practice questions

Last updated: 23/11/2023
Contributor: Liz Warburton-Smith
AQA Paper 1 English Language sample practice questions
Main Subject
Key stage
Exam board
Category
English
Resource type
Assessment
Exam preparation

 

This useful resource is a sample Section A text and questions in the style of AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1. The resource enables students to practice questions that might potentially appear on Paper 1 to build familiarity and confidence with the format and question type.

The questions take students through a typical Section A experience and help them to focus on language features, sentence forms and writers’ viewpoints ahead of their exams or for revision.

Exploring a section of the novel, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle, students are encouraged to evaluate the writer’s use of language and thematic concerns in line with AQA Paper 1 Section A questions.

There are also model answers included to help guide students to zoom in on relevant details and concepts.

Browse additional resources in the AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 section.

 

This practice paper focuses on an extract from Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha which can be found in the GCSE English Language Reading resource on the AQA website.

There are two extracts from this text within the booklet: the one accompanying this resource is the second extract, on pp.27–28.

 

A sample extract from the resource:

  1. Read again lines 1 to 11 from the first part of the source.

List four things about the bikes from this part of the source.

(4 marks)

 

  1. Look in detail at lines 1 to 16, from ‘We charged through on our bikes’ to ‘a second attack’.

How does the writer use language to describe the way the boys played on their bikes?

You could include the writer’s choice of:

  • words and phrases
  • language features and techniques
  • sentence forms.

(8 marks)

 

  1. Now you need to think about the whole of the source.

How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?

You could write about:

  • what the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning
  • how and why the writer changes their focus as the source develops
  • any other structural features that interest you.

(8 marks)

 

All reviews

Have you used this resource?

5

07/07/2021

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20/04/2021

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18/03/2021

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09/01/2021

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06/04/2020

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29/01/2020

Hi Jill, thank you for investigating as well. Yes, there are two extracts from 'Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha' in the AQA booklet. You can click on the URL to go to the booklet, and you are looking for the second of the two extracts from the text to use with this resource.

Helen Stacey, Teachit English Editor

21/01/2020

The correct extract which matches the practice questions is in the AQA Reading Resource (second Roddy Doyle extract). https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/AQA-87001-RSB.PDF

Jill Barnett

20/01/2020

Same problem. Tried to use the Paddy Haha work and the practice questions are for a different section of the text. I'd still like to use this work so can you let me know when it will be corrected?

Jill Barnett

20/01/2020

Hi Charlotte, thank you for your comment. I've emailed you to find out more about the problem!

Helen Stacey, Teachit English Editor

16/01/2020

The q4 does not match up to the text; it is not about bikes

Charlotte Denton

15/01/2020

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09/01/2020

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08/01/2020