AQA GCSE English Language 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Paper 1

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You must write down all the stages in your working.

Section A: Reading

Original practice source: The station concourse was almost empty. Rain tapped against the glass roof while the departure board flickered, paused, then changed again. Mira tightened her grip on the letter in her pocket and watched the platform lights stretch across the wet floor. Use this short source for Section A. It is original StudyVector practice text, not an exam-board extract.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A-READING1 (4 marks)

  Read again the source in the section rubric (the paragraph beginning 'The station concourse was almost empty' and ending 'across the wet floor'). List FOUR things from this part of the text about the station and its surroundings. You may use your own words or quotations from the text.

  (Total for Question SECTION-A-READING1 is 4 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-A-READING2 (8 marks)

  Look in detail at the source in the section rubric. How does the writer use language here to create a sense of tension and unease? You could include the writer's choice of: - words and phrases - language features and techniques - sentence forms. [8 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A-READING2 is 8 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-A-READING3 (8 marks)

  You now need to think about the WHOLE of the source in the section rubric, treating it as the opening of a longer story. 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 this focus as the source develops - any other structural features that interest you. [8 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A-READING3 is 8 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-A-READING4 (20 marks)

  Focus on the second half of the source in the section rubric, from 'Mira tightened her grip' to the end. A reader said: 'This part of the text makes Mira seem anxious and full of secrets. The writer really makes you want to know what happens next.' To what extent do you agree? In your response you should: - consider your own impressions of Mira - evaluate how the writer creates a sense of anxiety and mystery - support your response with references to the text. [20 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A-READING4 is 20 marks)

Section B: Writing

Descriptive or narrative writing. Answer ALL questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B-WRITING1 (40 marks)

  Section B: Writing. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section. Write in full sentences. You are reminded of the need to plan your answer. You should leave enough time to check your work at the end. You are going to enter a creative writing competition. Your entry will be judged by a panel of published authors. EITHER (a) Write a description of a place at the moment when everyone else has left, as suggested by this scenario: an almost-empty station late at night. OR (b) Write the opening part of a story about a character who is waiting to make a difficult decision. (24 marks for content and organisation; 16 marks for technical accuracy.) [40 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-B-WRITING1 is 40 marks)