Doing brilliantly in

English Language
Paper 2
Non-fiction
Getting the top grades

AO March 2010 1
Paper 2 Section A

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 The “Big Picture”
• Always read the two texts carefully –
highlight as you read.
• Try to grasp the text’s “big picture”. In other
words, understand exactly:
• what it is about & why it was written
(Purpose)
• who it was written for (Audience)
• how it was written (Language; Layout)

Think PALL
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 Keys to success

PALL
• Purpose –
What is the text trying to do?
• Audience –
Who is it aimed at?
• Language –
What kind of words have been used?
• Layout -
How is the text set out?

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 Two keys to success

PALL PQC – use it to

• Purpose explore PALL
• Audience • Point
• Language • Quotation
• • Comment
Layout
Write these on the exam paper to help you plan
and get the highest grades.
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     Purpose: is it…
 To entertain
 To explain
 To persuade
 To inform
 To convince
 To instruct
Remember: a text might have several of
these purposes.

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 Audience – this is who the text is
aimed at. For example:
 Young
 Old
 Mixed audience
 Adults
 Children/ teens

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 LANGUAGE 1

ALWAYS comment on the language that has been used –

this is the hardest part but will get you higher grades
because it is a challenge.
Read the text thinking about the choice of words – look out
for language and layout devices (they usually go
together) e.g. sub-headings, breakers, similes or
catchphrases
Think about the tone of the words chosen; are they –
positive or negative?
Select language details as you are reading through the text –
highlight words and phrases that stand out.

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 Language 2

• Formal or informal (such as using slang and

abbreviations)
• Literal or poetic / figurative
• Factual/objective, or opinion-based or emotive
• Look for adjectives – descriptive words – are they
exaggerated? Are they vivid – do they make things come to
life?
 Formal – scientific? Complex vocab? Polysyllabic?
 Informal - Chatty? Colloquial? Monosyllabic & bisyllabic?

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Language 3
Fact and Opinion
Remember:
Facts can be proven = they must be true. Facts are both powerful
and strong – these can be used to inform, convince or persuade
people of a certain situation.
  Opinion is someone’s personal belief – they think or feel it.
Concealed Opinion  Watch out for opinions that seem
like facts – i.e. “It is a fact that…” “ …. claims that ….” – this is a
way of tricking you the reader into believing an opinion.
 Opinions can be convincing – they might be used in text to
persuade you of a point of view.

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    Layout 1
‘Layout’ means the presentation – how the information is
shown to us. There will be plenty to comment on– but
remember always explain the effect on a reader.
 Breakers – extracted chunks of particularly gripping parts of the writing
 Bullet points – display large amounts of info in a clear structure
 Captions can help explain a picture or provide a pun
 Colour – there are lots of connections and links. Colours reinforce messages:
e.g. red= passion / danger / blood
 Columns – a way of organising text which allows two or three stories to fit
on the same page. Thus a paper can attract people interested in more than
one type of story
 Fonts – classic/ formal/ old-fashioned/ modern etc – Fonts are chosen to
impact on different audiences. Look out for larger or different fonts for
headlines and breakers

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 Layout 2

 Paragraphs – organising text. Comment if they are short, for

impact, or longer and more detailed. This makes a difference to a
text and should fit the age / intelligence of the AUDIENCE
 Pictures/ images support the text and grab attention – they can
also reduce the density of the text.
  Underlining.

Always comment on the first impression the text has – what do

you notice when you look at the text on the page?

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 Layout 3

 Graphs/ diagrams / charts – help make difficult info easy

to grasp
 Headings – important as a way to organise the text
 Images – Similes (like/as) or metaphors work to create
images in words, so you can see the thing being described
  Italics
 Logos – symbol of a company – represents things
 Maps – helpful in giving people info – finding or showing
a place

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Learn the check list of
PALL

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Learn the check list of
PALL
• Picking out the features will start you
on the right lines.

• You will get a C grade if you explain

why they are used and a higher grade
if you explore how they work and if
they are effective.

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Use quotations

• You should always use PQC

MAKE A
POINT GIVE A Comment:
Quotation explore the
work (75% of
marks)

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 Before doing well –
Problems to tackle
• Misreading the question and giving the wrong kind of answer.
• Not looking at the number of marks available.
• Picking out the wrong information.
• Using subject language inaccurately or incorrectly.
• Repeating the question rather than answering it.
• Poor paragraphing, spelling and punctuation.
• Giving vague explanations such as ‘it makes it stand out’.
• Poor time management. Aim for half a side max
for each one of A1 – 4 (7 minutes reading; 4 x
12 mins writing)

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 [Link] Photo Nick Fogden/Oxfam
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Key words
1 2
How effective is the advert for
3 Oxfam? Comment on the
language and presentational
features used. 4
5 How clear is the leaflet and what
audience do you think it is aimed
at?
6
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How to use PQC and
PALL


There are two women in a picture and there is some
green text. Also you can see the name Oxfam so this
shows also the name of the charity.

The advert is persuasive and positive as it uses

images of two women helping themselves to get out
of poverty. The rhetorical question at the top is
addressed to the reader to draw them into the advert
and the colour green has been chosen because it is a


positive colour that connects with the idea of a fresh
start. Overall it is effective.

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Key words

• Always highlight the question – pick out

the key words – what is the question
asking you to do?
• Get used to highlighting the text – look for
key words that stand out.
• What is the question asking you to do?
• Check have you answered the question.

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Paper 2 Section B

WRITING Skills

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 To achieve a C grade you must:

 
Write Clearly
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 To achieve a C grade you must:

 Write clearly =

 Punctuate correctly = use commas, use semi-

colons, apostrophes and full stops.
 You must use paragraphs to organise your
ideas.
 You must entertain and interest the reader
so keep checking you are focusing on the
question and thinking about the reader.
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Exam questions
Write PALL on your paper to help you plan
• Why are you writing – to entertain? Inform or
explain?
• Watch out for the audience – who will be the
reader? Children? Students? Headteachers?
• Make sure that your language is right for the
audience.

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Exam questions
• Use the way of planning that you find easiest.
It might be a list of bullet points or some kind
of diagram. Put all your ideas down quickly,
then cross out what you don’t like and
organise the rest into the best order.
• Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?
are questions that can help to get ideas.
• Respect the reader. Include all the
information they need. Make it make sense.

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Exam writing questions
1. Explain how an incident from your life affected
you in an important way.
2. Teenage life can be fun but can be difficult,
too; write an article for a school magazine in
which you explain what it is like to be a
teenager.
3. Many people have hobbies. Write about one of
your hobbies discussing what it involves and
means to you.
4. Write an article for a teenage magazine in
which you explain one of the following:
Friendship is ...; Bullying is ...; Success is ...;
Growing up is ... .
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PALL
L
A Write an article for a
teenage magazine in
which you explain some
of pressures on young
people today. P
L You could include details
of: exam pressure, peer
pressure, self image and
family life.

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 Write an article for a teenage magazine in which you
explain some of the pressures on young people today.

Being a teen is top! …

… ISN'T IT?
You can’t open a newspaper or turn on the TV without
hearing about ‘terrible teens’. Apparently they don’t
respect their family, their environment, their teachers,
their uniform, or anyone or anything. The only thing they
respect are celebrities, and of course teens are only
focused on their selfish selves.
Exams and families do create stress but the greatest
pressure is surviving all the negative press about teens.
According to the shock stories in the press, we all wear
hoodies and baseball caps, never move without a gang
surrounding us and we are never happier than when
intimidating older people or hanging around on street
corners.
Is this the reality of teens today?
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How to succeed in longer
writing tasks
1. Plan before you write. Jot down key
ideas – do a quick mind map/
brainstorm/ list or some notes – this will
help you organise your ideas.
2. Add in detail – keep trying to show off –
use the best words.
3. Check paragraphs and spellings – know
which words you are sometimes careless
with. Look closely at these when you
read through your writing.

4. Don’t get too nervous in the exam –

make sure that your writing is easy to
read. Remember that you won’t lose
marks for crossing out mistakes.
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Finally – a Health
warning
Each year, thousands
of students fail to
achieve the marks
they could.
Don't be one of
them.
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR WRITING
BEFORE HANDING IN!

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In the exam –
grabbing all of the marks
you can
With 7 minutes to go:
• Round off your ideas – write your last
paragraph.
• Proof read your work – quickly check
paragraphs – mark new paragraphs in with //
– you will get the marks for them.
• Check commas and full stops.
• Skim through and check you’ve used capital
letters for names and titles.

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Revision
• Use the PALL list and learn it.
• Remember PQC (more advanced: PQCQCC etc)
• Read newspapers, magazines and books – look for
the main point or main idea – this will get you
practising for the exam.
• Get into the habit of writing in paragraphs.
• Try to skim over your work to check for small
mistakes – target weaknesses.
• Get some highlighters – use them to on key points
and questions.
• Tick off when you have revised.
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