English Language Paper 1 Assessment February 2021

1. Read again the first part of the source, lines 1 to 8.

List four things from this part of the text about the path that the old man and the boy are
walking along.
GUIDANCE: Take your answers from lines 1-8 only. Don’t spend too long on this question.
Write your answer in 4 bullet points. You do not need to write in full sentences – each bullet
point can be a quotation.
2. Look in detail at the extract from lines 9 to 16.
How does the writer use language here to describe the old man?
You could include the writer’s choice of:
 words and phrases
 language features and techniques
 sentence forms.
GUIDANCE: Take your answers from lines 9-16 only. Write between 2 and 3 PETER
paragraphs. Aim to identify at least 4 language techniques.
3. You now need to think about the whole of the source.

This text is from the opening of a novel.

How has the writer structured the text to gain and hold the reader’s interest?

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.
 GUIDANCE: Read whole extract. Write 3 PETER paragraphs (1 each for: beginning,
middle and end of the extract). Aim to identify at least 4 structure techniques and
explain why they have been used.
4. Focus this part of your answer on the second part of the source, from line 17 to the end.

A student, having read this section of the text, said: “The writer creates a vivid character in
the boy. You feel as if you know a lot about him and his life from this short passage.”

To what extent do you agree?

In your response, you could:

 write about your own impressions of the boy
 evaluate how the writer has created these impressions
 support your opinions with references to the text.
 GUIDANCE: Focus on line 17 to the end. Write 3-5 detailed PETER paragraphs (1
each for: beginning, middle and end of the extract). Aim to identify at least 6
language/structure techniques and explain why they have been used.