Wednesday 14th May exam: English Language AQA A level

I'm retaking this. I got a B last year but A2 is so difficult that I need to get an A. From experience, don't only learn one of either language and power/tech/gender. Learn at least 2. With groupings, you can almost go in with a set structure if your groups are broad but subtle enough. I'm going to use modality (deontic/epistemic), text image cohesion, pre adjectival modification, register, similar syntax. Last year I only did 3 groups but quite big paragraphs. That's where I messed up. It's way better to do lots of small groups as last year, I got confused between declarative and imperatives and did a group on declaratives but all my examples were imperatives.

Reply 2

OP

Ahh thats good atleast you passed :smile:

what is syntax and what type of grouping would I make because of that?

And how do you structure the groupings? Do you explain how the texts differ by comparing?

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Reply 3

Original post by Dazzling_Belinda

Ahh thats good atleast you passed :smile:

what is syntax and what type of grouping would I make because of that?

And how do you structure the groupings? Do you explain how the texts differ by comparing?

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so syntax is the form and function of a sentence. Like 'the cat sat on the mat' is simple as it is a statement. 'The cat sat on the mat and fell asleep' is compound and 'the cat, which was brown and furry, sat on the mat' is complex. The form can be interrogative (question), exclamative (!), imperative (you must), declarative (statement).

structure is to explain why you have grouped them, but then why they differ. e.g. you might make a grouping due to formal register but then one may be because it is a letter to someone that requires it to be formal and the other text may be formal because it was written in the 18th century where only the elite could read and so a formal register was used.

Reply 4

OP

Thank you

how do you plan it at the beginning for groupings to make sure you dont run out of time? Timing is a problem for me

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Reply 5

OhhNo

7

Original post by HillyH1995

I'm retaking this. I got a B last year but A2 is so difficult that I need to get an A. From experience, don't only learn one of either language and power/tech/gender. Learn at least 2. With groupings, you can almost go in with a set structure if your groups are broad but subtle enough. I'm going to use modality (deontic/epistemic), text image cohesion, pre adjectival modification, register, similar syntax. Last year I only did 3 groups but quite big paragraphs. That's where I messed up. It's way better to do lots of small groups as last year, I got confused between declarative and imperatives and did a group on declaratives but all my examples were imperatives.

How difficult is A2 then? I'm in AS and I find it really easy (96% in coursework and straight As in practice essays) is it a big jump up?

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Reply 6

Original post by OhhNo

How difficult is A2 then? I'm in AS and I find it really easy (96% in coursework and straight As in practice essays) is it a big jump up?

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yeah, i did similar to you. got 100% in coursework, 45/48 in practice essays and then come exam, i messed up. But A2 just has a ridiculous amount to learn. language change is easy but the child language side is pretty difficult. loads of theories. depends how good your memory is tbh.

Reply 7

OP

Were you that stressed for the exam that you messed up?

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Reply 8

OhhNo

7

Original post by HillyH1995

yeah, i did similar to you. got 100% in coursework, 45/48 in practice essays and then come exam, i messed up. But A2 just has a ridiculous amount to learn. language change is easy but the child language side is pretty difficult. loads of theories. depends how good your memory is tbh.

So jealous of your 100%, it must have been good. My school doesn't award 100% (I've been told this by teachers), they literally said they couldn't fault mine and there were no possible improvements to make, but wouldn't give me a higher mark :frown:

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Reply 9

Original post by Dazzling_Belinda

Were you that stressed for the exam that you messed up?

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not really. english was the subject i was most confident with. my teacher said to my mum at parents evening that she would kill herself if i didn't get an A haha. i think doing so well in coursework and practice papers made me feel like i was guaranteed a high grade whatever i did. it's good to be stressed out about it. makes you work harder

Reply 10

Original post by OhhNo

So jealous of your 100%, it must have been good. My school doesn't award 100% (I've been told this by teachers), they literally said they couldn't fault mine and there were no possible improvements to make, but wouldn't give me a higher mark :frown:

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yeah they told me that if a student got 100% they had to send it to the exam board for checking (usually it's a random selection).

Reply 11

OP

I dont understand how you got a B overall when you got A's in your coursework? Because cw is still 40% of AS grade. What did you get in the exam?

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Reply 12

madmorgss

6

Omg. I struggled to find a thread about English Language AS. I'm actually so nervous for the exam, my teacher hasn't told us our coursework grades so my class is just panicking. I know I'll do fine at Language and Gender but Categorising texts will catch me out :frown:

Reply 13

OP

Haha glad I made the thread then. And same here I'm waiting for my coursework grade. I'm finding categorising texts hard too. Have you done revison for Power?

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Reply 14

Libbie-

2

I've got the Language and Power and Language and Gender topics memorised. However we have two teachers who teach one unit each. The one who teaches the categorising side only started to teach us about groupings about three weeks ago, and this was after months of complaining so I have very little hope with that part of the exam :frown:

Reply 15

OP