Paper 1 — Reading
Edexcel GCSE English Language revision on Paper 1 — Reading. Aligned to the Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language 1EN0 specification. This bank has 18 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 18)
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Question 1
In Paper 1 Section A, Question 2 typically asks you to analyse the writer's use of...
- A) Structure
- B) Language
- C) Both reader and writer
- D) Comparison with another text
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Answer: Language
AQA Paper 1 Section A structure: Q1 (4 marks, list facts), Q2 (8 marks, language), Q3 (8 marks, structure), Q4 (20 marks, critical evaluation of a statement). Knowing what each question expects = half the battle. For Q2, ANALYSE — don't just spot — language choices (words, phrases, techniques) and their effect on the reader.
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Question 2
When analysing 'structure' in Paper 1 Q3, you should focus on...
- A) Spelling and grammar
- B) How the writer organises the text
- C) Whether the text is fiction or non-fiction
- D) The character's emotions
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Answer: How the writer organises the text
Q3 is the trickiest. Talk about: shifts in focus (close-up → wide shot, indoor → outdoor), perspective changes, time shifts (flashback, present, future), how the opening contrasts with the ending, repeated motifs. Avoid commenting on individual words or sentences (that's Q2 language territory).
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Question 3
Paper 1 Section A is on a FICTION extract from...
- A) The Victorian era only
- B) The 20th or 21st century
- C) Any time period — usually 20th/21st century
- D) Always a non-fiction memoir
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Answer: Any time period — usually 20th/21st century
Recent papers have used extracts from Anthony Doerr, Susan Hill, Ishiguro, Hosseini, Atwood, Faulks. Time period flexibility lets AQA pick the best extract for the question. Don't be thrown if it's unfamiliar — focus on the language + structure, not whether you've read the book.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
15 more questions on Paper 1 — Reading — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole English Language spec.