What the exam asks
In the AQA reference format, language analysis is tested most directly in:
- Paper 1, Question 2 (8 marks): analyse how the writer uses language in a specific part of a fiction extract
- Paper 2, Question 3 (12 marks): analyse how the writer uses language in one non-fiction source
- It also supports Paper 1, Question 4 and Paper 2, Question 4, where you must evaluate or compare writers’ methods
Across other boards, the wording changes slightly, but the skill is the same:
- select short, relevant quotations
- zoom in on words and phrases
- comment on language features and sentence forms
- explain effects clearly
- use terminology accurately, not mechanically
For Cambridge IGCSE Paper 1 Question 2, you must choose powerful words and phrases from two paragraphs and explain both their meaning and their effect, including any image created.
Core ideas
What AO2 really means
AO2 is about how writers shape meaning.
A strong answer follows this pattern: