paper 2 question 5 writing a speech

AQA Language Paper 2 Q5: A* / L9 + Example Answer

Just in time for Halloween, here’s a spooky letter that argues persuasively in defence of keeping the festival going! I wrote this answer with the mark scheme in mind, so it ticks all the boxes that you would expect for a top-level grade – a clear, thorough argument with counter paragraphs, an evaluative conclusion, lots of rhetorical devices, a logical structure and more! The answer wasn’t written in timed conditions, but it is roughly the right length for the AQA GCSE Paper 2 Writing question – which you have around 45-55 minutes to answer.

If you have time, have a go at planning and maybe even writing your own piece first, before you look at the example. If you’re feeling unconfident, take a look at the planning notes for some ideas and inspiration!

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AQA GCSE Language Paper 2

AQA GCSE Language Paper 1

Basic Descriptive Writing

Basic Essay Writing

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THE QUESTION

A local priest in your community stated:

“Halloween is Satanic and encourages children to celebrate evil. It should be banned.”

Write a letter to your local newspaper, arguing against or in support of this viewpoint.

• Figure out the type of writing: LETTER 
• Audience: LOCAL NEWSPAPER, readers who live in your area 
• Opinion: (when you have more than one part to the argument, you can choose which parts to agree and disagree with) 

1. Halloween is Satanic and encourages children to celebrate evil. 

2. It should be banned. 

AGAINST: Halloween should not be banned  

• Depends on a personal choice – not everyone is religious, so some people see it as a dress up opportunity, others see it as evil 
• Children have fun trick or treating
• They pick their own outfit and dress up as whoever they want which builds their creativity.
• It is a good time to spend with family. 
• Horror and fear are natural, so we should be in tune with those 
• Most festivals have a reason behind them 
• Relgiously, Halloween is a Christian festival – the day after is called ‘All Saints Day’ – it symbolises the purification of evil 

FOR: Halloween should be banned  

• Films that are sinister and scare the children
• Brings up questions about ghosts being real or not and can traumatise people. 
• Seems to encourage evil – villains, the devil, idealising evil things 
• Encourages lack of control / chaos / disorder 
• C an be mentally scarring – frightening young children 
• Can be traumatising to people who have had genuine frightening experiences in their lives – ghosts / spirits, flashbacks of trauma or  d ifficulty 
• Religiously ‘evil’ should not be encouraged 

My opinion: Halloween should not be banned. 

Dear Local Newspaper, 

I am writing regarding the recent opinion you posted that ‘Halloween should be banned’. Personally, I feel that this is such a strange idea – especially coming from a Priest! Who are we to say what other people should, or should not, celebrate? Imagine if we banned Christmas, just because it offended some people. Imagine if birthday parties or weddings or funerals were suddenly no longer allowed. All of these ideas should sound absurd to you, and hopefully, by the end of this letter, you’ll realise that the notion of cancelling Halloween is equally bizarre and inappropriate. 

So firstly, let me address the idea that Halloween is evil. At first glance, I can see why some would view it this way: on Halloween, we dress in spooky clothes, watch spooky films and take part in spooky activities. It is a time where ghosts, demons, ghouls, monsters, witches, goblins, vampires, zombies and other nefarious entities seemingly walk the earth – pervading both our minds and our homes with fear and forcing us to confront things that usually we would avoid like the plague. Hate horror movies? There’s no escape from them on Halloween. Frightened by costumes and spooky decor? Too bad, they’re everywhere!  

However, just because we are exposed to evil things, doesn’t mean that we are ourselves, bad people! It’s a fact that throughout our lives we will all encounter evil or suffering in one form or another – perhaps we’ll get bullied at school, or cross paths with a manipulative and cruel work colleague. Perhaps a random event in our lives will lead us down a path of darkness and suffering. Halloween has an extremely important function, then, in our society: like horror films, it allows us to engage with the idea of ‘evil’ in a safe context, so that when we encounter it in our real lives we are more prepared. 

Sure, you could say that children need protection from danger. But most of them have protection for the other 364 days in the year, don’t they? We really must allow kids to experience a little horror every once in a while. It significantly contributes to their growth and maturity as human beings – giving them a more realistic and well-rounded perspective on the world. 

Besides, it’s so much fun to dress up and play games on Halloween! The very act of choosing the theme of your costume, planning or designing the outfit, and executing the finished piece – as well as the fun of seeing everybody’s else’s fancy dress concepts – is an excellent way of encouraging both strategic planning and creativity. 

It’s also a highly social occasion that fosters strong bonds with friends and family alike. When I was a teenager, I always used to take my little sister out trick-or-treating – these are some of my fondest memories of our time together, battling against the cold October nights with our witches’ hats and cauldrons brimming with sweets, we felt like we were in a film or a dream! These experiences are priceless. People who don’t celebrate Halloween are missing out. 

Finally – and this is probably the most compelling argument of all – Halloween actually is a Christian festival! To say that it’s un-Christian, evil or Satanic completely undermines the whole point of the event. Traditionally, Halloween was named ‘All Hallows Eve’, and it took place before the hallowed (a word meaning ‘holy’) day of All Saints Day on November 1st. It is clear that the festival comes from a Catholic, and therefore Christian, tradition: its original intention is to draw out all of the souls and evil spirits into the world on All Hallow’s Eve, in order to purify and purge them the following day. Therefore, even from a religious Christian perspective, it is inaccurate to view Halloween as Satanic. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope you will pass on my regards to the Priest who denounced Halloween in your original article. I would very much like him to consider my thoughts, and perhaps even reply with his own responses if he feels that he has the time. Ultimately, whether a person is religious or not, I’m sure we can all unanimously agree that there are both recreational and spiritual benefits to celebrating Halloween and that if an individual doesn’t like to celebrate it then there’s nothing forcing them to do so. 

Yours sincerely, 

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AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2 – Revision Guide

Welcome to the complete revision guide for AQA GCSE English Language paper 2. Keep reading for our top tips and advice on each question, as we break down the English Language paper 2. Find out what to expect from each question, how to revise effectively and how to get top marks. 

To revise effectively for GCSE English Language you do need to set aside plenty of revision time. Our tutors always hear students say that they don’t need to – or even can’t – revise for English Language. That’s all wrong. You must   revise for the subject, you just need to know how. 

You should focus on:

• understanding how each of the papers is structured; 
• knowing what the examiner is looking for on each question; and
• doing lots of practice questions and marking your own work to improve quickly. 

You can also find our guide to AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 here .

Alongside our revision guides, our team of top English tutors provide one-to-one lessons designed specifically to help you succeed in the exams. Contact us directly to book your first lesson. 

Overview of the paper

AQA GCSE English Language paper 2 explores non-fiction writers’ viewpoints and perspectives. Section A consists of 4 questions, in which you’ll analyse two linked sources across different time periods and genres. Section B consists of a single big question where you will write your own text for a specified audience, purpose and form. Here you’ll provide your own perspective on a task related to the theme that was introduced in section A. 

There is 1 hour 45 minutes to complete the paper. There are 80 marks at stake, making up 50% of your GCSE English Language qualification. 

AQA English Language Paper 2 Section A

Read the sources carefully – spend 15 mins here.

Make sure you spend the first 10-15 minutes of the exam carefully reading the sources. You should: 

• read the texts carefully and thoroughly;
• read the questions; and
• highlight important parts of the sources for use later. 

Question 1 – select 4 true statements – spend 5 mins here

The first question should be fairly straightforward but do ensure you take a few minutes to think it through carefully. You’ll be asked to focus on a small part of source A and select four true statements from a selection of eight. Be a little careful here because there will be some statements that you think could possibly be true, but you should be able to point to where you’re told this in the text for it to be true. That will confirm your choice. 

Things to remember on this question: 

• focus only on the specific section of source A; 
• pinpoint where in the text the writer tells you each of your choices; and
• don’t spend more than 5 minutes here. 

Question 2 – summary of differences or similarities – spend 10 mins here

For question 2 you need to refer to both source A and B. The question is out of 8 marks. You’ll be asked to write a summary of the differences or similarities between something/ someone in source A and something/ someone in source B. You don’t need to worry about analysing language or structure here, simply identify 3-4 differences or similarities (focused on what is in your specific question). Summarise each of the differences in turn, with quotations, and explore perceptive inferences from both texts. Inferences are not explicitly said, they are the extra layers of understanding that are suggested by the writer and which you pick up  from “reading between the lines”. To get top marks you need to examine what the writers imply about the issue.  

Things to remember for this question: 

• you do  not  need to analyse any language or structure here;
• focus on explaining perceptive inferences from both texts to explain the key differences or similarities; and
• cover three or four points with quotations. 

Question 3 – the writer’s use of language to describe something – spend 12 mins here

There are 12 marks up for grabs here. You will always be asked, ‘how does the writer use language to describe…’ followed by something specific from part of one source. You need to analyse the effects of the writer’s choice of language. Make around four points and explore them using good quotations and sophisticated use of subject terminology. The language features you pick out could include things like: metaphors, similes, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, sentence forms and the use of specific types of words or phrases. 

• focus on analysing the effects of the writer’s choice of language; 
• use accurate subject terminology by identifying specific language techniques; and
• cover four points with excellent quotations. 

Question 4 – comparing different perspectives – spend 18 mins here

Question 4 is a bigger, extended question with 16 marks at stake. As such, the examiner is expecting more from you. The question will always ask you to “compare how the writers convey their different perspectives/attitudes about…” something specific to the sources. You need to perceptively compare their different perspectives or attitudes, and most importantly,  compare the methods the writers use  to convey their different perspectives or attitudes. Everything is in scope here, so you can analyse any methods, including both language and structure. Aim to write about four good comparison points. These four paragraphs will cover both sources (in order to compare them properly) and they’ll be more developed than in the earlier questions. 

• keep focused on the specific task in the question;
• analyse the methods used by the writers to convey their attitudes to the topic; and
• consider both language and structure. 

AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2 Section B

Question 5 – writing to present a viewpoint – spend 45 mins here.

Question 5 provides your opportunity to show the examiner how you can write effectively to explain your point of view on a specific issue. There are a whopping 40 marks up for grabs here, so make sure you spend the full 45 mins doing this question. You’ll be given a statement on an issue related to those discussed in section A. Your task will be to write in a specific form, for a specific audience, to present your point of view on the issue. You might be asked to write a newspaper article, letter or speech, amongst other forms. The marks are allocated specifically, with 24 marks available for content and organisation and 16 marks for technical accuracy (spelling, punctuation and grammar). 

To do well in this question we recommend spending the first 5 minutes thinking deeply about the task and planning your answer. This plan will ensure your answer has a good, consistent argument and structure. When writing, make sure your style and use of language reflects the form and audience of the task. Use ambitious vocabulary, language techniques and structural features to really demonstrate what you can do. You should, of course, always ensure your spelling, punctuation and grammar are spot on. Leave a couple of minutes at the end to double check your technical accuracy. 

• match your style of writing to the purpose and audience of the task; 
• plan your answer first;
• leave the full 45 minutes to complete the task fully; and
• use ambitious vocabulary, language and structural features to present your viewpoint and really show the examiner what you can do. 

Now Keep revising for your AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2

The key thing after reading this guide is to practise. Do as many past papers and practice questions as you can. Mark your own work and try answering the questions again focusing on areas to develop. You can find all of the past AQA papers here . For fully personalised advice and support, why not try a lesson with one of our online GCSE English experts? Simply drop us a quick message and we’ll arrange your free tutoring consultation. 

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Class 10 English Previous Year Question Paper

Strong preparation is essential for Class 10 Board Exams. This is the crucial stage in a student’s academic journey on which many career options depend. Thus it becomes very important to excel in the exam with good scores. To help students with their exam preparation, Allen has provided the CBSE Class 10 Question Papers for English on this page.

CBSE Class 10 Previous Year Question Papers (PYQs) of English are available on its official website. These papers are useful as students get direct exposure to questions that have been asked in the past. PYQ allows students to understand how much time is to be allocated to each section so that none of the questions is left unattempted in the real examination.

• 1.0 CBSE Class 10 English Previous Year Papers

Students preparing for Board Exams 2025 are advised to download the Previous Year's Question Papers to excel in their board exams. 

CBSE 10th English Previous Question Paper 2024: Students can check and download the PDF of  CBSE Class 10 English Question Paper 2024 from this page. 

All the sets of CBSE Class 10 English Question Papers will be uploaded here soon in PDF format.

Class 10 CBSE English Question Paper 2024 – Download PDF

Download the Question Paper for CBSE 10th English 2024 and the Previous Year’s Question Paper for CBSE Class 10 English from the table given below.

• 2.0 Benefits of Solving CBSE Previous Year Question Paper Class 10 English

Solving CBSE Class 10th Previous Year Papers for English has numerous advantages for the students. Here are some of the most important benefits:

• Familiarize students with the CBSE Class 10 exam pattern : Effective time management is one of the hardest things for students to do on the board exam. By practising CBSE's previous year's question papers, students can improve this ability by learning how much time should be allotted to each section, ensuring that no question goes unanswered.  
• Improve time management skills: Solving last year's papers can help students learn how to better manage their time and determine how much time to devote to each question. This can be especially useful on the day of the exam when students must use time management skills to finish the paper in the allocated time.
• Builds confidence: Examining past year's papers can make students feel accomplished and increase their self-assurance. On exam day, they will feel more prepared and self-assured when they realize they can answer all the questions.
• Determine weaknesses: Examining previous years' papers can reveal students' strengths and weaknesses. By inspecting their errors, students can strengthen their areas of weakness and raise their performance levels.
• 3.0 CBSE Class 10 English Weightage for English

Section-Wise Weightage of CBSE Class 10 English

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Class 10 CBSE English Question Paper 2024 – Download PDF

These papers are available on the official website of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Various educational platforms and study resource websites might also offer these papers for practice.

Solving these papers promotes better exam-taking techniques, comprehension of key concepts, and time management. It helps with self-evaluation and gives students the chance to practice various question formats.

Yes, these papers frequently have answers or answer keys available. Students can access these answers via study guides, instructional websites, and, in some circumstances, official board releases.

CBSE Class 10 Board Exam will be conducted tentatively from February 2025 to March 2025.

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The CBSE Class 10 previous year papers are essential for effective practice and revision.

CBSE Class 10 Exam Pattern 2025

Class 10 Board examinations determine the level of learning of different subjects that the students have acquired

Class 10 Science Solved Previous Year Question Papers 2024

CBSE is responsible for conducting the exam, so it provides sample papers and previous-year questions as well.

CBSE Syllabus for Class 10

Students may go through or download their 10 standard CBSE syllabus for all subjects, which covers the entire curriculum.

CBSE Class 10 Science

This article aims to provide students with useful information on chapter-wise weightage, and effective preparation tips to help them succeed in the CBSE Class 10 Science exam for 2025.

CBSE Class 10 Maths

NCERT CBSE Class 10 Maths Syllabus has been provided to assist students in understanding all the chapters and preparing their study plans.

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AQA GCSE Language Paper 2 Q5 exemplar response - climate change speech

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Other

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An exemplar response for AQA P2 Q5.

‘Climate change is the most important issue facing the planet. We must act reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions before it is too late’. Write a speech persuading people to change their lifestyles and help reduce emissions.

Used for higher ability students to help them reach grades 7-9.

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AQA GCSE Language Paper 2 resources bundle

Bundle contains: A collection of 10 mock exams for AQA Language Paper 2. A collection of 7 model responses Paper 2 Q5 for a range of forms and purposes.

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