Paper 1 Question 3 Explained

Summary of Mrs Wear’s “Top Five Things to Know about AQA Paper 1 Question 3”

Mrs Wear explains how to approach Question 3 on AQA English Language Paper 1, the structure question, worth 8 marks and taking around 10 minutes to answer.

What you need to do – The question always asks: “How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?” AQA isn’t asking if you personally found it interesting — they want you to spot and comment on structural choices in the text.

Marks and timings – 8 marks, so spend no more than about 10 minutes on it (assuming you already spent time reading and thinking at the start of the exam).

What skill is being tested – This is about analysing structure, not language. Focus on the order of ideas, shifts, or the writer’s choices in building the text, not on word-level effects. Always ask: Why did the writer do this at this point in the text?

Avoid analysing language – Language analysis gets zero marks here. Don’t zoom in on individual words or techniques; keep your commentary on how the text is organised, what it moves between, and why.

What techniques to discuss – Some structural devices may vary, but two will always be available:

Narrative viewpoint (first person, third person, perspective shifts).

Writer’s focus (does it zoom in on a character? a setting? shift from big picture to small detail?).

If all else fails, these two will always give you something to write about.

She closes by recommending her other videos and full courses for a deeper dive into structure analysis.