2025 AQA AS ENGLISH LITERATURE B 7716/2B
Paper 2B Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of comedy
Question paper and Marking scheme Merged
AS
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2B Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of comedy
Friday 23 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 12-page answer book
• a copy of the set text(s) you have studied. These texts must not be annotated and must not
contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7716/2B.
• Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
• You must answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
Information
• The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
• In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore the connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
, 2
Section A
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 The Nun’s Priest’s Tale – Geoffrey Chaucer
Explore the view that ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is nothing more than an amusing story’.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Chaucer’s authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
The sely widwe, and eek hire doghtres two,
Herden thise hennes crye and maken wo,
And out at dores stirten they anon,
And syen the fox toward the grove gon,
And bar upon his bak the cok away,
And criden, ‘Out! Harrow!’ and ‘Weilaway!
Ha, ha, the fox!’ – and after him they ran,
And eek with staves many another man.
Ran Colle oure dogge, and Talbot, and Gerland,
And Malkin with a distaf in hire hand;
Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hogges,
So fered for the berking of the dogges,
And showtinge of the men and wommen eek,
They ronne so, hem thoughte hir herte breek.
They yelleden as fendes doon in helle;
The dokes criden as men wolde hem quelle;
The gees for feere flowen over the trees;
Out of the hive cam the swarm of bees.
IB/G/Jun25/7716/2B
, 3
or
0 2 Poetry Anthology: Comedy
Explore the view that in Poetry Anthology: Comedy ‘failure is always presented as comic’.
You must refer to Mrs Sisyphus and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely the poets’ authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From Mrs Sisyphus
Think of the perks, he says.
What use is a perk, I shriek,
when you haven’t the time to pop open a cork
or go for so much as a walk in the park?
He’s a dork.
Folk flock from miles around just to gawk.
They think it’s a quirk,
a bit of a lark.
A load of old bollocks is nearer the mark.
He might as well bark
at the moon –
that feckin’ stone’s no sooner up
than it’s rolling back
all the way down.
And what does he say?
Mustn’t shirk –
keen as a hawk,
lean as a shark
Mustn’t shirk!
Turn over for the next question
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun25/7716/2B
, 4
or
0 3 Betjeman selection – John Betjeman
Explore the view that ‘when Betjeman’s characters show off, it is funny’.
You must refer to Advertising Pays and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Betjeman’s authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From Advertising Pays
Why do I do it? Well, you see, I’m paid
By various representatives of Trade
For telling lies about the things they sell,
And writing lies about the things as well.
I understand the public, that is why
My entertainment costs are rather high:
Dining and wining is no light expense
If one’s to know the men of influence.
As my old chief would say, Sir Wardour Street,
‘Begin publicity with the élite;
Give them a glass or two of good champagne
And start a classy whispering campaign.
Then run your advertising in the press –
Start with the great, continue with the less.’
Sir Wardour, ah! he knew a thing or two:
He bought six hundred tons of government glue
And sold it all in tins as Irish stew.
IB/G/Jun25/7716/2B
Paper 2B Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of comedy
Question paper and Marking scheme Merged
AS
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2B Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of comedy
Friday 23 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 12-page answer book
• a copy of the set text(s) you have studied. These texts must not be annotated and must not
contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7716/2B.
• Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
• You must answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
Information
• The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
• In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore the connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
, 2
Section A
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 The Nun’s Priest’s Tale – Geoffrey Chaucer
Explore the view that ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is nothing more than an amusing story’.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Chaucer’s authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
The sely widwe, and eek hire doghtres two,
Herden thise hennes crye and maken wo,
And out at dores stirten they anon,
And syen the fox toward the grove gon,
And bar upon his bak the cok away,
And criden, ‘Out! Harrow!’ and ‘Weilaway!
Ha, ha, the fox!’ – and after him they ran,
And eek with staves many another man.
Ran Colle oure dogge, and Talbot, and Gerland,
And Malkin with a distaf in hire hand;
Ran cow and calf, and eek the verray hogges,
So fered for the berking of the dogges,
And showtinge of the men and wommen eek,
They ronne so, hem thoughte hir herte breek.
They yelleden as fendes doon in helle;
The dokes criden as men wolde hem quelle;
The gees for feere flowen over the trees;
Out of the hive cam the swarm of bees.
IB/G/Jun25/7716/2B
, 3
or
0 2 Poetry Anthology: Comedy
Explore the view that in Poetry Anthology: Comedy ‘failure is always presented as comic’.
You must refer to Mrs Sisyphus and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely the poets’ authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From Mrs Sisyphus
Think of the perks, he says.
What use is a perk, I shriek,
when you haven’t the time to pop open a cork
or go for so much as a walk in the park?
He’s a dork.
Folk flock from miles around just to gawk.
They think it’s a quirk,
a bit of a lark.
A load of old bollocks is nearer the mark.
He might as well bark
at the moon –
that feckin’ stone’s no sooner up
than it’s rolling back
all the way down.
And what does he say?
Mustn’t shirk –
keen as a hawk,
lean as a shark
Mustn’t shirk!
Turn over for the next question
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun25/7716/2B
, 4
or
0 3 Betjeman selection – John Betjeman
Explore the view that ‘when Betjeman’s characters show off, it is funny’.
You must refer to Advertising Pays and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Betjeman’s authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From Advertising Pays
Why do I do it? Well, you see, I’m paid
By various representatives of Trade
For telling lies about the things they sell,
And writing lies about the things as well.
I understand the public, that is why
My entertainment costs are rather high:
Dining and wining is no light expense
If one’s to know the men of influence.
As my old chief would say, Sir Wardour Street,
‘Begin publicity with the élite;
Give them a glass or two of good champagne
And start a classy whispering campaign.
Then run your advertising in the press –
Start with the great, continue with the less.’
Sir Wardour, ah! he knew a thing or two:
He bought six hundred tons of government glue
And sold it all in tins as Irish stew.
IB/G/Jun25/7716/2B
