GCSE 2025
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry
Time allowed: 2 hours 15 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Do not use pencil.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference
is 8702/2R.
• Answer one question from Section A, one question from Section B and both
questions in Section C.
• You must not use a dictionary.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 96.
• AO4 will be assessed in Section A. There are 4 marks available for AO4 in Section A in
addition to 30 marks for answering the question. AO4 assesses the following skills: use
a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with
accurate spelling and punctuation.
• There are 30 marks for Section B and 32 marks for Section C.
, 2
IB/G/Jun23/E4 8702/2R
There are no questions printed on this page
IB/G/Jun23/8702/2R
, 3
SECTION A
Modern prose or drama Questions Page
JB Priestley An Inspector Calls 1–2 4
Willy Russell Blood Brothers 3–4 5
Alan Bennett The History Boys 5–6 6
Dennis Kelly DNA 7–8 7
Simon Stephens The Curious Incident of the 9–10 8
Dog in the Night-Time
Shelagh Delaney A Taste of Honey 11–12 9
William Golding Lord of the Flies 13–14 10
AQA Anthology Telling Tales 15–16 11
George Orwell Animal Farm 17–18 12
Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go 19–20 13
Meera Syal Anita and Me 21–22 14
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English 23–24 15
SECTION B
Poetry Questions Page
AQA Anthology Poems Past and Present
Love and Relationships 25 17
Power and Conflict 26 19
SECTION C
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun23/8702/2R
, 4
Unseen poetry 27.1 20
27.2 21
Turn over for Section A
Section A: Modern prose or drama
Answer one question from this section on your chosen text.
JB Priestley: An Inspector Calls
Either
0 1 How does Priestley use the character of Mrs Birling to explore ideas about social
class?
Write about:
• what Mrs Birling says and does
• how Priestley presents Mrs Birling.
[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]
or
0 2 How does Priestley use the Inspector to suggest the need for social change
in An Inspector Calls?
Write about:
• what the Inspector says and does
• how Priestley presents the Inspector.
[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]
IB/G/Jun23/8702/2R
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Paper 2 Modern texts and poetry
Time allowed: 2 hours 15 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Do not use pencil.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference
is 8702/2R.
• Answer one question from Section A, one question from Section B and both
questions in Section C.
• You must not use a dictionary.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 96.
• AO4 will be assessed in Section A. There are 4 marks available for AO4 in Section A in
addition to 30 marks for answering the question. AO4 assesses the following skills: use
a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with
accurate spelling and punctuation.
• There are 30 marks for Section B and 32 marks for Section C.
, 2
IB/G/Jun23/E4 8702/2R
There are no questions printed on this page
IB/G/Jun23/8702/2R
, 3
SECTION A
Modern prose or drama Questions Page
JB Priestley An Inspector Calls 1–2 4
Willy Russell Blood Brothers 3–4 5
Alan Bennett The History Boys 5–6 6
Dennis Kelly DNA 7–8 7
Simon Stephens The Curious Incident of the 9–10 8
Dog in the Night-Time
Shelagh Delaney A Taste of Honey 11–12 9
William Golding Lord of the Flies 13–14 10
AQA Anthology Telling Tales 15–16 11
George Orwell Animal Farm 17–18 12
Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go 19–20 13
Meera Syal Anita and Me 21–22 14
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English 23–24 15
SECTION B
Poetry Questions Page
AQA Anthology Poems Past and Present
Love and Relationships 25 17
Power and Conflict 26 19
SECTION C
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun23/8702/2R
, 4
Unseen poetry 27.1 20
27.2 21
Turn over for Section A
Section A: Modern prose or drama
Answer one question from this section on your chosen text.
JB Priestley: An Inspector Calls
Either
0 1 How does Priestley use the character of Mrs Birling to explore ideas about social
class?
Write about:
• what Mrs Birling says and does
• how Priestley presents Mrs Birling.
[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]
or
0 2 How does Priestley use the Inspector to suggest the need for social change
in An Inspector Calls?
Write about:
• what the Inspector says and does
• how Priestley presents the Inspector.
[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]
IB/G/Jun23/8702/2R
