2025 AQA GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing
Question Paper with Marking Scheme Attached
Please write clearly in block capitals.
Centre number Candidate number
Surname
Forename(s)
Candidate signature
I declare this is my own work.
GCSE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing
Friday 23 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have: For Examiner’s Use
• Source A – provided as a separate insert. Question Mark
Instructions 1
• Answer all questions.
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. 2
• Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. 3
• You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
• Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages. 4
• If you need extra space for your answer(s), use the lined pages at the end of 5
this book. Write the question number against your answer(s).
• Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be TOTAL
marked.
• You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
• You must not use a dictionary.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
• There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
• You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
• You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
• You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have
to answer.
• You are advised to plan your answer to Question 5 before you start to write.
• You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answer
, 2
Do not write
outside the
Section A: Reading box
Answer all questions in this section.
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
0 1 Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 8.
List four things which happened that night from this part of the source.
[4 marks]
1
2
3
4
4
IB/M/Jun25/8700/1
, 3
Do not write
outside the
box
0 2 Look in detail at this extract from lines 9 to 18:
The early morning of the 27th was an affair of slatternly* rags soaking in a dishwater sky,
with a grey light weakly filtering through. Nevertheless, in Oppley cocks crowed and
other birds welcomed the dawn more melodiously. In Midwich, however, no birds sang.
In Oppley, as in other places, hands were soon reaching out to silence alarm clocks, but
in Midwich the clocks rattled on until they ran down. For Midwich lay entranced.
While the rest of the world began to fill the morning with clamour, Midwich slept on. Its
men and women, its horses, cows and sheep; its pigs, its poultry, its larks, moles and
mice all lay still. There was a pocket of silence in Midwich, broken only by the rustling of
the leaves, the chiming of the church clock, and the gurgle of the River Opple as it slid
over the weir beside the mill.
* slatternly – adjective meaning dirty or untidy
How does the writer use language here to describe the early morning?
You could include the writer’s choice of:
• words and phrases
• language features and techniques
• sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Turn over ►
IB/M/Jun25/8700/1
, 4
Do not write
outside the
box
8
IB/M/Jun25/8700/1
Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing
Question Paper with Marking Scheme Attached
Please write clearly in block capitals.
Centre number Candidate number
Surname
Forename(s)
Candidate signature
I declare this is my own work.
GCSE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing
Friday 23 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have: For Examiner’s Use
• Source A – provided as a separate insert. Question Mark
Instructions 1
• Answer all questions.
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. 2
• Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. 3
• You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
• Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages. 4
• If you need extra space for your answer(s), use the lined pages at the end of 5
this book. Write the question number against your answer(s).
• Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be TOTAL
marked.
• You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
• You must not use a dictionary.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
• There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
• You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
• You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
• You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have
to answer.
• You are advised to plan your answer to Question 5 before you start to write.
• You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answer
, 2
Do not write
outside the
Section A: Reading box
Answer all questions in this section.
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
0 1 Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 8.
List four things which happened that night from this part of the source.
[4 marks]
1
2
3
4
4
IB/M/Jun25/8700/1
, 3
Do not write
outside the
box
0 2 Look in detail at this extract from lines 9 to 18:
The early morning of the 27th was an affair of slatternly* rags soaking in a dishwater sky,
with a grey light weakly filtering through. Nevertheless, in Oppley cocks crowed and
other birds welcomed the dawn more melodiously. In Midwich, however, no birds sang.
In Oppley, as in other places, hands were soon reaching out to silence alarm clocks, but
in Midwich the clocks rattled on until they ran down. For Midwich lay entranced.
While the rest of the world began to fill the morning with clamour, Midwich slept on. Its
men and women, its horses, cows and sheep; its pigs, its poultry, its larks, moles and
mice all lay still. There was a pocket of silence in Midwich, broken only by the rustling of
the leaves, the chiming of the church clock, and the gurgle of the River Opple as it slid
over the weir beside the mill.
* slatternly – adjective meaning dirty or untidy
How does the writer use language here to describe the early morning?
You could include the writer’s choice of:
• words and phrases
• language features and techniques
• sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Turn over ►
IB/M/Jun25/8700/1
, 4
Do not write
outside the
box
8
IB/M/Jun25/8700/1
