AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 3: Language Analysis (12 Marks)
Paper 2 Question 3 is the 12-mark language-analysis task. It focuses on a specified part of one source and assesses AO2. The source is non-fiction or literary non-fiction, but the core analytical skill is familiar: explain how the writer’s language choices create a particular impression, description or effect.
What changes from Paper 1 Question 2?
The mark value is higher, so you need enough developed analysis to demonstrate a sustained understanding. The task is still not a technique hunt. Your job is to select the most productive language, explain it precisely and keep returning to the question’s focus.
A strong evidence-selection test
Does the quotation directly relate to the named focus?
Is there a particular word, phrase or image that carries meaning?
Can you say more than “this shows” and paraphrase?
Does this example add something different from the previous paragraph?
A six-step paragraph
Make a precise point about the impression the writer creates.
Embed a short quotation.
Identify the relevant language choice if terminology helps.
Zoom in on the most important word or image.
Develop the implication or effect, perhaps considering a second layer of meaning.
Connect the analysis back to the question focus.
Mini-example with invented non-fiction
Imagine a travel writer describes a bus as “coughing its way up the mountain”. Calling this personification is only the beginning. The verb “coughing” implies effort, weakness and irregular movement, making the vehicle seem almost physically strained by the climb. That choice can make the journey feel precarious while also giving the bus a slightly comic human vulnerability.
Develop interpretations without becoming implausible
A second interpretation is useful when it grows naturally from the wording. It is not automatically sophisticated to offer an extreme alternative. Ask whether a reasonable reader could see the association you are proposing and whether it helps answer the question.
Common mistakes
Writing about both sources even though Question 3 specifies one source.
Drifting into comparison because Paper 2 contains two texts.
Using long quotations and then discussing only one word.
Naming parts of speech repeatedly without explaining meaning.
Attaching generic reader effects that could fit any extract.
Practice drill
Choose a short paragraph of non-fiction.
Highlight three phrases connected to one clear impression.
Rank them from most to least analytically useful.
Write one developed paragraph on the strongest phrase.
Rewrite it without any technique terminology. If the analysis still makes sense, the thinking is doing the work rather than the label.
Final checklist
I used only the source/lines specified.
My evidence is concise and productive.
I analysed language choices in detail.
My effects are specific to the question.
Across the response, my examples create a range rather than repeating one idea.
For the definitive specification and current assessment information, check AQA GCSE English Language 8700.
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