--- title: Some Notes on Question 3 GCSE English Language, Paper 1 | KS4 Teaching Resource description: Notes on question three of GCSE English Language Paper 1, which requires students to write about the structure of the literary source they are provided with. GCSE English Teaching Resource. image: https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/gcse-englang-q3.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/some-notes-on-question-3-gcse-english-language-paper-1#main-content) [![DouglasWise_Logo2026 (1)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DouglasWise_Logo2026%20(1).png?width=500&height=144&name=DouglasWise_Logo2026%20(1).png)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/) - [KS3 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks3-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS3 Resources - [Prose](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/prose) - [Poetry](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/poetry) - [Drama](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/drama) - [Non-Fiction](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/non-fiction) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [KS4 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks4-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS4 Resources - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/macbeth-teaching-resources) - 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[An Inspector Calls](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [A Christmas Carol](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Power and Conflict](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Literacy](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [PREMIUM](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/premium-english-teaching-resources) [PREMIUM](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/premium-english-teaching-resources) 17 February, 2017 # Some Notes on Question 3 GCSE English Language, Paper 1 ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/some-notes-on-question-3-gcse-english-language-paper-1) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/some-notes-on-question-3-gcse-english-language-paper-1) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/some-notes-on-question-3-gcse-english-language-paper-1) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/some-notes-on-question-3-gcse-english-language-paper-1) Question three of the first GCSE English Language paper requires students to write about the structure of the literary source they’re provided with: ![question-1-768x269](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/question-1-768x269.png?width=768&height=269&name=question-1-768x269.png) Although this task seems fairly straight-forward – *how has the writer structured the text?* – I’ve always found the concept of *structure* hard to teach because I’ve never been entirely clear on what counts as a structural feature and what doesn’t.  The upshot of this is that I think I’ve tended to over complicate things.  I’ve never really felt that I’ve taught *structure* well.  Anyway, enough preamble…  Recently, I went to examiner training provided by AQA and I took some of the notes on question three.  Here they are…  There’s nothing surprising or transformative,  but hope they’re useful. **What is structure?** - ‘Shifts, movements and progressions through the text.’ **What are some common structural features?** - Zooming in from something big to something much smaller (or vice versa). - Shifting between different times or places. - A sudden or gradual introduction of new characters or significant points. - Moving from the inside to the wider outside world (or vice versa). - Combining external actions with internal thoughts. - Switching between different points of view. - Developing and reiterating: focusing on a point of view by expanding and repeating it. - Circular structure – returning at the end to what happened at the beginning. - Positioning of key sentences and their impact on the whole. **A few bits on marking:** - To achieve a level two mark, students need to be able to recognise structural shifts and then say something relevant about their significance. - To move further up the mark scheme, students should explore the source as a whole – not just isolated extracts. - When marking responses, column one of the mark scheme should always be the starting point – make a broad judgement on a level before deciding upon a specific mark. - Students do not have to fulfil all descriptors in a level before they can progress – meaning that students can enter the mark scheme at, say, level three. **A few bits on teaching:** - ‘At this point’ is useful starter phrase that should help lower-ability students write about narrative progression. - At a very basic level, students should be able to make a distinction between the beginning, middle and end of the source. - Overview sentences can help to signal a broad understanding of the source as a whole e.g. ‘This helps to create a sense of foreboding.’ However, having used them, it’s important that students then go into more depth. - Concise responses will be rewarded. Students should avoid over complicating their answers (the key word for level three is ‘clear’). - Literary terminology should enhance written responses. 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