AQAA-Level42 resources

AQA A-Level English Language Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free AQA A-Level English Language (7702) past papers & mark schemes. Paper 1: Language, the Individual & Society. Paper 2: Diversity & Change. 42 resources.

📅June 2018 – June 2024📄42 resources available✅Free to download

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June 2023

7 files

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2023

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2023

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2023

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A-level English Language – Insert (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2023

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A-level English Language – Insert (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2023

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A-level English Language – Insert (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2023

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A-level English Language – Insert (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2023

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June 2022

9 files

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Insert (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Insert (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Question paper (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Insert (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Insert (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – June 2022

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A-level English Language – Mark scheme (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – June 2022

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November 2021

2 files

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A-level English Language – Question paper (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2021

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A-level English Language – Insert (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2021

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November 2020

7 files

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2020

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – November 2020

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A-level English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2020

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A-level English Language – Question paper (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2020

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A-level English Language – Insert (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2020

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A-level English Language – Insert (A-level) : Paper 1 Language, the individual and society – November 2020

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A-level English Language – Insert (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 2 Language diversity and change – November 2020

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Linguistic Frameworks as Analytical Tools: AQA A-Level English Language

AQA A-Level English Language (specification code 7702) is fundamentally about learning to see language as a linguist does — not evaluating whether writing is 'good' or 'bad', but analysing how language works and what it reveals about individuals, society, and culture. The analytical frameworks this qualification teaches are the tools for doing that. The five linguistic levels — phonological (sounds), lexical (vocabulary), grammatical (syntax and morphology), pragmatic (implied meaning and context), and discourse (text organisation and cohesion) — structure all language analysis in this subject. Paper 1 and Paper 2 both require you to move fluidly between these levels when analysing data, applying whichever frameworks illuminate the text most productively. Paper 1: Language, the Individual and Society (3 hours, 100 marks, 40%) has three sections. Section A provides language data — typically spoken and written texts — for analysis using the linguistic frameworks. Section B focuses on child language acquisition, requiring essay responses that draw on research and theorists (Skinner's behaviourism, Chomsky's LAD, Tomasello's social pragmatic theory, and others). Section C requires you to write an original piece demonstrating understanding of a specific linguistic context, with a brief commentary. Paper 2: Language Diversity and Change (2.5 hours, 100 marks, 40%) examines how language varies across social groups and how it evolves over time. Section A provides comparative texts — often historical documents alongside modern equivalents — for analysis. Section B requires evaluation of different positions in a live language debate: attitudes to language change, gender and language, dialect in education, or similar contested areas where prescriptivist and descriptivist positions conflict. The NEA (20%) involves two coursework pieces: a language investigation using primary data you collect (approximately 2,500 words) applying a linguistic methodology with reference to relevant theory, and a piece of original writing with a commentary explaining your linguistic choices.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1No calculator

Language, the Individual and Society

⏱ 3 hours🎯 100 marks📊 40% of grade

Section A: Language data analysis using linguistic frameworksSection B: Child language acquisition (essay using theorists and evidence)Section C: Original language production with commentary

Paper 2No calculator

Language Diversity and Change

⏱ 2 hours 30 minutes🎯 100 marks📊 40% of grade

Section A: Comparative analysis of texts from different time periods or social groupsSection B: Language attitudes essay (prescriptivism vs descriptivism, gender, dialect)

Key Information

Exam Board	AQA
Specification Code	7702
Qualification	A-Level
Grading Scale	A*–E
Assessment Type	2 written papers + NEA coursework
Number Of Papers	2 written papers
Exam Duration	Paper 1: 3 hours. Paper 2: 2.5 hours
Nea Component	Language investigation + original writing (20%)
Total Marks	Papers: 200 marks (80%). NEA: 50 marks (20%)
Available Sessions	June 2018 – June 2024
Total Resources	42

Key Topics in English Language

Topics you need to know

Linguistic frameworks (phonology, lexis, grammar, pragmatics, discourse)Child language acquisition (Chomsky, Skinner, Tomasello — stages and theories)Language and social identity (class, gender, ethnicity, age)Language change over time (mechanisms, attitudes, historical development)Prescriptivism vs descriptivism in language debatesOriginal language production and commentary writing (NEA component)

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Analyse	Examine language features in detail, explaining what they reveal about the text, speaker, or context
Evaluate	Assess the merits of different theoretical positions or research findings with a reasoned judgement
Discuss	Present multiple perspectives on a language issue, drawing on linguistic knowledge and theorists
Explore	Range across different linguistic features and frameworks to generate a multi-dimensional analysis
Comment on	Make specific observations about particular language features and their significance
Assess	Weigh up evidence or arguments to reach a considered conclusion
Write	Produce an original piece in a specified form, context, and purpose

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
A*	78–88%
A	68–77%
B	57–67%
C	46–56%
D	36–45%
E	26–35%

⚠️ Typical boundaries across two papers (200 total marks: 100 per paper). NEA (50 marks) is internally assessed. Actual boundaries vary — check AQA's website.

Moving Between Linguistic Levels: How to Score in AQA A-Level English Language

The highest-scoring data analysis responses move dynamically between linguistic levels rather than treating them as separate checklist items. A response that works exclusively through the phonological level, then exclusively through lexis, then exclusively through grammar resembles a checklist and scores at mid-band. A response that identifies a specific grammatical feature (a passive construction, for example), explains its lexical effect (making the agent invisible), then connects this to the pragmatic dimension (the implied authority of the speaker) demonstrates the integrated analytical thinking that reaches the top band. Child language acquisition essays must combine specific theorist arguments with specific linguistic evidence — either from the data provided or from your knowledge of documented child language features. Many students discuss Chomsky's universal grammar hypothesis without demonstrating what it predicts about actual child speech patterns (the regular past tense overgeneralisation, or the stage at which children begin using embedded clauses). The examiner wants to see that you understand what these theories claim about real language, not just that the theories exist. Paper 2's language attitudes questions are not inviting you to state your personal opinion. The mark scheme rewards responses that critically evaluate different positions — using specific evidence and arguments for each — and then reach a justified overall assessment. The distinction between prescriptivism (language change is deterioration; there is a correct form) and descriptivism (language change is natural; all varieties are linguistically equal) frames most of the debates in this paper. Knowing the specific arguments made by prescriptivists like John Humphrys and descriptivists like David Crystal adds substance to your evaluation. Timing is the most common practical failure in this subject. Paper 1's three sections in three hours gives roughly 45 minutes per section — which feels generous until you try to write a thorough data analysis in that time. Time yourself strictly on each section during practice and identify where you overrun.

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AQA A-Level English Language Past Papers & Mark Schemes

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June 2023

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

Linguistic Frameworks as Analytical Tools: AQA A-Level English Language

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in English Language

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

Moving Between Linguistic Levels: How to Score in AQA A-Level English Language

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