What Paper 1 asks of you

Section A gives you two unseen non-fiction texts — one 19th century and one from the 20th or 21st century — on a linked theme, so you can compare ideas over time. The reading questions test:

• Retrieval / information — find and select ideas and information (AO1).
• Synthesis — draw ideas together across both texts (AO1).
• Language analysis — how a writer uses language for effect (AO2).
• Comparison — compare the writers' ideas and perspectives (AO3).

Section B — Writing: a non-fiction task (such as an article, letter, speech or report) for a set purpose and audience. Assessed on communication & organisation (AO5) and technical accuracy (AO6).

The whole paper is non-fiction. Both reading texts and your own writing deal with real-world information and ideas — save fiction/creative writing for Paper 2.

Which is the compare question?

Read like a detective — annotate

Marks are lost by readers who skim. Before you write, annotate both texts:

• Purpose — is it to inform, persuade, describe, argue?
• Audience — who is it aimed at, and how do you know?
• Underline striking words, phrases and key ideas.
• Bracket the writer's viewpoint and any shift of tone.
• Note the era — how does the 19th-c text differ in attitude from the modern (20th/21st-c) one?

PAT — Purpose, Audience, Tone. Nail these for both texts and comparison becomes straightforward.

Synthesising across two texts

Synthesis means drawing ideas together from both texts — combining information, not analysing style:

• Find linked points — an idea in Text 1 that connects to one in Text 2.
• Infer — read between the lines: what does a detail suggest?
• Support with brief evidence from both texts.

Synthesis ≠ language analysis. Here you combine what the texts say; save "the writer uses a metaphor" for the language question.

Name the device

Comment on the effect, not the label

Compare two comments on the same line:

Misconception: the marks are not for spotting the metaphor — they're for explaining why 'strangle' works and what it does to the reader.

Pick the best comment

How to structure a comparison

The comparison question weighs the two texts' ideas and perspectives. Cover both texts in each point, using connectives:

Use connectives: "whereas", "similarly", "in contrast", "unlike Text 1…". They keep the comparison explicit and score AO3.

What's the weakness?

Perspectives over time

Because the two texts come from different centuries, they often share a topic but differ in attitude:

• Viewpoint — the writer's opinion on the theme.
• Perspective — where they stand (an insider? an observer? a reformer?).
• Values of the era — a 19th-c writer may assume very different things from a 20th/21st-c one.

That gap in attitude — often shaped by the time each was written — is exactly what the comparison question rewards you for exploring.

Technique → effect

Tap the effect that best matches each technique.

Non-fiction writing: form, purpose, audience

Section B is a non-fiction task — informing, persuading, arguing or advising a real reader. Decode the task first:

• Form — article? letter? speech? report? guide? Each has its own conventions.
• Purpose — inform, persuade, argue, advise.
• Audience — a newspaper's readers, a head teacher, the public, MPs.

Match the register to the audience. Getting the register wrong costs AO5 marks even if your ideas are good.

Match the register

Know each form's features

• Letter — greeting ("Dear…"), formal register, clear paragraphs, sign-off.
• Article — a catchy headline, an engaging opening hook, a clear voice.
• Speech — direct address, rhetorical questions, repetition, a rousing final line.
• Report — a title, neutral/formal tone, findings and a recommendation.
• Guide / leaflet — clear headings, imperatives, helpful advice.

Structure your writing: plan 4–5 paragraphs, open with a hook, group ideas logically, close memorably. Organisation is a big slice of AO5.

Match form → key feature

Tap a form on the left, then its signature feature on the right.

The DAFOREST toolkit

For persuasive non-fiction, DAFOREST is a checklist of moves that win readers over. Weave several in — don't just tick boxes.

Some versions use Alliteration instead of Anecdote for the "A", and drop Direct address altogether, giving the shorter AFOREST. The point is the techniques, not the acronym.

Which form is this?

AO6 — spelling, punctuation, grammar & vocabulary

A large slice of your Section B marks is for technical accuracy and ambitious vocabulary. Easy to gain — or throw away.

• Vary your sentences — mix short and long for control and effect.
• Punctuate accurately — full stops, commas, and the occasional colon, semicolon or dash used correctly.
• Reach for precise vocabulary — "unsustainable" not "bad"; "compelling" not "good".
• Proofread — leave 3–4 minutes to catch slips.

Ambition with control beats safety with errors. Only use words you can spell and punctuate correctly.

Spot the AO

Text-type → purpose

Tap a text-type, then the box for its main purpose.

Spot the comparison

Where do the marks come from?

The skills to take into the exam

You've trained every core skill OCR J351 Paper 1 tests. Press Finish to see your score.