The big idea: The guiding question is a suggested way IN to the text, not a rule. Use it to focus your analysis — but you may follow a different, well-argued line if you spot a stronger one.
The guiding question is a friendly nudge, not a cage — and knowing that changes how you use it.
🧭 Paper 1 gives you an unseen text and one guiding question, e.g. ‘How does the writer use language and structure to present the city?’ It points you at a focus so you don't wander. But the rubric is clear: you can answer it, adapt it, or argue your own focus — as long as your analysis stays focused and supported.
How to work it
Underline the focus
The question names a FOCUS (e.g. ‘the city’, ‘the relationship’, ‘tone’). That's your spine.
Turn it into a thesis
Answer it in one sentence — that becomes your introduction's claim.
Hunt choices that serve it
Annotate only choices that help you answer the focus — ignore the rest.
Adapt if you must
If a stronger focus jumps out, follow it — but stay focused and support every point.
The key move: Convert the guiding question into a one-sentence thesis, then let that thesis decide which choices you analyse. Focus beats coverage.
Free preview
This is the free notes preview
You're reading the free notes. Aimnova Pro unlocks the full study experience — and you can try it free for 7 days:
- FlashcardsLock in vocabulary and key terms with spaced repetition.
- Practice questionsAnswer exam-style questions and get instant AI marking.
- Mock exams & past-paper vaultSit full mocks and see exactly how examiners award marks.
- Personalised study planA daily plan built around your exam date and weak areas.
Why it matters in the exam: Answering the guiding question isn't compulsory, but your analysis MUST be focused (Criterion C). Using the question as your spine is the safest way to stay focused — examiners reward a response that argues one clear line, not a scattered tour of every device.
Turn this guiding question into a working thesis: “How does the writer use language to present the narrator's loneliness?” (text: an original diary extract about a first night in a new city)
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't just re-state the guiding question and then list every device you can find. Turn it into a thesis and let that thesis cut everything that doesn't serve your focus.