Identifying Tone: Paper 2, Q4

This Year 11 lesson is designed to prepare students for AQA English Language Paper 2, Question 4, with a strong focus on analysing tone. It has also proven effective in helping students discuss tone across other language questions and even within their GCSE Literature responses.

The lesson begins by explaining why tone matters and how it shapes meaning, influences reader response, and reveals a writer’s attitude. Students then complete a research task using iPads or laptops, where they explore a wide range of tonal vocabulary and categorise examples into positive, negative, and neutral. This helps build both confidence and precision in their analytical language.

The session concludes with an interactive whiteboard activity, using quotations from past AQA English Language Paper 2 extracts. Students must identify the tone of each quotation, justify their choices, and discuss how tone contributes to the writer’s viewpoint. This ensures they can apply their new understanding directly to real exam-style material.