Edexcel IGCSE English Language A Past Papers

Failing to use "Own Words" in Question 2

The most frequent mistake in Question 2 paper 1 is copying large parts of the text or making only minor adaptations, such as changing a single verb or pronoun. Teachers constantly state this does not demonstrate sufficient understanding to earn marks.

Poor Selection and Retrieval Technique in Question 1 Paper 1

Common errors include copying out the entire given lines instead of selecting a specific phrase, or picking references from outside the specified line numbers.

Poor Time Management on High-Tariff Questions

Questions 5, 6, and 7 carry the most marks for Paper 1 (Question 5 is 22 marks; Section B is 45 marks). Students often rush these or fail to finish them because they spent too long on the lower-mark retrieval questions.

Lack of Genre Awareness in Transactional Writing for Paper 1

In Section B, students often write "essay-like" responses that ignore the required form (e.g., failing to include an address for a letter, subheadings for a leaflet, or a clear introduction/conclusion for a speech).

Narrative Retelling instead of Comparison in Question 5 Paper 1

The most common mistake in the comparison question is simply retelling the events of Text 1 and then Text 2, rather than exploring how the writers' perspectives and ideas are linked.

"Feature-Spotting" Without Analysis (Section A) for Paper 2

Students frequently identify linguistic or structural devices (like similes or metaphors) but fail to explain how or why the writer uses them to achieve a certain effect.

Incomplete Coverage of the Text

A significant number of students focus only on the opening sections of a text, failing to reach the ending or address key shifts in tone.

. "Listing" Events Instead of Crafting Description

In imaginative writing, many students fall into the trap of listing a series of chronological events ("then I did this, then that happened") which makes the writing mechanical.

““then I did this, then that happened”

Inconsistent Control of Tense and SPAG

A common error is switching randomly between past and present tenses, along with a lack of control over basic punctuation and dialogue.