Text D: from a linguist's blog, 'Why your teenager's slang is a sign of a healthy language' (written for this paper)
Every few months a columnist overhears teenagers on a bus and announces that English is doomed. It's a tradition almost as old as English itself: writers in the 1700s complained that the language was being 'corrupted' by new words such as 'mob' and 'banter'.
Take 'like'. Linguists have shown that it does a lot of work: it can introduce reported speech or thought ('she was like, no way'), soften a statement, or signal that a number is approximate. Young speakers who use it heavily aren't failing to think – they are using a flexible tool that older speakers often lack.
And 'literally'? It has been used as an intensifier for centuries; you'll find it in Dickens. Words shift in meaning all the time. 'Nice' once meant 'foolish'.
None of this means anything goes. Knowing when to use formal Standard English is a vital skill, and schools teach it. But being able to switch between styles – texting your mates one minute, writing an essay the next – is a sign of linguistic skill, not decline.
From Paper 2: Language diversity and change
430 marks
Write an opinion article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you assess the claim that young people's language is ruining English. Your article should be about 750 words and draw on your knowledge of language study. You may refer to Texts C and D.
Score 0 / 30 · 0 of 1 marked
This paper is written by Plasmo in the style of the AQA A-Level English Language exam. It is not a past paper and is not produced or endorsed by the exam board.
Writing skills (directed writing) Exam Questions: AQA A-Level English Language | Plasmo