📖 The Paragraph That Almost Got a 7 — Then Didn’t
📖 The Paragraph That Almost Got a 7 — Then Didn’t
Imagine you’ve written a solid paragraph. You made the writer the grammatical subject. You zoomed into a verb. You used “perhaps suggests.” Then, six words from the end, you write: “This is really effective at conveying her mood.”
The examiner underlines really and writes: informal register. Your paragraph, which was heading for Level 4, has leaked.
Register leaks are the hairline cracks in otherwise strong analytical writing. They are not major errors. They are single words — but those single words signal to the examiner that you have not yet fully controlled your academic voice. That matters on every question on both papers.
English Language glossary
- What is a register leak, and why does it matter in AQA English Language?
- A <strong>register leak</strong> is an informal word or construction that slips into otherwise formal analytical writing — for example: <em>really</em>, <em>you can see</em>, <em>it’s</em>, <em>a lot of</em>, <em>amazing</em>.<br><br><strong>Why it matters:</strong> AQA’s Level 4 descriptor requires <em>sophisticated</em> language use. Informal register signals a loss of academic control. Even one leak in a strong paragraph can pull the mark down from Level 4 to Level 3.
Register is the formality level of your writing. In analytical responses, AQA expects consistently formal, academic prose. A register leak happens when an informal word or construction slips into an otherwise formal paragraph — usually without the student noticing.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 10
Which of these words is an informal intensifier that counts as a register leak in analytical writing?
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