Introduction: Welcome to "How Identity is Constructed"
Welcome! In AQA AS Level English Language (7701), Paper 1 Section A is all about Textual Variations and Representations. One of the most vital skills you need to master is understanding how writers and speakers use language to build an identity—both for themselves, for others, and for their readers.
Don't worry if this sounds a bit abstract at first! Think of language as a costume rack. When you choose to speak or write in a particular way, you are putting on a specific "costume" to show the world who you are, what you stand for, and how you want people to view you. In this chapter, we will break down the exact linguistic toolkits and mechanisms you need to spot these choices and score top marks in your exam.
The Exam Blueprint: Where Identity Fits In
Let's look at how this topic appears on your exam paper so you know exactly what is expected of you:
Exam Component: Paper 1: Language and the Individual (Component Code: 7701/1)
Duration & Weighting: 1 hour 30 minutes; 70 marks total (worth 50% of your total AS award).
Paper 1 Structure:
• Question 1 (25 marks): Analysis of Text A (10 marks for AO1, 15 marks for AO3).
• Question 2 (25 marks): Analysis of Text B (10 marks for AO1, 15 marks for AO3).
• Question 3 (20 marks): Comparison of Text A and Text B (20 marks for AO4 only).
The Three Assessment Objectives (AOs) You Need to Know:
• AO1: Apply linguistic methods, use accurate linguistic terminology, and write clearly.
• AO3: Analyse contextual factors and how representations and meanings are constructed.
• AO4: Explore connections and linguistic comparisons across texts (assessed only in Question 3!).
Key Takeaway: When answering Question 1 and Question 2, treat each text completely individually. Never compare them in Q1 or Q2—save all your comparative links for Question 3 where AO4 is assessed!
Core Concept: Identity is Dynamic, Not Static
A very common mistake students make is describing a writer or speaker as naturally "friendly," "bossy," or "professional." In English Language, we never treat identity as a fixed, permanent trait. Instead, identity is dynamically constructed through language choices.
A writer chooses specific words, sentence types, and tones to perform a role suited to their Audience, Purpose, Genre, Mode, and Context.
Everyday Analogy: You talk differently to your best friend via text message than you do to your headteacher in a formal interview. You haven't changed your biological self, but you have linguistically constructed a different persona suited to the context.
The 6 Core Linguistic Frameworks
To score high marks for AO1, you must use precise linguistic terminology across the six core language methods (Section 3.1.2 of your syllabus):
1. Lexis and Semantics
This covers word choices and their meanings.
• Word Classes: Evaluative adjectives (e.g., shocking, brilliant), dynamic verbs showing action (e.g., stride, demolish), abstract nouns (e.g., freedom, honesty).
• Semantic Fields: Groups of words related in meaning (e.g., a semantic field of warfare used in a political speech).
• Connotations & Collocations: Emotional associations of words and common word pairings.
• Register: Formal, informal, or colloquial vocabulary choices.
2. Grammar and Morphology
This covers how sentences and words are built.
• Sentence Moods: Declarative (statements), Imperative (commands), Interrogative (questions), Exclamative (exclamations).
• Sentence Types: Simple, compound, complex, and minor sentences.
• Voice: Active voice (e.g., "The company fired 50 workers") vs. Passive voice (e.g., "50 workers were fired"). Notice how passive voice can hide who is responsible!
• Modality: Expressing degrees of certainty or obligation.
• Morphology & Affixation: Prefixes and suffixes used to coin or alter words.
3. Pragmatics
This looks at meaning in context—what is meant beneath the surface.
• Implicature: Hints or implied meanings that are not directly stated.
• Presupposition: Implicit assumptions baked into a statement as if they are unquestionable facts.
• Politeness Strategies & Face Wants: Protecting or threatening someone's social self-image.
• Shared Cultural Assumptions: Relying on the reader's background knowledge to create alignment.
4. Discourse
This examines how the entire text is structured and organized.
• Macro-structure: How the beginning, middle, and end are ordered.
• Cohesion and Coherence: How ideas link together using cohesive ties, transition phrases, and structural signposts.
• Genre Conventions: Typical structural patterns found in articles, blogs, speeches, or adverts.
5. Graphology
This involves visual and multimodal elements.
• Typography (font style, size, boldness, capitalization).
• Layout properties (headings, columns, bullet points, spacing).
• Visual semiotics (images, logos, colour schemes, and multi-modal interactions).
6. Phonetics, Phonology, and Prosodics
This covers sounds, accent, and spoken delivery.
• Speech sounds and accent markers in transcripts or literary representations.
• Prosodics: Intonation, emphatic stress, volume, pitch, and acoustic effects (like alliteration, rhythm, or rhyme).
Memory Trick: Remember FLPG-DP (Fast Language Pupils Gain Great Power) to check you are hitting the frameworks: Frame (Discourse), Lexis, Pragmatics, Grammar, Delivery (Phonology), Presentation (Graphology)!
The 3 Major Linguistic Mechanisms for Constructing Identity
In AQA Paper 1 Section A, identity is constructed in three interconnected directions:
1. Self-Representation (The Writer or Speaker's Persona)
How does the producer construct their own authority, warmth, expertise, or status?
• Pronoun Choices:
- First-person singular ("I", "me", "my"): Creates an intimate, personal, accountable, or reflective persona.
- Inclusive first-person plural ("we", "us", "our"): Unites the speaker with the audience, creating a shared communal identity.
- Exclusive first-person plural ("we", "us"): Separates an institution or leadership group from the audience (e.g., "We here at the board have decided...").
- Impersonal Nominalisation: Replacing people with abstract nouns (e.g., changing "I decided" to "A decision was reached") to sound detached, official, or objective.
• Modality Choices (Deontic vs. Epistemic):
- Deontic Modality: Expresses necessity, obligation, or permission (e.g., "You must submit," "We should act"). This constructs a persona of high authority, power, and leadership.
- Epistemic Modality: Expresses possibility, certainty, or doubt (e.g., "It might rain," "This could suggest"). This constructs a persona of tentativeness, caution, or open-mindedness.
• Stance-Taking and Evaluation:
- Evaluative adjectives (e.g., disastrous, superb) and affective lexis project the writer's personal feelings, moral values, and ideological stance.
2. Representation of Others (Social Actors and Groups)
How does the text construct representations of individuals, social groups, or organizations?
• Naming and Reference Strategies:
- Functionalisation: Categorising people by their occupation or role (e.g., "the cleaner," "the spokesperson," "the politician"). This reduces their identity to what they do.
- Relationalisation: Categorising people by their social or family relationships (e.g., "mother-of-two," "the victim's husband"). This appeals to emotional empathy.
- Appraisement: Labelling people with positive or negative evaluations (e.g., "brave whistleblower" vs. "reckless troublemaker").
• Agency and Transitivity (Active vs. Passive Voice):
- Who is positioned as the Actor/Agent (the one doing the action) and who is the Goal/Patient (the one affected by the action)?
- Example Active: "Police arrested three protestors." (Police = clear agent).
- Example Passive with Agent Deletion: "Three protestors were arrested." (The actor who carried out the arrest is completely hidden from the sentence, obscuring responsibility).
3. Audience Positioning (Enacting Relationships and Social Roles)
How does the text build a relationship with you, the reader or listener?
• Synthetic Personalisation:
This is the process where a mass-produced text (like an advert, website, or open letter) uses conversational language and direct address ("you", "your") to make a mass audience feel like they are being spoken to individually one-on-one.
• Shared Schema & Pragmatic Presupposition:
Texts often use cultural references, slang, or assumed facts to build an "in-group" identity. If the writer presupposes you agree with them (e.g., "We all know how frustrating public transport is..."), they subtly position you to align with their worldview.
Quick Review: Identity is constructed through:
1. Persona (Who am I? — pronouns, modality, stance).
2. Representation (Who are they? — naming strategies, transitivity, voice).
3. Positioning (Who are you to me? — synthetic personalisation, presupposition).
Common Pitfalls to Avoid in the Exam
Examiner reports consistently highlight several traps. Make sure you avoid them:
• Pitfall 1: "Feature-Spotting" Without Purpose
Wrong: "The writer uses a complex sentence and three dynamic verbs."
Right: "The writer uses dynamic verbs such as 'conquer' and 'shatter' within an active clause structure to construct the protest group as powerful, disruptive agents."
• Pitfall 2: Treating Identity as a Fixed Personality Trait
Wrong: "The speaker is an angry, bossy person."
Right: "The speaker adopts an authoritative, dominant persona through high-obligation deontic modal verbs like 'must' and unmitigated imperatives."
• Pitfall 3: Writing Literary or Thematic Essays
Remember, this is English Language, not English Literature! Avoid broad summaries of the plot or theme. Anchor every single observation to a specific linguistic method (grammar, lexis, pragmatics, discourse, phonology, or graphology).
• Pitfall 4: Premature Comparison in Questions 1 & 2
Do not refer to Text B when answering Question 1, and do not refer to Text A when answering Question 2. Comparative credit (AO4) is awarded exclusively in Question 3!
Step-by-Step Method for Analysing Identity
Follow this 4-step formula every time you write an analytical paragraph for Paper 1 Section A:
Step 1: State the Representation / Identity (AO3)
Identify what identity or persona is being constructed (e.g., an empathetic expert, an urgent campaigner, an authoritative institution).
Step 2: Provide Precise Linguistic Evidence & Terminology (AO1)
Quote the text and label the linguistic feature using accurate terminology (e.g., inclusive pronoun, deontic modal verb, passive voice construction, evaluative adjective).
Step 3: Explain the Linguistic Effect & Meaning (AO1 & AO3)
Explain how the grammar, lexis, or structure creates that specific meaning in this context.
Step 4: Link to Context, Audience, and Purpose (AO3)
Explain why the producer constructed this identity for their specific audience, genre, and communicative goal.
Summary Checklist for Revision
• Can I name the 6 core linguistic frameworks?
• Can I distinguish between deontic and epistemic modality?
• Can I identify inclusive vs. exclusive pronouns?
• Can I explain how passive voice and agent deletion alter representation?
• Am I keeping my analysis of Text A and Text B separate until Question 3?