This standard is graded holistically, but a predictable paragraph shape makes it far easier to hit every element of the method under exam time pressure.
A reliable paragraph shape for Q1/Q2
Topic sentence naming the aspect AND connecting it to the question's theme.
Embedded quotation — short, exact, woven into your own sentence rather than block-quoted.
Explanation of the effect on the reader, specific rather than generic ("the reader questions X", not "this is interesting").
A closing link back to the question's named idea, in the question's own words where possible.
How much a paragraph should attempt, by grade target
Target
What the paragraph does
Achieved
Names one aspect, quotes it, states a plausible effect.
Merit
Names the aspect doing the most work (not just an available one), quotes precisely, states a specific effect connected to the theme.
Excellence
Does the above, then adds a further layer — a tension, an implication, or a link to something beyond the text (another idea in the passage, a wider human experience).
✕
Writing more paragraphs instead of writing better ones
Under time pressure, the instinct is to add another aspect rather than deepen the one already chosen. But the standard rewards depth of interpretation over coverage — two aspects analysed perceptively will always outscore four aspects only labelled. Spend the extra time completing the "link back to the theme" step, not starting a fifth paragraph.
A final check before moving to the next question
Does the closing sentence use the question's own theme word, not a paraphrase of it?
Is the quotation short enough to be embedded, not block-quoted?