Paper 2 Question 2 AQA English Language GCSE EXPLAINED

Mrs Wear calls Paper 2 Question 2 “the spawn of Satan” because, although it’s only worth 8 marks, it feels far harder than it should. She breaks it down into her top five essentials:

1. The task itself – You always compare both Source A and Source B on the same object, event, or idea (e.g. surfboards, boats, festivals). Importantly, you are not looking at the writer’s viewpoint — that belongs in Question 4. Here, you just compare the object itself (old vs new, simple vs advanced, valuable vs worthless).

2. Marks and timing – It’s worth 8 marks and should take about 10 minutes to write, after using the 15 minutes of reading time to plan. The difficulty lies in processing two whole texts (one usually 19th century) rather than a short extract. Unlike Paper 1 Q2, there’s no need to revise writer’s techniques — the challenge is purely the time pressure.

3. Skills being tested – Officially, the mark scheme says the question tests explicit and implicit inference, selecting evidence, and synthesising across texts. But in reality, you need to focus heavily on implicit inference and, crucially, on comparison. Mrs Wear stresses that comparison is the real dividing line between lower and higher mark bands.

4. How to compare well – The stronger your comparison, the higher your level. Explicit comparisons (e.g. one boat is old, the other is new) may only get you 3/8 marks because they’re too obvious. Implicit comparisons (looking deeper into meaning) are rewarded. Top answers also use linked similarities and differences within one area (e.g. both boats are old, but in one text that means value, in the other it means worthlessness). To reach the top, focus on abstract ideas (value, atmosphere, relationships, emotions) rather than concrete ones (age, size, shape).

5. Do not analyse – This is the hardest rule to follow, because most of English is analysis. But in Q2, you’re not analysing writer’s craft — no talking about metaphors, similes, or repetition. Instead, stick to inference. Show what a word suggests or implies without using the word “connotation,” because examiners might misread it as analysis. Use a simple three-part structure:

   • A comparative topic sentence (how they’re similar/different)

   • A quote from each text

   • An explanation of what each quote means (implicit meaning only)

Her bottom line: this question is brutal, but it’s beatable. Success comes from practice under timed conditions, focusing on implicit inference, making nuanced comparisons, and resisting the urge to analyse.