GCSE English Language revision · Reading closely

Paper 2 Question 2: summary of differences

The idea

Question 2 asks you to summarise the differences (or similarities) between two sources on one focus. It is worth 8 marks and rewards clear inferences drawn from both texts together.

Find a detail on the focus in Source A and one in Source B.
Write an inference about each and link them with a comparison word.
Make two or three of these linked points; do not analyse language.

Watch out Writing about one source at a time, with no link, keeps you in the low bands.

See it worked

Worked example

Focus: the two boys' homes. A: "a room shared with four brothers". B: "his own wing of the house". Write one linked point.

A suggests crowding and little privacy.
B suggests space and wealth.
Link: A's boy has no space of his own, whereas B's has a whole wing, so B is far richer.

Answer A's boy shares one room with four brothers, whereas B's has a wing to himself, suggesting B's family is much wealthier.

Your turn

Question 11 mark

Which word best introduces a difference in a Question 2 answer?

Question 21 mark

Question 2 is worth how many marks?

Question 32 marks

Focus: attitudes to school. A: "lessons were the best part of my day". B: "I counted the minutes until the bell". Write one linked point of difference.

Write your answer, then see a model answer

Infer an attitude from each quotation.
Join them with a difference word.

Answer A's writer enjoys school and finds lessons the highlight of the day, whereas B's writer is bored and longs for lessons to end.

In past papers

8 official questions in 8 papers since 2020. The latest:

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