GCSE AQA Language Paper 2, Question 4:
Example Paragraphs + Breakdown
This is one of the hardest questions on the whole of the exam paper! You have to write
a full comparative essay, but you don't have much time to complete it (I advise
spending around 20-25 mins maximum). Below I'll go through some tips to help you
get the very best results without spending too long on the question!
TIP 1: Identify the attitudes or beliefs in the texts separately.
● This means that you should go through text A, find the ideas you want, then go
through Text B and do the same
● After you've got the separate ideas, then you can start to find comparisons or
contrasts between them
● Turn these into three clear points that compare / contrast the texts in a single
sentence each.
TIP 2: Find one quotation per text, per point.
● Keep your quotes short and clear
● If you're aiming for high marks, you can synthesise a few short quotes together -
as I've done below
TIP 3: Write a clear, single sentence thesis - see my example below
Thesis: Although both Scott and Bird are extremely driven by the thrill of travelling, it
seems that Scott is more of an explorer who needs to discover new wild places,
whereas Bird prefers to travel around the world and document her experiences of
people and cultures.
TIP 4: For the middle paragraphs, make sure to keep your structuring clear and
equally balanced between both texts. Here's an example I wrote so you can see
how the structuring should work:
Example Paragraphs + Breakdown
This is one of the hardest questions on the whole of the exam paper! You have to write
a full comparative essay, but you don't have much time to complete it (I advise
spending around 20-25 mins maximum). Below I'll go through some tips to help you
get the very best results without spending too long on the question!
TIP 1: Identify the attitudes or beliefs in the texts separately.
● This means that you should go through text A, find the ideas you want, then go
through Text B and do the same
● After you've got the separate ideas, then you can start to find comparisons or
contrasts between them
● Turn these into three clear points that compare / contrast the texts in a single
sentence each.
TIP 2: Find one quotation per text, per point.
● Keep your quotes short and clear
● If you're aiming for high marks, you can synthesise a few short quotes together -
as I've done below
TIP 3: Write a clear, single sentence thesis - see my example below
Thesis: Although both Scott and Bird are extremely driven by the thrill of travelling, it
seems that Scott is more of an explorer who needs to discover new wild places,
whereas Bird prefers to travel around the world and document her experiences of
people and cultures.
TIP 4: For the middle paragraphs, make sure to keep your structuring clear and
equally balanced between both texts. Here's an example I wrote so you can see
how the structuring should work:
