AQA GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 2 MARK SCHEME
2026/2027 | 8700/2 Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives |
Version 1.0 Final | Complete Answers with Marking Criteria |
Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION A: READING (40 marks)
Source A: "The Condition of the Working Class in England" by Friedrich Engels (1845) —
An extract examining the industrial transformation of Manchester and its impact on
working-class living conditions, observing the stark contrast between commercial
prosperity and human suffering.
Source B: "The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited" by Owen Jones (2012) — An extract
exploring contemporary deprivation in post-industrial Northern towns, analyzing the
persistence of poverty amid changing economic landscapes and political discourse.
Question 1 – 4 marks
01 Read again the first part of Source A, lines 1–12.
Choose four statements below which are true.
● A: Engels describes Manchester as a city of remarkable architectural beauty.
● B: The author suggests that commercial success has come at significant human
cost.
● C: Engels observes that the working-class districts are hidden from the view of
wealthy residents.
● D: The text implies that industrial progress has benefited all social classes
equally.
● E: The author uses sensory details to convey the physical environment of the
slums.
● F: Engels argues that the current economic system is fundamentally unjust.
● G: The working-class areas are described as being situated in the heart of the
commercial district.
, ● H: The author notes the contrast between the bustling commercial streets and
the concealed poverty behind them.
[4 marks]
[MARK SCHEME]
01 [4]
AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas
Table
Statement Answer
False (Engels describes commercial grandeur but emphasizes the
A
concealment of suffering, not architectural beauty)
True [allow] — Engels explicitly contrasts commercial prosperity with the
B
"concealed misery" of workers
True [allow] — The text describes how working-class districts are "concealed"
C
from the "boulevards" of the wealthy
False (The text explicitly challenges this, showing unequal distribution of
D
industrial benefits)
True [allow] — Sensory details of "filth," "stagnant pools," and "putrefying
E
matter" convey the physical environment
, True [allow] — Implicit in the critique of a system that allows such contrast
F
between wealth and poverty
False (Working-class areas are described as concealed, hidden away from
G
the commercial centre)
True [allow] — Central contrast between the "bustling" commercial life and
H
the "concealed" poverty
Award 1 mark for each correct answer to a maximum of 4 marks.
Acceptable alternatives:
● Allow references to "hidden," "concealed," or "secluded" for C and H
● Allow F if students identify implicit critique of systemic injustice even without
explicit terminology
● Do not accept A if students conflate commercial grandeur with architectural
beauty for all districts
Question 2 – 8 marks
02 You need to refer to the whole of Source A and Source B.
Compare how the writers convey their different perspectives on the causes of urban
poverty.
[8 marks]
[MARK SCHEME]
02 [8]
AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas; select and
synthesize evidence from different texts
2026/2027 | 8700/2 Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives |
Version 1.0 Final | Complete Answers with Marking Criteria |
Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
SECTION A: READING (40 marks)
Source A: "The Condition of the Working Class in England" by Friedrich Engels (1845) —
An extract examining the industrial transformation of Manchester and its impact on
working-class living conditions, observing the stark contrast between commercial
prosperity and human suffering.
Source B: "The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited" by Owen Jones (2012) — An extract
exploring contemporary deprivation in post-industrial Northern towns, analyzing the
persistence of poverty amid changing economic landscapes and political discourse.
Question 1 – 4 marks
01 Read again the first part of Source A, lines 1–12.
Choose four statements below which are true.
● A: Engels describes Manchester as a city of remarkable architectural beauty.
● B: The author suggests that commercial success has come at significant human
cost.
● C: Engels observes that the working-class districts are hidden from the view of
wealthy residents.
● D: The text implies that industrial progress has benefited all social classes
equally.
● E: The author uses sensory details to convey the physical environment of the
slums.
● F: Engels argues that the current economic system is fundamentally unjust.
● G: The working-class areas are described as being situated in the heart of the
commercial district.
, ● H: The author notes the contrast between the bustling commercial streets and
the concealed poverty behind them.
[4 marks]
[MARK SCHEME]
01 [4]
AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas
Table
Statement Answer
False (Engels describes commercial grandeur but emphasizes the
A
concealment of suffering, not architectural beauty)
True [allow] — Engels explicitly contrasts commercial prosperity with the
B
"concealed misery" of workers
True [allow] — The text describes how working-class districts are "concealed"
C
from the "boulevards" of the wealthy
False (The text explicitly challenges this, showing unequal distribution of
D
industrial benefits)
True [allow] — Sensory details of "filth," "stagnant pools," and "putrefying
E
matter" convey the physical environment
, True [allow] — Implicit in the critique of a system that allows such contrast
F
between wealth and poverty
False (Working-class areas are described as concealed, hidden away from
G
the commercial centre)
True [allow] — Central contrast between the "bustling" commercial life and
H
the "concealed" poverty
Award 1 mark for each correct answer to a maximum of 4 marks.
Acceptable alternatives:
● Allow references to "hidden," "concealed," or "secluded" for C and H
● Allow F if students identify implicit critique of systemic injustice even without
explicit terminology
● Do not accept A if students conflate commercial grandeur with architectural
beauty for all districts
Question 2 – 8 marks
02 You need to refer to the whole of Source A and Source B.
Compare how the writers convey their different perspectives on the causes of urban
poverty.
[8 marks]
[MARK SCHEME]
02 [8]
AO1: Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas; select and
synthesize evidence from different texts
