AQA Language Paper 2, Question 4: Comparative Essay
The purpose of a comparative essay is to find deep, meaningful comparisons and / or
contrasts between the texts. A comparative essay needs an introduction and a
conclusion, as well as a minimum of three comparative middle paragraphs. If you have
simple ideas that compare in a basic way, you’ll end up with a mid level grade. If you
make comparisons that are random and not really helping to open up understanding of
the text, then you’ll get quite inconsistent feedback. You want to fully understand the
question before you start planning, then plan in detail before you start writing. Practise
this question a lot - it’s one of the hardest on the paper!
HOW TO APPROACH THE QUESTION:
● Underline the keywords - the most important ideas
● Find the focus - this will be a single word or phrase that is the main idea of the
question
● Develop a few basic thoughts in your head on the question, before you go back
to the texts
● Spend time finding detailed, precise evidence in both of the texts that relates to
your question
● Finally, start to match up the evidence into meaningful points of comparison or
contrast - you only need 3 or 4 key ideas, so if you have more than that you
should narrow it down and choose the most intelligent, sophisticated thoughts.
● Develop an academic register. This is the style that you use to write essays and
analytical answers to questions - your essay writing style should be totally
different from how you speak, using complex and sophisticated vocabulary and
more advanced pieces of punctuation - such as colons and semicolons. Learn
good essay words and phrases (transition words are a good place to start).
Learn how to accurately use every piece of punctuation, and use the more
formal ones in an essay (- : ; . , “” … ‘). If you’re aiming for a B-A* grade (L6-L9),
the academic register will make a huge difference to your answers.
● This is a 16 mark question, so aim to spend around 20-25 minutes in total on
the question. You can split this into 3-5 mins planning, 12-15 mins writing, and
2-3 mins checking.
, EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
Compare how the different views of childhood are expressed in the two texts.
In your answer, you should:
● Compare the different points of view of the writers.
● Compare the methods used by the writers to convey these points of view.
● Support you ideas with quotations from the texts
For this question, you need to refer to the whole of Source A, together with Source
B, the father’s letter to a family friend. Compare how the two writers convey their
different attitudes to parenting and education.
In your answer, you could:
● Compare their different attitudes
● Compare the methods they use to convey their attitudes
● Support your ideas with references to both texts.
Compare how the writers convey their different perspectives on surfing. In your
answer, you could:
● Compare their different perspectives on surfing
● Compare the methods the writers use to convey their perspectives
● Support your response with references to both texts.
For this question, you need to refer to the whole of Source A, together with the
whole of Source B. Compare how the writers convey their different attitudes to
the two schools. In your answer, you could:
● Compare their different attitudes
● Compare the methods the writers use to convey their different attitudes
● Support your response with references to both texts.
The purpose of a comparative essay is to find deep, meaningful comparisons and / or
contrasts between the texts. A comparative essay needs an introduction and a
conclusion, as well as a minimum of three comparative middle paragraphs. If you have
simple ideas that compare in a basic way, you’ll end up with a mid level grade. If you
make comparisons that are random and not really helping to open up understanding of
the text, then you’ll get quite inconsistent feedback. You want to fully understand the
question before you start planning, then plan in detail before you start writing. Practise
this question a lot - it’s one of the hardest on the paper!
HOW TO APPROACH THE QUESTION:
● Underline the keywords - the most important ideas
● Find the focus - this will be a single word or phrase that is the main idea of the
question
● Develop a few basic thoughts in your head on the question, before you go back
to the texts
● Spend time finding detailed, precise evidence in both of the texts that relates to
your question
● Finally, start to match up the evidence into meaningful points of comparison or
contrast - you only need 3 or 4 key ideas, so if you have more than that you
should narrow it down and choose the most intelligent, sophisticated thoughts.
● Develop an academic register. This is the style that you use to write essays and
analytical answers to questions - your essay writing style should be totally
different from how you speak, using complex and sophisticated vocabulary and
more advanced pieces of punctuation - such as colons and semicolons. Learn
good essay words and phrases (transition words are a good place to start).
Learn how to accurately use every piece of punctuation, and use the more
formal ones in an essay (- : ; . , “” … ‘). If you’re aiming for a B-A* grade (L6-L9),
the academic register will make a huge difference to your answers.
● This is a 16 mark question, so aim to spend around 20-25 minutes in total on
the question. You can split this into 3-5 mins planning, 12-15 mins writing, and
2-3 mins checking.
, EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
Compare how the different views of childhood are expressed in the two texts.
In your answer, you should:
● Compare the different points of view of the writers.
● Compare the methods used by the writers to convey these points of view.
● Support you ideas with quotations from the texts
For this question, you need to refer to the whole of Source A, together with Source
B, the father’s letter to a family friend. Compare how the two writers convey their
different attitudes to parenting and education.
In your answer, you could:
● Compare their different attitudes
● Compare the methods they use to convey their attitudes
● Support your ideas with references to both texts.
Compare how the writers convey their different perspectives on surfing. In your
answer, you could:
● Compare their different perspectives on surfing
● Compare the methods the writers use to convey their perspectives
● Support your response with references to both texts.
For this question, you need to refer to the whole of Source A, together with the
whole of Source B. Compare how the writers convey their different attitudes to
the two schools. In your answer, you could:
● Compare their different attitudes
● Compare the methods the writers use to convey their different attitudes
● Support your response with references to both texts.
