Paper 2 Question 4 Skills: Comparing Texts (AQA GCSE English Language)
Revision Note
Written by: Nick Redgrove
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Paper 2 Question 4 Skills: Comparing Texts
Paper 2 Question 4 tests your ability to compare the writers’ ideas and perspectives in two different sources. The Assessment Objective for this question is AO3:
AO3 Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts |
Overview of comparing texts
Paper 2 Question 4 is the comparison question. It requires you to understand information and ideas from two sources and focus on the writers’ perspectives. You are expected to bring together and compare the two perspectives on a specific subject, analysing the differences and linking these points of view to the methods used by the writers to convey them.
Here is an example of the type of question you will be asked:
AO3 is addressed through the command word “compare” and the emphasis in the question is on “how” the writers convey their attitudes to the reader. The word “convey” encapsulates a number of concepts – from ways and methods of writing, through to consideration of form, structure and purpose. All of these are reinforced by the supporting bullet points:
compare their different attitudes
compare the methods they use to convey their attitudes
support your ideas with quotations from both texts
The bullet points underneath the question are there to give you clues about what you might want to consider in your response
Marks are given for the quality and level of your response, rather than the number of points you make
The task is a relatively complex one, and without careful and prolonged preparation for the exam, many students find it difficult to combine the different skills assessed in this question
The question requires a response which includes:
a demonstration of your understanding of the ideas and perspectives in both texts
a comparison of these ideas and the writers’ different perspectives
relevant textual detail
an explanation of how both writers have used a range of methods to convey their points of view
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Each of the three preceding reading questions provides you with practice and inspiration for Question 4. This is done through the understanding of ideas introduced in Question 1, the synthesis between texts in Question 2 and the focus on methods in Question 3. These questions offer you stepping stones towards meeting the challenge of Question 4, so make sure you answer the questions in this order.
Comparing texts
As this is a comparison question, it's important to identify the purpose of each text and to understand the main ideas that the writers intend to convey and their respective audiences.
When you're comparing non-fiction texts, your goal is to identify areas where the texts share common ground
Contrasting involves pointing out the differences between the texts
This can be in terms of ideas, themes, literary features, structure or any other relevant aspect
You're essentially looking for connections that help to explain how the texts relate to each other or how they differ
When comparing and contrasting, it's crucial to provide specific examples from the texts:
These make your comparisons more robust
The ultimate goal of comparing and contrasting is to draw insights from the similarities and differences you have identified:
What do these shared and distinct elements reveal about the writers’ intentions and perspectives?
Do comparisons and contrasts shed light on the larger context or themes within which these texts exist?
Comparing and contrasting requires critical thinking and analytical skills:
Don't just list similarities and differences; delve deeper into why these similarities and differences are important
Here are some words and phrases that can be used to signal comparisons and contrasts in your response:
Words to compare | similarly | likewise | equally |
|---|---|---|---|
both | comparably | in the same way | |
Words to contrast | on the other hand | although | however |
while | whereas | in contrast |
Comparison of the writers’ perspectives and ideas
Question 4 is quite a lengthy question and therefore it is vital that you understand each part of the question. Below we will explore the different elements of the question so that you know exactly what the examiner is asking you to do.
Part of Question 4 will ask you to compare the writers’ perspectives and feelings. This means analysing and contrasting how each writer’s viewpoint on a particular subject or theme is presented within their texts. The writer’s perspective refers to their unique way of presenting ideas, themes, characters or events in their writing. This perspective shapes how they develop their narrative and engage with the reader. For this type of question, it’s important to provide thoughtful insights and to demonstrate an understanding of how different writers can approach similar themes in unique ways.
Below are some ideas which you should consider when thinking about how to compare the writers’ perspectives and ideas:
Analyse Perspectives | Identify Themes | Compare and Contrast |
|---|---|---|
Examine how each writer presents their viewpoint, opinions and ideas within their texts. This includes looking at their use of dialogue, narration and use of literary devices | Identify the central themes or ideas that each writer explores in their writing. These could be recurring motifs or messages that the writers want to convey to their readers | Discuss the similarities and differences between these perspectives and ideas. Consider how each writer has approached a similar theme or topic, as well as how they diverge in their approaches and message |
Contextualise | Use Evidence | Draw Conclusions |
Consider the context in which the writers wrote their texts. Consider the purpose, audience and form of each text | Support your analysis with specific examples from the texts. Quote lines that highlight the writers’ perspectives and ideas and explain how these contribute to the overall understanding of their writing | Draw conclusions about the writers’ intentions, viewpoints and the impact of their ideas on the reader's understanding |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
As you prepare your response to this question, it is a good idea to annotate in the margins of the source documents what the writers’ feelings appear to be about the focus of the question. You have to demonstrate that you fundamentally understand their feelings, experiences and perspectives in order to be able to write a high-marking answer to this question.
You may wish to consider using something like a Venn diagram to plan your response to this question:
Comparison of the writers’ methods
Another aspect of Question 4 requires you to compare the methods the writers use to convey their different perspectives and feelings. “Different perspectives and ideas” is an umbrella term to capture what a writer is writing about and how they present it to the reader – either their intended reader in the time period in which it is written, or you as a reader of the source. The scope of the question will always ask you to consider in your comparison how the writers use form, structure and language. This is referenced in the bullet point as “methods”.
Remember, questions which require you to consider how writers present their viewpoints will always require you to apply additional reading skills to AO3. For example, aspects of AO1, AO2 and AO4 are also required reading skills for Question 4, and should be viewed as part of your ‘reading toolkit’ when attempting this question.
Below is a reminder of what these particular skills involve:
AO1 |
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AO2 |
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AO4 |
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So, for Question 4, you must ensure that you explore the methods the writers use to convey their perspectives and feelings, by incorporating the above skills.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In Question 4, some students make the mistake of repeating some of the material they have used in their response to Question 2. You are reminded that the focus of Question 4 will always be different from the focus for Question 2; these two questions require different skills. Therefore you need to ensure you have a distinctly different approach to (and write different things for) each question in Section A.
Addressing the bullet points in the comparison question
Question 4 will always have three separate bullet points for you to address in your answer. We are now going to look at how you might approach these three bullet points in Question 4. The bullets points for this question ask you to:
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We will now explore some approaches you might take for Question 4 based on two non-fiction texts. Below are some examples of how you might begin to plan and write your ideas into a response:
Bullet point 1: compare their different perspectives and feelings |
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The first bullet point in Question 4 will ask you to explore the writers’ different perspectives and feelings.
Below is an extract from Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”. The book is about the harmful effects of pesticides.
Read through the passage and think about what the writer’s perspectives and feelings are:
There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example—where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh. On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs—the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These, too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died. |
We will now explore some perspectives and feelings that you might choose to comment on using this text:
Text 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
Writer’s perspectives and feelings | Quote(s) from the text | Explanation |
Loss and desolation | “strange stillness”, “no sound” and “only silence” | The absence of birdsong, the deserted feeding stations, the dying birds and the lifeless streams all contribute to the writer’s feelings of loss and desolation. The writer presents a mournful perspective on the disappearance of the beauty that once characterised her environment. |
Concern for the environment | “deserted by all living things” and “all the fish had died” | The writer's descriptions convey their deep concern for the state of the environment. The writer's perspective seems to be one of alarm, as they highlight the changes to the natural world. |
Connection to nature | “throbbed with the dawn chorus” | The writer conveys their strong connection to the natural world and suggests an intimate relationship with the environment. The loss of the birds' songs and the absence of bees among the blossoms evoke a deep sense of nostalgia for the vibrant environment which once was there. |
Here is another passage from a different non-fiction text. It is based on a similar topic. For this text, we will continue to explore the first bullet of the question: the writer’s perspectives and feelings.
The passage below is from Nigel Dudley’s “This Poisoned Earth: Truth About Pesticides”. It is about the damages caused by pesticides.
Read through the passage and think about what the writer’s perspectives and feelings are:
During a hot spell in June 1984, a crop-spraying plane overshot its intended target and released a fine yellow mist of fungicide above the village of Blackhall, near Durham. Scores of people were covered with pesticide. Fifteen were affected so badly that they needed hospital treatment for a range of side effects, including headaches, skin rashes, sore throats and eye infections. The fungicide was of a type chemically similar to certain nerve-gases, and villages were advised not to eat surface-growing garden vegetables for at least a month. Environmental health officers said the chemicals could have particularly bad effects on asthmatics and the elderly. … The problems of spraying in the small Hertfordshire village of Kimpton became so bad that in the summer of 1985, almost a hundred people signed a petition, “Aerial crop spraying can damage your health but carries no Government warning”. People complained to Friends of the Earth about being sprayed directly by aircraft while walking along public roads, not being informed about aerial spraying or being given the wrong day of application. |
We will now explore some perspectives and feelings that you might choose to comment on using this text:
Text 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
Writer’s perspectives and feelings | Quote(s) from the text | Explanation |
Concern for human health | “covered with pesticide” | The writer's tone indicates a deep concern for the well-being of the people affected by the crop-spraying incident. It conveys the writer’s apprehension regarding the use of potentially harmful chemicals near populated areas. |
Criticisms of government | “carries no Government warning” | The writer appears to adopt a critical perspective and implies negligence by the government. The writer has a negative stance on the regulatory bodies' ability to adequately protect public health. |
Once you have identified both writers’ perspectives and feelings in each text, you now need to compare them. Below are some similarities and differences which you might identify in each text:
Similarities between both texts | Differences between both texts |
|---|---|
Both texts share a concern for human health. Text 1 hints at the potential consequences of chemical exposure, while Text 2 directly addresses the health risks resulting from pesticide spraying. | One text focuses on nature, while the other focuses on human health. Text 1 primarily focuses on the impact of ecological disruption on nature, while Text 2 focuses on the immediate health effects on people. |
Both texts are critical of government regulations. In both texts, there is an implicit critique of government oversight. Text 1 expresses concern about a lack of regulation in environmental protection, while Text 2 criticises the absence of proper warnings and regulation in pesticide use. | One text focuses on the loss of species, whereas the other text focuses on health risks. Text 1 mourns the loss of different kinds of species, whereas Text 2 conveys the immediate health risks associated with chemical exposure. |
Once you have identified the writers’ perspectives and their similarities and differences, you must then consider the methods used by the writers to convey these ideas. We will address this aspect in the below.
Bullet point 2: the methods the writers use |
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The second bullet point in Question 4 will always ask to compare the methods the writers use to convey their different perspectives and feelings.
Using both texts above, we will now explore how you might address this bullet point. The table below explores some of the writer’s methods used in Text 1:
Text 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
Writer’s methods | Quote(s) from the text | Explanation |
Imagery | “There was a strange stillness” “swept by fire” “browned withered vegetation” | The writer uses imagery to contrast the transformation of the environment from a thriving state to one which is desolate and lifeless. The opening line, “There was a strange stillness”, immediately sets the tone by invoking a sense of quiet and unease. This stillness is further illustrated by the description of the missing birds and the feeding stations. As the writer shifts their focus from the sky to the land, the imagery continues to convey this devastation. The description of the roadside, “browned withered vegetation”, reinforces the idea of a barren landscape and the phrase “swept by fire” indicates an intrusive and destructive force. |
Symbolism | “The birds, for example—where had they gone?” “no chicks hatched” | The writer uses symbolism to convey the fragility of nature and the potential consequences of human actions on the environment. The disappearance of the birds symbolises the disruption of the natural environment. Also, the failure of the hens to hatch chicks could symbolise the interruption to the natural life cycle. This failure also signifies the potential extinction of certain species, contributing to the sense of loss and impending doom. Further, the absence of bees and the barren apple trees also symbolise the devastating consequences on the environment. |
Personification | “throbbed with the dawn chorus” | The writer personifies the mornings by describing how they “throbbed with the dawn chorus” to intensify the feeling of loss. Through personification, the writer creates an image of mornings alive with sound and activity through the calls of different birds. This helps to evoke empathy and a sense of connection with the natural world, making the impact of its decline resonate much more acutely with the reader. |
The table below explores some of the writer’s methods used in Text 2:
Text 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
Writer’s methods | Quote(s) from the text | Explanation |
Imagery | “fine yellow mist of fungicide” “covered with pesticide” | The writer uses imagery to depict the accidents related to crop-spraying in order to convey their feelings about the harmful consequences of these practices. The phrase “fine yellow mist of fungicide” has connotations of toxicity which evokes a sense of impending danger. Further, the writer’s description of people being “covered with pesticide” is equally unsettling and conveys the writer’s perspective on the alarming consequences of crop-spraying practices. |
Emotive language | “affected so badly” “particularly bad effects” “can damage your health but carries no Government warning” | The writer uses emotive language to elicit a strong emotional reaction from the reader regarding the negative effects of crop-spraying. The use of emotive phrases such as “affected so badly”, “particularly bad effects” and “damage your health” instils a sense of concern and urgency and illustrates the severity of the situation. The phrase “particularly bad effects”, particularly on asthmatics and the elderly, draws attention to the vulnerability of certain groups. Here the writer underscores the potential harm these chemicals can cause to those who already may have health issues. Moreover, the phrase “can damage your health but carries no Government warning” elicits the writer’s feelings of frustration and anger. |
Writing your response to the comparison question
When writing your response to Question 4, you should aim to address each of the bullet points in every paragraph. This will ensure you are addressing the bullet points throughout your answer which will present a much more integrated response.
We will now explore how you might integrate each of the bullet points into a response. We will first explore an opening thesis statement and then an example of a paragraph:
Opening thesis |
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Both texts share a common concern for human health, albeit from distinct perspectives. While the first text laments the loss of different species and the disrupted balance in the environment, the second text shifts the focus to the immediate health risks posed by pesticide usage. In the first text, the writer's perspective on the effects of environmental disruption is conveyed through imagery, symbolism and personification, eliciting a sense of loss and desolation. In contrast, the second text's perspective revolves around the potential harm caused by pesticide over spraying, employing emotive language and direct quotations to convey a mixture of alarm, frustration and a call for awareness and change. Despite these differing points, both texts underscore the paramount importance of safeguarding human health in the face of environmental challenges. |
In this opening thesis, the response has immediately compared both of the texts and addressed each of the writers’ perspectives. The response also comments on some of the methods which the writers have used in order to convey their ideas and perspectives on the issue of pesticide use.
Below is an example of how you might form a further paragraph in your response:
Paragraph |
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In both texts, the writers use imagery to illustrate their concern about the use of pesticides in the environment. In Text 1, the writer uses imagery to contrast the transformation of the environment from a thriving state to one which is desolate and lifeless. The opening line, “There was a strange stillness” immediately sets the tone by invoking a sense of quiet and unease. This stillness is further illustrated by the description of the missing birds and the feeding stations. As the writer shifts their focus from the sky to the land, the imagery continues to convey this devastation. The description of the roadside, “browned withered vegetation”, reinforces the idea of a barren landscape and the phrase “swept by fire” indicates an intrusive and destructive force. Similarly, in Text 2, the writer uses imagery to depict the accidents related to crop-spraying in order to convey their feelings about the harmful consequences of these practices. The phrase “fine yellow mist of fungicide” has connotations of toxicity which evoke a sense of impending danger. Further, the writer’s description of people being “covered with pesticide” is equally unsettling and conveys the writer’s perspective on the alarming consequences of crop-spraying practices. |
In this paragraph, the response clearly focuses on one of the methods used by the writers: imagery. The response continues to compare the similarities between the writers’ methods and analyses these in a detailed and perceptive manner.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Where methods are addressed, they will significantly enhance your response. You must address how the writers have conveyed their views in your answer. Ignoring this will always result in a lower mark. You must ensure you address this as it is a critical aspect of this question.
You will find further detailed information about how to structure your response to Question 4 in the Model Answer section.
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