Paper 2: Reading - Answering Question 2
English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 5.2.3
Section A: Reading - Question 2
In Section A of Paper 2, you will analyse the language of one non-fiction text and compare the viewpoints of the writers of two non-fiction texts.
Question 2
- Question 2 is worth eight marks.
- In this question, you will be asked to read both sources. You will be asked to write a summary of the similarities or differences between the two texts – make sure you read the question carefully and check whether you should be writing about similarities or differences.
Tips for answering Question 2
- Summarise only - do not analyse the writer's language. You should still support your points with quotations from the text, but do NOT analyse the words.
- Make inferences - to achieve the highest marks, you need to offer a perceptive interpretation of both texts. So don't just paraphrase everything you have read. Read between the lines and draw conclusions.
Reaching the top marks
- To gain the top marks for this question, you need to:
- Demonstrate a good understanding of either similarities or differences.
- Interpret both sources perceptively.
- Use information from both sources.
- Use a variety of quotations from each source.
The SQI Structure for Question 2
You don't have to stick to this structure, exactly, but it helps you to remember including everything you need to get the most marks.
Statement
- Write your idea or argument and link it to the question.
- Here are some example sentence starters:
- In the text, the writer suggests that the man is ________.
- The writer draws our attention to _____________.
- Throughout the text, the writer ________________.
Quotation
- Select a quotation from the text which proves the point you have made.
- Here are some example sentence starters:
- In paragraph three, the author says, “______________”.
- The author describes the sky as “_____________”.
- The description “____________” is stated at the start of the text.
Inference
- Ask yourself, what does the language suggest here?
- Draw your own conclusions, focusing on the meanings behind the language.
- Here are some example sentence starters:
- The quotation suggests that _______________________.
- From the language used, we can infer that ___________.
- The writer is suggesting that ______________________.
- The evidence implies that ________________________.
Test yourself on Paper 2: Reading - Answering Question 2
What are you asked to do in Question 2 of Section A?
What do you need to do when answering Question 2?
What should you NOT do when answering Question 2 of Section A?
What does SQI stand for?
Ordering the Parts of your Paragraph to Analyse Language