Question 2: Inferring Differences and Similarities Flashcards
All 31 cards in this deck
How many marks is Paper 2 Question 2 worth, which AO does it test, and how long should you spend on it?
8 marks, testing AO1: interpreting explicit and implicit information, and selecting and synthesising evidence from both sources. Spend about 8 minutes.
What does the 2026 wording of Paper 2 Question 2 look like?
"You need to refer to Source A and Source B for this question. The writers in Source A and Source B are [doing something]. What can you infer about the differences between [the two things]?" Some years it asks about similarities instead.
How did Paper 2 Question 2 change from June 2026?
The old "write a summary" wording went. The question now always says infer, to make clear the marks are for working things out, not retelling. The marks, levels and caps did not change.
What does a top-level (7–8 mark) answer to Paper 2 Question 2 do?
It makes perceptive inferences from both sources, backed by well-chosen, short references, and shows perceptive differences (or similarities) that stay on the exact focus of the question.
What is the maximum mark for a Paper 2 Question 2 answer that only uses one source?
3 marks. One-source answers are capped: 1 mark at Level 1 quality and 3 marks at Level 2 quality. You must use both sources (and the right focus) to reach Level 3 or above.
Should you analyse the writers' language in Paper 2 Question 2?
No. Q2 gives no marks for methods or terminology. It rewards what you can infer about the subject (the trains, the towns, the guides). Save language analysis for Q3 and methods for Q4.
What is examiners' biggest complaint about Paper 2 Question 2 answers?
Paraphrase instead of inference: retelling what each source says ("Source A's train is long") without saying what it suggests. Paraphrase keeps an answer in Level 1.
In Paper 2 Question 2, why is writing about how each writer feels a mistake?
The question has a stated focus, such as the two trains. Answers that drift into the writers' feelings or attitudes are answering Question 4 instead, and you need the correct focus to reach Level 3.
What is a good paragraph plan for Paper 2 Question 2?
One point per paragraph: difference/similarity → Source A detail + inference → comparative connective → Source B detail + inference. Two or three developed paragraphs beat a long list of thin points.
In Paper 2 Question 2, what should you check in the question before you start reading for evidence?
Two things: whether it asks for differences or similarities, and exactly what the focus is (the places, the animals, the guides). Underline both, then collect evidence only on that focus.
What is an inference?
Working out something the writer suggests but doesn't state, using evidence from the text. It shows the examiner you understand what a detail reveals, not just what it says.
What is the difference between paraphrase and inference?
Paraphrase restates the text in other words ("the coat was too big"). Inference explains what it reveals ("the coat was probably handed down, which hints the family couldn't afford new clothes").
What is the difference between explicit and implicit information?
Explicit information is stated directly. Implicit information is suggested, and you have to infer it. Question 2 rewards implicit meanings most.
Which phrases signal an inference in your writing?
This suggests…, this implies…, this reveals…, we can infer that…, perhaps…. They tell the examiner you are going beyond the words on the page.
Why is tentative language (perhaps, might, could) useful when inferring?
Inferences are interpretations, not facts. Tentative language shows you know a detail could mean more than one thing, which helps you offer alternative or layered readings, a mark of perceptive answers.
What is over-inference, and why does it lose credibility?
Claiming more than the evidence supports, e.g. reading "she checked the lock twice" as "she was a criminal on the run". Every inference must be anchored to a detail you can quote.
What makes an inference perceptive rather than just clear?
A clear inference states the obvious meaning. A perceptive one goes further, e.g. to what a detail reveals about a whole way of life, a period or a hidden reason, and may build several inferences from one detail.
In "She counted the coins twice before handing them over", what can you infer?
Money is tight and every coin matters to her. Perhaps she can't afford a mistake, or doesn't trust the person she's paying. The repeated checking hints at worry, not just carefulness.
In "Every chair in the waiting room had a different stain", what can you infer?
The place is heavily used and poorly looked after. There is no money or care to replace the furniture, which may suggest the people who wait there are not treated as a priority.
How can you infer something from what a text doesn't mention?
Absences are evidence too. If a long description of a journey never mentions food, warmth or rest, you can infer the travellers went without them, or that comfort simply wasn't expected.
Why should you use short, embedded quotations when inferring?
A word or two ("threadbare", "unopened letters") lets you zoom in on exactly what triggers the inference. Long quotations waste time and hide what you are actually reading into.
What does "like for like" mean in Paper 2 Question 2?
Comparing the same aspect in both sources, e.g. the comfort of train A with the comfort of train B. A difference only counts if both halves are about the same thing.
"Source A's hotel has a pool, whereas Source B's hotel is in Paris." What is wrong with this difference?
It isn't like for like: a facility is set against a location. Match facility with facility (pool vs no hot water) or location with location.
Which connectives signal a difference in Paper 2 Question 2?
Whereas, however, in contrast, on the other hand, unlike. Put the connective between your Source A point and your Source B point so the difference is explicit.
Which connectives signal a similarity in Paper 2 Question 2?
Similarly, likewise, in the same way, both, also. Use them to link the matching details from each source in one sentence or paragraph.
How can you quickly find differences or similarities to write about?
Run through aspects of the focus: appearance, purpose, comfort, cost, behaviour, how others react, what it reveals about the period. Note one detail from each source for each aspect that applies to both.
What does it mean to synthesise evidence in Question 2?
To bring details from both sources together into one point, e.g. "Both guides refuse to give up on their client". Synthesis is what AO1 rewards, and it is why one-source answers are capped.
In a similarities question, how can you push your answer towards the top level?
Show the similarity, then refine it: "Both guides physically carry their clients through, but one does it gently and the other by force." Noticing how alike things differ shows perceptive reading.
Why is writing all about Source A and then all about Source B weaker in Question 2?
It turns into two separate summaries and leaves the examiner to find the differences. Integrated paragraphs make each difference explicit, which is what "shows clear differences" means in the mark scheme.
Source A: "the fare was a week's wages". Source B: "a ticket cost less than a coffee". How would you turn these into a like-for-like difference?
Match the aspect (cost) and infer from both: In Source A the fare is "a week's wages", suggesting travel was a rare luxury, whereas in Source B a ticket costs "less than a coffee", implying travel is an everyday, affordable habit.
How is Question 2 different from Question 4 on Paper 2?
Q2 is about what the sources show (the trains, the towns) and is 8 marks of AO1. Q4 is about the writers' perspectives and methods and is 16 marks of AO3. Don't reuse Q2 points in Q4.