Question 4: Comparing Viewpoints Flashcards
All 59 cards in this deck
How many marks is Paper 2 Question 4 worth, and which assessment objective does it test?
16 marks, testing AO3: comparing the writers' ideas and perspectives and how they are conveyed across two texts. It is the biggest reading question on Paper 2.
Roughly how long should you spend on Paper 2 Question 4?
About 20 minutes. It carries 16 of Section A's 40 marks, so it deserves more time than any other reading question.
What does the 2026 Paper 2 Question 4 stem ask you to do?
"Compare how the writers convey their different…" followed by the focus, such as feelings and perspectives or attitudes, and the shared topic. The bullets suggest you compare those differences, comment on the methods the writers use, and support with references to both texts.
What changed in the Paper 2 Question 4 wording from 2026?
Only the second bullet: it now says "comment on the methods the writers use". You must discuss each writer's methods, but you don't have to compare the methods directly; the comparison is of their ideas and perspectives.
How much of each source should you use for Paper 2 Question 4?
The whole of Source A and the whole of Source B. Unlike Questions 1 to 3, there are no given lines, so draw on the beginning, middle and end of both.
What does a top-level (Level 4, 13–16 marks) Question 4 answer do?
It makes a perceptive, detailed comparison of the perspectives, analyses how the writers' methods convey them, and chooses precise, well-judged references from both texts.
What is the cap if your Question 4 answer only writes about one source?
Level 1 quality: maximum 2 marks. Level 2 quality: maximum 6 marks. You must deal with both sources to reach Level 3 or above.
What is examiners' biggest complaint about Paper 2 Question 4?
Missing methods. Many students compare what the writers feel but never comment on how the writers show it. An answer with no methods is held in the lower half of its level, however good the comparison.
Why shouldn't you reuse your Question 2 answer in Question 4?
Question 2 asks for inferences about a narrow focus (often facts about places, people or things). Question 4 asks about the writers' feelings and perspectives and the methods that convey them. Recycled Question 2 points rarely do either.
Why do examiners say you should describe the writers' feelings in your own words?
Reusing the writers' own words is paraphrase, a Level 1 skill. Choosing your own precise word ("exasperated", "grudgingly impressed") shows you have interpreted the perspective.
What is a sensible plan for Paper 2 Question 4?
- Sum up each writer's overall perspective in a few words. 2) Pick three or four points of comparison across the whole of both texts. 3) For each, give a short quotation, the method and its effect for A, then the same for B, linked with a comparative connective.
How should you open a Question 4 answer?
With a one-sentence overview that compares the two perspectives straight away, e.g. "Both writers face a rough crossing, but while one endures it as a comic ordeal, the other relishes it." It shows understanding and sets up the comparison.
What is a writer's perspective in Paper 2?
Their overall point of view on the topic, shaped by who they are, when they wrote and what they experienced. Question 4 asks you to compare these viewpoints, not the events.
What is the difference between a writer's feeling, attitude and perspective?
A feeling is an emotion at a moment (panic). An attitude is a settled stance towards something (disapproving of tourists). A perspective is the wider viewpoint behind both (a local who resents change).
How can you make your description of a writer's attitude more precise?
Swap vague words (happy, sad, bad) for exact ones, and qualify them: "wryly amused", "reluctantly impressed", "anxious but determined". Choose the word that fits the text; don't force in a memorised one.
In "Naturally, the council assures us the new car park will 'transform' the high street," what is the writer's attitude?
Sceptical, even sarcastic. "Naturally" suggests the claim is predictable, and the inverted commas around 'transform' show the writer doesn't believe it.
In "I had expected to loathe the place. By the third day I was planning my return," what happens to the writer's attitude?
It shifts from prejudice to enthusiasm. Two short, contrasting sentences mark the turning point clearly, so the reader sees how far the writer's view has moved.
Why is it worth tracking whether a writer's attitude changes during a source?
Perspectives often develop, e.g. dread that turns into delight. Saying "at first… but by the end…" shows detailed understanding of the whole text, which is what the higher levels reward.
What does it mean if a writer's attitude is ambivalent?
They hold two conflicting feelings at once, e.g. fascinated and frightened. Naming both sides is more perceptive than picking one.
How can a writer's time and situation help explain their perspective?
A 19th-century writer may be meeting something for the first time, or writing from a particular class or role. Mention this briefly to explain why the perspectives differ; don't drift into a history essay.
How can you find a writer's overall viewpoint quickly?
Read the introduction line, the first and last paragraphs, and the writer's judging words (adjectives, adverbs, verbs of feeling). Ask: what impression do they want to leave me with?
How are tone and attitude connected?
Tone is how the writing sounds (mocking, earnest, weary); attitude is what the writer thinks. Tone is evidence for attitude: "The mocking tone reveals her contempt for…"
In "It was, I suppose, a kind of triumph — if arriving soaked, late and alone counts as triumph," what attitude does the writer show?
Wry self-mockery. The hesitant "I suppose" and the deflating list "soaked, late and alone" undercut the word "triumph", so the writer laughs at his own failure.
What counts as a method in Paper 2 Question 4?
Any choice the writer makes to convey their view: language (word choice, imagery), structure (order, shifts, endings), tone, form (letter, diary, article) and techniques such as anecdote or direct address.
What is an anecdote, and what does it do in non-fiction?
A short personal story used to make a point. It makes the writer's view vivid and believable, and invites the reader to share their experience.
What effect do facts and statistics have in non-fiction?
They give the writer authority and make the view seem objective and reasonable. Remember they are still selected to support the writer's perspective.
What does direct address ("you") do in non-fiction?
It speaks to the reader personally, creating closeness or challenge. In a letter it reaches one specific person, which can make the feelings seem unguarded.
What does a rhetorical question do in a writer's argument or account?
It invites the reader to agree by implying the answer is obvious, and can reveal the writer's frustration or disbelief.
What does hyperbole typically do in non-fiction?
Deliberate exaggeration conveys the strength of the writer's feeling, and often adds humour that brings the reader on side.
What do irony and sarcasm do in non-fiction?
By saying the opposite of what they mean, writers show contempt or amusement, and invite the reader to share the joke against the target.
What effect can a list have in non-fiction?
Piling up details creates a sense of excess: the writer can seem overwhelmed, exasperated or delighted. Its rhythm can imitate monotony or excitement.
What does imagery (simile, metaphor, personification) do in non-fiction?
It turns the writer's experience into a picture the reader can feel, making an abstract feeling concrete, e.g. a train described as a bully suggests the writer feels trapped.
How can a text's form be a method?
A private letter or diary can show raw, unguarded feelings to one reader; a published article shapes the view for the public. Commenting on this explains how the perspective reaches us.
Name two structural methods you could comment on in Question 4.
Any two of: a shift from description to reflection; a turning point where the attitude changes; an ending that leaves a final judgement; chronological narration building to a climax. Say what each does to the reader.
In "Forty minutes. Forty minutes for a bus the timetable promised every ten," which methods are used and what is their effect?
Repetition and a minor sentence. The repeated "Forty minutes" lets the reader hear the writer fuming, and the contrast with "every ten" exposes the broken promise.
In "You would think, wouldn't you, that a hotel charging these prices could afford a kettle," which methods are used and what is their effect?
Direct address, a rhetorical aside ("wouldn't you") and sarcasm. Together they pull the reader into sharing the writer's indignation at poor value.
How do you write about a method without "feature spotting"?
Name it, quote a few words, then explain what it makes the reader think or feel about the writer's perspective: "The simile 'like a lively dolphin' makes the chaos almost playful, showing he finds the danger more absurd than frightening."
Give four connectives for comparing differences.
Whereas, while, in contrast, on the other hand (also unlike, however, conversely).
Give four connectives for comparing similarities.
Similarly, likewise, in the same way, equally (also both writers…, just as…).
What is the difference between an integrated and a block comparison?
Integrated: each paragraph covers both sources on one point. Block: all of Source A, then all of Source B. Integrated keeps the comparison going all the way through; block often ends up barely comparing.
What does comparing "like with like" mean?
Comparing the same aspect in both texts, e.g. each writer's attitude to danger, rather than two unrelated points.
What does a strong Question 4 comparison paragraph contain?
A point of comparison; for Source A a short quotation, the method and its effect on the perspective; a comparative connective; the same for Source B; a final sentence on why the perspectives differ.
How many points of comparison should a Question 4 answer make?
Usually three or four well-developed ones. Examiners reward the quality of the comments, not the number of quotations.
Do you need to compare the writers' methods directly in Question 4?
No. From 2026 you comment on each writer's methods to support your comparison of their ideas. Compare the methods themselves only when it helps, e.g. both use personification for opposite effects.
How can you compare two writers who feel the same thing?
Look for differences of degree or reason: "Both writers are amazed, but A's awe is quiet and reflective while B's spills over into excitement." That is more perceptive than "both are amazed".
Which is the better comparison, and why? (a) "Source A is about a ship. Source B is about a ferry." (b) "While A treats the storm as a comic ordeal, B finds it exhilarating."
(b). It compares attitudes to the same thing, like with like. (a) only compares subject matter.
Why should you embed short quotations in a comparison?
Weaving a few words into your sentence keeps the focus on precise language, makes analysing single words easy, and saves time for comparing.
How should you finish a Question 4 answer?
Optionally, with one or two sentences summing up the key difference in perspective and why it exists (era, experience, purpose). Don't simply repeat earlier points.
What is a writer's purpose, and why does it matter when you read non-fiction?
The main job the text is doing: to inform, explain, describe, entertain, argue, persuade or advise. Most texts do more than one. Naming the purpose lets you explain why a method is there: a joke in a travel article entertains, but the same joke in a speech wins the audience round.
In "Bring a waterproof, and leave the hairdryer at home: the bothy has no electricity", what is the purpose, and how can you tell?
To advise. The imperatives ("Bring", "leave") give direct instructions, and the practical reason after the colon shows the writer is helping the reader prepare.
How can you work out who a non-fiction text is written for?
Look at what the writer assumes you know (unexplained technical terms suggest experts), the register (chatty or formal), who is addressed ("you", "parents", "readers of this paper") and the examples chosen. Then explain how the writer adapts to that audience.
A 19th-century letter begins "My dear Jane, you will laugh when I tell you…". Who is the audience, and how does it shape the writing?
One reader the writer knows well. So the writer can be personal, confide feelings, joke, and skip explaining shared references. A newspaper report, by contrast, addresses many strangers and has to explain more.
Why does the audience matter in Paper 2 Question 4?
Sources written for different audiences, such as a private letter and a magazine article for the public, use different methods. Explaining how each writer adapts to their audience is a way of comparing methods, and AQA's indicative content does exactly this.
What is bias in a non-fiction text?
Presenting one side favourably while ignoring or belittling the other. Signs include one-sided evidence, loaded words ("scheme", "so-called") and opponents' views being left out or mocked. Say what the bias reveals about the writer's viewpoint, not just that it's there.
What is a generalisation, and what does it do?
A claim about a whole group based on limited evidence: "Teenagers never read any more." It makes a point feel obviously true and can unite writer and reader against "them", but it oversimplifies. Spotting one helps you show when a writer is being unfair, or deliberately comic.
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion presented as fact?
A fact can be checked: "The pier is 300 metres long." An opinion presented as fact states a view with certainty and no "I think": "The pier is the town's only attraction." It makes the writer sound authoritative and leaves the reader little room to disagree.
What is an analogy, and what does it do in non-fiction?
An extended comparison that explains something unfamiliar or complicated through something familiar: "Cutting the library budget to save money is like selling your shoes to pay the bus fare." It makes an argument easy to grasp, and can make the other side look foolish.
In "Everyone who has ever sat on a delayed train knows the operators simply do not care", which methods are used, and what is their effect?
A generalisation ("Everyone… knows") and an opinion presented as fact ("simply do not care"). Together they make the writer's anger seem shared and obvious, so the claim feels beyond argument even though no evidence is given.
How should you write about bias in Paper 2 Questions 3 and 4?
Don't just call the text "biased". Show how the bias is created (which details are chosen, which words are loaded, what is left out) and what it tells you about the writer's attitude. Bias is a clue to perspective, not a fault to criticise.