How to Answer Paper 2 Question 4 Flashcards
All 12 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.