AQA English Language paper 2 question 2 is a very difficult question,
in the sense that the wording of the question doesn't really tell you what you need to do to maximise your marks.
In this video we’ll look at the key skills of synthesis and inference.
AQA English Language Paper 2 question 2 is a summary question worth 8 marks, assessing
both bullet points of A01:
Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas
Select and synthesise evidence from different texts
For the synthesis element of this question, you have to show understanding of information
from both sources, and you’ll actually be capped at half marks at best if you only write
about one source, because you’re essentially not synthesising information if you do that.
So you must write about both sources. Now this question might ask you to summarise
differences, similarities or information about a certain topic presented in both sources.
It might, for example, be based on behaviour or feelings, or a more concrete focus like
summarise what you understand about the different boats used by the fishermen in both sources.
Now that might sound like a very specific example, but Question 2 is likely to have
a very narrow focus, partly to make sure you don’t have any crossover with what you’re
going to write about later in question 4. Because of this, you shouldn’t necessarily
expect to find a lot of material to use in your answer. But this shouldn’t be a problem:
as an 8 mark question, you only want to spend approximately 10 minutes on question 2.
The key thing about this question is that it’s not enough to just pick out those differences,
or similarities, or whatever the question is focusing on: you need to infer. So let
me show you how. We’re going to look again at an example
question from Mr Bruff’s guide to GCSE English Language, available in paperback on Amazon
or eBook at mrbruff.com: just follow the links in the description to pick up a copy:
You need to refer to source A and source B: Write a summary of the differences between
Andrew Bruff and Edgar Thompson. [8 marks] Just to say: we are looking at a sample question
on differences here, so everything else I say in the video will be about differences,
but remember: the question in your exam might be about differences, similarities or details
about a topic.
Of all the question in papers 1 and 2 combined, I think the wording of this question is the
least clear, in the sense that it appears to be a very simple question where you could
just pick out simple differences like: Bruff is a teacher, Thompson is a Headteacher.
Bruff makes videos, Thompson does not. Bruff is informal when talked to, Thompson
behaves formally. However, there is so much more to this question
than simply picking out points of difference. To boost your marks you need to be perceptive,
which essentially means that you write something that is not stated in the text, but that you’ve
worked out for yourself. so here’s a three step process you can follow
to boost your marks in question 2: Step 1: find a point of difference:
‘Bruff is informal when talked to, whereas Thompson behaves formally’
Step 2: find quotations to back up your answer. Now remember, this is not a02: we’re not
analysing language, but we still do need to back up our points with quotations from the
text: Mr Bruff has an informal attitude, as he often
‘laughs’ and ‘beams’, Thompson, however, is much more formal, with
the formal opening ‘I am writing with reference to’.
Now many students would leave it there, but there is another key stage:
Step 3: Given that this is the difference, what does this lead me realise about what
I’ve been asked to focus on? This is the inference bit. So, to apply this to our question:
given that Bruff has an informal attitude and Thompson is formal, what does that lead
me to realise about the two men? And THAT is where the inference comes is, THAT is where
you end up saying something which is not stated in the text, but you’ve worked out for yourself.
That is where you end up writing something like this:
Mr Bruff has an informal attitude, as he often ‘laughs’ and ‘beams’, emphasising
his passion and sense of humour. This reflects the non-controlling attitude Bruff has to
education: he puts the students and their needs before himself. Thompson, however, is
much more formal, seen in his formality when he is ‘writing with reference to’. This
formal attitude is used to emphasises the difference in status between himself and Mr
Woolark to whom he writes. Thompson clearly has a defined role of authority, which he
is keenly protecting and projecting in this letter.
When you approach this question this way, you’ll only write about differences that
actually allow you to infer. So if I had chosen the difference: ‘Bruff makes videos, Thompson
does not.’ There is really nothing to infer from this. In fact, how can you make an inference
about Thompson not making videos, when videos didn’t even exist when he was alive?
And just to say: The June 2017 examiners’ report pointed out that referring to the time
periods when the sources were written is not of itself a valid difference to identify,
and that Students who do reference the historical differences need to do more than just point
out that one is 19th century and the other is 21st century.
So, make sure you be selective about the points you choose to write about in the first place,
and only pick ones you can infer something about. That’s the key to this question.