## **Learning Outcomes**

After working through this article, you will confidently compare writers' ideas, perspectives, and methods across two non-fiction texts (AO3). You will be able to structure a point-by-point comparative argument, use evidence from both sources in every paragraph, and explain how differences in language, tone, and structure create different viewpoints. These skills are essential for AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2, Question 4 (16 marks).

## **AQA GCSE English Language 8700 Syllabus**

For AQA GCSE English Language 8700, this article helps you:

- Compare writers' ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two linked texts (AO3)
- Select and synthesise evidence from both sources to support comparison (AO1/AO3)
- Analyse how writers use different methods — including language, structure, and tone — to express their viewpoints (AO3)
- Organise a coherent comparative response using point-by-point structure and comparative connectives (AO3)

## **Test Your Knowledge**

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. What is the difference between comparing ideas and comparing methods?
2. True or false: Writing about Source A in full and then Source B in full is the best way to structure a comparison.
3. What are comparative connectives, and why are they important for AO3?
4. A question asks you to "compare how the writers convey their different perspectives." What two things must your answer cover?

## **Introduction**

Paper 2 Question 4 is worth 16 marks and tests AO3: your ability to compare writers' ideas and perspectives across two non-fiction texts. This is the highest-value reading question on the paper, and the mark scheme rewards responses that compare within paragraphs rather than writing about each text separately.

A strong answer does two things in every paragraph: it compares what the writers think (their ideas and perspectives) and how they express those thoughts (their methods). Moving from content to method in each paragraph is the single most important skill for this question.

> **Key Term: perspective**
> A writer's particular attitude, viewpoint, or position on a topic, shaped by their experiences, beliefs, and purpose for writing.
>
> **Key Term: comparative argument**
> An analytical response that examines two texts side by side, identifying similarities and differences in both content and method within each paragraph.
>
> **Key Term: method**
> The specific language, structural, or presentational choices a writer makes to convey their viewpoint, including tone, diction, imagery, sentence structure, and rhetorical devices.

## Understanding AO3: Comparing Ideas and Perspectives

AO3 requires you to address both what writers think and how they express it. The mark scheme for Question 4 has four levels:

- _Level 1 (1-4 marks)_: simple comparison of ideas with limited reference to methods
- _Level 2 (5-8 marks)_: some comparison of ideas and perspectives with some reference to methods
- _Level 3 (9-12 marks)_: clear comparison of ideas and perspectives, with clear analysis of methods
- _Level 4 (13-16 marks)_: perceptive comparison of ideas and perspectives, with detailed analysis of how methods convey viewpoints

To reach Level 3 and above, you must compare methods — not just summarise what each writer says. The question will typically ask you to "compare how the writers convey their different perspectives" or "compare their attitudes," signalling that method analysis is required.

The most effective structure is point-by-point: each paragraph addresses one shared idea or theme, discusses how both writers present it, and analyses the difference in method.

### **Worked Example 1.1**

Source A is a modern blog post arguing that city life is exciting and full of opportunity. Source B is a nineteenth-century letter describing the city as noisy, crowded, and overwhelming.

The task asks: "Compare how the two writers convey their different feelings about city life."

> **Answer (model comparison paragraph):**
>
> Both writers address the energy of urban life, but they present it from opposing perspectives. The blog post writer celebrates the city's pace, describing it as 'electric' and 'alive with possibility,' using positive connotations to position city life as thrilling. In contrast, the letter writer describes 'the ceaseless clamour of wheels and voices,' where 'ceaseless' and 'clamour' carry negative connotations of exhaustion and chaos. The modern writer's short, punchy sentences mirror the excitement they describe, whereas the letter writer's longer, more complex sentence structure reflects a sense of being overwhelmed. This comparison shows how diction and sentence structure work together to create opposing tones — one celebratory, the other distressed.

### **Exam Warning**

> Do not write two separate mini-essays — one about Source A and one about Source B. The mark scheme rewards comparison within paragraphs. If you only address one source in a paragraph, you are not comparing, and your response will be capped at Level 2.

## Comparing Methods, Not Just Content (AO3)

The most common weakness in Question 4 answers is comparing only what the writers say without analysing how they say it. Moving from "Source A says X while Source B says Y" to "Source A uses [method] to convey X, whereas Source B uses [method] to present Y" is what lifts a response from Level 2 to Level 3.

### Comparing tone

Tone reveals the writer's attitude. When comparing tone, use precise vocabulary: one writer may be indignant while the other is measured, or one may be celebratory while the other is sceptical. Always support your tone description with a short quotation.

### Comparing language choices

Look for contrasts in diction, imagery, or rhetorical devices. If one writer uses emotive language and the other relies on factual reporting, explain what this difference achieves and how it shapes the reader's response differently.

### Comparing structural choices

Consider how each writer organises their argument. One may build gradually toward a conclusion while the other opens with a bold statement. One may use short paragraphs for impact while the other develops sustained, detailed reasoning.

### **Worked Example 1.2**

Using the same sources from Example 1.1, a student compares a specific method:

> **Answer:**
>
> The two writers use imagery to create contrasting impressions of the same environment. The blog post writer personifies the city as a living entity that 'breathes energy into you,' suggesting the city gives life and vitality to its residents. The letter writer, however, describes the streets as a 'labyrinth of smoke and shadow,' where the metaphor of a labyrinth implies confusion and entrapment. Both writers use personification and metaphor, but with opposite effects: the modern text presents the city as nurturing, while the nineteenth-century text presents it as threatening. Comparing the same type of method across both texts shows how identical techniques can serve entirely different viewpoints.

## Building a Coherent Comparative Argument

A coherent comparative argument requires planning. Before you write, identify three or four shared ideas or themes that appear in both texts. For each, note the writers' different perspectives and at least one method each writer uses.

### Planning with a comparison grid

Draw two columns — one for Source A, one for Source B — and list the shared ideas down the left side. For each idea, note the writer's perspective and a key method or quotation. Then draw arrows between contrasting or similar points. This grid becomes your paragraph plan.

### Comparative connectives

These signal to the examiner that you are comparing, not just describing:

- _Contrast_: whereas, in contrast, however, on the other hand, conversely, while
- _Similarity_: similarly, likewise, both writers, in the same way
- _Development_: furthermore, moreover, this is reinforced by

Use at least one comparative connective per paragraph to maintain the comparative thread throughout your response.

### **Worked Example 1.3**

A full model comparison paragraph with annotations:

> **Answer:**
>
> [Topic sentence signalling comparison] Both writers address whether the city offers freedom, but they reach opposing conclusions. [Source A evidence + method] The blog post writer argues that the city 'sets you free from the limits of small-town thinking,' using the metaphor of liberation to present urban life as intellectually expansive. [Comparative connective + Source B evidence + method] Conversely, the letter writer laments being 'imprisoned by the press of strangers,' where 'imprisoned' directly contradicts the idea of freedom and the phrase 'press of strangers' suggests suffocating proximity rather than community. [Analytical comparison of methods] While both writers use metaphors of confinement and release, they apply them in opposite directions: the modern writer associates the city with escape, whereas the nineteenth-century writer associates it with captivity. [Effect on reader] This contrast positions the reader to question whether the city truly liberates or merely replaces one form of restriction with another.

### **Revision Tip**

> Before writing, create a quick comparison grid: draw two columns for Source A and Source B, then list three or four key ideas. For each idea, note the perspective and one method. Draw arrows between ideas that connect or contrast. This takes two minutes and prevents you from writing about each source separately.

## **Summary**

Paper 2 Question 4 rewards comparison within paragraphs, not separate accounts of each text. A strong answer addresses both ideas (what the writers think) and methods (how they express those ideas) in every paragraph. Use a point-by-point structure, support each point with evidence from both sources, and connect your comparison with clear comparative connectives. Moving from content comparison to method comparison is what separates Level 2 responses from Level 3 and above.

## **Key Point Checklist**

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Structure a point-by-point comparative argument that addresses both sources in every paragraph
- Compare writers' ideas and perspectives, not just summarise each text separately
- Analyse how methods (tone, diction, imagery, structure) convey different viewpoints across two texts
- Use comparative connectives to signal contrast and similarity throughout a response
- Plan using a comparison grid to identify shared ideas and contrasting methods
- Understand the four-level mark scheme for Paper 2 Question 4

## **Key Terms and Concepts**

- perspective
- comparative argument
- method
- point-by-point structure
- comparative connective
- tone
- diction
- imagery
- ideas and perspectives
- viewpoint


Comparing perspectives and methods - Coherent comparative argument with evidence