GCSE English Language Week 3 Exam Preparation Tips

Thinking about comparing perspectives and quotes in English Language paper 2

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another week of the Connect GCSE English Language blog. Today’s entry will follow on nicely from last week’s, where we began thinking about paper 2 with regards to the kind of challenges non-fiction can present. Hopefully you’ve been getting the hang of that this week. Today, I’ll be talking more about paper 2, as this is the one people tend to want more help with. Now that we’ve started to get the hang of approaching one non-fiction extract, let’s think about how we would go about comparing it to another one.

Comparison, or assessment objective three, is a significant element of English Language paper 2: the longest question in the reading section (question 4) is assessed only on comparison. It is also something students often struggle with – I know I found it really difficult, and I still do. It can be a lot of information to process when you’re trying to compare two analyses and work out how they relate to each other. But fear not! This is what I’m here to help with.

How to approach comparison

The very first thing you need to do when approaching comparison is the same as when you’re approaching a question about a single unseen passage. The techniques you use when analysing one unseen text as opposed to two are, after all, pretty similar. Begin by feature spotting and working out which quotes interest you. Just try to be a little more intentional with your reading: think about similar word choices you’re picking up on. Once you’ve done this, you can begin thinking about how to form your comparison.

Comparing perspective

Perspective is a very important part of comparison. The way my teacher used to get us thinking about this is by drawing a picture, and I think this can really help. When you’re doing a practice paper, read both sources A and B. Then draw a stick-man picture of what’s going on in each source, and make sure you draw the writer. The point of this exercise is to get yourself thinking about how each writer relates to their surroundings, and therefore how their perspectives are different.

Another way to think about it is this: imagine that, right after the final Battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter, you went up to both Harry and Voldemort and asked them what happened. Obviously, they aren’t going to tell you the same story. It’s like when two of your friends are fighting and you ask both of them what happened and they tell you something completely different. Why? Because their perspectives are different. Between Harry and Voldemort, for example:

· Voldemort is older

· Voldemort is more powerful

· Harry didn’t choose to be in this position

· They have opposing morals

Perspective can really change how a story is told, and how the writer wants us to react to it. A good comparison of perspective is a good way to frame a Question 4 essay.

Comparing themes

Comparing themes is something students tend to find easier, because it’s clearer to see. The exam board will give you two texts on a similar topic, so the thematic links should be fairly obvious. When you’re reading, highlight the quotes which are talking about similar things and addressing similar topics, or even different ones. A good understanding of theme is a really strong place to start a comparison. One of my favourite approaches is to take two quotes that are talking about a similar theme but presenting that theme differently. This will ensure that you have lots to talk about and that you can really unpack your quotes to get that analysis in.

Comparing language devices

I’m afraid I’ve saved the hardest one until the end! Comparing language devices can be really tricky, but if you can do it well it is a sure way to get you into the higher levels. Once you’ve identified some quotes that link together thematically, have a think about the different ways in which the writers are presenting the theme on a language level. Is one using imagery while one describes it more literally? What kind of tone are they using? Remember, language devices you could compare are things like:

· Similes

· Metaphors

· Personification

· Alliteration

· Semantic fields

· Hyperbole

Any similarities or differences in language devices are worth writing about.

To write your comparative essay, then, you want to be linking all of these together: comparing perspective, theme and language devices. The exam board is clear that this is the way to access the highest mark. As I’ve said, talking about this much in such a short amount of time can seem daunting, but it will come with practice. Play around with your essay structure until you find something that suits your comparison style – it won’t be exactly the same as the way you write essays on a single extract. Good luck, and try to do a bit of practice as regularly as you can! More on writing comparative essays next week…

Have any questions about how to prepare for your GCSE exams? Having problems with any hard to understand content or tricky past exam questions? Then ask Addie. Addie will be hosting a series of Q&A webinars in the 2 weeks before final exams. Post your questions here, and Addie will answer them in these sessions.