GCSE AQA English Language Paper 2: Complete Guide : with Sentence Starters, High-Level Vocabulary, and Answering Strategies for Q2, Q3, and Q4
with Sentence Starters, High-Level Vocabulary, and Answering Strategies for Q2, Q3, and Q4
For this summary questions you must infer.
How to Answer Q4: Comparing Writers' Attitudes Towards Poverty (AO3) – Step-by-Step Guide
In this question, you need to compare how the writers convey their feelings and attitudes towards children in poverty. This means looking at what the writers think and how they express their viewpoints.
Step 1: Understand What the Question Wants
Compare = Look at both sources and explain similarities and differences in how the writers present their attitudes.
Writers’ Feelings and Attitudes = What do they think about children in poverty? Are they sympathetic? Critical? Neutral?
How These Are Conveyed = Consider language, tone, structure, and viewpoint (this is what AO3 asks for).
Step 2: Use a Clear Comparison Structure
To organise your answer, focus on these key areas of comparison:
The Writers’ Viewpoints – What do the writers think about poverty?
Does one see poverty as an unchangeable fact, while the other presents it as unjust?
Tip: Find key quotes that show how the writers feel.
How Language Conveys Their Attitude – What techniques do they use?
Look for emotive words, imagery, repetition, contrast, or word choices that create sympathy or criticism.
Tip: Identify at least one language feature from each source and explain how it shows the writer’s feelings.
The Tone and Its Effect – Is the writing formal, emotional, sarcastic, or neutral?
One writer might be detached and observational, while the other is critical and passionate.
Tip: Use words like sympathetic, critical, detached, frustrated, nostalgic, urgent to describe tone.
How the Structure Shapes Meaning – How do the writers present their ideas across the text?
Does one use short, impactful sentences to create emotion?
Does one build up details slowly, making the poverty seem like an unavoidable reality?
Tip: Comment on how the beginning, middle, or end adds to their viewpoint.
Step 3: Write Your Answer Using a Comparative Approach
Follow this structure:
1️⃣ Introduction → Briefly state the main difference in how the two writers present their attitudes towards children in poverty.
2️⃣ Comparative Paragraphs (At least 3) → Each paragraph should compare one aspect, using a point, evidence, and explanation format:
Point → What is the writer’s attitude?
Evidence → Use a quote to prove it.
Explain & Compare → How does the other writer’s attitude compare?
3️⃣ Conclusion → Summarise the key differences and explain which writer is more effective in engaging the reader.
Example Sentence Starters to Help You Write Your Answer
Both writers discuss poverty, but they present their attitudes differently.
In Source A, the writer describes children as ‘[quote]’, which suggests…
This contrasts with Source B, where the writer states ‘[quote]’, implying…
The language in Source A is [adjective], while in Source B it is [adjective], showing…
The tone of Source A is more [neutral/critical/emotional], whereas Source B is [contrasting tone], which makes the reader feel…
Overall, Source A presents poverty as [summary], while Source B presents it as [summary].
Final Tip: Stay Focused on AO3 (Comparison and Methods!)
You must compare both sources throughout.
Don’t just describe what the writers say—explain how they say it.
Use a variety of methods (language, tone, structure, viewpoint).
Q2 – Summary of the Differences in Children’s Behaviour (8 Marks, 10 Minutes)
This question requires summarising key differences without analysis but with some inference.
1. "One key difference between the children in Source A and Source B is..."
One key difference between the children in Source A and Source B is how they spend their time—those in Source A play outside freely, while those in Source B are more focused on their struggles with hunger and injustice.
2. "This suggests that..."
This suggests that in the past, children were left to fend for themselves, whereas modern children are more aware of their struggles and societal issues.
3. "In Source A, the children are described as..."
In Source A, the children are described as ‘swarming’ and ‘running like rabbits,’ suggesting they are active, energetic, and left unsupervised in the streets.
4. "In contrast, Source B presents the children as..."
In contrast, Source B presents the children as suffering from poverty more directly, as shown in John’s statement: ‘I was smelling the other food.’ This highlights hunger and social exclusion rather than just a lack of supervision.
5. "Overall, the key differences are..."
Overall, the key differences are that Source A focuses on children being independent and unsupervised in a harsh urban environment, while Source B highlights their emotional struggles and awareness of poverty.
Q3 – How Does the Writer Use Language to Describe the District? (12 Marks, 15 Minutes)
This question requires language analysis focusing on word choice, imagery, and techniques.
1. "The writer uses [language technique] to create a sense of..."
The writer uses personification to create a sense of decay and neglect, as seen in ‘the alleys swallowed the children whole,’ suggesting that the environment is dangerous and overwhelming.
2. "The choice of the word ‘[quote]’ suggests..."
The choice of the word ‘narrow and dirtier still’ suggests that the district is overcrowded and unhygienic, reinforcing the poor living conditions.
3. "This makes the reader feel..."
This makes the reader feel sympathy for the children, as the area is described as ‘noisome courts,’ suggesting an unpleasant, claustrophobic atmosphere.
4. "By describing the district as ‘[quote],’ the writer conveys..."
By describing the district as ‘obscure holes’ where children vanish, the writer conveys a sense of danger, as if children disappear into forgotten spaces, ignored by society.
5. "Overall, the writer’s language creates an atmosphere of..."
Overall, the writer’s language creates an atmosphere of chaos and neglect, making the district seem unfit for children and reinforcing the hardship they face daily.
Q4 – Compare How the Writers Convey Their Feelings and Attitudes Towards Children in Poverty (16 Marks, 20 Minutes)
This question requires comparison of perspectives and how they are conveyed through language, tone, and structure.
1. "Both writers discuss poverty, but they present their attitudes differently..."
Both writers discuss poverty, but they present their attitudes differently—Source A describes the children in a detached, observational tone, while Source B takes a more emotional and critical stance.
2. "In Source A, the writer presents children as..."
In Source A, the writer presents children as part of the city’s landscape, describing them as ‘swarming’ like ‘rabbits in a warren,’ which makes them seem numerous but insignificant.
3. "In contrast, Source B conveys a more [adjective] tone by..."
In contrast, Source B conveys a more sympathetic tone by using direct speech from children, such as ‘he cannot afford meals. He cannot buy trainers.’ The repetition of ‘cannot’ reinforces their struggle.
4. "The language in Source A is [adjective], whereas in Source B, it is more [adjective], showing..."
The language in Source A is neutral and descriptive, whereas in Source B, it is emotive and critical, showing how modern poverty is presented as unfair and urgent.
5. "Overall, Source A presents poverty as [summary], while Source B presents it as [summary]..."
Overall, Source A presents poverty as a harsh but normal part of life, while Source B highlights the emotional suffering of children and criticises the government’s lack of action.
Words high vocab
Q2 – Summary of Differences
Contrast, disparity, distinction, variation, juxtaposition, divergence, comparison, opposition, inequality, imbalance, separation, discrepancy, differentiation, inconsistency, contrastive, evident, notable, shift, alteration, differing, opposing.
Q3 – How Does the Writer Use Language to
Bleak, oppressive, desolate, suffocating, chaotic, dilapidated, grim, uninhabitable, ominous, unsettling, impoverished, rundown, neglected, claustrophobic, vivid, evocative, foreboding, atmospheric, eerie, hostile.
Q4 – Compare How the Writers Convey Their Feelings and Attitudes Towards
Perspective, sentiment, viewpoint, critique, condemnation, empathy, detachment, bias, compassion, injustice, objectivity, subjectivity, advocacy, neutrality, emotional, analytical, reflective, observational, indifferent, expressive.