AQA paper 2: writers’ viewpoints and perspectives, question by question

Paper 2 at a glance

AQA 8700 Paper 2 is 105 minutes, 80 marks:

A typical paper uses two linked non-fiction sources, usually one modern and one nineteenth-century.

Working score targets

These are paper targets, not official boundaries:

A strong split for grade 9 pace is roughly:

• Reading: 30/40
• Writing: 34/40

Minute-by-minute timing plan

Use a strict 60/45 split: 60 minutes for Section A, 45 minutes for Section B.

Q1: four true statements

Exact format

You get eight statements about Source A. Exactly four are true.

Fastest reliable method

1. Read the specified lines only.
2. Test each statement against the text.
3. Mark:
   • T if the wording is clearly supported
   • F if one key word is wrong
   • ? if unsure
4. Choose only the four certain truths.

What traps look like

Wrong answers usually:

• twist one detail: early morning becomes late morning
• turn an inference into a certainty
• swap who did what
• use a near-synonym that changes meaning

Tactical rule

For Q1, do not interpret. This is not the place to be clever.

Q2: summary of differences

What the examiner wants

An inference-led comparison of the specified difference between the two sources.

This is not language analysis. You are summarising what is different, using evidence from both texts.

Best structure for 8 marks

Write 3 short comparative paragraphs.

Use this pattern each time:

1. State one clear difference.
2. Support from Source A.
3. Support from Source B.
4. Explain what we can infer.

Example frame:

• One difference is that Source A presents ___ as ___, whereas Source B presents it as ___. In Source A, ... This suggests ... By contrast, in Source B, ... implying ...

How much evidence?

• Short quotations or precise references
• Usually 2–3 developed differences is enough
• Keep both texts in every paragraph

Common reasons answers stall at 4/8

• treating the texts separately
• spotting obvious details but not inferring attitudes or experience
• analysing words instead of summarising differences
• writing only one developed point

Q3: language analysis on non-fiction

Exact task

You analyse how the writer in Source B uses language in the specified section.

Because this is non-fiction, strong answers focus on how language conveys:

• attitude
• judgement
• intensity
• persuasion
• disdain, admiration, fear, excitement, frustration

Fastest reliable method

Pick three methods or quotations that clearly shape the reader’s view.

Good choices in non-fiction:

• loaded adjectives and verbs
• vivid comparisons or imagery
• lists and accumulation
• direct address
• rhetorical questions
• hyperbole
• contrast
• sentence forms that sharpen tone

Paragraph model

Use 3 analytical paragraphs:

1. idea about effect
2. short embedded quotation
3. zoom in on key word/phrase
4. link to writer’s viewpoint

Example pattern:

• *The writer presents the journey as humiliating through the verb “___”, which suggests ___. This makes the experience seem ___ and positions the reader to ___. *

Level targets

What lifts you into Level 4

• analysing the connotations of precise words
• linking methods to the writer’s overall perspective
• avoiding stock phrases like “this makes the reader want to read on”

Q4: compare perspectives and how they are conveyed

This is the hinge question

Q4 is worth 16 marks and decides whether your reading mark is average or top-band.

You must compare:

1. the writers’ ideas/perspectives, and
2. how they convey them.

Best structure: comparative all the way through

Write 4 comparative paragraphs, not “Source A then Source B”.

Use this pattern:

1. comparative point
2. Source A evidence + method + effect
3. Source B evidence + method + effect
4. sentence of judgement

Example opener:

• Both writers present travel as difficult, but Source A treats it as an inconvenience while Source B portrays it as a genuine ordeal.

What to compare

Strong comparison usually covers:

• overall attitude
• tone
• what each writer values or criticises
• how each tries to shape the reader’s response
• methods: diction, anecdote, imagery, contrast, sentence patterns, direct address

Level targets

The fastest reliable plan

Before writing, jot this mini-grid:

Then turn each row into a paragraph.

Q5: viewpoint writing in the right form

Marking reality

Q5 is 40 marks:

• AO5: 24 for ideas, organisation, tone, register, form
• AO6: 16 for technical accuracy

The safest high-mark structure

Spend 5 minutes planning:

• your position in one sentence
• 3 main arguments
• 1 counterargument to knock down or absorb
• final message

Then write:

1. opening hook + clear thesis
2. argument 1
3. argument 2
4. argument 3
5. counterargument / concession
6. conclusion with a strong final line

Form conventions that matter

What gets 19–24 for AO5

• a clear, controlled line of argument
• deliberate paragraphing and sequencing
• matched register and form
• crafted rhetoric, not random devices

What gets 13–16 for AO6

• secure punctuation
• varied sentence structures used accurately
• strong spelling of common and ambitious vocabulary

High-value techniques

Use a few, well:

• contrast: We praise convenience, yet ignore its cost.
• rule of three
• rhetorical question
• anecdote or brief scenario
• direct address
• periodic sentence for emphasis

The biggest traps on this paper

Trap 1: analysing language in Q2

Q2 is about differences in ideas/experience, not methods.

Trap 2: writing about structure in Q3

Q3 asks about language in a set section.

Trap 3: treating Q4 as two mini-essays

If paragraphs are split into “Source A” then “Source B”, comparison becomes thin.

Trap 4: wrong form in Q5

A speech must sound spoken. An article must sound public-facing. An essay must sound reasoned.

Trap 5: weak technical accuracy

Top ideas with shaky punctuation can lose too many AO6 marks.

Targeted drills that actually move marks

1. Q1 truth-test drill — 4 minutes

Take any paragraph and write eight statements: four true, four false by one-word twists. Train precision.

2. Q2 difference drill — 8 minutes

Read two short paragraphs on the same topic. Write three sentences, each beginning:

• One difference is...

Force yourself to include both texts every time.

3. Q3 zoom drill — 10 minutes

Pick three quotations from non-fiction. For each, write:

• word choice
• connotations
• what it reveals about viewpoint

Ban yourself from writing “this creates an image” unless you explain the image.

4. Q4 grid drill — 12 minutes

Fill in the four-row comparison grid before writing anything. This trains genuine synthesis.

5. Q5 skeleton drill — 15 minutes

Given a statement, make only the plan:

• thesis
• 3 arguments
• counterargument
• final line

This is the highest-value speed drill for Paper 2.

Final checklist for exam day

• Q1: check every word of the statement
• Q2: differences, not language analysis
• Q3: three precise language points, well-developed
• Q4: compare throughout, not text-by-text
• Q5: clear stance, right form, accurate punctuation