AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 2: Summary and Inference (2026 Format)
Paper 2 Question 2 is worth 8 marks and assesses AO1 across both sources. AQA reworded the question for the 2026 assessment to make the demand clearer: infer differences between the two texts and support those inferences with relevant detail. This is a synthesis task, not a language-analysis question.
The key word is infer
An inference moves beyond what a quotation literally says. If one source describes padded seats and dining facilities while another describes exposed benches, the useful inference is not simply that the trains have different seats. You might infer that one journey prioritises passenger comfort while the other reflects a more basic stage of transport.
A compact comparison method
Identify the specific comparison focus in the question.
Find one relevant detail from Source A and infer what it suggests.
Find a contrasting or corresponding detail from Source B and infer what it suggests.
State the difference clearly.
Repeat with another distinct point rather than recycling the same contrast.
A paragraph can be simple
A strong paragraph does not need lots of terminology. It needs a clear difference, appropriate evidence from both sources and a developed inference. Useful stems include: “Source A suggests…, whereas Source B implies…” and “This difference indicates that…”.
Do not turn Question 2 into Question 3. You are rewarded for inference and synthesis here, not for naming metaphors, verbs or semantic fields.
Mini-example with invented sources
Source A: a traveller checks a digital departure board and complains that the train is six minutes late. Source B: a traveller waits beside a dirt road without knowing whether the coach will arrive that day. A surface comparison says both are waiting. A stronger inference is that Source A presents travel as highly scheduled, so a small delay feels significant, whereas Source B suggests uncertainty is normal and travellers have much less control over time.
Common mistakes
Comparing the writers’ feelings instead of the topic named in Question 2.
Analysing language methods when AO1 is being assessed.
Using a quotation and then paraphrasing it rather than making an inference.
Writing about Source A for a full paragraph and Source B later without synthesising them.
Repeating one broad difference several times.
Practice drill
Take two short non-fiction paragraphs on the same topic.
Write three literal differences.
Under each one, add “This suggests…” for both sources.
Choose the two comparisons where your inferences are most developed.
Write them as paired paragraphs with evidence from both texts.
Final checklist
I used both sources in each main comparison.
I made inferences rather than only spotting differences.
My evidence matches the comparison focus.
I did not waste time on language terminology.
My second point adds a genuinely new difference.
For the definitive specification and current assessment information, check AQA GCSE English Language 8700.
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