AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 4: Comparison (2026 Format)

Sep 10

2 min read

Paper 2 Question 4 is worth 16 marks and assesses AO3 across both texts. For 2026, AQA clarified the prompt so that candidates are explicitly directed to comment on the methods writers use to convey their different feelings or perspectives. The centre of the task remains comparison: ideas, perspectives and how they are conveyed must be connected across the two sources.

Comparison should happen inside the paragraph

Avoid writing a complete essay on Source A followed by a complete essay on Source B. The reader should be able to see the relationship between the writers throughout your answer. Contrast, similarity and qualification are the organising principles.

Start with perspective, then method

Identify a meaningful difference or similarity in the writers’ viewpoints.
Support Source A with a concise reference and explain how its method conveys that perspective.
Connect to Source B using a comparative phrase.
Select evidence from Source B and analyse how its method creates a different or similar perspective.
Finish by sharpening the comparison: explain the significance of the difference rather than simply stating it.

Useful comparison language

Whereas / while / in contrast
Both writers…, but…
Similarly…, although…
Source A presents…, yet Source B…
The difference is not simply X versus Y; Source A…, while Source B…

Mini-example with invented sources

Suppose two writers describe crowded cities. Writer A uses clipped sentences and lists delays, presenting the crowd as an obstacle. Writer B uses expansive imagery and describes the same density as “a river of voices”, presenting it as energetic and communal. A strong comparison connects method to perspective: the compressed syntax mirrors Writer A’s impatience, while Writer B’s flowing metaphor makes movement feel collective rather than restrictive.

The methods matter because they convey the perspectives. Do not create a separate “language paragraph” detached from what each writer thinks or feels.

Common mistakes

Comparing only content: “Source A is on a train; Source B is also on a train.”
Analysing each source separately and adding “on the other hand” at the end.
Ignoring methods despite the current prompt’s clearer direction.
Forcing similarities when the more revealing comparison is a difference in attitude or purpose.
Using lots of quotations without developing the relationship between them.

Practice drill

Choose two short texts on the same topic.
Write each writer’s perspective in one sentence.
List two methods that help convey each perspective.
Create two comparison statements before choosing quotations.
Write one paragraph in which you move A → B → comparison, then edit out any sentence that does not contribute to the relationship.