The Question:

Question 2 on English Language Paper 2 is one of the most notoriously overworked questions that we as examiners mark. Students are asked simply to summarise the differences (or occasionally similarities) between a common feature of two texts. What students tend to do, mistakenly, is to compare and contrast at length, analysing the language of the two writers in depth. Admirable – but save this for question 4!

The Approach:

1. Synthesis:

For this question, the primary skill is synthesis. Synthesis simply means bringing the texts together. In essence, if you can identify a difference between the two concepts and state that difference, you have done synthesis. This looks like this:

Question: Summarise the differences between the two boats.

Synthesis: One difference between the two boats is their capacity for occupants.

Easy. One difference has been found and named.

      2. Inference (not analysis):

The second skill required for this question is some very basic inference. Note: this is not analysis, so we do not need to dissect the language choices and how they shape meaning and create effects. No, what we are doing is a simple assertion of what something suggests. 

In order to do so, we must select a very short quotation from a text, embed it into our sentence, and then infer its encoded meaning. This looks like this:

The boats in Text 1 can contain “two hundred sailors, sturdy and true”, suggesting great scope for passengers.

      3. Inference again:

But wait – we have two texts! So, we need to do this for the second text also. We might therefore say:

The boats in Text 2 can only handle “the bare necessities – no dead weight”, implying fairly minimal load management.

      4. Bringing it together:

You might notice that these three sentences are quite short! We at MyEdSpace argue that they are so short that they can be compounded into one sentence. It will look like this:

One difference between the two boats is their capacity for occupants, with the boats in Text 1 being able to take “two hundred sailors, sturdy and true”, suggesting great scope for passengers, and the boats in Text 2 only handling “the bare necessities – no dead weight”, implying fairly minimal load management.

That is the path to success on this question: synthesise, quote, infer. Most students are able to find three or four differences (or similarities), and so they repeat the process above three times. 

Nothing else is needed for each sentence.

Question:

You need to refer to both sources for this question.

Use details from both sources. Write a summary of the differences between Robin and Jess (the second “influencer”). 

(8 marks)

Text 1:

Robin Shuckburgh has been exploring the region since he was a boy, touring medieval churches with his brother.

He said the buildings had been completely open back then and they could climb the spiral staircases up on to the roof, taking in the beautiful views.

Now, in his 70s, Mr Shuckburgh calls himself “an unlikely influencer” as he brings stories from all corners of the Cotswolds to life through his YouTube channel, The Cotswolds Explorer.

The channel was set up eight years ago and so far has accumulated about 6.5 million views.

But Mr Shuckburgh, who lives in Bampton, Oxfordshire, said he did not become The Cotswold Explorer until he formed an “unusual partnership”.

He met producer Ross Arrowsmith on the set of a food and drink show and together they created the channel.

“He was 19 at the time and I was already 70 years old, so when I say I am an unlikely influencer, that's the main reason why.”

He said he had been thinking of retiring but had found the new opportunity “extremely psychologically satisfying”.

“We've travelled some of the most beautiful country in the world and I think that's why it seemed such a good idea.”

Text 2:

Coming to Cambridge I feel like I’m back in year ten, hiding the secret food account I’d made to stave off insanity during lockdown.

“I’ll tell people about it once I hit 1,000 followers,” I remember saying to my mum, enjoying the thrill of even the thought of my silly little porridge bowls reaching that many people.

Well, here we are. 58,400 followers – and hundreds of breakfasts – later, I’m still sheepish about letting people know about my foodie alter-ego on Instagram. While it had become part of my identity at secondary school, (shoutout to the Instagram explore page for exposing me to all my friends) I suddenly find myself once again navigating the secret world of incognito ‘content creation’. Don’t worry, I make myself cringe too.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve told some close friends (or been found out regardless). It’s all about locating the sweet spot where you’ve known them long enough that you’re pretty sure they’ll still want to hang out even if you’re ‘vlogging’ that day, but not too soon into the friendship that it looks like you’re making it a personality trait.
I never post my friends on social media, but it can be helpful to know why I’m taking so many 0.5s.

Links found between texts:

1. Focus of content: outdoors vs. food

2. Publicity of page: linked to self vs. anonymous

3. Emotional response: joy vs. shame

4. Age of influencer: old vs. teen

Model Answer Write-up:

One difference between the influencers is what they focus on for content, with Robin focusing on the outdoors, his channel page being “The Cotswold Explorer”, suggesting natural-world thrills, and Jess focusing on meals, with “foodie alter-ego on Instagram” implying that her plates are her centrepieces. 

Another contrast between them is how attached they feel to their public-facing role, with Robin owning the word “influencer” and naming the channel after himself both suggesting pride, whilst Jess remains “incognito” and only publishes her “silly little porridge bowls” not herself, suggesting she prefers to separate herself from it all.

A third difference between the influencers is the emotions they associate with their work, with Robin finding it “extremely psychologically satisfying”, giving the impression of joy, and Jess “mak[ing her]self cringe”, giving the impression of shyness or even shame.

Finally, the most obvious way they differ is in terms of age, with Robin being “in his 70s” suggesting relative old-age, making him “unlikely” as an influencer, and Jess “Coming to Cambridge”, indicating that she is of early-university age, or about 18-19 years old, a more traditional influencer age.

How To Approach Paper 2 Question 2

Model Answer -  Paper 2 Question 2