English Language Paper 2 Section A

Question 2

Inference:

means working it out/ reading

between the lines

Question 2 is all about

inference.

Inference: look at the following pictures of cars.

Where are they? Why is their toe bandaged?

I think this is a child

who got blister on their

toe so had to wear flip

flops.

Maybe it was the hottest

day of the year.

Perhaps they were at a

water park, so didn’t

notice they were

burning.

1. When I woke up, there were branches and leaves all over the garden.

Now let’s

transfer these

skills to text

The person has woken up and seen something in their

garden that was not there before. ‘All over’ suggests the

garden is covered!

Probably morning time

1. When I woke up, there were branches and leaves all over the garden.

Now let’s

transfer these

skills to text

!

1. When I woke up, there were branches and leaves all over the garden.

Now let’s

transfer these

skills to text

!

Look at the two pictures.

What are the differences?

Source A Source B

What are the differences?

Possible Answerswer

Now you try to do the same for the setting/place of

learning.

Setting/place

of learning

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Possible Answersanswer

Another exampleanswer

In Question 2 of Paper 2 English Language there

are two main skills assessed.

1. The ability to make

clear inferences from

both texts

2. The ability to compare

differences or similarities

in the texts.

Connectives race: see who can write down the most

connectives in a minute.

Person A: connectives to do with differences

e.g. in contrast

Person B: connectives to do with similarities

e.g. similarly

Connectives race: some possible answers:

Person A: connectives to do with differences

e.g. in contrast

whereas

instead of

alternatively

on the other hand

otherwise

Unlike

However

conversely

Person B: connectives to do with similarities

e.g. similarly

likewise

equally

As with

like

In parallel

Now let’s try a question

You will need to use

evidence (quotations) from

BOTH of the sources

The question will have a

very specific focus.

You must keep to that.

Use details from both sources to write a summary of

what you understand about the differences between

their descriptions of the countryside.

Sum up

Need to use the

differences

connectives

Source A Source B

Source A Source B

Although the ‘wind is furious’, the

writer is able to see past this to

appreciate the countryside,

especially the ‘beautiful’ daffodils.

The writer literally cannot see the

countryside due to the “driving

rain”; therefore does not appreciate

the “scenery”. She writes “What

scenery?”

Describes the countryside to be

alive with nature such as flowers that

“danced” and “laughed”

Describes the countryside as dull

and somewhere that she wants to

escape,because she does not want

to “stay much longer”.

Now to add the inference

In Source A, although the ‘wind is furious’, the writer is

able to see past this to appreciate the countryside,

especially the ‘beautiful’ daffodils. The fact that she

perseveres on her walk despite the wind and the

“threatening, misty morning” implies that Wordsworth is a

nature lover, which is further supported by her

knowledgeable listing of all of the flowers she encounters

like “woodsorrel flower, the anemone,” and so many more.

Now you try to add the inference

for Source B

On the other hand, the writer of Source B literally cannot

see the countryside due to the “driving rain”; therefore

does not appreciate the “scenery”. She writes “what

scenery?”

Now try writing a full comparision

of your own.

You can use this framework to help (but you do not have

to):

Point from Source A

Evidence

I infer…………

Comparing phrase such as ‘however’

Point from Source B

Evidence

I infer…..

Dorothy

Wordsworth’s

famous poet

husband, William

Wordsworth,

wrote a poem

about the

daffodils that

they had seen.

Sum up Similarities, so will

need appropriate

connectives

The question will have a

very specific focus.

You must keep to that.

Sometimes in the exam you will be given two texts and asked to

compare their similiarties… but they will seem very different.

If this happens, then you can find something similar about them,

but also explore the differences within that similarity.

Seems

dangerous

for single

travellers

Single

travellers have

to learn new

customs

Bird is treated more

kindly than might be

expected and is

brought “weak tea and

a “slice of bread” by

the “rough” men

Bag “snatching”

seems common as

advice about it is

given.

Bird learns about horse

riding in Truckee but is

then surprised that she is

told to “Ride your own

fashion”

It states that

women must

“cover their

shoulders”, etc in

certain countries.

Source A Source B

Both texts seem to present one of the main challenges of travelling alone as the potential threat of attack

or physical violence.

Source A provides advice for single travellers such as “try to walk attached to a group of people” and

“make sure someone always knows where you are”. From this I infer that if such advice has to be offered,

then attacks must be fairly frequent and by advising people to appear not to be alone, single people must

be more vulnerable. Furthermore, having to inform people “where you are” has an ominous tone

implying that you must do this to ensure that others will notice if you do not arrive safely, or are abducted

from this place. Similarly, Source B begins with a sense that Bird is vulnerable as a lone female traveller

in this “rough Western hotel” which is “crowded with men”. By mentioning “Western” Bird could be

implying that the hotel and the “men” in it are violent outlaws like the cowboys from the Wild West and

crowded makes it seem that she is outnumbered and potentially in danger. However, rather than being

attacked, Bird is treated quite well, with a man giving her “cold, weak tea”. Although “cold” and “weak”

may seem insulting, the fact that it is “11.30pm” and a “bar-room” where they probably do not serve tea

implies that the men have gone out of their way to accommodate her.

Here is a re-cap of Question 2

▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHTfc7P_OLs&list=

PLqGFsWf-P-cB-GSeqYup7PXId4pbldQVq&index=2