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How long is Paper 2?
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All Flashcards in Topic 4.4
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4.4.110 cards
How long is Paper 2?
1 hour 45 minutes, for one comparative essay [25].
Most important early decision?
Choosing the question your two prepared works genuinely fit.
A good time split?
~10 min choose & plan · ~90 min write · ~5 min check.
Why does question choice matter so much?
The wrong question strains the whole essay; the right one plays to your works.
Two classic Paper 2 time failures?
A question your works don't fit; and running out of time with no conclusion.
What must the plan be?
A by-point comparison (a thesis + shared points), not two reviews.
What must the last ~5 minutes be for?
A conclusion and a quick check for slips.
Choose the ‘best’ question or the fitting one?
The one YOUR works fit best.
How do you pace 90 minutes of writing?
Steadily across intro + comparative paragraphs; watch the clock.
Complete essay or perfect fragment?
Complete — always finish with a conclusion.
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The big four Paper 2 mistakes?
Two mini-essays, plot summary, off-question drift, uneven works.
The ‘two mini-essays’ mistake?
Writing about A then B with no genuine comparison.
Why is plot summary a mistake?
It retells instead of analysing and comparing choices.
Fix for two mini-essays?
Weave both works into comparative paragraphs on shared points.
Fix for off-question drift?
Re-read the prompt; answer the ACTUAL general question.
Fix for uneven works?
Give both works roughly equal weight and analysis.
Which criterion does two-mini-essays cost?
B2 — comparison.
Which criteria does summary cost?
A (understanding) and B1 (analysis).
The sneaky hidden mistake?
A ‘similarly’ dropped between two separate discussions — still not a comparison.
Self-check as you write?
Comparing? Analysing? On the set question? Both works balanced?
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The grade-7 Paper 2 shape?
Comparative thesis → woven evaluated comparative paragraphs → conclusion with a payoff.
What does the thesis do?
Makes one arguable claim about both works.
How are paragraphs built?
Each covers both works on one point, analysing AND comparing choices.
What lifts a comparison to grade 7?
Weaving, evaluation, and a conclusion that reveals something.
Memorise wording or method?
Method — your works are your own.
In this exemplar, both works reject courage as…
Spectacle / visible applauded action.
Where do both locate real courage?
In an unseen, repeated act (staying; writing the letters).
The conclusion's payoff here?
Real courage is the kind no one thinks to applaud.
Which criteria does the exemplar hit?
All five: A, B1, B2, C, D.
Two mini-essays vs grade 7?
Grade 7 weaves both works in every paragraph; two mini-essays don't.
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The goal of the timed mock?
A complete, focused, genuinely comparative essay in the real time.
The time split to rehearse?
~10 min choose & plan · ~90 min write · ~5 min check.
What does panic try to skip?
The choose-and-plan — but it makes the essay fit and flow.
How long is Paper 2?
1 hour 45 minutes.
The full routine?
Choose the fitting question → thesis + by-point plan → woven paragraphs → conclusion.
Complete or perfect?
Complete — a finished comparison beats a perfect fragment.
How do you make the method automatic?
Repeat the full timed routine until the shape is a habit.
Which criteria does the mock rehearse?
All five (A, B1, B2, C, D) at once.
First decision in the mock?
Which question your two works genuinely fit.
Last thing before the clock stops?
A conclusion with a payoff and a quick check.
Topic 4.4 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Exam skills & practice
English A Lang & Lit exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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