Key Idea: In the Paper 2 essay, every paragraph compares both works on one shared point. You compare techniques, themes and big authorial choices, and you frame it all with a clear introduction and conclusion.
Comparative paragraph structure
- Topic sentence — Name both works and the shared point.
- Weave — A's choice and effect 'whereas' B's. Alternate; do not stack.
- Link — Tie the comparison back to the thesis.
| Focus | Compare this | Not just this |
|---|---|---|
| Literary techniques | Same device, different effect; or different device, same effect | 'Both use imagery' |
| Themes | What each work CLAIMS about the theme | 'Both are about love' |
| Authorial choices | Whole-work decisions and their effects | Line-level devices only |
Introductions and conclusions
- Introduction: both works (titles and authors), the question's idea, a comparative thesis.
- Conclusion: reword the thesis and draw the points together.
- End on what the comparison reveals: the payoff.
- No plot summary at either end.
Compare the effect and the meaning, never just the label.
Weave or stack? Weave: move between the works, ideally inside one sentence.
Theme or argument: which is the topic? The theme is the topic. The argument is what the work says about it.
What are 'big' authorial choices? Whole-work decisions: form, structure, perspective, genre.
Where does every technique comparison end? On what the difference reveals about each work's meaning.
How is the conclusion different from the introduction? It adds a 'so what?' instead of repeating.