Single Text Study (Paper 2)
The task
Paper 2, Section I is worth 60 marks and asks one question on your prescribed single text - a novel or a play. Questions usually come in two parts: a broad part on theme, character or relationship, and a narrower part on an aspect such as the opening, the ending, tension, imagery or a turning point.
Core rules
- Answer both parts explicitly; they carry separate marks.
- Combine detailed reference with short, accurate quotation. A quotation must be analysed, not merely dropped in.
- Treat the text as a crafted artefact: discuss the writer's choices - imagery, symbolism, stagecraft, foreshadowing, dramatic irony, narrative voice.
- Keep every paragraph tethered to the question; plot summary earns little.
- Read the whole question before writing, because the second part often redirects the first.
Worked example
Question: "How does the opening of your single text establish a central theme? Support your answer with reference to the text." Reasoning: identify the theme first, for instance the fragility of community. Then select two specific moments from the opening - a description and a line of dialogue - and comment on the technique that produces the theme. Finish by linking forward: how the opening prepares the reader for the ending. The word "how" demands technique, so each point needs a method-plus-effect sentence.
Traps
- Retelling the story instead of answering.
- Answering part (a) at length and neglecting part (b).
- Unsupported assertions such as "She is a very strong character".
- Misquoted or invented quotations.
- Naming the author without discussing their craft.