English Language Paper 1 vs Paper 2: What Your Child Needs to Know
“Mum, which paper has the one where you describe a picture again?”
Every November, I see students walk into English resits confused about which paper tests what. With Paper 1 on 4th November and Paper 2 on 6th November, if your child mixes them up, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Here’s what you need to know as a parent: these papers test completely different skills. When your child understands the differences, they’ve already won half the battle.
Paper 1: The Creative Paper
This is where your child analyses fiction and does creative writing. If they enjoy reading novels or writing stories, this should be their stronger paper.
What Your Child Faces: They’ll analyse one fiction extract and answer questions about language, structure, and evaluation. The key is teaching them that Q1 is literally just finding information (easy marks!), while Q4 requires sophisticated analysis.
For the writing section, they choose between story writing or description. Here’s a parent tip: encourage them to choose a description if they’re not confident writers – you can’t make mistakes with up a plot that doesn’t exist!
How You Can Help:
- Ask them to describe their day using creative language
- Encourage them to read fiction for 20 minutes daily
- Remind them: “show don’t tell” in their writing
Paper 2: The Analytical Paper
This is about comparing non-fiction texts – newspaper articles, speeches, letters. It’s arguing and analysing, not storytelling.
What Your Child Faces: Two texts to compare (one modern, one older), focusing on different viewpoints. The challenge is remembering to actually compare in Q4 – many students analyse separately and lose marks.
For writing, they must argue a viewpoint. No stories allowed! They need to match the format (article, letter, speech) exactly.
How You Can Help:
- Discuss newspaper articles at dinner
- Debate topics with them (even silly ones!)
- Remind them: structure and formality matter here
The Game-Changing Differences Your Child Must Remember
- Fiction vs Non-fiction: Paper 1 = imagination; Paper 2 = real arguments
- Create vs Persuade: Paper 1 = show emotions; Paper 2 = argue points
- One vs Two texts: Paper 1 = deep dive into one; Paper 2 = compare two
- Modern vs Old: 19th-century language only in Paper 2
Why Your Child Gets Confused (And How We Fix It)
With Paper 1 on Tuesday and Paper 2 on Thursday, your child needs clarity now. Our Grade Boosters LIVE (30th-31st October) offers intensive preparation in groups of just 4. They can choose English for either day – we’ll cover both papers’ techniques in 3 focused hours.
At £80 discounted for current families, it’s your insurance policy against confusion. Book by 25th October.
Every parent wants to see their child succeed, but knowing how to help can feel overwhelming. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
In just 20 minutes, I can help you understand exactly what your child needs to thrive academically and give you a clear action plan to make it happen.
Book your free 20-minute consultation with me:
tidycal.com/m2p4dd3/20-minute-meeting
With warm wishes,
Claire Meadows-Smith
Founder & Head Tutor
The Community Schools
Your Trusted Tutoring Partner
