PAPER 2
A GUIDE TO THE ‘HOW
USEFUL’ QUESTION
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Types of question - Reminder
There are 4 different types of question in Paper 2:
1. How Useful? (5 marks)
2. Comparison (5 marks)
3. How Far? (10 marks)
4. How Fully? (10 marks)
Please note that Paper 2 questions can appear in
any order!!!
The whole paper is worth a total of 30 marks.
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How Useful Question
5 Marks
 Similarities
to the Standard Grade
type of question but worth 5 marks =
5 answers.
 Always starts “How useful is the
source as evidence of….”
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O.P.C.R
An easy way to remember how to answer a
higher “How useful” question would be:
 O = Origin, where is the source from and
why is this good/bad ?
 P= Purpose, why was the source written?
 C= Content, what does the source say that
is useful and give a wider explanation with
recall.
 R= Recall, what is missing from the source
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that would make it even more useful.
Using a source say if it is a good or
bad source by discussing:
•
•
Always start by saying “This source is
partly useful because….”
Origin & purpose = up to 2 marks for
saying where the source comes from
and why this is good/bad and the
purpose of the source, why written, is
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important.
•
•
•
Evidence from the source = up to 2 marks
for selecting at least 3 parts of the source
and saying why their information make the
source more useful, this will also involve
recall.
What’s missing = up to 2 marks for
including missing evidence that helps to
decide if it is a useful source.
Give a conclusion to sum up your main
points of why the source is useful/not
useful.
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Example Question 1
 Source
A is from a letter written by
Private Douglas Hepburn of the
London Scottish Regiment to his
parents in October 1915.
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Source A
My dear Mum and Dad,
We have been in the trenches for ten days and had a
very rough time of it coming out with only 160 men
left in our battalion. The Germans at the point where
we attacked were ready and too strong for us. As we
rushed up to the edge the machine gun was turned
on us and we suffered high casualties.
In the morning we came back and the sight of the
field was rotten. To see stretcher-bearers going
here and there, doing their work and the wounded
crying for the bearers was a sight that could not
easily be forgotten on the grey, misty and damp
morning.
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The Question
How useful is Source A as evidence
of the experience of Scottish
soldiers on the Western Front?
5 marks
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Remember!
In reaching a conclusion you should refer
to:
 The origin and possible purpose of the
source
 The content of the source
 Recalled knowledge
O.P.C.R
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Introduction

Firstly, your answer should have a short
introduction saying that the source has
some use. No source is entirely useful but
no source is entirely useless either:
Source A is partly useful for finding out
about the experiences of Scottish soldiers
on the Western Front. However the
source does have its limitations.
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Origin
The origin part should include:
 - Who wrote the source?
 - When was it written?
 - Is the source Primary or
Secondary?
 - Why is this important?
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Origin continued
The source is part of a letter written
by a Scottish soldier on the Western
Front in 1915. This is useful as it is a
Primary source which comes from an
eyewitness who has been fighting in
the trenches.
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Purpose

The purpose part should say Why the
source was written:
The purpose of the source is therefore to
let his parents know of his experiences at
the front. The writer is likely to be telling
the truth but may not say anything to
worry his parents. Letters from the front
were often censored but this one seems to
be uncensored due to the detail that is
given.
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Content

You should now examine the CONTENT of the
source but with a little of your own knowledge:
The source gives some accurate detail about
trench warfare. The source is correct to say
that British casualties were high due to heavy
machine gun fire. The British also attacked
trenches when the Germans were ready and
waiting. The Germans often dug deep trenches
to shelter from heavy British artillery before a
battle. Finally, the source is correct to mention
that some battles were fought in bad weather.
This caused the trenches to flood and made it
even more difficult for stretcher bearers to
tend to the wounded.
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Recall
Finally, you now need your own RECALL.
*Remember! The Recall should answer the
question – ie. How useful is the source as
evidence of the experience of Scottish
soldiers on the Western Front?
 Don’t simply write everything you know
about the First World War. What does the
source miss out about the experience of
Scottish soldiers on the Western Front?

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Recall continued

The source is limited however. There
is no mention of some of the other
problems of trench life such as lice,
trench foot, disease, basic food,
boredom and the shell-shock which
soldiers suffered. There is also no
mention of Gas attacks and the use of
tanks.
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Conclusion
 Finally,
give a very brief conclusion:
In conclusion, the source is fairly
useful as evidence of the experience
of Scottish soldiers on the Western
Front. But it is only one soldier’s
experience from one letter. Much
more would be needed to give a full
picture.
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