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KS3 English · Year 9Chapter 6 · Comparing texts: ideas, methods and sustained comparison
Year 9 · Chapter 6

Comparing texts: ideas, methods and sustained comparison

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • I can compare the ideas and themes of two texts.
  • I can compare the perspective each text takes, and why it differs.
  • I can compare the methods the writers use, and their effect.
  • I can use evidence from two texts in one comparison.
  • I can write a sustained comparison with a judgement at the end.
  • I can build on or challenge what another speaker has said.

You should already know

  • Comparing two short texts on one theme (Year 8, Chapter 6 of this book)
  • Using evidence from a text (Year 9, Chapter 1 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Writing to argue and evaluate: rebuttal and qualified claims (Year 9, Chapter 11 of this book)
  • Spoken language: extended speech, debate and Standard English (Year 9, Chapter 13 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 3 English, Year 9. Content: Compare writers' ideas, themes, perspectives and methods across texts from different contexts (KS3 reading, R5), Use evidence from two texts precisely and selectively (KS3 reading, R7), Infer a writer's attitude and evaluate it within a comparison (KS3 reading, R2), Discuss a comparison orally, building on and challenging others' points (KS3 speaking, S2).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhat is the difference between a theme and a topic? Write one short phrase.
2
FWhat is a perspective? Write one short phrase.
3
FWrite one word that means the same as ruin.
4
FWrite the word for a comparison that shows how two things are different. Write one word.
5
FWrite the past tense of the verb to flood.
6.1

Comparing ideas and themes

Year 9
Compare the ideas and themes of texts from different contexts (KS3 reading, R5)
Video lesson: Comparing ideas and themesComing soon
Context. Three texts describe loss. A diary entry describes a family's flood, a news report describes the same flood in public terms, and a poem from 1818 describes a ruined statue in a desert. Each one explores loss, but in different ways. A comparison names a shared theme and then shows how each text develops it.

Text A: a diary entry (original, first person, a woman of seventy-one)

1Tuesday. The river came over the lane at four this morning, and by six it was in the front room.

2I stood on the stairs with Tom's old coat round my shoulders and watched the water take the rug. It took the cushions too, and the photograph of Harold's mother.

3I do not think I will ever forgive it for the photograph.

4Mr Fenwick from the farm came with the boat, shouting that we should leave now. I did not leave. I packed the tin of letters instead, and I did not look back at the piano, which I have always hated.

Text B: a news report (original, third person, a local paper)

1Residents of Calder Bridge were evacuated early on Tuesday after the River Calder burst its banks.

2Emergency services said around 40 homes were affected, and no injuries had been reported.

3'We acted on the best information available,' said Councillor Ruth Ardern, adding that the flood warning had been issued at 2.15 a.m.

4Many residents, however, said the warning came too late. Mr Fenwick, who owns a farm on the lane, said his boat had reached the village before the official vehicles.

5The clean-up is expected to take several weeks.

Text C: Ozymandias, an extract (Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1818, public domain)

1I met a traveller from an antique land,

2Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

3Stand in the desert.

4Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

5Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

6The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Key ideas

  • A theme is an idea a text explores, such as loss, power or what survives.
  • A comparison names the shared theme, then shows how each text develops it differently.
  • Consider the context: when and why each text was written.
Worked example 6.1.1
What shared theme links Text A and Text B?

Method. Find a loss that appears in both texts.

  1. Find the loss in A. The river takes the rug, the cushions and the photograph.
    watched the water take the rug
  2. Find the loss in B. Around 40 homes were affected.
    around 40 homes were affected
  3. Name the theme. Both texts explore loss caused by the flood.
    loss, through the damage a flood causes to homes and possessions
  4. Write the answer.
    loss, through the damage a flood causes to homes and possessions

Check. The shared theme is supported by two texts. ✓

Worked example 6.1.2
Which theme does Text C share most clearly with Text A? Choose one: what survives and what is lost, friendship or a school day.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Both texts ask what remains after loss: the photograph in A and the sand in C.
    what survives and what is lost fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Friendship and school do not appear in the poem or the diary.
    friendship and a school day do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    what survives and what is lost

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 6.1.3
How does the poem extend the theme of loss?

Method. Compare the scale of the loss in Text C with Text A.

  1. Find the loss in C. Nothing beside remains of the statue.
    Nothing beside remains
  2. Compare the scale. The loss is of a king's power, over a long time.
    over a long time
  3. Explain the extension. The poem shows loss at the scale of history.
    loss at the scale of history
  4. Write the answer.
    it shows loss of power over a long time, not just one flood

Check. The extension is explained with evidence. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a shared theme is a shared idea, not a shared topic. Two texts can both be about a flood and still explore different themes.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the theme in one phrase, then give one piece of evidence from each text.

Exercise 6A  Practice: ideas and themes

1
FCopy the words that show the narrator expects the flood photograph to matter.
2
FCopy the words that show how many homes were affected.
3
FIn which paragraph does the report record a resident's complaint? Write the number.
4
FWhat does desert mean in the phrase "Stand in the desert"? Write the meaning in your own words.
5
FName one idea that Text A and Text B share about the flood.
6
FWhich idea is shown in Text C but not in Text B? Choose one: the loss of power over time, the number of homes or the warning time.
7
FInfer what the narrator values most. Quote one phrase.
8
FName one theme that Text C explores and Text A does not.
9
FWhich word best describes the shared mood of Texts A and C? Choose one: sorrowful, joyful or playful.
10
FCompare the context of Text A and Text C: when and why were they written?
11
RExplain how the idea of loss is shown in a more personal way in Text A than in Text B.
12
RWhy might the poem have a very different feel from the diary, even though both explore loss?
13
FWhat does Text C suggest about the people who built the statue? Choose one: their power did not last, they were forgotten or they were kind.
14
FSummarise Text B in one sentence.
6.2

Comparing perspectives

Year 9
Compare the perspective each text takes, and explain why it differs (KS3 reading, R5)
Video lesson: Comparing perspectivesComing soon
Context. Perspective is the view a text gives. Text A is told by a woman who lived through the flood. Text B is written by a reporter, who quotes officials and residents. Text C is told by a traveller who has heard the statue's inscription. Each perspective shows some things and hides others.

Text A: a diary entry (original, first person, a woman of seventy-one)

1Tuesday. The river came over the lane at four this morning, and by six it was in the front room.

2I stood on the stairs with Tom's old coat round my shoulders and watched the water take the rug. It took the cushions too, and the photograph of Harold's mother.

3I do not think I will ever forgive it for the photograph.

4Mr Fenwick from the farm came with the boat, shouting that we should leave now. I did not leave. I packed the tin of letters instead, and I did not look back at the piano, which I have always hated.

Text B: a news report (original, third person, a local paper)

1Residents of Calder Bridge were evacuated early on Tuesday after the River Calder burst its banks.

2Emergency services said around 40 homes were affected, and no injuries had been reported.

3'We acted on the best information available,' said Councillor Ruth Ardern, adding that the flood warning had been issued at 2.15 a.m.

4Many residents, however, said the warning came too late. Mr Fenwick, who owns a farm on the lane, said his boat had reached the village before the official vehicles.

5The clean-up is expected to take several weeks.

Key ideas

  • Perspective is the point of view from which a text is told or reported.
  • Compare who speaks or reports, and what each can and cannot know.
  • Explain why the perspectives differ: a participant, a reporter and a traveller see differently.
Worked example 6.2.1
Whose perspective does Text A give?

Method. Look at the first-person voice and the events she describes.

  1. Find the voice. The diary is written in the first person, with I.
    I stood on the stairs
  2. Find the events. She watches the water and decides not to leave.
    I did not leave
  3. Name the perspective. It is the view of a participant in the flood.
    the view of a participant
  4. Write the answer.
    the perspective of a woman who lived through the flood

Check. The perspective is supported by the voice and the events. ✓

Worked example 6.2.2
Whose perspective does Text B give most directly? Choose one: a reporter who quotes officials and residents, the woman in the diary or the poet.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The report is written in the third person and quotes Councillor Ardern and residents.
    a reporter who quotes officials and residents fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The diary is first person, and Shelley wrote the poem, so neither is the report's perspective.
    the woman in the diary and the poet do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    a reporter who quotes officials and residents

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 6.2.3
What does Text B hide that Text A shows?

Method. Compare what each perspective includes and leaves out.

  1. Find the personal loss in A. The diary names the photograph and the piano.
    the photograph
  2. Check B. The report counts homes and quotes officials, but does not name the lost objects.
    counts homes
  3. Explain the gap. So the report hides the personal loss that the diary shows.
    the personal loss of a family's objects
  4. Write the answer.
    the personal loss of a family's objects

Check. The gap is found in both texts. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not say that one perspective is true and the other is false. Each shows a view, and each leaves out other views.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name each perspective, then say what it shows and what it does not show.

Exercise 6B  Practice: perspectives

1
FCopy the words that show the narrator was in the house when the water came.
2
FCopy the words the councillor uses for the warning.
3
FWhich phrase is a quotation from a resident in Text B? Choose one: Mr Fenwick, who owns a farm on the lane, said, Emergency services said or The clean-up is expected.
4
FInfer how the narrator feels about the neighbour's boat. Quote one phrase.
5
FCompare the perspective of Text A with that of Text B on the warning.
6
FIn which paragraph does the report give the view of residents about the warning? Write the number.
7
RWhy does the report include an official's quotation?
8
FWhich perspective shows the flood most personally? Choose one: Text A, the diary, Text B, the report or Text C, the poem.
9
RExplain one thing the reporter can know that the diarist cannot.
10
RExplain one thing the diarist can know that the reporter cannot.
11
FSummarise Text A in one sentence.
12
RExplain whose perspective is closest to the poem's speaker, and why.
6.3

Comparing methods

Year 9
Compare how writers use structure, form, language and effect in texts from different contexts (KS3 reading, R5)
Video lesson: Comparing methodsComing soon
Context. A writer's method is how they shape a text: the form, the sentence structure, the imagery, and the order of information. Two texts about the same event can use very different methods. The diary uses short, personal sentences and an emotional last line; the report uses formal, numbered facts and quotations.

Text A: a diary entry (original, first person, a woman of seventy-one)

1Tuesday. The river came over the lane at four this morning, and by six it was in the front room.

2I stood on the stairs with Tom's old coat round my shoulders and watched the water take the rug. It took the cushions too, and the photograph of Harold's mother.

3I do not think I will ever forgive it for the photograph.

4Mr Fenwick from the farm came with the boat, shouting that we should leave now. I did not leave. I packed the tin of letters instead, and I did not look back at the piano, which I have always hated.

Text B: a news report (original, third person, a local paper)

1Residents of Calder Bridge were evacuated early on Tuesday after the River Calder burst its banks.

2Emergency services said around 40 homes were affected, and no injuries had been reported.

3'We acted on the best information available,' said Councillor Ruth Ardern, adding that the flood warning had been issued at 2.15 a.m.

4Many residents, however, said the warning came too late. Mr Fenwick, who owns a farm on the lane, said his boat had reached the village before the official vehicles.

5The clean-up is expected to take several weeks.

Key ideas

  • A method is how a writer creates effect: form, structure, sentence type, imagery and vocabulary.
  • Compare methods by naming each one in both texts, then explaining the difference in effect.
  • Avoid listing methods without explaining what they do.
Worked example 6.3.1
Compare the sentence structure of Text A and Text B. Give one difference.

Method. Look at the sentences in both texts, then compare them.

  1. Find the sentences in A. The diary has short sentences, such as I did not leave.
    I did not leave
  2. Find the sentences in B. The report has longer sentences with quotations and numbers.
    around 40 homes were affected
  3. Name the difference. The diary feels immediate; the report feels formal and measured.
    immediate and formal
  4. Write the answer.
    Text A uses short, personal sentences, while Text B uses longer, formal sentences

Check. The difference in structure is supported. ✓

Worked example 6.3.2
Which method is used in Text B to report the official view? Choose one: a direct quotation, a metaphor or a first-person voice.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The councillor's words are quoted in single quotation marks.
    a direct quotation fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Text B has no metaphor, and it is not written in the first person.
    a metaphor and a first-person voice do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    a direct quotation

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 6.3.3
Compare the use of imagery in Text A and Text C. Give one difference.

Method. Find the main image in each text, then compare its scale.

  1. Find the image in A. The water takes the rug and the cushions.
    take the rug
  2. Find the image in C. Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert.
    Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
  3. Name the difference. A uses small, domestic images; C uses vast, distant ones.
    small, domestic images
  4. Write the answer.
    Text A uses concrete household objects, while Text C uses a large, distant image of a statue

Check. The difference in imagery is supported. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a method is not the same as a quotation. Name the method, then explain its effect in each text.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name a method in one text, name the same method or a different one in the other, then compare the effect.

Exercise 6C  Practice: comparing methods

1
FWhich method does Text A use most often to show feeling? Choose one: short, personal sentences, formal numbers or a list of facts.
2
FWhich method does Text B use to report numbers? Choose one: statistics in the sentences, a dialogue between characters or a stage direction.
3
FCopy the words that end the diary entry with a final, personal choice.
4
RCompare the effect of the diary's ending with the effect of the report's ending.
5
RCompare the method of the report's quotation with the method of the diary's private thought.
6
FWhich method does Text C use to create a sense of distance? Choose one: a traveller who reports a story, a diary or a list of homes.
7
FCopy the phrase in Text C that says nothing is left of the statue.
8
RCompare the effect of the sand image in Text C with the water image in Text A.
9
RName one method that both the diary and the report use, and explain its effect in each.
10
RExplain which method in Text A is most effective in creating feeling. Give one reason.
6.4

Using evidence from two texts

Year 9
Use evidence from two texts precisely, with quotation embedded in a comparison (KS3 reading, R7)
Video lesson: Using evidence from two textsComing soon
Context. In a comparison, evidence from both texts must be exact and placed beside the other. Quote the words, then say what they show, then link them to the other text with a comparison word such as similarly or in contrast.

Text A: a diary entry (original, first person, a woman of seventy-one)

1Tuesday. The river came over the lane at four this morning, and by six it was in the front room.

2I stood on the stairs with Tom's old coat round my shoulders and watched the water take the rug. It took the cushions too, and the photograph of Harold's mother.

3I do not think I will ever forgive it for the photograph.

4Mr Fenwick from the farm came with the boat, shouting that we should leave now. I did not leave. I packed the tin of letters instead, and I did not look back at the piano, which I have always hated.

Text C: Ozymandias, an extract (Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1818, public domain)

1I met a traveller from an antique land,

2Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

3Stand in the desert.

4Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

5Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

6The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Key ideas

  • Quote each text exactly, and embed the quotation in your own sentence.
  • Use a comparison word: similarly, whereas, in contrast, both.
  • Keep the evidence from each text in balance, one from each in every comparison sentence.
Worked example 6.4.1
Write one comparison sentence using evidence from Text A and Text C.

Method. Use one quotation or phrase from each text, and a comparison word.

  1. Find A's evidence. The water came over the lane at four in the morning.
    came over the lane at four this morning
  2. Find C's evidence. Nothing beside remains of the statue.
    Nothing beside remains
  3. Write the comparison. A shows sudden loss, whereas C shows a loss over centuries.
    whereas
  4. Write the answer.
    Text A shows loss in a sudden flood, whereas Text C shows loss over centuries.

Check. The sentence uses evidence from both texts. ✓

Worked example 6.4.2
Which comparison sentence is best? Choose one: Text A shows personal loss through objects, whereas Text C shows the decay of power through a ruined statue., Text A is about a flood and Text C is a poem and they are both good. or Both are old texts..

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. It uses a comparison word, and gives a specific idea and image from each text.
    Text A shows personal loss through objects, whereas Text C shows the decay of power through a ruined statue. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The other sentences give no specific evidence, and they make a vague judgement.
    Text A is about a flood and Text C is a poem and they are both good. and Both are old texts. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Text A shows personal loss through objects, whereas Text C shows the decay of power through a ruined statue.

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 6.4.3
Embed the phrase "I do not think I will ever forgive it" in a sentence about Text A.

Method. Put the exact words in quotation marks, then explain them.

  1. Choose the words. The narrator states she will not forgive the flood.
    I do not think I will ever forgive it
  2. Embed them. Put the quotation inside a sentence in your own words.
    says that
  3. Explain. The quotation shows lasting anger at the loss of the photograph.
    lasting anger
  4. Write the answer.
    The narrator says that "I do not think I will ever forgive it for the photograph", which shows lasting anger.

Check. The quotation is exact and explained. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: evidence from one text only is not a comparison. Every comparison needs two sets of evidence.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Make every comparison paragraph contain one quotation from each text, and one comparison word.

Exercise 6D  Practice: evidence from two texts

1
FCopy the phrase from Text A that names the neighbour.
2
FCopy the phrase from Text B that gives the official time of the warning.
3
FCopy the phrase from Text C that describes the desert sands.
4
FWhich comparison word shows a contrast between two texts? Choose one: whereas, similarly or also.
5
PSWrite one comparison sentence about the warning, using evidence from Text A and Text B.
6
FEmbed the phrase "boundless and bare" in a sentence about Text C.
7
PSLink the phrase "the photograph" in Text A to the image "Nothing beside remains" in Text C, in one sentence.
8
FHow many texts does a comparison need evidence from? Write the number.
9
RWhich quotation is more useful for a comparison, "the photograph" or "Harold's mother"? Give one reason.
10
PSWrite a comparison sentence that uses a quotation from Text B and a quotation from Text C.
11
FSummarise the last two lines of Text C in one sentence.
12
RWhy must the quotations in a comparison be exact?
6.5

Writing a sustained comparison

Year 9
Write a sustained comparison that links ideas, methods and evidence, with a judgement at the end (KS3 reading, R5 and R7)
Video lesson: Writing a sustained comparisonComing soon
Context. A sustained comparison has a clear structure: an opening that names the shared theme, paragraphs that compare one aspect at a time, and a closing judgement. Each paragraph starts with a point, uses evidence from both texts, and ends with a sentence that explains the effect.

Text A: a diary entry (original, first person, a woman of seventy-one)

1Tuesday. The river came over the lane at four this morning, and by six it was in the front room.

2I stood on the stairs with Tom's old coat round my shoulders and watched the water take the rug. It took the cushions too, and the photograph of Harold's mother.

3I do not think I will ever forgive it for the photograph.

4Mr Fenwick from the farm came with the boat, shouting that we should leave now. I did not leave. I packed the tin of letters instead, and I did not look back at the piano, which I have always hated.

Text B: a news report (original, third person, a local paper)

1Residents of Calder Bridge were evacuated early on Tuesday after the River Calder burst its banks.

2Emergency services said around 40 homes were affected, and no injuries had been reported.

3'We acted on the best information available,' said Councillor Ruth Ardern, adding that the flood warning had been issued at 2.15 a.m.

4Many residents, however, said the warning came too late. Mr Fenwick, who owns a farm on the lane, said his boat had reached the village before the official vehicles.

5The clean-up is expected to take several weeks.

Text C: Ozymandias, an extract (Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1818, public domain)

1I met a traveller from an antique land,

2Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

3Stand in the desert.

4Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

5Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

6The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Key ideas

  • Opening: name the texts and the shared theme.
  • Each paragraph: a point, evidence from both texts, and an explanation of the effect.
  • Closing: a judgement, with a reason, on which text shows the theme most effectively, or what the comparison reveals.
Worked example 6.5.1
Write one opening sentence for a comparison of Texts A, B and C on loss.

Method. Name the texts, the shared theme, and the difference.

  1. Name the texts. Texts A, B and C are compared.
    Texts A, B and C
  2. Name the theme. All three explore loss.
    loss
  3. Name the difference. Each shows loss in a different way.
    in a different way
  4. Write the answer.
    All three texts explore loss, although each shows it in a different way, from a family's flood to the decay of a ruler.

Check. The opening names the texts, theme and difference. ✓

Worked example 6.5.2
Which closing judgement is best supported? Choose one: Text A shows loss most personally, because its objects and feelings are close to the reader, while Text C shows loss most widely., Text C is the only one that matters. or All texts are the same..

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. It gives a judgement with a reason, and it compares the scale of loss in both texts.
    Text A shows loss most personally, because its objects and feelings are close to the reader, while Text C shows loss most widely. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The other two do not give a reason or compare the texts at all.
    Text C is the only one that matters. and All texts are the same. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    Text A shows loss most personally, because its objects and feelings are close to the reader, while Text C shows loss most widely.

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 6.5.3
Give the point of one body paragraph that compares the methods of A and B.

Method. Start with a point, then add evidence from both.

  1. State the point. The methods differ in sentence style.
    sentence style
  2. Add the evidence. The diary says I did not leave, and the report says around 40 homes were affected.
    I did not leave
  3. Explain the effect. The short sentence feels personal; the formal one feels measured.
    feels measured
  4. Write the answer.
    the diary uses short, personal sentences, while the report uses formal, measured ones

Check. The point is supported by evidence and an effect. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a comparison is not a summary of each text in turn. Compare one aspect at a time, across both texts.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Use this order: point, evidence from A, evidence from B, comparison word, effect.

Exercise 6E  Practice: writing a sustained comparison

1
FWrite one opening sentence that names the texts and the shared theme.
2
FWhich word is the best comparison word to begin a contrasting sentence? Choose one: whereas, and also or similarly.
3
FIn which order should a comparison paragraph go? Choose one: point, evidence from A, evidence from B, effect, effect, evidence from A, point or evidence from A only, then B.
4
FGive a point for a paragraph that compares the scale of loss in A and C.
5
FWrite one sentence of evidence from Text B for a comparison of the warning.
6
FWrite one sentence that explains the effect of a method in Text A.
7
RWrite a closing judgement: which text shows loss most personally? Give one reason.
8
PSWrite one sentence that compares the perspective of A and B, using a comparison word.
9
RWrite a sentence that judges the methods of A and C.
10
PSWrite one sentence of evidence from Text C that compares to Text A's object or memory.
11
FWrite a one-sentence summary of Text B's main point, to use as a topic sentence.
12
RExplain why a comparison should end with a judgement, not just a summary.
6.6

Discussing a comparison: building on and challenging

Year 9
Discuss a comparison orally, building on and challenging others' points (KS3 speaking, S2)
Video lesson: Discussing a comparison: building on and challengingComing soon
Context. In a discussion, a speaker can build on another speaker's point ("Building on what Sam said..."), or challenge it ("I disagree, because..."). Each response must refer to the point it answers. Read the three short spoken responses below, then decide how each one responds.

Discussion: three responses to the question "Which text shows loss most effectively?"

Priya: The poem shows loss most effectively, because it is the largest in scale.

Sam: Building on Priya's point, the diary also shows scale, through a single family and their photograph.

Leah: I disagree with Priya, because scale is not the same as effect. The diary is more effective because it is personal.

Key ideas

  • To build on a point: refer to it, then add evidence that supports it.
  • To challenge a point: name it, say why you disagree, and give one reason or piece of evidence.
  • Do not dismiss the other speaker. Respond to the idea.
Worked example 6.6.1
What does Sam do with Priya's point?

Method. Find how Sam refers to Priya, then what he adds.

  1. Find the reference. Sam says Building on Priya's point.
    Building on Priya's point
  2. Find the addition. He adds that the diary also shows scale.
    the diary also shows scale
  3. Name the response. Sam builds on Priya's point.
    builds on it
  4. Write the answer.
    builds on it, by adding that the diary also shows scale

Check. Sam refers to Priya and adds to her point. ✓

Worked example 6.6.2
What does Leah do with Priya's point? Choose one: challenges it, by separating scale from effect, agrees with it fully or ignores it.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Leah says I disagree and separates scale from effect.
    challenges it, by separating scale from effect fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Leah does not agree fully, and she does refer to Priya's point.
    agrees with it fully and ignores it do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    challenges it, by separating scale from effect

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 6.6.3
Write one response that challenges Leah's point, with a reason.

Method. Name the point, disagree, and give a reason.

  1. Name the point. Leah says the diary is more effective because it is personal.
    it is personal
  2. Disagree. I disagree, because the effect depends on the reader.
    depends on the reader
  3. Give the reason. Some readers are moved more by scale than by personal detail.
    Some readers are moved more by scale
  4. Write the answer.
    I disagree, because the diary is personal, but personal does not always mean more effective for every reader.

Check. The challenge names the point and gives a reason. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a challenge is not a personal attack. Respond to the idea and say why you disagree.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Start with the other speaker's name, then build on or challenge the point, then give one reason.

Exercise 6F  Practice: building on and challenging

1
FWhich phrase shows a speaker is building on another point? Choose one: Building on what Priya said, I disagree or Nobody cares.
2
FWhich phrase shows a speaker is challenging another point? Choose one: I disagree with Priya, because, Building on Sam or As Priya said, correctly.
3
PSWrite one response that builds on Leah's point that the diary is personal.
4
PSWrite one response that challenges Sam's point that the diary shows scale.
5
FWhich response is the most respectful challenge? Choose one: I see your point, but I think the report shows scale better, because it counts 40 homes., You are wrong. or Nobody would agree with that..
6
RRespond to Priya's claim that the poem shows loss most effectively. Build on it or challenge it, with one reason.
7
RExplain why a speaker should refer to another speaker's point by name or idea.
8
FWhich phrase best challenges a point without dismissing the speaker? Choose one: I think that is worth testing, but I disagree because, Only a fool would say that or That is just silly.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Ideas and themesName the shared theme, then one piece of evidence from each text
PerspectiveName whose view each text gives, and what it hides
MethodsName a method in both texts, and compare the effect
EvidenceQuote from both texts, and link them with a comparison word
Sustained comparisonOpening, one point per paragraph, and a closing judgement with a reason
SpeakingBuild on or challenge a point by name, with one reason or piece of evidence

Can you…?

  • I can name a shared theme and find evidence for it in two texts
  • I can compare the perspectives of two texts
  • I can compare one method across two texts and explain its effect
  • I can quote from two texts in one comparison sentence
  • I can write a closing judgement with a reason
  • I can build on or challenge another speaker's point, respectfully

Key terms

theme
an idea a text explores, such as loss or power
perspective
the point of view from which a text is told or reported
context
the time, place and reasons a text was written
method
the way a writer creates effect, through form, language and structure
comparison word
a word that links two texts, such as whereas, similarly or in contrast
judgement
a view on how far something succeeds, with a reason
building on
adding to another speaker's point
challenging
disagreeing with another speaker's point, with a reason

Exercise 6Z  Check-up

1
What does boundless mean in the phrase "boundless and bare"? Write the meaning in your own words.
2
Copy the words that name the object the narrator packed.
3
Which theme does the report share with the diary? Choose one: damage to homes and possessions, a love story or a school trip.
4
In which paragraph does the report give the time of the warning? Write the number.
5
Infer how the narrator feels about the photograph. Quote one phrase.
6
Name the perspective of Text C and say what it shows.
7
Which method does Text C use to show power in the past? Choose one: a ruined statue, a phone call or a diary entry.
8
Write a comparison sentence on what remains after loss, using A and C.
9
Which is the best closing judgement on the three texts? Choose one: The diary shows loss most personally, while the poem shows it most widely., The three texts are the same. or The report is the only good text..
10
Respond to a classmate who says the report is the most reliable. Challenge with one reason.

Total 21 marks. Allow about 21 minutes.

Exercise 6X  Practice test questions

1
FCopy the words from Text A that show the narrator is not moving, even after the warning.[1 mark]
2
FName one shared theme of Texts A and B. Write one short phrase.[1 mark]
3
RExplain one difference between the perspective of Text A and Text B. Use one quotation from each.[3 marks]
4
RExplain one method the report uses to give a public view. Use a quotation.[2 marks]
5
RExplain how the poem's context differs from the diary's context. One sentence.[2 marks]
6
PSWrite one comparison sentence using a quotation from Text A and a quotation from Text C.[3 marks]
7
RJudge which text shows loss most personally. Give one reason.[2 marks]
8
PSRespond to a speaker who says the report shows the flood best. Challenge the point with one reason.[3 marks]
9
PSBuild on a point that the diary shows loss through objects. Add one piece of evidence.[2 marks]
10
RExplain why the closing judgement of a comparison needs a reason. Write one sentence.[2 marks]
← Chapter 5: Reading non-fiction: reliability, rhetoric and synthesis across sourcesChapter 7: Word classes, clauses and sentence effect in longer prose →

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