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How Do You Write a Comparison Answer?Bonus Chapter · Video 5 of 8

How Do You Write a Comparison Answer?

How Do You Write a Comparison Answer?

Two sources can tell the same story in different ways. These notes show how to write a comparison answer one paragraph at a time: a , evidence from both sources, and an explanation of how they match or differ. The worked example compares a historian's view of General Percival (Source B) with Percival's own side of the story (Source C), and the shows how the marks climb from type and origin, through content, up to .

The Worked Example

  • Source B: a historian, years later, judging General Percival, the British commander.
  • Source C: Percival's own side of the story, like the defence he gave after the war.
  • Memoirs: a book someone writes about their own life.
  • Question: "How similar are Sources B and C in their views on the fall of Singapore?"
  • "How similar" = Type 2: find similarities and differences.

Build Every Paragraph the Same Way

  1. Criterion: what you are comparing (for example, could the fall be prevented?).
  2. Evidence from both sources: a short quote from each.
  3. Explanation: what the quotes show, and how the sources match or differ.

The Four Paragraphs

  1. Type and origin: both written; B by a historian, C by Percival. True, but low marks. Keep it short.
  2. Similarity in content: both suggest the fall couldn't be prevented by then.
  3. Difference in content: B criticises Percival's leadership; C names no fault of his own and blames Britain.
  4. Tone: B is mixed (praise and criticism); C is calm and defends the decisions.

How Do You Write a Comparison Answer?

Model Paragraph: Similarity in Content
  1. PointSources B and C are similar in suggesting that the fall of Singapore could not be prevented by the time the Japanese attacked.
  2. EvidenceSource B says Percival "could not have saved Singapore". , Source C says "it was simply too late".
  3. ElaborationBoth quotes show the writers agree that, once the invasion began, no decision could have changed the result, so on the criterion of whether the fall could be prevented, their views match.
  4. LinkTherefore, Sources B and C are similar in their view that the fall could not be stopped by then.
Model Paragraph: Difference in Tone
  1. PointHowever, Sources B and C are different in tone: B is mixed, while C calmly defends Percival's decisions.
  2. EvidenceSource B calls Percival "brave and hard-working" but also criticises his leadership. , Source C calls the decision "a hard choice" but "the right one".
  3. ElaborationB weighs the good and the bad, as a historian looking back would. C names no fault of its own, which fits a commander defending his own defeat, so its origin helps explain its calm, defensive tone.
  4. LinkThus, the sources differ in their attitude to Percival, which lifts the answer to the top of the comparison ladder.

Linking Words

  • Similarities: similarly, both.
  • Differences: but, however, in contrast.
  • Tone: the writer's attitude or feeling.

The Comparison Ladder

  1. Level 1 (1 mark): type or origin only.
  2. Level 2 (2–3 marks): a similarity or difference in content, no evidence.
  3. Level 3 (4–5 marks): content, with evidence from both sources.
  4. Level 4 (6–7 marks): also compares tone or purpose, with evidence.
  5. Marks vary a little by school, but the ladder is the same.

Two Tips

  • Make each difference a clear pair: "B criticises Percival" against "C names no fault of his own".
  • Don't force tone: if a source shows no clear feeling, stick to content.

In One Sentence

  • A strong comparison answer builds each paragraph from a criterion, a quote from both sources and an explanation, and climbs the ladder from content to tone.

Think About It

  1. Why might Percival's own account of the fall be different from a historian's?
  2. Why does a comparison need a quote from both sources, not just one?
  3. Which is harder for you to compare, content or tone? What would help you get better at it?