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KS3 English · Year 8Chapter 6 · Comparing texts: themes, perspectives and methods
Year 8 · Chapter 6

Comparing texts: themes, perspectives and methods

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Name a theme shared by two texts, and say how each text develops it
  • Say how each writer's perspective shapes what they choose to include
  • Infer a writer's attitude from word choice and evidence, then compare the attitudes
  • Compare methods: tense, person, sensory language, numbers and structure
  • Write a comparative paragraph and a conclusion that use evidence from both texts

You should already know

  • Comparing two texts on a shared topic (Year 7, Chapter 6 of this book)
  • Inference and evidence in fiction (Chapter 1 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Writing to argue and evaluate: sustained argument (Chapter 11 of this book)
  • Spoken language: presenting, debating and Standard English (Chapter 13 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 3 English, Year 8. Content: Compare the ideas and themes of two texts on the same subject (KS3 reading, R5), Compare the perspective and attitude of two writers, and infer attitude with evidence (KS3 reading, R2 and R5), Compare the methods of two writers, such as tense, sensory detail and the use of numbers (KS3 reading, R5), Use evidence from both texts accurately in a comparison (KS3 reading, R7), Discuss a comparison by building on a partner's point, and respond to a counter-point in writing (KS3 speaking and listening, S2).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word for a book of personal memories, often written in the first person. Write one word.
2
FWrite the word for a factual text written for a council or company, to inform readers of progress. Write one word.
3
FWrite the word for a comparison that shows how two things differ. Write one word.
4
FWrite the word for the writer's attitude that gives a text its feeling. Write one word.
5
FWrite the past tense of the verb walk. Write one word.
6.1

Comparing themes and ideas

Year 8
Compare the ideas and themes of two texts on the same subject (KS3 reading, R5)
Video lesson: Comparing themes and ideasComing soon
Story. Two writers describe the same old bridge in the village of Carrow. One is a grandmother remembering her childhood. The other is a council engineer writing a project update. The reader must compare what each writer thinks is important.

Text 1: A memoir paragraph (invented, first person)

1The old bridge at Carrow had a voice of its own. Every cart that crossed it rattled the planks, and every child who ran over it was told to mind the gaps where the boards had split. My brother and I knew the sound of every wagon by its wheels, long before we could see who was driving it.

2We used to lean over the parapet in summer and drop sticks into the river, racing them to the reeds on the far side. The water was brown and cool, and it smelt of mud and mint. Nobody thought the bridge would ever be anything but there.

3When the new road was planned, the council sent men in orange jackets to measure the stones. My father shook his head at them and said nothing. I think he knew that something was ending, though none of us had the words for it yet.

4I still walk past the place where the bridge stood. Sometimes I stop, and listen for the rattle that is no longer there, and I hear only the traffic and my own breathing.

Text 2: A council project update (invented)

1Project update: the Carrow Crossing will open in autumn, providing a safer and wider route for people and vehicles. The new bridge will carry two traffic lanes, a dedicated cycle path and a footway on each side.

2The old bridge has been assessed as unsafe for heavy vehicles. Its stone piers show cracks, and the timber deck has reached the end of its design life. Repairs were considered, but the survey concluded that replacement would cost less over forty years.

3The construction team is ahead of schedule, with 60 per cent of the foundations complete. Work will continue on weekdays between seven and five, and noise levels will be monitored throughout.

4We recognise that the old bridge matters to many residents. A memorial plaque will be fixed to the new parapet, recording the bridge's history and its years of service to the village.

Key ideas

  • A theme is an idea that runs through a text, such as change, memory or loss.
  • Two texts may share a theme but treat it in different ways.
  • Compare by naming the shared idea, then saying how each text develops it, using evidence from both.
Worked example 6.1.1
What theme do both texts share?

Method. Look at what happens to the bridge in each text.

  1. Read Text 1. The bridge is ending, as the new road is planned.
    something was ending
  2. Read Text 2. The bridge is being replaced by a new crossing.
    the new bridge
  3. Name the shared theme. Both texts are about change in the village.
    change in the village
  4. Write the answer.
    change in the village

Check. The shared theme is named from both texts. ✓

Worked example 6.1.2
Which idea does Text 1 focus on more than Text 2? Choose one: memory and loss, cost savings or the speed of the work.

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 memoir keeps returning to what has gone, such as the rattle that is no longer there.
    memory and loss fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Cost savings and the speed of work are the report's focus, not the memoir's.
    cost savings and the speed of the work do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    memory and loss

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

Worked example 6.1.3
Compare how each text treats change, in one sentence.

Method. Find one detail from each text, then compare the two.

  1. Text 1. The memoir says something was ending.
    something was ending
  2. Text 2. The report says the new bridge will carry two traffic lanes.
    The new bridge will carry two traffic lanes
  3. Compare. The memoir mourns, but the report welcomes the change.
    Text 1 treats change as a loss, while Text 2 treats it as progress and safety.
  4. Write the answer.
    Text 1 treats change as a loss, while Text 2 treats it as progress and safety.

Check. Both texts are compared with evidence. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a shared theme is not the same as a shared view. Say how the two writers differ in what they do with the theme.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Write "Both texts ... However, Text 1 ... while Text 2 ..." to compare the idea in one sentence.

Exercise 6A  Practice: comparing themes and ideas

1
FCopy the words that say the bridge had a voice of its own.
2
FCopy the words that say when the new bridge will open.
3
FWhich theme is shared by both texts? Choose one: change in the village, a love of the sea, a dispute about money or a plan for a school.
4
FWhich idea does Text 2 emphasise that Text 1 does not? Choose one: safety and a wider route, the smell of mint or the sound of wheels.
5
FExplain the theme of memory in Text 1, with one quotation.
6
PSCompare the way each text describes the old bridge, in one sentence.
7
PSWhich idea does Text 2 treat as a matter of value? Choose one: the bridge's years of service to the village, the cost of the wagon, the speed of traffic or the reeds on the far side.
8
PSExplain one idea that both texts share about people and the bridge.
9
PSWhich phrase in Text 2 is about the future rather than the past? Choose one: The new bridge will carry two traffic lanes, Nobody thought the bridge would ever be anything but there., Something was ending. or My father shook his head at them..
10
PSCompare how each text ends, in one sentence.
11
RSay which text presents change more positively, and give one reason.
12
RWhat does the memoir suggest about the family's feelings for the bridge? Choose one: they valued it deeply, and felt its loss, they did not care about it, they wanted it replaced at once or they were bored by it.
13
RCompare how the two texts treat the idea of safety, in one sentence.
14
RExplain why the two texts might disagree about the bridge's value, in one sentence.
15
RWhich phrase from the report gives the cost comparison? Choose one: replacement would cost less over forty years, the bridge had a voice, the reeds on the far side or the smell of mud and mint.
16
RChallenge: explain how the two texts agree and disagree about change, using one idea from each text.
6.2

Perspectives and attitudes

Year 8
Compare the perspective and attitude of two writers, and infer attitude with evidence (KS3 reading, R2 and R5)
Video lesson: Perspectives and attitudesComing soon
Story. A writer's perspective is the position they write from: personal, professional, young or old. Their attitude is how they feel about the subject. Both can be inferred from word choice, detail and emphasis.

A reader can ask: who is writing, why, and what does the writer want the reader to feel?

Key ideas

  • Perspective is the position from which a writer writes, such as a family member or an engineer.
  • Attitude is the writer's feeling towards the subject, shown through word choice and emphasis.
  • Compare two writers by naming each attitude and quoting the word or phrase that shows it.
Worked example 6.2.1
What is the attitude of Text 1 towards the bridge?

Method. Read the text for feelings, then name the attitude.

  1. Find the feeling. The narrator still walks past the bridge.
    I still walk past the place where the bridge stood
  2. Find the word. The narrator listens for the rattle that is no longer there.
    the rattle that is no longer there
  3. Name the attitude. The attitude is affection and regret.
    affection and regret
  4. Write the answer.
    affection and regret

Check. The attitude is inferred from the text. ✓

Worked example 6.2.2
What is the perspective of Text 2? Choose one: an engineer or council official, a child at the bridge or a passing traveller.

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 uses technical terms such as design life and foundations, which suggests a professional writer.
    an engineer or council official fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The text does not describe a child, and it does not describe a passing traveller.
    a child at the bridge and a passing traveller do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    an engineer or council official

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

Worked example 6.2.3
What is the attitude of Text 2 towards the old bridge's history?

Method. Find the attitude, and the evidence for it.

  1. Find the phrase. The report recognises that the old bridge matters.
    recognise that the old bridge matters to many residents
  2. Find the action. A memorial plaque will be fixed.
    A memorial plaque will be fixed to the new parapet
  3. Name the attitude. The report shows respect, with a plaque to honour the past.
    respect, with a plaque to honour it
  4. Write the answer.
    respect, with a plaque to honour it

Check. The attitude is inferred. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not say an attitude without quoting a word or phrase that shows it. "The writer is sad" is weaker than "The writer regrets the loss, shown by ..."

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the perspective, then the attitude, then the evidence. Repeat for the second text, and compare.

Exercise 6B  Practice: perspectives and attitudes

1
FWho is the writer of Text 1 most likely to be? Choose one: a grandmother remembering childhood, a council engineer, a builder or a newspaper editor.
2
FWhich is the perspective of Text 2? Choose one: a council engineer writing a project update, a child at the river, a grandmother or a traveller on the bridge.
3
FCopy the phrase that shows the report's judgement about the bridge's safety.
4
PSInfer the attitude of Text 1 to the council's plans, using one quotation.
5
PSInfer the attitude of Text 2 towards the bridge's cost, using one quotation.
6
PSWhich word best describes the tone of Text 2? Choose one: formal and confident, angry and bitter, frightened and tense or playful and silly.
7
PSWhich word best describes the tone of Text 1? Choose one: nostalgic, businesslike, formal or technical.
8
RCompare the attitudes of the two writers to the bridge, in one sentence.
9
RWhich phrase shows the report's attitude to residents' feelings? Choose one: We recognise that the old bridge matters to many residents., The construction team is ahead of schedule., Work will continue on weekdays. or The new bridge will carry two traffic lanes..
10
RExplain why the two writers have different perspectives on the bridge, in one sentence.
11
RWhich attitude does the memoir show to the council's men? Choose one: a quiet distrust, great enthusiasm, total indifference or warm welcome.
12
RInfer the attitude of Text 1 to memory, using one quotation.
13
RCompare the way the two writers describe people, in one sentence.
14
RChallenge: explain how the perspective of each writer makes their attitude more believable, in two sentences.
6.3

Comparing methods: tense, sensory detail and numbers

Year 8
Compare the methods of two writers, such as tense, sensory detail and the use of numbers (KS3 reading, R5)
Video lesson: Comparing methods: tense, sensory detail and numbersComing soon
Story. Two writers can describe the same thing in very different ways. One may use the senses; the other may use numbers and future tenses. Comparing methods asks how each writer builds meaning.
MethodText 1 (memoir)Text 2 (project update)
Personfirst person: I, my, wethird person or impersonal
Tensepast tense, with present in the last linepresent and future: will open, will carry
Detailsenses: sound, smell, touchnumbers, dates, measures
Structureends with a return to the presentends with a plaque for the future

Key ideas

  • A method is the way a writer builds meaning: person, tense, sensory detail, numbers, structure.
  • Compare two methods by naming each one, quoting an example from each text, and explaining the effect.
  • A method is a choice; the effect depends on the reader and the purpose of the text.
Worked example 6.3.1
Which tense does Text 2 use most for the new bridge?

Method. Find the verbs about the new bridge.

  1. Find the verbs. The report uses will open and will carry.
    will open
  2. Name the tense. The verbs use will, which is the future tense.
    will
  3. Explain the effect. The future tense makes the plans sound certain.
    future tense
  4. Write the answer.
    future tense

Check. The tense is named and explained. ✓

Worked example 6.3.2
Which method is used in "smelt of mud and mint"? Choose one: sensory detail, through smell, numbers or the future tense.

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. Smelt of mud and mint describes what the narrator can smell.
    sensory detail, through smell fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The phrase has no numbers and is not in the future tense.
    numbers and the future tense do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    sensory detail, through smell

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

Worked example 6.3.3
Compare how each text uses numbers, in one sentence.

Method. Find the numbers in each text.

  1. Find the numbers in Text 2. The report gives 60 per cent and forty years.
    60 per cent
  2. Find the numbers in Text 1. The memoir gives no figures.
    no figures
  3. Compare. Numbers give the report a measured tone, while the memoir uses senses.
    Text 2 uses numbers to measure, while Text 1 uses none.
  4. Write the answer.
    Text 2 uses numbers to measure, while Text 1 uses none.

Check. The comparison of numbers is made. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: "Text 1 uses detail" is not a method comparison. Name the method (sensory detail, tense, numbers) and show how each text uses it.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Write "Text 1 uses ..., for example ..., while Text 2 uses ..., for example ..., which ..."

Exercise 6C  Practice: comparing methods

1
FWhich person does Text 1 use? Choose one: first person, second person, third person only or no person at all.
2
FWhich tense is used most in Text 1? Choose one: past tense, future tense, present perfect only or imperative.
3
FCopy the phrase that uses smell to describe the river.
4
PSHow does the memoir use sound? Name the method and give one example.
5
PSHow does the report use numbers? Name the method and give one example.
6
PSWhich method is used in "The new bridge will carry two traffic lanes"? Choose one: future tense and factual detail, simile and metaphor, first person narration or a rhetorical question.
7
RWhich method does the memoir use in "the rattle that is no longer there"? Choose one: a memory image that conveys absence, a list of numbers, a future plan or a formal title.
8
RCompare the way each text ends, as a method, in one sentence.
9
RCompare the effect of the first person in Text 1 with the impersonal voice in Text 2, in one sentence.
10
RWhich is a method used only in Text 2? Choose one: technical terms such as design life, first person, sensory detail or a list of sounds.
11
RCompare the use of time in the two texts, in one sentence.
12
RExplain one reason the memoir might use the senses rather than numbers, in one sentence.
13
RChallenge: explain how the methods of the two texts show their different purposes.
6.4

Writing a comparative paragraph and conclusion

Year 8
Discuss a comparison by building on a partner's point, and use evidence from both texts (KS3 speaking and listening, S2; R7)
Video lesson: Writing a comparative paragraph and conclusionComing soon
Story. A student is asked to compare the two texts in a paragraph. The paragraph should name both texts, make a comparison, quote from each, and link the comparison to the question.

A conclusion should bring the comparison together in one clear statement, not repeat each text in turn.

Key ideas

  • A comparative paragraph states a comparison, supports it with evidence from both texts, and explains the effect.
  • A comparative conclusion states the main difference or similarity, and why it matters.
  • In a discussion, build on a partner's point: "I agree that ..., and I would add ...", or "I disagree, because ...".
Worked example 6.4.1
Write the opening sentence of a comparative paragraph about change in the two texts.

Method. Name both texts, then the comparison.

  1. Name the shared idea. Both texts are about change.
    change
  2. Name the difference. They respond to it differently.
    differently
  3. Write the sentence. The sentence names the comparison.
    Both texts describe change in the village, but they respond to it differently.
  4. Write the answer.
    Both texts describe change in the village, but they respond to it differently.

Check. The opening sentence compares the texts. ✓

Worked example 6.4.2
Which is the best comparative conclusion? Choose one: The memoir values the bridge as memory, while the report values it as a safe structure, so the texts disagree on what matters most., The bridge is old. or The report is long and the memoir is short..

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 states the main difference and why it matters, which is what a conclusion does.
    The memoir values the bridge as memory, while the report values it as a safe structure, so the texts disagree on what matters most. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The other two choices are facts, not conclusions about the comparison.
    The bridge is old. and The report is long and the memoir is short. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    The memoir values the bridge as memory, while the report values it as a safe structure, so the texts disagree on what matters most.

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

Worked example 6.4.3
Give one point a partner might disagree with, and say how you would respond.

Method. Think of a counter-point, then respond with evidence.

  1. Name the point. A partner might say the report has no feeling.
    no feeling
  2. Respond with evidence. It recognises residents and plans a plaque.
    recognise
  3. Give the answer. The report is unemotional, but it does express respect.
    the report is unemotional, but it does express respect
  4. Write the answer.
    the report is unemotional, but it does express respect

Check. The counter-point is answered with evidence. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a conclusion is not a summary of each text in turn. Name the difference or similarity, and say why it matters.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Use a comparative connective, such as whereas, while or by contrast, and quote from each text in every comparison.

Exercise 6D  Practice: comparative paragraphs and conclusions

1
FWhich is a comparative connective? Choose one: whereas, because, sadly or for example.
2
FWhich sentence is the best opening for a paragraph comparing the two texts? Choose one: Both writers describe the old bridge, but they write from very different perspectives., The old bridge is a bridge., Text 1 is a memoir, and it has four paragraphs. or I like both texts..
3
PSWrite one comparison sentence, quoting from both texts, about how each describes the bridge's loss or value.
4
FWhich is the best link between two comparison sentences? Choose one: By contrast,, Dear Editor,, Once upon a time, or In conclusion, it was nice..
5
RWrite a comparative conclusion in one sentence about the two texts' attitudes to change.
6
RWhich phrase best shows agreement in a discussion? Choose one: I agree that the bridge matters, and I would add that its loss is felt by families., I do not care what you think., The bridge is grey. or Let us stop discussing..
7
RRespond to a counter-point in writing: a partner says that the report does not show any feeling about the bridge. Write one sentence in reply.
8
RWrite a comparison of the two texts' use of people, in one sentence.
9
RWhich conclusion is the best for the whole comparison? Choose one: Both texts show the bridge as important, but only the memoir shows what it means to the people who lived beside it., The bridge is important., The report is better than the memoir. or The memoir is a letter..
10
RChallenge: write a two-sentence comparative paragraph about the methods of the texts, with one quotation from each text.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod

Can you…?

    Key terms

    Exercise 6Z  Check-up

    1
    Copy the phrase that shows the narrator still goes to the bridge.
    2
    Which theme is shared by both texts? Choose one: change in the village, a love of football, the history of a school or a plan for a holiday.
    3
    Which person does Text 2 mainly use? Choose one: an impersonal, factual voice, first person I, second person you or a poem.
    4
    Compare how each text treats the old bridge, in one sentence.
    5
    Infer the attitude of Text 1 to the council's men, with one quotation.
    6
    Name a method in Text 2 that gives a measured tone, and quote it.
    7
    Which tense is used for the new bridge in Text 2? Choose one: future tense, such as will open, past tense, such as had a voice, imperative or present perfect.
    8
    Which idea does the memoir emphasise? Choose one: memory and loss, cost savings or road safety.
    9
    Say which text presents the bridge's value more through feeling, and give one reason.
    10
    Compare the attitudes of the two writers to change, in one sentence.

    Total 21 marks. Allow about 21 minutes.

    Exercise 6X  Practice test questions

    1
    FName one theme shared by these two texts: Text A says "the old bridge at Carrow had a voice of its own", and Text B says "the new bridge will carry two traffic lanes". Write one word.[1 mark]
    2
    RExplain how Text A uses sound to show memory, with the quotation "rattled the planks" in your answer.[2 marks]
    3
    FName the tense used most in Text B for the new bridge, with one example verb.[1 mark]
    4
    RCompare how the two texts treat change, in one sentence. Quote from each text.[3 marks]
    5
    RName the method in Text B that gives a measured tone, and give one example.[2 marks]
    6
    RInfer the attitude of Text A towards the council's men, using the detail "My father shook his head at them."[2 marks]
    7
    RExplain the difference in perspective between the two texts, in one sentence.[2 marks]
    8
    RWrite a comparative conclusion in one sentence about the methods of the two texts. Quote from each text.[3 marks]
    9
    FName a connective that signals a comparison in writing, and use it in one sentence about the two texts.[2 marks]
    10
    PSRespond in one sentence to a partner who says that Text B has no feeling for the bridge. Use evidence from Text B.[3 marks]
    ← Chapter 5: Reading non-fiction: reliability, rhetoric and synthesisChapter 7: Word classes, clauses and sentence effect →

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