Fiducia TogetherComparing texts
Writing about two sources together. Comparison all the way through, not one then the other.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
A comparison question asks how two writers convey attitudes or perspectives on a similar subject, often from different periods.
Where it applies
GCSE English Language paper 2, and comparison questions in Literature.
How it works
The marks are for comparison itself — similarities and differences in viewpoint and in method — not for two separate analyses stapled together.
How to use it in your work
Use comparative connectives in every paragraph: whereas, similarly, by contrast, both writers.
Compare PERSPECTIVE first, then method. What each writer thinks, then how they show it.
A paragraph that covers both sources beats two paragraphs covering one each. Structure it point by point, not text by text.
Where to get help
Your teacher, your board's mark scheme and its examiners' reports — those say exactly what separates the bands, and they are free.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The English Exam Survival Song How to approach the English papers under time pressure.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.