Question 5 Skills: Comparison (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)

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Question 5 on Paper 1 of your IGCSE tests you on your ability to compare similarities and differences in the ways writers present their ideas, perspectives and information.

This guide will explain in more detail how to write an effective comparison in the exam. It is divided into:

Overview of comparing texts
Comparing texts
Comparison of ideas, perspective and methods
How to compare in the exam

Overview of comparing texts

Paper 1 Question 5 is the comparison question. It requires you to understand information and ideas from two sources and focus on the writers’ perspectives. You are expected to bring together and compare the two perspectives, analysing any differences and linking these points of view to the methods used by the writers to convey them.

In the question, you will be asked to compare how the writers present their ideas and perspectives. The word “present” encapsulates a number of concepts: from ways and methods of writing, through to consideration of form, structure and purpose.

The question therefore requires a response which includes:

a demonstration of your understanding of the ideas and perspectives in both texts
a comparison of these ideas and the writers’ different perspectives
relevant textual detail or short quotations
an explanation of how both writers have used a range of methods to convey their points of view

Comparing Texts

As this is a comparison question, it's important to identify thе purposе of еach tеxt and to understand the main ideas that the writers intеnd to convey to their respective audiences.

Whеn you'rе comparing non-fiction tеxts, your goal is to identify areas whеrе thе tеxts sharе common ground
Contrasting involves pointing out thе diffеrеncеs bеtwееn thе tеxts
This can bе in tеrms of idеas, thеmеs, literary features, structurе or any othеr relevant aspеct
You'rе essentially looking for connеctions that hеlp to explain how thе tеxts relate to еach othеr or how they differ
Whеn comparing and contrasting, it's crucial to provide specific examples from thе tеxts:
- These makе your comparisons morе robust

Thе ultimatе goal of comparing and contrasting is to draw insights from thе similaritiеs and diffеrеncеs you have identified:
- What do thеsе shared and distinct еlеmеnts reveal about the writers’ intentions and perspectives?
- Do comparisons and contrasts shеd light on the larger themes or contexts within which thеsе texts еxist?
Comparing and contrasting rеquirеs critical thinking and analytical skills:
- Don't just list similaritiеs and diffеrеncеs; delve deeper into why thеsе similarities and diffеrеncеs are important

Here are some words and phrases that can be used to signal comparisons and contrasts in your response:

Words to compare	similarly	likewise	equally
both	comparably	in the same way
Words to contrast	on the other hand	although	however
while	whereas	in contrast

Words to compare

similarly

likewise

equally

both

comparably

in the same way

Words to contrast

on the other hand

although

however

while

whereas

in contrast

Comparison of ideas, perspectives and methods

Question 5 asks you to compare how the writers present their ideas and perspectives about the events or experiences described. This means analysing and comparing how each writer’s viewpoint on a particular subject is presented within their texts.

The writer’s perspective refers to what the writer thinks about something, and “how they present” is their unique way of presenting ideas, themes or events in their writing. The writer’s perspective shapes how they dеvеlop their writing and engage thе reader. For this type of question, it’s important to providе thoughtful insights and to dеmonstratе an undеrstanding of how diffеrеnt writеrs can approach similar themes in uniquе ways.

Below are some ideas which you should consider when thinking about how to compare the writers’ perspectives and ideas:

Analysе pеrspеctivеs	Identify thеmеs	Comparе and contrast
Examine how each writer presents thеir viеwpoint, opinions and idеas within thеir tеxts. This includеs looking at their use of language and/or structure	Identify the central themes or ideas that еach writer еxplorеs in their writing. Thеsе could be recurring motifs or messages that the writers want to convеy to thеir rеadеrs	Discuss the similarities and diffеrеncеs bеtwееn thеse perspectives and ideas. Considеr how each writer has approached a similar thеmе or topic, as well as how they divеrgе in thеir approaches and mеssage
Contеxtualisе	Use evidence	Draw conclusions
Considеr thе context in which thе writers wrotе their texts. Consider the purpose, audience and form of each text	Support your analysis with spеcific еxamplеs from thе tеxts. Quote linеs that highlight thе writers’ pеrspеctivеs and ideas and explain how thеsе contribute to thе overall understanding of their writing	Draw conclusions about thе writers’ intеntions, viewpoints and the impact of their idеas on thе reader's undеrstanding

When considering how the writers present their ideas and perspectives, you should look at their use of language and structural techniques, such as narrative perspective. It is also important to compare tone and levels of formality, as these things can offer insights into what the writer is thinking.

Exam Tip

As you prepare your response to this question, it is a good idea to annotate in the margins of the source documents what the writers’ feelings appear to be about the focus of the question. You have to demonstrate that you fundamentally understand their feelings, experiences and perspectives in order to be able to write a top-mark answer to this question.

How to compare in the exam

Although the two extracts you will be working from in the exam are longer, the following example works through a suggested process for comparing texts effectively in the exam.

Below are two short extracts. Text One is taken from Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. The book is about the harmful effects of pesticides. Text Two is from Nigel Dudley’s This Poisoned Earth: Truth About Pesticides, which is about the damage caused by pesticides to the environment.

Text One (Rachel Carson)	Text Two (Nigel Dudley)
There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example—where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh. On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs—the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These, too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died.	During a hot spell in June 1984, a crop-spraying plane overshot its intended target and released a fine yellow mist of fungicide above the village of Blackhall, near Durham. Scores of people were covered with pesticide. Fifteen were affected so badly that they needed hospital treatment for a range of side effects, including headaches, skin rashes, sore throats and eye infections. The fungicide was of a type chemically similar to certain nerve-gases, and villages were advised not to eat surface-growing garden vegetables for at least a month. Environmental health officers said the chemicals could have particularly bad effects on asthmatics and the elderly. … The problems of spraying in the small Hertfordshire village of Kimpton became so bad that in the summer of 1985, almost a hundred people signed a petition, “Aerial crop spray can damage your health but carries no Government warning.” People complained to Friends of the Earth about being sprayed directly by aircraft while walking along public roads, not being informed about aerial spraying or being given the wrong day of application.

Text One (Rachel Carson)

Text Two (Nigel Dudley)

There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example—where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh.

On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs—the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These, too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died.

During a hot spell in June 1984, a crop-spraying plane overshot its intended target and released a fine yellow mist of fungicide above the village of Blackhall, near Durham. Scores of people were covered with pesticide. Fifteen were affected so badly that they needed hospital treatment for a range of side effects, including headaches, skin rashes, sore throats and eye infections. The fungicide was of a type chemically similar to certain nerve-gases, and villages were advised not to eat surface-growing garden vegetables for at least a month. Environmental health officers said the chemicals could have particularly bad effects on asthmatics and the elderly.

…

The problems of spraying in the small Hertfordshire village of Kimpton became so bad that in the summer of 1985, almost a hundred people signed a petition, “Aerial crop spray can damage your health but carries no Government warning.” People complained to Friends of the Earth about being sprayed directly by aircraft while walking along public roads, not being informed about aerial spraying or being given the wrong day of application.

From these two texts, we can compare the writers’ perspectives and points of view, as well as how these are conveyed:

Writers’ ideas and perspectives	How this is shown by the writer
Writers’ ideas and perspectives	Text One (Rachel Carson)	Text Two (Nigel Dudley)
Impact on the environment	The writer’s description of the absence of noise, in a “strange stillness”, “a spring without voices” and “no sound” conveys a deep concern for the natural world The writer conveys confusion in the rhetorical question “where had they gone?” suggesting alarm and lack of understanding at this turn of events The writer uses imagery associated with death as the birds “trembled violently”, there was “withered vegetation” and that the fish “had died” to convey the negative impact on the environment	The writer relies less on imagery and more on factual information to convey his point of view He highlights that the fungicide may have poisoned vegetation and food sources, as people were advised not to eat “surface-growing garden vegetables” for at least a month
Impact on people	The writer highlights the destruction of the natural world has on everyday people, such as the farmers complaining that they were “unable to raise any pigs” and the anglers who no longer fished The writer speaks of “many people” collectively who were “puzzled and disturbed”, indicating that it is not only the writer who feels this way	The writer focuses more on the human impact of pesticides, listing the physical effects of the crop spraying on people He uses numeric references to add credibility to his reporting, such as “scores of people” and “fifteen were affected” He uses advice from environmental health officers to further add credibility The writer uses a triplet at the end to convey his criticism of the situation

To summarise:

Both texts share a concern for human health, as Text One hints at the potential consequences of chemical exposure, and Text Two directly addresses public health risks resulting from pesticide spraying
Both texts imply criticism of government and/or regulations, as Text One implies concern at the lack of regulation, and Text Two criticises the absence of proper warnings and regulation in the use of pesticides
Text One uses more imagery and symbolism to highlight the fragility of the natural world and the effect pesticides can have on it, whereas Text Two uses more emotive language and persuasive techniques to convey their criticism of the situation

Once you have established what the writers’ ideas and perspectives are, as well as the main ways in which they present their perspectives, you can use this to begin your answer:

“Both texts share a common concern for human health and the environment as a result of the use of pesticides, albeit with a different primary focus.”

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