Finding Differences and Similarities Flashcards
All 10 cards in this deck
What does "like for like" mean in Paper 2 Question 2?
Comparing the same aspect in both sources, e.g. the comfort of train A with the comfort of train B. A difference only counts if both halves are about the same thing.
"Source A's hotel has a pool, whereas Source B's hotel is in Paris." What is wrong with this difference?
It isn't like for like: a facility is set against a location. Match facility with facility (pool vs no hot water) or location with location.
Which connectives signal a difference in Paper 2 Question 2?
Whereas, however, in contrast, on the other hand, unlike. Put the connective between your Source A point and your Source B point so the difference is explicit.
Which connectives signal a similarity in Paper 2 Question 2?
Similarly, likewise, in the same way, both, also. Use them to link the matching details from each source in one sentence or paragraph.
How can you quickly find differences or similarities to write about?
Run through aspects of the focus: appearance, purpose, comfort, cost, behaviour, how others react, what it reveals about the period. Note one detail from each source for each aspect that applies to both.
What does it mean to synthesise evidence in Question 2?
To bring details from both sources together into one point, e.g. "Both guides refuse to give up on their client". Synthesis is what AO1 rewards, and it is why one-source answers are capped.
In a similarities question, how can you push your answer towards the top level?
Show the similarity, then refine it: "Both guides physically carry their clients through, but one does it gently and the other by force." Noticing how alike things differ shows perceptive reading.
Why is writing all about Source A and then all about Source B weaker in Question 2?
It turns into two separate summaries and leaves the examiner to find the differences. Integrated paragraphs make each difference explicit, which is what "shows clear differences" means in the mark scheme.
Source A: "the fare was a week's wages". Source B: "a ticket cost less than a coffee". How would you turn these into a like-for-like difference?
Match the aspect (cost) and infer from both: In Source A the fare is "a week's wages", suggesting travel was a rare luxury, whereas in Source B a ticket costs "less than a coffee", implying travel is an everyday, affordable habit.
How is Question 2 different from Question 4 on Paper 2?
Q2 is about what the sources show (the trains, the towns) and is 8 marks of AO1. Q4 is about the writers' perspectives and methods and is 16 marks of AO3. Don't reuse Q2 points in Q4.