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Year 10
AQA

Crafting an effective comparison of non-fiction texts

I can use discourse markers and correlative and comparative conjunctions to craft an effective comparison of non-fiction texts.

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Year 10
AQA

Crafting an effective comparison of non-fiction texts

I can use discourse markers and correlative and comparative conjunctions to craft an effective comparison of non-fiction texts.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A comparison is a consideration or evaluation of the similarities or differences between two things or people.
  2. It might be helpful to think of the writers as in conversation with one another when comparing texts.
  3. You should start a comparative paragraph with a comparative topic sentence.
  4. You should use discourse markers and comparative and correlative conjunctions to compare throughout the paragraph.

Keywords

  • Topic sentence - a sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph in which it occurs

  • Inference - a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

  • Comparison - a consideration or evaluation of the similarities or differences between two things or people

  • Correlative conjunction - made up of two or more words working together as a pair, to link two similar items

  • Comparative conjunction - words or phrases that compare ideas in a sentence and to show similarities and differences

Common misconception

Comparative paragraphs should only focus on differences.

The most effective comparisons look for subtle differences within larger similarities.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Crafting an effective comparison of non-fiction texts, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It would be useful for pupils to share their collected evidence from the texts so that they can judge which are the most effective quotations.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You will need access to the articles 'My Struggle with a Tiger' and 'Gorilla recaptured after escape at London zoo' which are available in the additional materials.

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Inferences should be based on and reason.
Correct answer: evidence
emotion
fact
guesswork
Q2.
What is being described here: 'a sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph in which it occurs'?
Correct answer: topic sentence
complex sentence
compound sentence
short sentence
exclamative sentence
Q3.
Which of the following is an effective topic sentence?
Jamrach's article is about a tiger who escapes.
Correct answer: The tone of Jamrach's article implies he doesn't care about animal welfare.
The use of "iron bars" implies that Jamrach doesn't care about animal welfare.
Q4.
'A consideration or evaluation of the similarities or differences between two things or people' is the definition of which word beginning with 'c'?
Correct Answer: comparison, compare, comparative
Q5.
Which of the following comparative conjunctions would you use to show a similarity between ideas?
Correct answer: likewise
whereas
Correct answer: similarly
on the other hand
Q6.
'Made up of two or more words working together as a pair, to link two similar items' is the definition of a conjunction.
comparative
subordinate
Correct answer: correlative

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A topic sentence that gives either a similarity or a difference between two texts is called a topic sentence.
Correct Answer: comparative
Q2.
'Words or phrases that compare ideas in a sentence and to show similarities and differences' is the definition of conjunctions.
Correct Answer: comparative
Q3.
Rawlinson's 'Gorilla recaptured after escape at London zoo' was written in 2016 in comparison to Jamrach's article in 1879 - which of the following might the time difference imply?
That Rawlinson's article will be less concerned about animal welfare.
That Rawlinson's article will be equally concerned with animal welfare.
Correct answer: That Rawlinson's article will be more concerned with animal welfare.
Q4.
Which of the following are similarities between Jamrach's 'My Struggle with a Tiger' and Rawlinson's 'Gorilla recaptured after escape at London zoo'?
Neither animal was recaptured.
Correct answer: Both animals were kept in captivity prior to their escape.
A member of the public was harmed in both accounts.
Q5.
In Rawlinson's article 'Gorilla recaptured after escape at London zoo', the gorilla is recaptured through the use of which object beginning with 't'?
Correct Answer: tranquiliser, tranquiliser gun
Q6.
In 'My Struggle with a Tiger', Jamrach's account of the tiger's den only references the "iron bars" - what inference can we make from this?
Jamrach cares for the tiger's welfare.
Correct answer: The lack of detail could imply there is no enrichment for the tiger.
Correct answer: That Jamrach primarily cares about keeping the tiger contained.

Additional material

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