Comparing Language This is your step by step guide to answering Question 4 in the exam successfully. TAP reminder Type of writing (eg letter, advert) Audience (be as specific as you can) Purpose (eg to argue, advise)

Step 1: Choose three texts and think about how they compare. How to begin comparing texts: Find three different types of writing about a fairly similar thing, eg a travel article about Paris, a newspaper article about crime in Paris and a story based in Paris. Identify the TAP for each one in this section of your dart board. Find the linguistic techniques in each one and put them here. Which of the three compare most successfully? Plan your three comparative paragraphs here.

Band 3 + Band 4! Intro: Explain the TAP for each text and how they are similar/different. Conclusion: Sum up the major and subtle differences between the two texts, explaining which is more successful. P: Similar technique (band 4) E: Evidence E: Explain E: Explore (band 4) (band 4) L: Link to other text E: Evidence E: Explain E: Explore (band 4) Step 2: Plan your response in detail.

Step 3: Write your response with three really good PEEELEEEs. Both the Frank Gardner text and the ‘Lake Garda, Venice and Verona’ texts use imperatives. Frank Gardner uses the imperative, “You must go.” at the beginning and end of his article to advise people to go there. Although the article is predominantly to entertain, people may read it for some inspiration or advice on their next holiday, so this imperative could give them the incentive that they need to finally go if they were undecided before reading the article. Similarly, the ‘Lake Garder, Venice and Verona’ article uses imperatives such as “See Garda’s beauty” and “Walk through Verona’s cobbled streets”. These imperatives tell the reader what they should be doing if they visit such places and, like the Frank Gardner article, could provide an incentive to go. Furthermore, the imperatives persuade the reader, which is ultimately the purpose of the text, and tell them that they must do these things otherwise they will be missing out. It’s almost as if these places are so special, that going is not an option: it is a must. Overall, although both texts have different purposes, they both use imperatives to direct and persuade the reader to go on holiday to the locations that they describe. P: Similar technique (band 4) E: Evidence E: Explain E: Explore (band 4) (band 4) L: Link to other text E: Evidence E: Explain E: Explore (band 4) For extra brownie points, make a simple overall comparison at the end of your paragraph.

Step 4: Check you’ve structured your response carefully. Both the Frank Gardner text and the ‘Lake Garda, Venice and Verona’ texts are about travel. However, Frank Gardner is discussing his personal experience of travel for other peoples’ entertainment, and the ‘Lake Garda’ text is advertising a holiday and trying to persuade people to go. Comparing Intros Have you used as few words as possible? Have you explained the TAP? Have you discussed the similarity and difference?

Step 5: Check your work. Get a friend to have a look and see if you could include any more detail. Here’s the mark scheme to help. A- A* Band 4 ‘perceptive’ ‘detailed’ offers a full and detailed understanding of the texts in relation to language analyses how the writers have used language differently to achieve their effects offers appropriate quotations or references in support of ideas with perceptive comments (inferences) focuses on comparison and cross-referencing between the texts C- B Mark Band 3 ‘clear’ ’relevant’ shows clear evidence that the texts are understood in relation to language offers clear explanation of the effect of words and phrases in the different contexts offers relevant quotations or references to support ideas offers clear comparisons and cross references between the two texts