Comparing writers' viewpoints · GCSE English Language

The task

Paper 2 Question 4 (16 marks) asks you to compare how two writers convey their viewpoints and perspectives on a topic, using the whole of both sources. Spend about 20 minutes on it.
One source is from the 19th century and the other from the 20th or 21st century.

A viewpoint is the writer's opinion or attitude, such as being enthusiastic about travel or critical of zoos.
A perspective is the position the writer is writing from, shaped by their time, age, background, culture and experiences.

Tone (for example, formal, humorous, angry or nostalgic), language (emotive words, anecdotes, rhetorical questions, statistics and direct address) and structure (how each text opens and ends, and how it develops the argument).

Compare in every paragraph: 'In Source A, the writer…, whereas in Source B…'. Use quotations from both sources, explain the effects of the methods, and use context, such as 19th-century attitudes, to explain why the perspectives differ.
Comparative words for similarities: similarly, likewise, both, in the same way. For differences: whereas, however, on the other hand, in contrast, unlike.

Edexcel: Paper 2 Question 7(b) (14 marks) asks you to compare how the writers of two 20th- and 21st-century non-fiction texts present their ideas and perspectives.
Eduqas Component 2 compares a 19th-century and a 21st-century non-fiction text, and OCR Component 1 also asks you to compare two non-fiction texts.

Viewpoint: A writer's opinion or attitude on a topic.
Perspective: The position a writer writes from, shaped by their time and experiences.
Tone: The attitude shown in a writer's voice, such as angry or nostalgic.
Context: The time and circumstances in which a text was written.
Comparative connective: A linking word that compares, such as 'whereas' or 'similarly'.
Emotive language: Words chosen to make the reader feel strong emotions.
Anecdote: A short personal story used to make a point.