How to Compare Two Texts at KS3 English

To compare two texts for KS3 English, identify a shared theme or technique, quote from both, and write one paragraph that moves between the texts using comparison connectives — not two separate mini-essays side by side.

Why is comparing two texts different from analysing one?

Most students approach a comparison task by writing everything about Text A and then everything about Text B. This is the "point, point" structure — and it earns far fewer marks than a genuinely comparative paragraph. Examiners at KS3 want to see you placing the two texts in direct conversation: how do they agree, differ, complement or complicate each other?

The DfE's English Programmes of Study for Key Stage 3 explicitly require students to "make comparisons across texts, identifying connections and contrasts." That means moving between the texts within a single paragraph, not across two separate halves.

How do you plan a comparison before you write?

A comparison plan should identify the common ground between the texts before it lists the differences. Use a simple table.

Feature | Text A | Text B | Same or different?
Theme / subject | | |
Tone | | |
Key technique used | | |
Effect on reader | | |
Writer's purpose | | |

Fill in each row for both texts. Then decide: which rows show the most interesting similarity or the most revealing contrast? Those become your comparison points — one per paragraph.

What is the PETAL comparison structure?

PETAL is a reliable paragraph structure for comparative writing:

P — Point: state the comparison (similarity or difference)

E — Evidence A: quote from the first text

T — Technique: name the method each writer uses

A — Analysis: explain what each quotation shows and compare the effects

L — Link: connect back to the overall argument about both texts

The key discipline is that Evidence A must be immediately followed by your comparison — do not leave it until the end of the paragraph.

How do you use comparison connectives?

Comparison connectives are the words and phrases that signal whether you are showing similarity or contrast. Using them fluently is what makes a paragraph read as genuinely comparative.

Showing similarity | Showing contrast
Similarly, both writers... | However, while Text A..., Text B...
Like [Text A], [Text B] also... | In contrast, [author B] chooses to...
Both [author A] and [author B]... | Whereas [author A] presents... [author B] instead...
In the same way... | Unlike [Text A], which... [Text B]...

A strong comparison paragraph typically uses at least two different connectives — one to introduce the comparison and one to develop or nuance it.

Worked example: comparing two poems on loss

Text A — Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas (1951): "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Text B — Remember by Christina Rossetti (1849): "Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad."

PETAL paragraph:

Both Thomas and Rossetti address loss and death, but their tones are diametrically opposed. Thomas commands his dying father to resist: "rage, rage against the dying of the light," where the repetition of "rage" creates urgency and raw emotional pressure. In contrast, Rossetti writes with quiet selflessness — "better by far you should forget and smile" — placing the surviving loved one's happiness above her own memory. Thomas's imperative verbs demand action; Rossetti's conditional phrase ("you should") offers permission rather than instruction. Where Thomas presents grief as a fight, Rossetti reframes it as a form of love, and this contrast reveals two fundamentally different attitudes to how the living and the dying should relate to each other.

Notice how the paragraph moves between the texts three times, not once at the end.

How do you write a comparison introduction?

A comparison introduction should:

Name both texts, both authors, and when they were written.

Identify the shared theme or focus.

State your comparative thesis — a sentence that captures the most important similarity or difference.

Example: "Both Dylan Thomas in 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night' (1951) and Christina Rossetti in 'Remember' (1849) explore how the living relate to death, but Thomas presents loss as a battle to resist while Rossetti reframes it as a final act of love."

That thesis already signals the contrast the essay will explore.

What are the most common comparison mistakes?

Listing rather than comparing: Writing "Text A uses metaphor. Text B also uses metaphor." is not comparison — it is observation. Add the crucial next sentence: "However, while [Author A]'s metaphor emphasises..., [Author B]'s creates..."

Making one text "better" than the other: Comparison tasks rarely ask you to judge quality. They ask you to explore how both writers create effects. Stay analytical, not evaluative.

Only comparing at the end: Leaving your comparison to the last sentence of every paragraph is the most common structural error. Aim to compare in the middle of the paragraph, not only at the end.

Ignoring context: When two texts are written in very different periods (for example, a Victorian poem and a modern one), the historical and cultural context often explains the contrast. Acknowledging this shows the wider reading the best answers include.

Frequently asked questions

How many paragraphs should a KS3 comparison essay have?

A standard KS3 comparison essay has an introduction, three to four comparative body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph covers one comparison point — not one text per paragraph. Three comparison points is a manageable target: one similarity and two contrasts, or two similarities and one contrast.

Do I always have to use both texts in every paragraph?

Yes, in a comparative essay. A paragraph that discusses only one text is not a comparison paragraph, however well written it is. Every body paragraph in a comparison essay should reference both texts, quote from both, and draw a comparison between them.

How do I pick what to compare?

Compare whatever the question asks about — theme, character, tone, language, structure, or writer's purpose. If the question gives you freedom, the most rewarding comparison points are usually where the two texts seem to be on the same topic but take different attitudes. Similarity is easy to spot; the most revealing moments are where texts seem similar on the surface but diverge in meaning or effect.

What if I think the two texts are more similar than different?

That is a valid argument — state it in your thesis and defend it. The comparison task does not require you to force a contrast. But even when two texts agree on a theme, they often handle it differently in tone, technique, or emphasis. Look closely: genuine similarity at the level of subject often conceals meaningful contrast at the level of how.

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