Reading & Creating Texts – Unit 1
THE CRAFT OF COMPARATIVE WRITING A written comparison gives you the opportunity to draw together all of the knowledge and skills you have gained from reading and studying your pair of set texts. There are a number of ways that you can approach a written comparison of two texts, not only with regard to what you compare, but also in relation to how you structure your written response. You have a broad range of points from which to choose, such as the setting and context, the plot, the characters, the elements of text construction and the different perspectives, concepts and meanings. It's up to you which points of comparison you explore further in your own writing; you may wish to Include an in-depth discussion of one, some or many of these textual features. For your comparative response, adopt the form of comparison that sits most comfortably with you and your own style of writing.
COMPARATIVE RESPONSE TOPIC TYPES Before you begin to plan your comparative response, consider the types of topics that you may be given, either as a piece of school-assessed coursework (SAC) or as an examination response. There are a variety of topic types for comparative responses that focus on slightly different aspects of texts as the basis for comparison. Irrespective of the type of topic you are given, the basis of your response will need to be the main concepts (such as the Ideas, issues and themes) that connect the two texts. Even with this basis for a comparative response, you should consider the different ways topics may be framed and the subtle distinctions between these topics when planning and constructing your response. Some of the topic types you may encounter: • • • •
topics with a broad comparative focus topics that Invite comparison between specific aspects of the texts topics that compare elements of text construction topics based on quotations from the texts.
Remember that all authors have a specific purpose, audience and context In mind when they create texts; this also applies to you as a student writer. No matter what topic you are given, you need to be clear about why you are writing, for whom you are writing and In which context you are writing.
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
1
Reading & Creating Texts – Unit 1
Answer the following questions about writing a comparative response. 1. Why are you writing? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. For whom are you writing? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In which context are you writing? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Which of the two texts conveys the most powerful message? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
2