Do I need to write about both texts equally?

Aim for a roughly balanced discussion, but it does not need to be perfectly even. If one text uses more interesting techniques, you might write slightly more about it. The important thing is that you compare throughout your answer rather than writing about Text A in one paragraph and Text B in another. Use linking phrases like 'in contrast,' 'similarly,' and 'whereas' to keep the comparison active.

What if the two texts seem very different and I cannot find similarities?

Start with the obvious: both texts are about the same topic or theme. That shared subject is your starting point. Then look at how each text approaches that topic differently. Sometimes the most interesting comparison is precisely the contrast. Saying 'both texts describe the storm, but Text A creates fear while Text B creates fascination' is a strong comparative observation even though it highlights a difference.

Should I use PEE or PEA for comparison answers?

Either works. The key difference in a comparison answer is that your evidence comes from both texts. You might structure your PEE paragraph like this: Point (the comparison you are making), Evidence from Text A, Evidence from Text B, Explain (what the comparison reveals about how each writer approaches the topic). Some students find it helpful to think of it as PEEE: Point, Evidence 1, Evidence 2, Explain.

How much time should I spend on comparison questions in the exam?

Comparison questions are usually worth more marks than single-text questions, so they deserve more time. A good rule of thumb is to spend roughly one minute per mark. A four-mark comparison question deserves about four minutes. Use the first minute to plan your comparison points, and the remaining three to write a well-structured answer with evidence from both texts.

Comparing Fiction and Non-Fiction for 11+

Why Comparison Questions Appear in the 11+

Comparison questions test a higher level of reading skill. Instead of analysing one passage in isolation, you have to hold two texts in your mind at the same time and find connections and contrasts between them. This tells the examiner that you can think flexibly about different writing styles, purposes, and audiences.

These questions most commonly appear when the comprehension paper includes two passages on a related theme. One might be fiction (a story extract or poem) and the other non-fiction (a newspaper article, diary entry, or information text). The question might ask: "How do both writers present their views about the countryside?" or "Compare the ways the two texts create a sense of danger."

The biggest mistake students make is writing about each text separately. A comparison answer must compare throughout, using linking words and phrases that draw the texts together or pull them apart.

Two open books placed side by side for text comparison

Fiction vs Non-Fiction: Key Differences

Before you can compare, you need to understand how fiction and non-fiction typically differ. Here is a quick reference.

Purpose

Fiction aims to entertain, create emotion, or explore the human experience through imagined events. Non-fiction aims to inform, persuade, explain, or argue using facts and real-world evidence.

Structure

Fiction follows a narrative arc: beginning, middle, end. It uses paragraphs to shift between scenes, dialogue, and description. Non-fiction uses headings, topic sentences, and logical progression. It organises information by theme or argument rather than by chronology.

Language

Fiction uses figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification) to create vivid images and emotional responses. Non-fiction uses precise, factual language, though persuasive non-fiction may also use rhetorical techniques like emotive language, statistics, and direct address.

Tone

Fiction tone varies with mood: tense, playful, melancholic, eerie. Non-fiction tone is often formal and authoritative, though opinion pieces can be passionate, angry, or humorous.

Key Differences at a Glance: Fiction: entertains, uses narrative structure, relies on figurative language, varies tone with mood. Non-fiction: informs or persuades, uses logical structure, relies on evidence and facts, often maintains a consistent authoritative tone. Understanding these differences gives you a framework for comparison before you even start reading the passages.

The PATTS Comparison Framework

When you need to compare two texts quickly and thoroughly, the PATTS framework gives you five angles to work from.

P — Purpose: What is each writer trying to achieve? To entertain? Inform? Persuade?
A — Audience: Who is each text written for? Adults? Children? A general public audience?
T — Tone: What is the mood or attitude of each text? Serious? Light-hearted? Urgent?
T — Techniques: What language techniques does each writer use, and how do they differ?
S — Structure: How is each text organised? What does the writer choose to begin and end with?

You do not need to cover all five in every answer. Pick the two or three that produce the most interesting comparisons for the specific question you have been asked.

Paired Passage Example: The Storm

Read both passages below. They both deal with storms, but in very different ways.

Text A (Fiction)

"The sky turned the colour of a bruise. Mia pressed her back against the sea wall and watched the waves rear up like horses, white-maned and furious, crashing against the harbour with a sound that shook her teeth. Spray lashed her face. She could taste salt and something metallic, as if the air itself had been torn open. A fishing boat, tiny and ridiculous against the swell, tilted at an angle that made her stomach lurch. She wanted to look away. She could not."

Text B (Non-Fiction)

"Storm Eunice, which struck the south coast on 18th February 2022, was the most powerful storm to hit the UK in thirty years. Wind speeds reached 122 miles per hour at The Needles on the Isle of Wight, breaking the national record. Across England and Wales, over one million homes lost power, and tragically, three people died from falling trees and debris. The Met Office issued its first-ever red warning for London, advising people to stay indoors and avoid all unnecessary travel."

Model Comparison: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Question: Compare how the two texts present the storm.

Planning (1 minute)

Using PATTS, I can see strong contrasts in purpose (entertainment vs information), tone (terrified awe vs factual urgency), and techniques (figurative language vs statistics). I will focus on purpose and techniques because they produce the richest comparison.

Model Answer

Both texts present the storm as powerful and dangerous, but they achieve this through very different methods. Text A, a fiction extract, creates a visceral, personal experience of the storm. The simile "waves rear up like horses, white-maned and furious" gives the sea an animal-like aggression, making it feel alive and hostile. Mia's physical reactions, such as tasting "something metallic" in the air, immerse the reader in the sensory reality of the moment. The short final sentences, "She wanted to look away. She could not," create tension by showing the character trapped between fear and fascination.

In contrast, Text B uses factual precision to convey the storm's power. Instead of figurative language, it relies on statistics: "122 miles per hour" and "one million homes lost power." These numbers communicate scale in a way that fiction does not attempt. Where Text A asks the reader to feel the storm, Text B asks the reader to understand its impact. The phrase "tragically, three people died" is restrained compared to Text A's dramatic language, but the word "tragically" still signals emotional weight within an otherwise factual tone.

Both texts make the storm seem formidable, but they do so for different purposes. Text A wants the reader to experience fear alongside the character. Text B wants the reader to grasp the real-world consequences and take the storm seriously. The fiction passage succeeds through imagination; the non-fiction passage succeeds through evidence.

Language Techniques Across Text Types

Some techniques appear in both fiction and non-fiction, but they serve different purposes. Recognising this is valuable in a comparison answer.

Emotive Language

In fiction, emotive language builds atmosphere and character. In non-fiction, it persuades or manipulates the reader's response to an issue. The word "tragically" in a news report and the word "furious" in a story both create emotional responses, but one aims for real-world concern while the other deepens an imagined scene.

Short Sentences

In fiction, short sentences create tension and drama. In non-fiction, they emphasise a key fact or conclusion. "She could not." (fiction) and "Three people died." (non-fiction) both use brevity for impact, but the fiction version builds suspense while the non-fiction version delivers a sobering truth.

Sensory Detail

Fiction passages are rich in sensory detail because they want the reader to experience a scene. Non-fiction uses sensory detail more sparingly, usually to make a factual account more vivid or to support a persuasive argument. When you spot sensory language in both texts, compare how each writer uses it and for what purpose.

Comparison Phrases to Use: "Both writers..." "In contrast to Text A, Text B..." "While the fiction passage creates..., the non-fiction passage instead..." "Similarly, both texts use..." "However, the effect is different because..." Using these phrases keeps your answer focused on comparison rather than drifting into separate analyses.

Practice Questions with Model Answers

Using the storm passages above, try these questions before reading the models.

Question 1: How do the two writers create a sense of danger differently?

Model Answer: Text A creates danger through personal, physical experience. The waves are personified as "furious" and compared to rearing horses, giving them intent and aggression. Mia's involuntary physical reactions, including spray lashing her face and the taste of something "metallic," make the danger feel immediate and sensory. Text B creates danger through scale and consequence. The wind speed record of "122 miles per hour" and the fact that "three people died" communicate danger in measurable, real-world terms. Text A makes you feel afraid alongside a character. Text B makes you understand why fear was justified.

Question 2: Compare the tone of the two texts.

Model Answer: Text A has a tone of terrified wonder. The language is dramatic and sensory, with phrases like "the colour of a bruise" and "the air itself had been torn open" creating a sense of awe alongside fear. Mia is horrified but also captivated, reflected in the final line where she "could not" look away. Text B has a tone of factual urgency. The language is precise and restrained, using numbers and official sources ("the Met Office issued its first-ever red warning") to convey seriousness without drama. The single emotional word "tragically" stands out precisely because the rest of the passage is so measured. Both tones are effective, but they work in fundamentally different ways: one through immersion, the other through authority.

Comparison Writing Tips for Exam Day

Follow these practical guidelines to write strong comparison answers under time pressure.

Plan before you write. Jot down two or three comparison points using PATTS. Even one minute of planning produces a much more structured answer.
Compare throughout, not in blocks. Do not write a paragraph about Text A followed by a paragraph about Text B. Instead, make each paragraph a point of comparison that discusses both texts together.
Use linking phrases. "Both writers," "in contrast," "similarly," "whereas," and "however" signal to the examiner that you are genuinely comparing.
Quote from both texts. An answer that only quotes from one passage is not a comparison. Even a brief reference to the other text keeps both in play.
End with a concluding comparison. Your final sentence should pull the whole answer together. "Both texts show the storm as dangerous, but Text A invites the reader to feel the danger while Text B presents the evidence for it."

Final Thought: Comparison questions reward students who can hold two perspectives in mind at once. The skill is not just reading each text well in isolation; it is seeing how they relate to each other. Practise by reading any two pieces on the same topic and asking: what do they share, where do they differ, and why? That habit will serve you well in the exam and beyond. For more on analysing the techniques writers use, see our techniques guide.

Comparing Fiction and Non-Fiction Texts in 11+ Comprehension