How do I compare two sources and show whether they agree or disagree, with evidence from both?
Compare two sources for similarities and differences in what they say or suggest, supporting each point of comparison with matched evidence from both sources
A scaffolded answer to the N(A)-Level Social Studies skill of comparison. How to find genuine similarities and differences between two sources, how to match evidence from both, and how to avoid writing about each source separately.
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What this dot point is asking
A comparison question gives you two sources and asks how similar or different they are, or how far they agree. The examiner is testing whether you can hold two sources side by side and find real points of overlap and real points of difference, supporting each one with evidence from both sources. The trap the question is designed to catch is writing about Source A on its own and then Source B on its own. Comparison means linking them.
The answer
What comparison means
Comparison is finding where two sources say or suggest the same thing (similarities) and where they say or suggest different things (differences). You are not summarising each source. You are putting them next to each other and judging the relationship between them.
The point and matched-evidence structure
Each comparison point has a special shape, because you need evidence from both sources, not one:
- Point. State the similarity or difference in one sentence.
- Evidence from Source 1. Quote the detail that shows it.
- Evidence from Source 2. Quote the matched detail that shows the same similarity, or the opposite for a difference.
- Mini-explanation. Say how the two details relate.
The phrase "matched evidence" is the key. For a similarity, you show both sources saying a like thing. For a difference, you show the contrast directly.
Compare meaning, not just words
Sources can agree even when they use different words, and disagree even when they share words. Two sources can both be positive about a policy while describing it completely differently. Look at what each source means or suggests overall, then decide if they line up.
Reach an overall judgement
A comparison question usually ends with a judgement: how similar are they, or how far do they agree. After your points, write one or two sentences saying whether the sources are mostly similar, mostly different, or a mix, and why. This shows you have weighed the points rather than just listed them.
Examples in context
Example 1. Two views on a foreign-worker dormitory. A case study might pair a source from a resident worried about crowding with a source from an employer praising the workers' contribution. You would compare them by noting both discuss the same dormitory (a similarity of subject) but reach opposite judgements about whether it is a problem or a benefit (a difference), supported by a detail from each. This kind of pairing appears in the diversity and globalisation Issues.
Example 2. Two views on globalisation and jobs. One source might celebrate the new jobs a multinational company brings to Singapore, while another worries that local skills are being left behind. Comparing them, you would show both agree globalisation has changed the job market (similarity) but disagree on whether the change is good (difference), each backed by a quoted detail. This links directly to the economic impacts of globalisation.
Try this
Q1. Source G says: "The recycling scheme has made our estate cleaner." Source H says: "Few residents bother to separate their waste properly." How far do these sources agree? [4 marks]
- Cue. Similarity: both are about the same recycling scheme in the estate. Difference: G is positive ("cleaner") while H is negative ("few residents bother"). Judgement: they mostly disagree, because one sees success and the other sees poor participation.
Q2. Source J (a tourist) says Singapore is "spotless and easy to get around". Source K (a resident) says "the crowds and the cost of living are hard to bear". How similar are these views of Singapore? [4 marks]
- Cue. Similarity: both describe life or experience in Singapore. Difference: the tourist is impressed (spotless, easy), the resident is strained (crowds, cost). Judgement: mostly different, as one is an outsider praising and one is an insider complaining.
Q3. Source L praises a new policy for "helping low-income families". Source M says the same policy "does not reach those who need it most". How far do the sources agree about the policy? [3 marks]
- Cue. Similarity: both judge the same policy aimed at low-income families. Difference: L says it helps, M says it misses the neediest. Judgement: they disagree on whether the policy works, even though both care about the same goal.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original6 marksStudy the two sources. How similar are these two views about the new bus service? Explain your answer using both sources. Source A (a commuter): 'The new service is a blessing. Buses come often and I reach work on time every day.' Source B (a different commuter): 'The new buses are clean, but they are always crowded and I often have to let two go before I can board.'Show worked answer →
Similarity: both sources are commenting on the same new bus service and both find at least something good about it. Source A calls it "a blessing" and Source B says the buses are "clean", so both notice positive features.
Difference: the overall views differ. Source A is fully positive, saying buses "come often" and the writer reaches work "on time every day". Source B is mixed, complaining the buses are "always crowded" and that the writer must "let two go before I can board". So A sees the service as reliable while B sees overcrowding as a real problem.
Overall: the sources are partly similar (both see some good) but mostly different in their final view, because A is satisfied and B is frustrated.
What markers reward: at least one supported similarity and one supported difference, with a quoted detail from BOTH sources for each point, and a short closing judgement on how similar they are overall. Writing about each source on its own with no link scores poorly.
Original5 marksStudy the two sources about volunteering. How far do these two sources agree? Explain your answer. Source C (a student): 'Volunteering taught me skills and made me proud to help my neighbourhood.' Source D (a community leader): 'Too few young people volunteer regularly, and many stop after one event.'Show worked answer →
Agreement: both sources are about young people and volunteering, and both treat volunteering as valuable. Source C says it "made me proud to help", and Source D wants more young people to do it, so both see it as a good thing.
Disagreement: they disagree on how well it is going. Source C is a positive personal account of one student who gained from it, while Source D points to a problem, that "too few young people volunteer regularly" and "many stop after one event". So C suggests volunteering works, while D suggests it is not happening enough.
Overall: the sources agree that volunteering matters but disagree on whether young people are doing enough of it.
What markers reward: matched evidence from both sources for each point, a clear statement of agreement and disagreement, and a final line judging how far they agree. The strongest answers notice they are different types of view (one personal, one about the wider trend).
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