Writers' viewpoints and perspectives · Year 11
A viewpoint is what a writer thinks about a topic; their perspective is shaped by when and where they lived and what they experienced. In GCSE English Language Paper 2 you compare two writers, often one from the nineteenth century and one from today. The texts here were written for Calcali, the older ones in the style of their time.
Key facts
- Find each writer's viewpoint: what do they want the reader to believe? Look at their strongest words.
- Decide whether the writers agree, disagree, or agree about some things but not others.
- Think about perspective: a writer in the 1850s may see work, travel or cities very differently from a writer today because their world was different.
- Compare methods as well as views: tone, word choice, examples, facts and formality.
- Link the two texts with comparative words: both, similarly and likewise for agreement; whereas, however and in contrast for difference.