A balanced comparison organises the answer by criteria, puts both cases in every paragraph, and ends with a judgement. The plan is what makes it a comparison. Content alone does not.
This lesson uses what you built in defining the period and dimension, using evidence and identifying continuity. It completes the learning route of the change, continuity and comparison module.
What does “balanced” mean?
Balanced means that both cases get fair treatment on the same measures. It also means that similarities and differences are both considered.
It does not mean equal length for every point. It means that each side is measured by the same yardstick, so the reader can see the contrast clearly.
How to build a comparison, step by step
- Fix the span and the cases. Which two places, groups or periods?
- Choose two or three criteria. Work, housing and transport are examples. Pick ones for which you have evidence.
- For each criterion, gather matched evidence for both cases.
- Write one paragraph per criterion. Open with the point, give evidence for A, give evidence for B, then state the similarity or difference.
- Judge. Which similarity or difference matters most, and why? Link back to the question.
Worked example
Harbourtown and Riverford are both invented, and all figures are made up for practice.
Question: “How similar were changes in the main jobs of Harbourtown and Riverford between 1900 and 1950?”
Invented shares of workers
| Job type | Harbourtown 1900 | Harbourtown 1950 | Riverford 1900 | Riverford 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main local trade (fishing / farming) | 70% | 40% | 60% | 45% |
| Factory work (canning / mill) | 5% | 35% | 10% | 25% |
| Other jobs | 25% | 25% | 30% | 30% |
Each column adds to 100%.
Step 1, spot the shifts. Harbourtown’s main trade fell by 30 percentage points (70 − 40). Riverford’s fell by 15 (60 − 45).
Step 2, factory work. Harbourtown’s rose by 30 (35 − 5). Riverford’s rose by 15 (25 − 10).
Paragraph on the main trade and factory work:
“In both towns the traditional trade lost share while factory work gained, so the direction of change was similar. However, the scale differed: Harbourtown’s fishing share fell by 30 percentage points, twice Riverford’s 15-point fall in farming. In both cases the factory share rose by the same amount as the traditional share fell, which suggests that factory work absorbed the shift.”
Paragraph on other jobs: “Other jobs stayed at 25% in Harbourtown and 30% in Riverford, a continuity shared by both.”
Judgement: “The direction of change was the same in both towns, but Harbourtown changed more sharply. The difference in scale is the most important contrast, because it shows that factory work reshaped Harbourtown’s economy more than Riverford’s.”
The paragraph is a comparison because both towns appear in the same sentences, measured against the same criterion.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to write two summaries and call them a comparison.
Mistaken plan: Paragraph 1 describes Harbourtown’s jobs in 1900 and 1950. Paragraph 2 describes Riverford’s jobs in 1900 and 1950. Conclusion: “Both towns changed.”
There is no direct comparison, no scale, and no judgement.
The correction is to reorganise by criterion and add linking words such as “similarly”, “whereas” and “by contrast”. Then name the size of each difference and say which matters most.
Check yourself
1. Using the table, by how many percentage points did Riverford’s factory share rise?
Show answer
25% − 10% = 15 percentage points.
2. Write one sentence that compares the towns’ factory shares in 1950.
Show answer
For example: “In 1950 factory work employed 35% of Harbourtown’s workers but 25% of Riverford’s, so it was a larger part of Harbourtown’s economy by 10 percentage points.”
3. Why is “Harbourtown’s jobs changed; Riverford’s jobs changed too” weak?
Show answer
It names both cases but does not measure them against each other. It has no scale, no evidence and no similarity or difference stated.
Where this leads next
Try the whole module together in the integrated practice set. When you are ready to turn plans into full written answers, writing and answer development picks up from here.
Building a plan is quicker with someone who can react to your actual draft. That is the kind of help our team offers in online one-to-one History tuition.