Compare Across Texts

Compare Authors’ Styles

“The Civil Rights Movement,” “Midway,” and “Martin’s Big Words” all focus on an important time in U.S. history. Compare the authors’ styles.

Illustration of title pages for “The Civil Rights Movement” and “Martin's Big Words”

How It Works

Collect and Organize Ideas To compare authors’ styles, list elements of style in a chart like this one.

Comparison Chart

Elements of Style Questions“The Civil Rights Movement”“Midway”“Martin’s Big Words”
What is the author’s purpose?to tell how the Civil Rights Movement started
What genre and details does the author use to achieve this purpose?nonfiction with historical facts, dates, and explanations of real events

Practice Together

Compare the Ideas Compare the answers for each question. Then summarize. Show how the authors’ styles are similar and different.

Summary

The authors of “The Civil Rights Movement,” “Midway,” and “Martin’s Big Words” all write about the same topic. However, the author of “The Civil Rights Movement” uses a nonfiction genre, explains the time period, and gives facts.

Try It!

Add answers for “Midway” and “Martin’s Big Words” to the chart. Compare and summarize them. Use a frame like this one to express your comparison.

Like the other two authors, the author of “________” ________. Unlike them, the author ________.

Academic Vocabulary

  • • focus (fō-kus) verb When you focus on something, you pay attention to it.