Compare and contrast characters
Key Notes :
Understand the Characters
- Identify the main and supporting characters.
- Think about their actions, thoughts, and feelings.
Character Traits
- Look for clues about a character’s personality.
- Use descriptive words like brave, shy, kind, selfish, etc.
Compare Characters
- Find similarities between two characters.
- Ask: How are they alike? Do they have similar goals or behaviors?
Contrast Characters
- Find differences between two characters.
- Ask: How are they different in personality, choices, or relationships?
Use a Venn Diagram
- A great tool to organize what’s similar (in the middle) and what’s different (on the sides).
Look at Dialogue and Actions
- What characters say and do helps us understand who they are.
Motivations and Goals
- Ask: Why does the character act this way? What do they want?
Change Over Time
- See how characters grow or stay the same throughout the story.
Use Text Evidence
- Support your comparisons with quotes or examples from the story.
Explain the Impact
- Discuss how the characters’ differences or similarities affect the plot or other characters.
Learn with an example
➡️ Read the passage.
Derek was selling sweets to raise money for the school library. He’d already raised four thousand five hundred rupees. All he needed was five hundred more rupees to reach his goal! He could barely contain his excitement as he ran to Mr White’s door.
The door flew open. Mr White said, ‘Oh! Hello. I was expecting the delivery man with my cake.’ Then he saw Derek’s sweets. ‘Sweets!’ he exclaimed. ‘Well, that sounds pretty good, too!’
Based on the passage, compare and contrast Derek and Mr White.
Derek and Mr White are both eager. You can tell Derek is eager because he runs excitedly to Mr White’s door. You can tell Mr White is eager because he opens the door quickly and says he was expecting a delivery.
Mr White is fond of sweet things. You can tell because he is waiting for a cake and gets excited about the sweets.
➡️ Read the passage.
Derek measured and mixed the ingredients, poured the brownie batter into a tin and slid it into the oven. Before long, the scent of chocolate filled the kitchen. Derek’s uncle walked in and sniffed.
‘They’re all for me, right?’ Uncle Samuel asked.
Derek laughed. ‘I might let you have one,’ Derek teased. Uncle Samuel chuckled and rubbed his stomach. When the timer buzzed, Derek pulled the tin out. The brownies looked perfect. ‘Not bad, huh? My first time, too,’ he said.
Based on the passage, compare and contrast Derek and Uncle Samuel.
Derek is proud. You can tell because Derek is pleased with the way the brownies came out.
Derek and Uncle Samuel are both playful. You can tell Derek is playful because he teases his uncle, which makes his uncle laugh. You can tell Uncle Samuel is playful because Derek laughs when Uncle Samuel asks if the brownies are all for him.
➡️ Read the passage.
We’ve had no fun this week, Lili sighed.
‘I know,’ Jasmine moaned. ‘Let’s do something different tonight.’
‘Let’s camp!’ Lili shouted, jumping up.
Jasmine jumped up, too. ‘Yes!’
‘How about in my back garden?’ Lili suggested.
‘Oh,’ Jasmine replied, sitting back down. She looked out the window and shuddered. ‘But it’s so dark outside. What about animals? Or getting lost?’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Lili. ‘We’ll bring torches. And we’ll be close to the house.’
‘Okay! Let’s get the tent!’ Jasmine exclaimed.
Based on the passage, compare and contrast Lili and Jasmine.
Lili and Jasmine are both excited about camping. You can tell Lili is excited about camping because she jumps up and shouts. You can tell Jasmine is excited about camping because she jumps up and is eager to get the tent.
Jasmine is afraid of the dark. You can tell because Jasmine shudders and says it’s too dark.
let’s practice!
Read the passage.
Richard was selling sweets to raise money for the school library. He’d already raised four thousand five hundred rupees. All he needed was five hundred more rupees to reach his goal! He could barely contain his excitement as he ran to Mr Hughes’s door.
The door flew open. Mr Hughes said, ‘Oh! Hello. I was expecting the delivery man with my cake.’ Then he saw Richard’s sweets. ‘Sweets!’ he exclaimed. ‘Well, that sounds pretty good, too!’