Useful pointers for answering Source-based Questions

Inference:
The cartoonist/photographer is trying to convey the message that ……………….. as evident from Source A showing that ……………………….

Words you can use for Tones:
Positive: personal, friendly, positive, celebratory, happy, warm, encouraging, neutral, etc, official/formal, threatening, hostile

Negative: Tense, negative, embittered, sad, cold, unfeeling, angry, harsh, biased, vindictive, authoritative, arrogant, disapproving etc

Words you can use for Purpose:

Encourage, influence, persuade, convince, appeal or instigate its readers to do something e.g to agree with his views or take up certain action

To promote something/to seek support for something
Evoke emotional response, e.g. to arouse anger, to gain sympathy, to ridicule.


Reliability:
Source C states/shows that ‘……(inference)……………..’ This is supported by”…evidence)…”..

But this is not supported by Source B which says that …. (inference)…… . This is evident in “ ………(evident)…” So Source A is not reliable.

This is confirmed by …………….. shown in Source B. This is evident in “….”

As mentioned in Source C “…………………………”. This is again reflected in Source B “ ………………” which tells us that ……………

However, Source B is limited in supporting the claim that “ ………….” as …………

The Source implies that …………... However, this is very subjective as can be seen from the background information. Though ………………….., there are other possibilities.

NOTE:
1. DO not say that the whole thing is not reliable.
2. Cross reference with another source or what I have learned/studied. I know that the …….. as the … (evidence)…. so source A is not reliable.
Identify the statement that you want to validate (prove its reliability)

Comparison
Both differ in …...(topic e.g. why, how, impact)……..
Source A says that …….., which can be seen in the words “……”
However Source B says ……… This is supported by “…………”

NOTE:1. Do not simply write Source A says…. And Source B says …….,( you are not comparing if you write them separately)

2. When you compare, there must be a topic – e.g. when you compare 2 pens – you can compare the ink, one is red and other blue or you can compare the origin, one is made in Singapore and the other in Taiwan. You are not comparing them if you merely say that one is a blue ink pen from Singapore and the other is a red ink pen from Taiwan.

3. If the question ask for how different – give 2 differences and a similarities, if the question ask for how similar – give 2 similarities and a difference.

Usefulness:
The sources on the whole are useful in helping us understand ……….. However it is limited in showing us…….
The source only provides …..’s view of the cause of ………………. This we can see from the cartoon/photograph which shows ……………..

It, however, fails to show that the ………………….. which is shown in the background information, “…………………………………………………”

Though the source is biased, it is still useful for us. It tells us how the …………… view ………………...

Source E is an opinion expressed and it could be biased as can be seen when the writer commented ‘ ………………..’
Source D is also an opinion expressed and could be biased and a form of propaganda to convince the people to support the policies implemented.
As Source D and E are personal viewpoints of representative from the government and that of a member of the opposition party respectively, they may be biases in the interest of their own parties.
Source E helps us to see the view of people who might be affected by the …………………. However, as the view is from that of ………………..it might be biased. This can be cross-reference with Source D which is the view of …..………who reassure the public the necessity of government’s ………………………policy.