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.
List of political symbols and meanings
1. Anchor – hope
2. chain- lack of freedom
3. dollar sign – capitalism or wealth
4. dove – peace
5. eagle – freedom
6. game of chess – power struggle
7. hour glass – time
8. lady blindfolded and holds a sword and weighing scales in her hands – justice
9. octopus – greed
10.lamb – obedience
11.ostrich – deliberately deaf to bad news
12.owl – wisdom
13.parrot – one who echoes others
14.puppet – person is strongly influenced by someone else or something
15.rainbow – hope
16.rose – love
17.bear - Russia
18.sausage – bait
19.skeleton – death
20.snake – evil
21.spiked helmet – German
22.star of David – Jewish or Israel
23.throne – power
24.tombstone – death or something which is past
25.turtle – slowness
26.Uncle Sam – USA
27.Yen symbol - Japan
28.Hand appearing from cloud – power of God
29.Hammer & Sickle – Soviet Union or Communism