Consider the following assessment question: ‘What is the difference between…
2023
Consider the following assessment question:
‘What is the difference between weekly markets and shopping malls?’
Below are some answers written by students. In which answer does the student fail to display ability of comparing/contrasting?
- A.
‘The products sold in weekly markets could be bought at cheap rates whereas only a few people can afford products sold in shopping malls.’
- B.
‘Weekly markets do not have permanent shops whereas the shops in shopping malls are built to last.’
- C.
‘Weekly markets run in both rural and urban areas whereas a shopping mall is usually seen in urban areas.’
- D.
‘Weekly markets are markets which are held on a specific day of the week whereas shopping malls are multi-storeyed buildings with shops on different floors.’
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept: In an assessment context, comparing/contrasting is a specific skill — an answer demonstrates it only when it names a shared attribute or dimension between the two things being compared and then states, along that same dimension, how they differ or relate (for example: cost, permanence, geographic reach, or timing). An answer that instead states one fact about the first subject and a separate, unrelated fact about the second subject is describing each subject individually, not comparing them — even if the two facts sit side by side in a 'whereas' sentence.
Application: Checking each student response against this test:
The response about pricing states that weekly-market goods are cheap while mall goods are affordable to only a few people — both clauses sit on the same dimension, affordability, so this is a comparison.
The response about shop permanence states that weekly markets lack permanent shops while mall shops are built to last — both clauses sit on the same dimension, permanence, so this is a comparison.
The response about geographic spread states that weekly markets occur in both rural and urban areas while malls are usually urban — both clauses sit on the same dimension, location, so this is a comparison.
The response about scheduling and building type states that weekly markets are held on a specific day of the week, and separately, that malls are multi-storeyed buildings with shops on different floors — these two clauses sit on two different dimensions (timing vs. physical structure), so no shared axis links them; it only defines each place separately.
Cross-check: Rewriting the response about scheduling and building type confirms the diagnosis — had it instead said weekly markets operate on only one day of the week whereas malls remain open every day, both clauses would address the same dimension (frequency of operation), and it would then count as a comparison. Because the actual response pairs a timing fact with a structural fact instead, it is the one that fails to display the ability to compare/contrast.
This matches the CTET August 2023 Paper II official final answer key, which marks this response as the intended answer for this question.