Reading & Writing · Craft and Structure
Cross-Text Connections
Summarize each author's claim separately, then answer the exact comparison in the stem. Agreement on a topic does not mean agreement on an explanation, method, or conclusion.
Write one claim for each text
Text 1 might argue that a poem's repeated images express a fixed interpretation. Text 2 might argue that the images invite several interpretations. Both discuss the same technique, but disagree about whether its meaning is fixed.
Keep separate notes rather than merging the texts into one summary. Label whose statement is whose; reversing the authors can make a reasonable-sounding comparison wrong.
Compare the point the question names
If the stem asks how Author 2 would respond to Author 1's explanation, focus on that explanation. Author 2 might accept the observed result while questioning the proposed cause. That is a narrower disagreement than rejecting the entire study.
Watch for scope words such as "only," "some," and "all." An author who offers an additional factor need not deny the first factor altogether.
Work through a qualified disagreement
Text 1: "The town's new bus route caused downtown shop visits to increase." Text 2: "Shop visits rose after the route opened, but a festival began that same week, so the route's contribution is uncertain." Author 2 accepts the increase but questions the causal attribution.
The supported response is that another event could explain some of the change. A claim that the bus route had no effect is too strong; Text 2 says the contribution is uncertain, not zero.
Reject outside knowledge and invented attitudes
A choice can sound plausible based on your own knowledge while assigning an opinion neither text expresses. Ground a response in the second author's stated evidence and reasoning.
For review, underline the sentence in each text that creates the connection. Then describe the relationship as agreement, disagreement, qualification, or a different explanation, with the specific point attached.
Check your understanding
Try it yourself
Choose an answer.
Sample cross-text connections questions
Cross-Text Connections · Easy
Text 1
For generations, residents of Bellmere have carried lanterns along the river each autumn. A local historian explains that the procession once honored returning fishermen but gradually became a celebration of the town’s shared past.
Text 2
In interviews, Bellmere residents describe the lantern procession as a way to welcome newcomers and pass local stories to children. Several participants say that the event matters less for its original purpose than for the sense of belonging it creates today.
Choose an answer.
Cross-Text Connections · Easy
Text 1
Museum conservator Ada Mensah observes that ceramic vessels repaired with visible seams can reveal more about an object's history than vessels restored to appear untouched. The seams show which pieces were found together and which areas required later intervention.
Text 2
In a study of repaired pottery, materials scientist Pavel Ito found that vessels with documented, visible joins allowed researchers to distinguish original fractures from modern additions. Ito concludes that preserving repair marks can provide useful evidence about an artifact's past.
Choose an answer.
Cross-Text Connections · Medium
Text 1
Literary scholar Nia Calder interprets the recurring river imagery in a 1912 novel as a sign of the protagonist's longing to escape, noting that the river appears before several departures.
Text 2
After examining the author's notebooks, archivist Mateo Ruiz found sketches of flood-control projects made during the author's childhood. Ruiz argues that the river imagery may also preserve memories of the author's interest in changing local waterways.
Choose an answer.
Practice this skill
- Write separate one-sentence claims before reading the options.
- Underline the exact claim named in the comparison.
- Distinguish rejecting a result from questioning its explanation.
Print the cross-text connections worksheet and worked answers.
Then use a mixed practice module to check whether you can choose this method among other question types.
Source and question labels
The bank label for this guide is "Cross-Text Connections" in Craft and Structure. The worked examples above are written for this guide.