Read a comparison table for its pattern. Look at what changes across the rows and columns, then write the pattern first and use cells as evidence.
This lesson is part of the federalism cluster. It uses the three lists from distinguishing federal, state and concurrent responsibilities.
What is the row, column and pattern method?
Follow three steps.
- Read the column headings to see what is compared.
- Read the row labels to see what each row is about.
- State the pattern, then support it with two cells.
Worked example with a real table
The table below summarises part of the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution 1.
| Task | Federal List | State List | Concurrent List |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign affairs | Yes | No | No |
| Education | Yes | No | No |
| Land | No | Yes | No |
| Local government | No | Yes | No |
| Welfare | No | No | Yes |
Pattern: tasks that need one authority for the whole country, such as foreign affairs and education, are on the Federal List, while tasks that depend on local conditions, such as land and local government, are on the State List.
Evidence: the foreign affairs row is marked only under the Federal List, and the land row only under the State List.
Exception: welfare is on the Concurrent List, so both levels share it. Article 76 also lets Parliament legislate on state matters in limited cases, for example to promote consistency between states 1.
Written answer: “The table shows that tasks needing one authority for the whole country are on the Federal List, and local tasks are on the State List. For example, foreign affairs is federal, while land is a state matter. Welfare is an exception because it is on the Concurrent List and both levels share it.”
The mistake that costs marks
The slip is to go cell by cell: “Foreign affairs is on the Federal List. It is not on the State List. Land is on the State List.” The marker sees that you can read the table, but not that you can compare.
The repair is to begin with the pattern sentence, then cite two cells.
| Cell by cell | Pattern first |
|---|---|
| Foreign affairs is federal. Land is a state matter. | Tasks that need one authority are federal, and local tasks are state. Foreign affairs and land show this. |
Check yourself
Using the table, write a two-sentence pattern about education and local government.
Answer
“Education is on the Federal List, while local government is on the State List. This shows that a task needing one national policy is federal, and a task tied to local areas is a state matter.”
The answer states the pattern first and uses one cell from each row as evidence.
What to study next
Move on to using documented examples without judging parties. Plan your answers with the Sejarah evidence-to-explanation planner.
For a teacher to practise table answers with you, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition.