comparison-and-contrast

ComparisonandContrastActivity1Wouldyoupleaseidentifythedifferencesbetweenthepictures?CanyoudescribethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenAppleandOrange?Activity21.Similarityvs.DifferenceIncomparison,welookforpointsofsimilaritybetweentwosubjects;whileIncontrast,welookforpointsofdifference.Activity3Inourdailylife,weoftenanalyzethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentwosubjectsinordertounderstandthembetter.Workingroupsandtrytolistthesimilaritiesanddifferencesofthefollowingsubject.On-lineshoppingandtraditionalshopping2.ThepurposesofComparisonandContrastWithcomparisonandcontrast,thepurposeisnotjusttopointoutsimilaritiesanddifferencesoradvantagesanddisadvantages,buttopresentinformationaboutsomethingunfamiliarbycomparingitwithsomethingfamiliar;toshowthesuperiorityofonethingbycontrastingitwithanother;toshowthesimilaritiesordifferencesoftwothingstohelpthereaderevaluatethem.3.HowtowriteaparagraphbycomparisonandcontrastThetopicsentenceInacomparisonorcontrastparagraph,usually,thetopicsentenceintroducesthetwothingstobecomparedorcontrastedandthecontrollingidea---pointsofcomparisonorcontrast.Thetopicsentenceshouldalsoindicatetheemphasisoftheparagraph,eithersimilaritiesordifferences.Comparethefollowingtwotopicsentencesandseewhichoneisbetter.1)Althoughbothourpetcatslooklovely,theirdifferencesintemperamentisconstantsourceofamusement.2)Ourtwopetcatsarequitedifferent.Topicsentence2istoogeneraltobedevelopedinoneparagraph.itdoesnotrestrictthecontrollingideasastowhatpointsofthetwocatstocontrast.Topicsentence1notonlyindicatesthepointtobecontrastedbutalsorevealsthatthepurposeofthewriterisnotjusttoshowthedifferencebuttorevealasourceofamusement.Topicsentence1acknowledgestheobvioussimilarityofthetwopetcats,andthenindicatesthedifferencesasthefocusoftheparagraph.ThesupportingsentencesTherearetwobasicpatternsforthestructureofthesupportingsentencesinacomparisonandcontrastparagraph.Thealternatingpattern(point-to-point)Theblockpattern(side-to-side)examiningonethingthoroughlyandthenstarttheotherexaminingtwothingsatthesametime,discussingthempointbypointSupposewearetocomparetwocars:carXandcarY.Thepointstobecomparedmightbe:1)thecostofmaintenance2)performance3)comfortThealternatingpatternTopicsentence:XisabettercarthanYintermsofthecostofmaintenance,performanceandcomfort.Supportingsentences:point1:Costofmaintenancepoint2:Performancepoint3:ComfortCarXCarYCarXCarXCarYCarYTheblockpatternTopicsentence:XisabettercarthanYintermsofthecostofmaintenance,performanceandcomfort.Supportingsentences:SideA:CarX1.CostofMaintenance2.Performance3.ComfortSideB:CarY1.Costofmaintenance2.Performance3.ComfortThepointsofcomparisonorcontrastarethesameandthattheyarediscussedinthesameorderundereachside.Lifeinthecityisquitedifferentfromlifeinthesuburbs.Peoplelivinginthecityareconstantlyexposedtothehustleandbustleofurbanlife.Butlifeinthesuburbsisgenerallyquietandcasualandgenerallymorelow-keythanthatinthecity.Ifcitydwellerswanttoseetreesandgrass,theymustgotooneofthepublicparks.Onetheotherhand,thestreetsofmanysuburbancommunitiesarelinedwithtreesandeachhousehasitsowngrassyyard.Apersonlivinginthecityisclosetomanysourcesofentertainment,butpeoplelivinginsuburbanareasmustgointothecityforentertainment.TheuseofthetwopatternsTheblockpatternisusefulinshortwritingwhereonlyafewpointstobediscussed.Thealternatingpatternispreferableinlongwritinginwhichtherearenumerouspointsunderdiscussion.Generallyspeaking,theblockpatternisusedlessoftenthanthealternatingpattern.TheconcludingsentenceNomatterwhetheritisacomparisonorcontrastparagraph,theconcludingsentenceisusuallyarestatementofthetopicsentenceorasummaryofthepointscomparedorcontrastedinthedevelopmentoftheparagraph.Myhometownisquitedifferentfromwhatitusedtobe.Justalittlemorethattenyearsagomyhometownwasasmallquietplace.Thehousesweresmallandmean.Thestreetswereforthemostpartnarrowandwinding.Therewerefewpeopleinthestreetsandshops.Now,everythinghaschanged.Lookingineverydirectionfromthecenterofthetown,oneseesalongsuccessionofgiant,imposingbuildings.Thestreets,whetherlongorshort,arestraight,spacious,andwell-shaded.Crowdsofpeoplecanbefoundhereandthere,hurrying,noisy,andwell-dressed.Fromadulllittlevillagewithclustersofshabbyhousesinthepast,myhometownhasnowtransformedintoabigcity,cheerful,colorful,andprosperous.Theconcludingsentencerestatesthemainidea“different”inthetopicsentence.(1)ThoughthegovernmentsofGreatBritainandtheUnitedStatesarequitedifferent,theysharebasicsimilaritiesinsomeaspects.(2)First,theBritishParliamentismadeupoftwoseparatehouses---theBritishHouseofCommons,andtheBritishHouseofLords.(3)Likewise,theU.S.Congresshastwodivisions---theHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate.(4)Next,theessentialfunctionoftheBritishParliamentistomakelaws;abillhastobepresentedtobothhousesfordebatetogetpassedbeforeitcanbecomealaw.(5)IntheUnitedStates,theHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenateplaysimilarfunctions.(6)Third,thePrimeMinisterinGreatBritainappointsthemembersofthecabinet,whoserveasadvisorsandmakegovernmentpolicies.(7)Inthesamemanner,theU.S.Presidentappoints