Development by Comparison and Contrast

Compare: the present and the Compare: the present and the past of chinapast of china

Compare: the cultures of different places

Distinction:Distinction:

• A comparison points out the similarities between two or more persons or things of the same class.

• A contrast points out the differences between them.

In practice, comparison and contrast often In practice, comparison and contrast often appear together, because people generallappear together, because people generally compare two things that arey compare two things that are similar in certain ways and different in others.

To Compare: similar to similarly like, alike likewise correspond to correspondingly resemble resemblance almost the same

at the same rate as as just as in like manner in the same way to have __ in common common

characteristics, etc to be parallel in __ both

To contrast:

differ from however otherwise still nevertheless even so less than more than

unlike in contrast to in opposition to on the contrary on the opposite side

Practice:• Though both are forms of humor,

comedy is different from satire.• Fashions in furniture change just as

clothing fashions do.• Buying a car requires as much skill as

selling one.• There is more hard work in writing than

in physical labor.

Two major ways of organizing paragraphs of comparison and contrast

Alternating comparison or alternating contrast.

Block comparison or block contrast

Alternating comparison or alternating contrast

To examine two things at the same time, discussing them point by point.

Block comparison or block Block comparison or block contrastcontrast

• To examine one thing thoroughly and To examine one thing thoroughly and then examine the other.then examine the other.

• In this way, the aspects examined in In this way, the aspects examined in the two things should be identical the two things should be identical and in the same order.and in the same order.

Example of alternating comparison

• The same qualities that make people good house guest make them good hospital patients. (1) Good house guests can expect a reasonable amount of service and effort on their behalf, and hospital patients can also. (2) Guests have to adjust to what is for them a change, and certainly hospital patients must do the same. (3) No one appreciates a complaining, unpleasant, unappreciative house guest, and the hospital staff is no exception. (4) House guests who expect vast changes to be made for their benefit are not popular for long. Certainly nurses and other personnel with their routines feel the same way about patients in their care. (5) Just as house guests must make adjustments to enjoy their visits, so patients must make adjustments to make their stays reasonably pleasant and satisfying under the circumstances.

Alternating contrastAlternating contrast

• Alternating contrastAlternating contrast is used when you is used when you want to point out several differences want to point out several differences between two things or people between two things or people withoutwithout discussing them in great detaildiscussing them in great detail. You . You merely point out a special feature of merely point out a special feature of one item and then state how the other one item and then state how the other item differs from it in that aspect. item differs from it in that aspect.

• P97P97

Block comparisonBlock comparison

Block comparisonBlock comparison is suitable when is suitable when the writer the writer wants to treat points of wants to treat points of similarity insimilarity in depthdepth. In this way each . In this way each point is drawn out and its point is drawn out and its relationship to another point is relationship to another point is made clear. This type of made clear. This type of comparison is often used when comparison is often used when the the points of similaritypoints of similarity discussed arediscussed are not many but complex, and require not many but complex, and require much explanation.much explanation.

P98P98

Block Block contrastcontrast

A special form of comparison---A special form of comparison---analogyanalogy

• Analogy is tracing a striking likeness Analogy is tracing a striking likeness between unlike things.between unlike things.

• Analogies are especially helpful in Analogies are especially helpful in explaining explaining abstract ideasabstract ideas, for they relate , for they relate ideas that cannot be experienced ideas that cannot be experienced through the senses of sight, smell, through the senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, or taste, to a sense hearing, touch, or taste, to a sense experience, thus making the ideas easy experience, thus making the ideas easy to understand. to understand.

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English 0502