作文训练-comparison_and_contrast

1、Comparison & ContrastWarm-up activity: Please find out the similarities and differences in the following two pictures:If you are figuring out the similarities, you are making a comparison of these two pictures.If you are figuring out the differences, you are making a contrast of these two pictur

2、es.nComparison or contrast paragraphs are used to show similarities or differences between two things. nA comparison paragraph focuses on similarities, while a contrast paragraph on differences. nComparison and contrast are frequently combined to give a full treatment of a topic. However, A paragrap

3、h usually concentrates only on similarities or differences, not both at the same time. Dont pay equal attention to comparison and contrast. Though on the surface there seem to be some slight differences between the Russian workman and the American labor, basically they are much a like. To be sure, t

4、he one speaks Russian and the other speaks English; the one most likely lives in a government housing unit while the other may own his own home; the one likes borscht and the other prefers meat and potatoes and gravy. But their similarities far outweigh any differences you may notice. Both fall in l

5、ove with the girl of their dreams; both celebrate a wedding as hilariously as they can afford; both rejoice at the birth of a son or daughter; both worry about their little ones when they are sick; both grieve when death enters the family. In these fundamental issues of life they are essentially the

6、 same. And so it is that, regardless of the official policies of their governments, when you come right down to it, both sincerely and dearly want peace to prevail.The purposes of Comparison and Contrast With comparison and contrast, the purpose is not just to point out similarities and differences

7、or advantages and disadvantages, but tonpresent information about something unfamiliar by comparing it with something familiar;nto show the superiority of one thing by contrasting it with another; nto show the similarities or differences of two things to help the reader evaluate them.The signal word

8、s of comparisonnThe words that indicate similarity in meaning, such as “like”, “alike”, “similar to” and so on.nThe words that express parallel in structure, such as “eitheror”, “not onlybut also”, “bothand” and so on.Some sample expressions:nThere are several similarities between A and B.nA and B h

9、ave the same view of the world.nA and B have a lot in common. nIn common with A, B prefers meat to fish.nA resembles B in that A is also interested in collecting stamps.nJust as A likes to be quiet, B likes to stay alone. nLike A, B likes outdoor sports. nA likes swimming. The same with A, B also li

10、kes swimming.nA and B are the same in that they both like swimming in the sea.nA and B have the same interests.nA likes swimming in a pond; similarly, B likes swimming in the sea.nBoth A and B have long hair. nA likes fishing. B likes fishing, too. nA likes swimming, so does B.The signal words of co

11、ntrastnThe words that express “difference” in meaning, such as “be different from”, “differ from” and so on.nThe words that present comparative degree, such as “fasterthan”, “tallerthan” and so on.nThe words that indicate a turning or concession, such as “though”, “but” and so on.Some sample express

12、ions:nUnlike A, B likes outdoor sports. nIn contrast to A, B likes outdoor sports.nDifferent from A, B likes outdoor sports.nContrary to A, B likes outdoor sports.nAs opposed to A, B likes outdoor sports.nA is different from B in that B likes outdoor sports.nA differs from B in that B likes outdoor

13、sports.nA contrasts with B in that B likes outdoor sports.nA likes indoor activities; however/ in contrast/ by contrast/ on the other hand, B likes outdoor sports.nA likes indoor activities; B, however, likes outdoor sports.nA likes indoor activities, but B likes outdoor sports.nA likes indoor activ

14、ities, whereas / while B likes outdoor sports.nA is not as active as B.nA is more /less active than B. How to write a paragraph by comparison and contrastThe topic sentencenIn a comparison or contrast paragraph, usually, the topic sentence introduces the two things to be compared or contrasted and t

15、he controlling idea-points of comparison or contrast.nThe topic sentence should also indicate the emphasis of the paragraph, either similarities or differences. Compare the following two topic sentences and see which one is better.1) Although both our pet cats look lovely, their differences in tempe

16、rament is constant source of amusement.2) Our two pet cats are quite different. Topic sentence 2 is too general to be developed in one paragraph. it does not restrict the controlling ideas as to what points of the two cats to contrast. Topic sentence 1 not only indicates the point to be contrasted b

17、ut also reveals that the purpose of the writer is not just to show the difference but to reveal a source of amusement. Topic sentence 1 acknowledges the obvious similarity of the two pet cats, and then indicates the differences as the focus of the paragraph. The supporting sentences There are two ba

18、sic patterns for the structure of the supporting sentences in a comparison and contrast paragraph. The alternating pattern (point-to-point)The block pattern (side-to-side)examining one thing thoroughly and then start the otherexamining two things at the same time, discussing them point by point Supp

19、ose we are to compare two cars: car X and car Y. The points to be compared might be: 1) the cost of maintenance 2) performance 3) comfortThe alternating patternTopic sentence: X is a better car than Y in terms of the cost of maintenance, performance and comfort.Supporting sentences: point 1: Cost of

20、 maintenance point 2: Performance point 3: ComfortCar XCar YCar XCar XCar YCar Y The same qualities that make people good house guests make them good hospital patients. Good house guests can expect a reasonable amount of service and effort on their behalf, and hospital patients can also. Guests have

21、 to adjust to what is for them a change, and certainly hospital patients must do the same. No one appreciates a complaining, unpleasant, unappreciative house guest, and the hospital staff is no exception. House guests who expect vast changes to be made for their benefit are not popular for long. Cer

22、tainly nurses and other personnel with their routines feel the same way about patients in their care. 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. Life in the city i

23、s quite different from life in the suburbs. People living in the city are constantly exposed to the hustle and bustle of urban life. But life in the suburbs is generally quiet and casual and generally more low-key than that in the city. If city dwellers want to see trees and grass, they must go to o

24、ne of the public parks. One the other hand, the streets of many suburban communities are lined with trees and each house has its own grassy yard. A person living in the city is close to many sources of entertainment, but people living in suburban areas must go into the city for entertainment.The blo

25、ck patternTopic sentence: X is a better car than Y in terms of the cost of maintenance, performance and comfort.Supporting sentences: Side A: Car X1. Cost of Maintenance2. Performance3. Comfort Side B: Car Y1. Cost of maintenance2. Performance3. Comfort The points of comparison or contrast are the s

26、ame and that they are discussed in the same order under each side. Although Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee were fierce adversaries during the Civil War, their lives, both military and nonmilitary, had a great deal in common. Grant descended from a family whose members participated in the America

27、n Revolution. He received his commission of second lieutenant from West Point and served in the Spanish-American War. He was later summoned by President Lincoln to assume command of the Union Forces during the Civil War. After the Civil War, Grant suffered financial problems and was forced to declar

28、e bankruptcy. Lee also descended from a family which engaged in the American Revolution. He, too, received his commission from West Point and later fought in Mexico during the Spanish-American War. His fame as a military strategist during the Civil War, when he was the commander of the Confederate a

29、rmies, is well known. Although it is not always pointed out by historians, he, like Grant, hand financial difficulties after the Civil War and was compelled to declare bankruptcy. By securing a post as president of Washington College, he was able to avoid additional poverty. There is an essential di

30、fference between a news story, as understood by a newspaperman or a wire-service writer, and the newsmagazine story. The chief purpose of the conventional news story is to tell what happened. It starts with the most important information and continues into increasingly inconsequential details, not o

31、nly because the reader may not read beyond the first paragraph but because an editor working on galley proofs a few minutes before press time likes to be able to cut freely from the end of the story. A news magazine is very different. It is written to be read consecutively from beginning to end, and

32、 each of its stories is designed, following the critical theories of Edgar Allen Poe, to create one emotional effect. The news, what happened that week, may be told in the beginning, the middle, or the end; for the purpose is not to throw information at the reader but to seduce him into reading the

33、whole story, and into accepting the dramatic (and often political) point being made.The diagram of the two patternsSSP1P2P3A1B1A2B2A3B3SSSASBA1B1C1B1B2B3alternatingblockThe use of the two patternsnThe block pattern is useful in short writing where only a few points to be discussed.nThe alternating p

34、attern is preferable in long writing in which there are numerous points under discussion.nGenerally speaking, the block pattern is used less often than the alternating pattern. The concluding sentence No matter whether it is a comparison or contrast paragraph, the concluding sentence is usually a re

35、statement of the topic sentence or a summary of the points compared or contrasted in the development of the paragraph. My hometown is quite different from what it used to be. Just a little more that ten years ago my hometown was a small quiet place. The houses were small and mean. The streets were f

36、or the most part narrow and winding. There were few people in the streets and shops. Now, everything has changed. Looking in every direction from the center of the town, one sees a long succession of giant, imposing buildings. The streets, whether long or short, are straight, spacious, and well-shad

37、ed. Crowds of people can be found here and there, hurrying, noisy, and well-dressed. From a dull little village with clusters of shabby houses in the past, my hometown has now transformed into a big city, cheerful, colorful, and prosperous.The concluding sentence restates the main idea “different” i

38、n the topic sentence. (1) Though the governments of Great Britain and the United States are quite different, they share basic similarities in some aspects. (2) First, the British Parliament is made up of two separate houses - the British House of Commons, and the British House of Lords. (3) Likewise

39、, the U. S. Congress has two divisions - the House of Representatives and the Senate. (4) Next, the essential function of the British Parliament is to make laws; a bill has to be presented to both houses for debate to get passed before it can become a law. (5) In the United States, the House of Repr

40、esentatives and the Senate play similar functions. (6) Third, the Prime Minister in Great Britain appoints the members of the cabinet, who serve as advisors and make government policies. (7) In the same manner, the U. S. President appoints his cabinet, which is composed of heads of the governmental departments. (8) Finally, the British monarch (queen or king) has the right to veto any law. (9) The U. S. President can also refuse to sign any bill passed by the Congress.Which sentence is the topic sentence? And what is the controlling idea?What ar