大学英语专业写作contrast-adn-comparison课件

ComparisonandContrast

EuropeanuniversitiesanduniversitiesintheUnitedStatesaredifferentinmanyways.First,EuropeanstudentsenrollinfewercourseseachtermthanUnitedStatesstudentsdo.Second,Europeanstudentsseldomliveatauniversity.Instead,theyliveathomeandtraveltoclasses.Thirdly,mostEuropeancoursesaregivenbyprofessorswholecturetotheirclasses.Incontrast,UnitedStatesprofessorsoftenasktheirstudentsquestionsorallowtheirstudentstoformdiscussiongroups.Fourth,EuropeanprofessorsaskstudenttowritefewerpapersthanUnitedStatesProfessorsdo.Consequently,Europeanstudents’finalexaminationsareusuallyoral,whereasAmericanstudentstakewrittenfinalexaminations.Finally,aEuropeanuniversityismainlyaplacetostudy.ButatmostUnitedStatesuniversities,socialactivitiestakeupalargepartofthestudents’time.Whatisthetopicintheparagraph?Whichtwosubjectsarecompared?Doestheparagraphconcentrateonthesimilaritiesorthedifferencesbetweenthetwosubjects?Howmanysimilarities/differencesarepointedout?Whatarethey?WhatYouShouldKnow

Comparison-contrastisacommonmethodofdevelopmentthatinvolvesfocusingonsimilaritiesanddifferences---ormorelikelyononeortheother---inordertomakeapoint.Whenawriteriscomparing,heispointingoutthesimilaritiesthatexistbetweensubjectsoritems(suchaspersons,things,orideas).Whenawriteriscontrasting,heispointingoutthedifferencesbetweensubjectsoritems,eventhetwodifferentaspectsofthesamesubject(e.g.,theadvantagesvs.thedisadvantagesofapersonalcomputer).BalanceideasAsyoubegintoorganizeyourwriting,it'simportanttomakesurethatyoubalancetheinformationabouttheitemsthatyou'recomparingandcontrasting.Youneedtobesurethatyougivethemequaltimeandspaceinwhatyouwrite.Ifyoucovercharacters,settings,andhistoricalaccuracyforthebook,forinstance,youneedtobesurethatyoucoverthesameelementsforthemovie.ThreestrategiesTherearethreestrategiestoorganizecomparisonandcontrastpapers:1.Whole-to-Whole,orBlocktoBlock2.Similarities-to-Differences3.Point-by-PointBook,MovieA---BAB,AB,AB,ABWhole-to-WholeorBlockStrategyInthisstructure,yousayeverythingaboutoneitem,theneverythingabouttheother.Forinstance,sayeverythingaboutthecharacters,settings,andplotsforthebooktheneverythingaboutthecharacters,settings,andplotsforthemovie.Whole-to-Wholecomparisonandcontrastusesaseparatesectionorparagraphforeachitemyou'rediscussing.Thepointsineachofthesectionsshouldbethesameandtheyshouldbeexplainedinthesameorder(forinstance,youmightdiscusscharacters,settings,andplotsforboth,andinthatorderforboth).Similarities-to-DifferencesStrategyInthisstructure,youexplainallthesimilaritiesabouttheitemsbeingcomparedandthenyouexplainallthedifferences.Forinstance,youmightexplainthatthecharactersandplotsweresimilarinboththebookandmovieintheonesection.Inthenextsection,youcouldexplainthatthesettingsweredifferent.Thebooktookplaceduringthesummerwhilethemovietookplaceduringthewinter.Similarities-to-Differencescomparisonandcontrastusesaseparatesectionorparagraphforsimilaritiesanddifferences.Inotherwords,thebodyofyourpaperwouldhavetwolargesections:oneforsimilarities,andanotherfordifferences.Point-by-PointStrategyInthisstructure,youexplainonepointofcomparisonbeforemovingtothenextpoint.Forinstance,youwouldwriteaboutthecharactersinthebookandmovieinonesection;thenyouwouldwriteaboutthesettingsinthebookandmovieinthenextsection.Point-by-Pointcomparisonandcontrastusesaseparatesectionorparagraphforeachpoint.Forconsistency,beginwiththesameitemineachsectionofyourpoint-by-pointpaper.Forinstance,foreachpointthatyoudiscuss,explaintheinformationaboutthebookfirstandthenaboutthemovienext.Example:Myhometownandmycollegetownhaveseveralthingsincommon.First,botharesmallcommunities.Forexample,myhometownhasapopulationofonlyabout20,000people.Similarly,mycollegeconsistsofabout11,000localresidents.Thispopulationswellsto18,000peoplewhenthecollegestudentsareattendingclasses.Asecondwayinwhichthesetwotownsaresimilaristhattheyarebothlocatedinruralareas.Myhometownissurroundedbymanyacresoffarmlandwhichisdevotedmainlytogrowingcornandsoybeans.Inthesameway,mycollegeliesinthesuburbofthecity,whichusedtobethefarmlandforraisingsheepandcattle....

Howtowriteacomparativeessay?Thespringhascome.Studentsareplanningtotakeavocationsomewhere.Somestudentsprefertogotothebeach,butsomewouldrathergotothemountains.Wherewouldyouliketogo?Whatisyourpreferenceontheholidaysite?Supposeyouaregoingtowriteashortessaytalkingaboutyourpreference.Whatwillyousayinyourarticle?Howareyougoingtoorganizeyourideas?Ifyouareatalossastohowtostart,wewillofferyouastep-by-stepwritingguide,whichwillhelpyouorganizetheideasinaclearwayandmakeyouwriteeasier.Howtowriteacomparativeessay?StepIBrainstormingActivity1:WordBuilding-----Fillinthefollowingblankwithasmanywordsasyoucan.Beach

Mountain

Words/phrasesthatdescribethescenery

bluewarmsunshine…greenfreshair…Activitiesthatcanbedonethere

swimmingbeachvolleyball…mountainclimbingHiking…Famousholidayresorts

……Anythingelsethatisrelated

……Howtowriteacomparativeessay?StepIIForanessaythatcomparesandcontrastsasubject,aVennDiagramisausefulwaytobeginyourthinking.TomakeaVennDiagram:Onablanksheetofpaper,drawtwolargecirclesallowingthemtooverlapcreatingasharedareainthemiddle.Listthesimilaritiesinthecenterarea(C)createdbythetwooverlappingcircles.Listthedifferentcharacteristicsoneitherside(AandB).

Nowthinkaboutthedifferencesbetweenvocationatthebeachandinthemountains.DrawaVennDiagramashasbeenintroduced.Afterbrainstorming,thethirdstepofwritingistoorganizetheideas.Thisstepisbasedonthethinkingwehavedoneinthefirststep.SetyourpurposeAshasbeendiscussedinearlierchapters,therearetwodifferentkindsofpurposesthatcomparativeessaysusuallyserve:toexplaindifferencesbetweensubjectsortopersuadereadersthatonesubjectissuperiortoothers.Informativecomparisons:frequentlyusedefinitions,examplesanddescriptionstoestablishsimilaritiesanddifferences.Thistypeofwritinggenerallydoesnotrecommendoneitemasbeingbetterthantheothers.Persuasivecomparisons:recommendonesubjectasbeingsuperiortoanother.Thistypeofwritingreliesheavilyoncriticalthinking.Inpersuadingreaderstoacceptthatonesubjectissuperior,youmustpresentconvincingevidence.Forthisgiventopic,itisobviouslythatyourcompositionshouldservethesecondpurpose,thatis,torecommendonesubjectasbeingsuperiortoanother.Inotherwords,youshouldstateclearlywhatyourpreferenceis.

Aftersettingyourwritingpurpose,it’stimetothinkaboutthemainideasthatyouraregoingtotalkaboutinyourcomposition.Themainideashererefertothepointsyoutendtocompareinordertoexplainthesuperiorityofonethingoveranother.Youareexpectedtofindoutthepointsthatworthdiscussingorthepointsthatcouldbestillustratethesuperiorityofyourpreference.Activity:Pleaseexaminethetablebelow.UsewhathasbeendiscussedintheVennDiagramtofulfilltheblanksinthetablebelow.Youmayalsochooseyourownsubjectstocompare,andaccordinglydesignyourowntable.pointstocompareVocationattheBeach

VocationintheMountainsClimateActivitiesFamousResortsStepIV:WritetheFirstDraftAfterwehaveorganizedourideas,wecanstartwritingnow.Thiswritingisourfirstdraft.Generallyspeaking,thisshortessaycanbedividedintothreeparts:theopeningparagraph,thebodyparagraphandtheconcludingparagraph.I.OpeningparagraphTheopeningparagraphiscrucialtoanarticle.Agoodandinterestingparagraphwillleavereadersagoodimpressionandarousetheircuriositytocontinuereading.Onthecontrary,adullopeningparagraphwilldiscouragethereaders.

Activity1:Examinethefollowingopeningparagraphs.Doyoufindtheminteresting?Doyouthinktheyaregoodopeningparagraphs?[Paragraph1]BothJackandJimlikereadingverymuch.Jackprefersfinishingabookassoonaspossible.Thenumbersofbookshehasreadsatisfieshimalot.Jimlikesreadingbetweenthelines.Ittakeshimacoupleofweekstofinishashortnovel.Differentpeoplehavedifferentreadinghabits.Butforme,IaminfavorofJim’sreadingstyle.[Paragraph2]Lyingonanarmchairundertheshadeoflaureltrees;readingabookofpenetratingideas;hearingthebreezeripplingofthegrassandsmellingthescentofripenedfruits.Itisinsuchleisureandenjoymentthatwecanfindtheessentialhappinessofreading.Subject-by-subjectArrangementIntroductioninwhichyoustateyourpreferenceMountain

A.

Climate

B.

TypesofActivities

C.

Location

Beach

A.

Climate

B.

TypesofActivities

C.

Location

ConclusionPoint-by-pointArrangement

IntroductioninwhichyoustateyourpreferencePoint1:ClimateA:BeachB:MountainPoint2:TypesofActivitiesA:BeachB:MountainPoint3:LocationA:BeachB:MountainConclusionStepVEditingAfteryoufinishyourfirstdraft,reviewthefollowingpointslistedinthechecklist.Haveyoustatedclearlyyourpreference?Isyourpreferenceclearlystatedintheopeningparagraph?Haveyoumadeyouropeningparagraphinterestingandimpressive?Isthetopicsentenceclearlystatedsothatreaderscanhighlightitforeasyreference?Haveyouselectedtherightmethodfororganizingyourpaper?Arethediscussionsofthetwosubjectscoherentandconsistentwhenyouarecomparingthetwosubjects?Haveyouusedtransitions?Aretransitionsclear?Doyoumakeuseofthesetransitionworkstopreventreadersfrombecomingconfused?Haveyoudrawwhatyouhavewrittentoanaturalconclusion?Readyourpaperaloud.Howdoesitsound?Arethereirrelevantdetailstodeleteorawkwardpassagesneedingrevision?Peoplealwayslookingforwardtotheirvacationperiod.Therearemanyoptionswheretochoose.Ithinkthatthetwomostcommonplacespeoplechoosefortakingavacationarethebeachandthemountain.Bothplacesofferavarietyoffunactivities.Butpersonally,Ilikethebeachbetterthanthemountains.Iamgoingtotalkaboutthreeaspects.Firstisclimate.Climateisalwaysimportantinordertoenjoyvacations.Youcanalwaysenjoythesunshineandthebreezeatthebeach.Butinthemountains,thetreesaretoomuchtoblockthesun.Second,itistheactivities.Atthebeach,wecandomanythingssuchasswimming,diving,andwaterskiingandsoon.Butinthemountains,wedonothavemuchtodoexceptclimbthehills.Finally,togotothebeachismorerelaxedthangoingtothemountains.Youcanlieonthebeachforawholeday