Using comparative structures

These words and phrases are used for writing comparisons

and The man and the woman are tall.

both Both of the tables have broken legs.

both …and Both my neighbour and I are selling our cars.

also The shops are closing for the bank holiday. The post office is also closing.

too Kathy is planning to go to the party, and I am, too.

neither…nor Neither Joe nor Steve went to the meeting last night.

similar to Their new computer is similar to the one my brother bought.

the same as Is the restaurant where you had dinner the same as the place where I ate last month?

(just) as + adjective + as His coat is just as warm as the more expensive one.

Likewise My parents were born in a small village. Likewise, my brothers and I also grew up in a small town.

similarly There are many parks to visit in that city. Similarly, there are several parks in my hometown, too.

Activity 7. Complete the following sentences.

1. Both in Tokyo and in _____ the art museums display many famous masterpieces.

2. Both overcrowded subways and ________ are problems in Tokyo and New York City.

3. You can buy designer clothes not only in boutiques but also__________.

4. New Yorkers and Tokyoites can not only see a movie but can also______ at any time.

5. In the summer, the weather in Tokyo and in New York is both hot and________.

6. The Ginza and Fifth Avenue shopping districts have both fine jewelry stores

And________.

Activity 8. Combine the ideas in the two sentences, using the comparison structure word in brackets. Punctuate your new sentences carefully.

1. Magazine and newspaper advertising information about new products to the public. Radio, television, and Internet ads tell the public what's new. (similarly)

Magazine and newspaper advertising information about a product to the public.

Similarly, radio, television, and Internet ads tell the public what's new.

2. Newspapers and magazines need advertising to pay their costs. Radio and television need advertising to pay their costs. (like)

3. The media reach millions of people around the world. The Internet reaches people everywhere. (similarly)

4. Most people read a daily newspaper. Most people listen to the radio or watch television every day. (just as)

5. Printed pictures are powerful advertising media. Video pictures are powerful advertising media. (equally)

Using contrastive structures

These words and phrases are used for writing contrasts

More/less + er + than Eating out is usually more expensive than cooking at home.

Adjective + er + than My bedroom is bigger than my sister’s room.

But, while, though I enjoy eating fruit for dessert, but/while/though my friend likes chocolate.

Not the same as This book isn’t the same as the one you bought.

Not as……as Some people feel that doing exercise isn’t as fun as watching TV.

Different from That style of shirt is different from the styles most people wear.

In contrast The lakes we swam in were very clean and beautiful. In contrast, the lakes in my country are polluted.

However The new shop sells its clothing at low prices. However, other shops have better quality clothing.

On the other hand My boyfriend likes doing sport. On the other hand, I prefer doing yoga.

Activity 10. Write three possible variants of contrast sentences using the given information.

1. Mary likes to go out at night, Jin prefers quiet evenings at home.

a. Mary likes to go out at night, but Jin prefers quiet evenings at home.

b. Mary likes to go out at night, whereas Jin prefers quiet evenings at home.

c. Mary likes to go out at night. However, Jin prefers quiet evenings at home.

2. Fresh fruits and vegetables taste delicious. Canned ones are tasteless.

3. Eating well and exercising will keep you in good health. Exercising by

itself will not.

4. A university has a graduate school. A college usually does not.

5. Marco will go to college on a full scholarship. Peter will have to work

part time.

6. Medical care is free in Canada. People must pay for it in the United States.

Activity 11. Complete the sentences of comparison or contrast with the signal words and phrases in brackets.

1. (but) In the United States, people drive on the right side of a road, but in other countries, they drive on the left.

2 . (yet) Professor Rand's first exam was easy _____________

3 . (although) Texting is a popular new way to communicate __________

4. (whereas) ________my grandparents do not know how to turn a computer on.

5. (different from) The method of cooking rice in China ___________

Comparison/contrast organization

The Block Method

Topic: Comparison or Contrast between X and Y

A. Features of X

point 1 of X

point 2 of X

point 3 of X

B. Features of Y

point 1 of Y

point 2 of Y

point 3 of Y

Reading and Analyzing. Sample Paragraph

Paragraph 1

Differences between the potential of girls’ and boys’ could be observed since their childhood. Female infants speak sooner, have larger vocabularies, and rarely demonstrate speech defects. (Stuttering, for instance, occurs almost exclusively among boys.) Girls exceed boys in language abilities, and this early linguistic bias often prevails throughout life. Girls read sooner, learn foreign languages more easily, and, as a result, are more likely to enter occupations involving language mastery. Boys, in contrast, show an early visual superiority. They are also clumsier, performing poorly at something like arranging a row of beads, but excel at other activities calling on total body coordination. Their attentional mechanisms are also different. A boy will react to an inanimate object as quickly as he will to a person. A male baby will often ignore the mother and babble to a blinking light, fixate on a geometric figure, and at a later point, manipulate it and attempt to take it apart.