COMPARISON &

CONTRAST PARAGRAPH
 Do I want … or do I
this car … ? want that
other car?
Do I want this
guy … ? … or do I
want that
guy?
 Do I want to visit
Egypt on my
next vacation … ?

… or do I want
to go to Las
Vegas?
Do I want to eat … or do I want
something something
healthy… ? bad?
 UNDERSTAND WHAT COMPARISON OR
CONTRAST REQUIRES YOU TO DO.

 Always choose two equal items—two

cars, two vacations, two sports stars—
not two unequal items, like a car and
an octopus.
 Next, decide if you want to compare
or contrast as your primary
strategy.
NOW LET’S TEST
YOUR
UNDERSTANDING ...
A BABY A VACUUM
CLEANER
MAKING COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS
 A comparison shows how people or things are similar.
A contrast shows how they are different. In both, you
must identify topics (e.g. hometown and college town)
and their points of comparison (e.g., size, location) that
can be compared or contrasted.

A
A B
B
PICK A PATTERN FOR YOUR PARAGRAPH
 Pattern A is a 3-
point paragraph, Introduction
which is called
POINT-by-POINT.
 The topic sentence All about Point X
will read like this:
Because of X, Y,
and Z, Subject A
is similar to [or All about Point Y
different from]
Subject B.
 Each supporting All about Point Z
point will discuss
both Subject A and
Subject B.
Conclusion
 PATTERN B WILL LOOK A BIT DIFFERENT.
 Pattern B is a 2-
point paragraph,
which is called Introduction
BLOCK.

 One support will

discuss X, Y, and Z All about Subject A
for Subject A; the
other support will do
the same for
Subject B. All about Subject B

Conclusion
PATTERN A OUTLINE
 Roman numerals
I. Point X address the X, Y, and
A. Subject A Z from the topic
sentence.
1. Detail 1  Capital letter A is
2. Detail 2 always for the first
3. Detail 3 subject; capital
letter B is always for
B. Subject B the second subject.
1. Detail 1  A detail for Subject A
must correspond to a
2. Detail 2 detail for Subject B.
3. Detail 3
A PATTERN B OUTLINE LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT:
Topic sentence: Subject A is different from/similar to Subject B.

I. Subject A II. Subject B

A. First Point of C/C A. First Point of C/C
1. Detail 1. Detail
2. Detail 2. Detail
3. Detail 3. Detail
B. Second Point of C/C B. Second Point of C/C
1. Detail 1. Detail
2. Detail 2. Detail
3. Detail 3. Detail
C. Third Point of C/C C. Third Point of C/C
1. Detail 1. Detail
2. Detail 2. Detail
3. Detail 3. Detail
 TOPIC SENTENCE PATTERNS FOR
COMPARISON & CONTRAST PARAGRAH
CONTRAST PARAGRAPH

- Although …… and ………. are both….they are different in

many ways.
-While …… and ………. are both….they are different in many
ways.
- There are many differences between …. and ….. although
they seem quite similar.
COMPARISON PARAGRAPH

-There are striking similarities between ……and ……….

- Although ………and…….. seem quite different , they have
many points in common.
-………and………… are very similar/alike in many ways.
The following words can help you to write a good compare
and contrast paragraph:
SIMILARITIES

similar to
Example: Spring weather in California is similar to spring
weather in LA.
both
Example: Both California and LA have rain in the spring.
also
Example: California also has a rainy spring season.
too
Example: LA has a rainy spring season, too.
as well
Example: As well, LA has rainy spring season.
EXAMPLE :
 My hometown and my college town have several
things in common. First, my hometown, Lockport, is a small
town. It has a population of only about 10,000 people.
Located in a rural area, Lockport is surrounded by many
acres of farmland which are devoted mainly to growing corn
and soybeans. Lockport also contains a college campus,
Neutron College, which is famous for its Agricultural
Economics program as well as for its annual Corn-Watching
Festival. As for my college town, Batavia, it too is small,
having a population of about 11,000 local residents, which
swells to 15,000 people when students from the nearby
college are attending classes. Like Lockport, Batavia lies in
the center of farmland which is used to raise hogs and
cattle. Finally, Batavia is similar to Lockport in that it also
boasts a beautiful college campus, called Quark College.
This college is well known for its Agricultural Engineering
department and also for its yearly Hog-Calling Contest.
DIFFERENCES
on the other hand
Example: On the other hand, winter is much colder in
California.
however
Example: However, winter is much colder in California.
but
Example: LA has a mild winter, but California has a cold
one.
in contrast to
Example: In contrast to LA, California has a cold winter.
differs from
Example: California differs from LA by having a cold
winter.
while
Example: While LA a mild winter, California has a cold
winter.
Decide in which method the paragraphs below are written.

While İstanbul and Muğla are both big cities, they differ from each
other in many ways. To start with, İstanbul is filled with industries, buildings,
roads, and lots of people. The time it takes you to get from one place to
another shows us how big it has become. Moreover, İstanbul has become a
city in which its people are usually in a hurry and have a lot of things to do
throughout the day. This can be seen by the amount of traffic in the city. Also,
in İstanbul you can find all sorts of things to do like shopping in plazas, going
to the discos or bars at nights, going to the movies, etc. On the other hand,
Muğla still looks like a small town in which most of its people know each
other although the city has grown a lot in the last years. What is more, Muğla
still remains quite a calm city where most people walk and take their time.
Additionally, in Muğla, there are places mostly to drink a coffee and chat,
historical places to visit, and many places with beautiful architecture. To sum
up, although these two cities seem to be similar, they are in fact different
from each other
 There are three main differences between eating fresh
food and canned food. The most notable difference between
these two kinds of foods is their flavor. Fresh food has great
flavor and taste because it keeps all their natural conditions.
Canned food, however, lacks a lot of its flavor characteristics
because there are some other chemical products added to the
natural foods. Secondly, there is a health factor that affects both
of them. Canned food is unhealthy because in order to keep the
shelf life for longer times it is tinned with many conservatives
and chemical factors. On the other hand, fresh food does not
include any chemicals, so it is healtier. Another difference
between these two types of foods is the cost. Canned food is
much more expensive than fresh food. In conclusion, before
eating, choose the best type of food for your convenience and
lifestyle.