18

Comparison and Contrast paragraphs

You can also choose to support your topic sentences by arranging the supporting sentences
so that they show aspects which are similar between two or more things (i.e., comparison
paragraphs) or things which are different between (i.e., contrast paragraphs). In fact, very often you
are asked to write a composition which involves writing both comparisons and contrasts. First of all,
here is a comparison paragraph. Read it carefully and then answer the questions which follow it.

1. When I first arrived here in Granada, one of the things that struck me were the great
similarities between this town and the town where I was born, in England. 2. A small point is that Granada
and Rimford both have the same number of letters. 3. Moreover, both towns have famous cathedrals. 4.
The one in Granada is especially famous and is visited by tourists from all over the world. 5. Granada and
Rimford are both considered to be key towns in their provinces. 6. Rimford, for example, is the centre of
the tourist industry in the area, and so is Granada. 7. The latter town has a thriving fruit and meat market
every day of the week; Rimfords market is only on twice a week but attracts people from all over the area.
8. Unfortunately, neither town has been very lucky in the sporting area: just as Granada has a football team
struggling in the third division, Rimford does too. 9. Like Rimford, Granada also boasts one of the biggest
universities in the country. 10. And, finally, Granadas past and present is somewhat like Rimfords in that
they both had a great mixture of culture and religion. 11. Rimford, for example, is the centre of a large
Muslim community near London while Granadas own Islamic past is no secret, either.

1. Firstly, as always with the paragraphs you yourself plan, try to analyse the paragraph
diagrammatically. Locate the topic sentence and all the support sentences. Remember, many of the
support sentences also have attached support details.

2. As you would expect, this paragraph obviously contains much language and many
structures of comparison. Reread the paragraph and fill in the following chart, which helps you to
discover the basis of the comparison (i.e., WHAT the author has actually chosen to highlight for
comparison) and the comparative structures chosen to convey these similarities. The first is done for
you. When you have finished you will effectively have a plan of the paragraph. You, too, can plan the
paragraphs of your compositions in this way.
 Sentence What is being compared? Structures used for comparison

1 The two towns great similarities between Granada and Rimford

10

11

In contrast paragraphs, the author will concentrate on the differences between two or more
things. As you will see, there are two ways of presenting contrasts between two things. Either you can
choose to continually contrast your objects in the same paragraph, one then another, like this

PARAGRAPH 1

Spain Spain Spain

People Cities Entertainment
England England England

and so on OR you can write all the characteristics of one thing in one paragraph and then all
the contrasting aspects of the other object in the next paragraph.

PARAGRAPH 1 PARAGRAPH 2

People People
SPAIN Cities ENGLAND Cities
Entertainment, etc. Entertainment, etc.

Look at the following text and decide which method is being used.
1. According to a recent study by researchers at Gunstd University, there are several differences to
be found between students studying sciences and those studying languages. 2. The typical science
student has shown him- or herself to be particularly good at subjects like physics, mathematics, and
biology at school. 3. On the other hand, the average language student failed these subjects or, at
least, they were not outstanding in them. 4. Unfortunately, the study does not tell us whether the
same was true, vice versa, but we can imagine that it was. 5. The science student is seen to be very
studious throughout the year; the language student, however, is less concerned with studies until the
month before the examination. 6. Many language students would probably argue with that finding:
it may well be that science students appear to be studying more because of the kinds of practicals
they must do. 7. While language students tend to read a lot of books within and outside their
subject areas, the science students tend to read little, relying on class notes to help them through the
examinations. 8. Finally, the study found that the language student contrasts with the science
student with respect to attitude to work. 9. The language student continually worries about his or
her future; the science student rarely
does.

1. Once again, try to analyse the paragraph plan diagrammatically. Locate the topic sentence
and all the support sentences. Remember, many of the support sentences also have attached support
details.

2. This paragraph uses contrastive structures throughout to indicate differences. Reread the
paragraph and fill in the following chart, which helps you to discover the basis of the contrast (i.e.,
WHAT aspect has been chosen on which to base the contrast) and the contrastive structures chosen
to convey these differences. The first has been done for you.

What is being contrasted? Structures used for contrast

1 Science and language students there are several differences to be found

between....
2 and 3

9
 B. TOPIC SENTENCE: Without a doubt, there are huge differences between driving a car
to work and going by bus.

PLAGIARISM

Brown's (1997) final paragraph:

During the 1960s the nation put human beings into space
and eventually sent them to the moon and back. History
has recorded this effort not only as an enormous
technological achievement but also as an example of
Americans ability to cooperate to achieve a national goal.
Getting to the moon was important, but the real frontier
has always been Mars. If we declare our intention to send
a man to Mars before 2010, we will be affording the
human race the opportunity to realize an ancient dream.
The technology necessary to accomplish this already
exists; all we need now is the will to go.
Use these definitions of "plagiarize" from Webster's New
Collegiate Dictionary, 1977, p. 877:

"to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of

another) as one's own"
"use (a created production) without crediting the
source"
"present as new and original an idea or product
derived from an existing source"
"to commit literary theft"

The following sentences were taken from several student

papers and deal with the same ideas that Brown (1997)
presented in her final paragraph. Your job is to decide
whether any of the students has plagiarized Brown's paper.

[Barbara]

Brown (1997) argued, If we declare our

intention to send a man to Mars before
2010, we will be affording the human
race the opportunity to realize an
ancient dream.

Plagiarism ??

[Talisha]

K.N. Brown stated, If we declare our

intention to send a man to Mars before
2010, we will be affording the human
race the opportunity to realize an
ancient dream. (3)

Plagiarism ??

[Vijay]

Brown (1997) thinks that a manned Mars

mission this decade will give people a
worthwhile goal to achieve.

Plagiarism??

[Eduardo]

Brown thinks that [i]f we declare our

intention to send a man to Mars before
2010..., people will have a worthwhile
goal to achieve (3).

Plagiarism??

[Maria]

Brown (1997) thinks that if we declare

our intention to send a man to Mars
before 2010, people will have a
worthwhile goal to achieve.
 Plagiarism??

[Kevin]

If we declare our intention to send a

man to Mars before 2010, we will be
affording the human race the
opportunity to fulfill an ancient
dream.

Plagiarism ??

[Amanda]

If we declare our intention to send a

man to Mars before 2010, we will be
affording the human race the
opportunity to fulfill an ancient
dream.

Plagiarism ??

[Melanie]

A manned Mars mission this decade will

give people a worthwhile goal to
achieve.

Plagiarism ??