23comparison_and_contrast

ExpositionWriting---ComparisonandContrastPriceProcessorSpeedScreenSizeHardDiskRAMEveshamAxis1.33SK£1,1741.33GHz1740GB256MBArmaniR850P4.£2,4671.7GHz1940GB256MBMeshElite1.7GTPro£1,9381.7GHz1957GB256MBElonexWebRiderPro£1,1741.2GHz1738.1GB128MBThepurposesofwritingacomparisonorcontrastpaperTopresentinformationaboutsomethingunfamiliarbycomparingitwithsomethingfamiliarThepurposesofwritingacomparisonorcontrastpaperToshowthesuperiorityofonethingbycomparingitwithanotherToshowthereaderofthesimilaritiesanddifferencesoftwothingstohelpthereaderunderstandorevaluatethem.Whatiscomparisonandcontrast?Thefirstquestionwecommonlyaskaboutanythingnewandstrangeis:Whatisitlike?Weaskthequestionbecausetheonlywaywecanunderstandwhatwedon’tknowisbyseeingitsrelationtowhatwedoknow,bylearninghowitresemblesandhowitdiffersfromotherthings.Sothemethodofcomparisonandcontrastisoftenused.WecomparethepresentandthepastofChina,theculturesoftheEastandthewest,ChineseandEnglish.Bycomparingandcontrastingwemaygetaclearpictureofthings..Whatiscomparisonandcontrast?Strictlyspeaking,acomparisonpointsoutthesimilaritiesbetweentwoormorepersonsorthingsofthesameclass,whileacontrast,thedifferencesbetweenthem.Inpractice,however,comparisonandcontrastoftenappeartogether,becausepeoplegenerallycomparetwothingsthataresimilarincertainwaysanddifferentinothers.Threestrategiestoorganizeacomparisonandcontrastessay1.Whole-to-Whole,orBlock2.Similarities-to-Differences3.Point-by-PointWhole-to-WholeorBlockStrategyInthisstructure,yousayeverythingaboutoneitemtheneverythingabouttheother.Forinstance,sayeverythingaboutthecharacters,setting,andplotforthebooktheneverythingaboutthecharacters,setting,andplotforthemovie.Whole-to-Wholecomparisonandcontrastusesaseparatesectionorparagraphforeachitemyou'rediscussing.Forapapercomparingandcontrastingabooktoamovie,thesectionforItem#1wouldincludeeverythingaboutthebookandthesectionforItem#2wouldcovereverythingaboutthemovie.Thepointsineachofthesectionsshouldbethesameandtheyshouldbeexplainedinthesameorder(forinstance,youmightdiscusscharacter,setting,andplotforboth,andinthatorderforboth).Similarities-to-DifferencesStrategyInthisstructure,youexplainallthesimilaritiesabouttheitemsbeingcomparedandthenyouexplainallthedifferences.Forinstance,youmightexplainthatthecharactersandplotweresimilarinboththebookandmovieintheonesection.Inthenextsection,youcouldexplainthatthesettingsweredifferent.Thebooktookplaceduringthesummerwhilethemovietookplaceduringthewinter.Similarities-to-Differencescomparisonandcontrastusesaseparatesectionorparagraphforsimilaritiesanddifferences.Inotherwords,thebodyofyourpaperwouldhavetwolargesections:oneforsimilarities,andanotherfordifferences.Point-by-PointStrategyInthisstructure,youexplainonepointofcomparisonbeforemovingtothenextpoint.Forinstance,youwouldwriteaboutthecharactersinthebookandmovieinonesection;thenyouwouldwriteaboutthesettinginthebookandmovieinthenextsection.Point-by-Pointcomparisonandcontrastusesaseparatesectionorparagraphforeachpoint.Point#1foryourpapercouldbeinformationaboutthecharactersinthebookandthemovie.You'dbeginasectionorparagraphforPoint#2.Forconsistency,beginwiththesameitemineachsectionofyourpoint-by-pointpaper.Forinstance,foreachpointthatyoudiscuss,explaintheinformationaboutthebookfirstandthenaboutthemovie.DifferentwaysofcomparisonandcontrastTherearetwomajorwaysoforganizingparagraphsofcomparisonandcontrast.Onewayistoexamineonethingthoroughlyandthenexaminetheother(e.g.A1,A2,A3,…B1,B2,B3…).Inthisway,theaspectsexaminedinthetwothingsshouldbeidenticalandinthesameorder.Thismethodiscalledblockcomparisonorblockcontrast.Theotherwayistoexaminetwothingsatthesametime,discussingthempointbypoint(e.g.A1,B1;A2,B2;A3,B3…).Thismethodiscalledalternatingcomparisonoralternatingcontrast.AlternatingcomparisonEg1.OrganizedbypointbypointThesamequalitiesthatmakepeoplegoodhouseguestsmakethemgoodhospitalpatients.Goodhouseguestscanexpectareasonableamountofserviceandeffortontheirbehalf,andhospitalpatientscanalso.Guestshavetoadjusttowhatisforthemachange,andcertainlyhospitalpatientsmustdothesame.Nooneappreciatesacomplaining,unpleasant,unappreciativehouseguest,andAlternatingcomparisonthehospitalstaffisnoexception.Houseguestswhoexpectvastchangestobemadefortheirbenefitarenotpopularforlong.Certainlynursesandotherpersonnelwiththeirroutinesfeelthesamewayaboutpatientsintheircare.Justashouseguestsmustmakeadjustmentstoenjoytheirvisits,sopatientsmustmakeadjustmentstomaketheirstaysreasonablypleasantandsatisfyingunderthecircumstances.AlternatingcomparisonThisisagoodexampleofalternatingcomparison.Atthebeginningthewritergivesatopicsentenceaboutthesamequalitiesofgoodhouseguestsandgoodhospitalpatients.Thenthequalitiesarediscussedpointbypointbycomparison.Alternatingcontrastisusedwhenyouwanttopointoutseveraldifferencesbetweentwothingsorpeoplewithoutdiscussingthemingreatdetail.Youmerelypointoutaspecialfeatureofoneitemandthenstatehowtheotheritemdiffersfromitinthataspect.BlockComparisonEg2:OrganizedbysubjectbysubjectMyhometownandmycollegetow