大学英语专业写作5-comparison and contrast.ppt

Strengthen Your Writing 5. Comparison and Contrast A comparison is the process of showing how things are alike; A contrast is the process of showing differences. How to? We have, let's say, five points of difference between the two things that we want to contrast. Shall we go from side to side, or should we dwell on one side before going over to the other side, essentially splitting our essay in half? It is possible to mix these two approaches, but our approach will determine the overall structure, pacing, and effect of the essay. There should be a good reason to make the comparison. Why should we compare this movie to the novel it is based on? Why should we compare these two short stories, one by a modern southern American Catholic woman and the other by a nineteenth-century French-Canadian man? Will the comparison actually help anyone's understanding of either one? When we've finished going through the various differences and similarities, is the reader left with that feeling, or have we actually accomplished something important? Have we provided a unique insight into the nature of these two things that the reader would never have discovered otherwise? The business of a comparison and contrast essay is frequently (but not always) to demonstrate a preference for one thing over another. The trick is to allow the preference to grow out of the comparison without actually stating the obvious. Let the reader figure out the preference from the language we use in the contrast; let the language do its work. Comparison and contrast are ways of looking at objects and thinking about how they are alike and different. For instance, all of these items are alike because they are kinds of food, but there are many ways that they are different. They belong to different food groups. Some must be cooked before eating, and some can be eaten raw. When you write comparison and contrast, you will pay attention to these kinds of details. Practice: My hometown --- Old and New Pur