Compare and Contrast

Besides cause and effect pattern, writers also use compare and contrast pattern. They use this
pattern of organization to show how things (people, places, and others) are similar or different.

Signals to indicate that similarities are being compared.

like likewise similarly both

by the same token also equally Similarities
just like

Signals to indicate that differences are being contrasted.

on the other hand in contrast however different

in spite of conversely despite on the contrary
instead of rather than though different from
unlike even though whereas although

Sometimes, comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs are also used to show contrast
(cheaper, more difficult, etc.)

Activity 1
Read the paragraph. Underline the signal words and complete the chart.
Psychologists have observed that people learn in different ways, absorbing information
through different senses. Most people can be classified as either visual learners or auditory
learners. Visual learners learn most efficiently with their eyes. They take in information by
observing visual cues or by reading information. Auditory learners, on the other hand, learn with
their ears. They understand information best by listening to oral clues and hearing information.
These two types of learners would use different processes in learning a foreign language, for
example. Visual learners learn a new language most effectively by reading books, newspapers,
or magazines. They benefit from looking at diagrams, charts, and pictures and reading written
directions. In contrast, auditory learners benefit from listening to lectures, and CDs, watching
movies or television, or having a conversation in the second language. They respond best to
precise oral directions and explanations. Of course, most learners use both visual and auditory
methods. Researchers report, though, that most of us are likely to use one sense more effectively
than the other.

Visual Learners Auditory Learners

What they use to learn eyes ears

How they take in information

How they learn a new

language

Activity 2

Read each paragraph, underline the signal words, and state the pattern of organization the
author used.

1. A recent report from the National Academy of Sciences says that most of the oil pollution
in the water along the North American coast is not caused by oil tankers and oil rigs in the sea.
Most of the oil pollution comes from sources on land. For example, when it rains, oil that
lawnmowers leave on lawns and that cars leave on streets and parking lots run off. This runoff is
carried by streams and storm drain to rivers, bays, and the seas, killing marine life along the way.
According to the report, 85 percent of the 29 million gallons of marine oil production in North
American comes from individual users- not the oil industry.

Patter of organization: _________________________________

2. If you are in the market for a new car, you should also think about the possibility of buying
a hybrid car instead of a traditional gasoline-powered car. Take a minute to consider the
differences. Hybrid cars use a combination of two or more sources of power, usually gasoline and
electric power. In comparison with gasoline-powered cars, hybrids have smaller engines with
fewer parts. Another difference is that hybrids are usually lighter in weight. The smaller engine
and lighter body materials result in a car that weighs less than a gasoline-powered car of similar
size. Hybrid cars also use energy more efficiently. When a driver steps on the brakes to slow
down, the braking energy can be used to recharge the battery. Hybrid cars get much better gas
mileage than traditional cars, saving money on gasoline bills. For many drivers of hybrid cars, the
most important difference is the greater benefit to the environment. Hybrid cars not only use less
gas, but they produce fewer harmful emissions, cutting down on air pollution. These cars release
significantly less carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons into the
air.

Patter of organization: _________________________________