Comparison and Contrast
比较和对照的写作方法
A Brief Introduction
Definitions of comparison and contrast comparison: You are asked to explain how two or more things are alike.
Contrast: You are asked to explain how two or more things are different.
一．目标：掌握英语作文中比较和对照的写作方法（比较着重相似点，而对照强调不同之处）；
二．使用比较和对照写作方法的一般是说明文与论说文，常见的比较对照有两种方式:
1. 块状比较方式（block presentation or the subject-by-subject），先A后B，即A1, A2, A3...；B1，B2，B3...。
2. 逐点比较方式（alternating presentation or the point-by-point），AB交错，即A1，B1；A2，B2；A3，B3...。
Comparison and contrast is a method that is often used by writers to analyze the similarities and differences between two subjects. To compare is
to bring out the similarities between two things， and to contrast， which is a form of comparison， is to emphasize the differences between them. As a result， we can understand the two subjects better than we would do if we just examine the two individually.
In writing a comparison and contrast essay， you may emphasize either the similarities or the differences between the two subjects， or if you like， you may include in your essay both the similarities and differences. No matter what you may emphasize in your essay， remember you should make a point in your essay， that is， there should be a purpose for making the comparison and the contrast. If the two items are too similar or too different， there won’t be any point in comparing or contrasting them.
Three purposes for making a comparison and contrast:
A. To present information about something unfamiliar by comparing it with something familiar.
B. To show the superiority of one thing by comparing it with another.
C. To show the reader of the similarities and differences of two things to help the reader understand or evaluate them.
The organization of a comparison and contrast essay： A .How to introduce a comparison and contrast essay
You can introduce your comparison and contrast essay by explaining clear your purpose for making the comparison and/or contrast. You can also present the background information that promotes you to write the essay. B. How to organize the body of a comparison and contrast essay：
When you come to the body of a comparison and contrast essay， you should follow the following two steps：
Identifying the points： If you don’t know what points to compare and/or contrast about the subjects， you can create a list of potential points for each of the subjects. Then you can rearrange these points.
2. Choosing an effective pattern to organize the similarities and differences. a） The subject-by-subject pattern： to present each of the two subjects separately， that is， to present first about one of the subjects， covering the points completely， then proceed to the other subject， also covering all the
points completely. In general， this way works better in short essays where few aspects are considered， or where the writer’s interest is in the whole. Its pattern is like the following：
b） The point-by-point pattern： to discuss the two subjects for each point of comparison and contrast， that is， you write about the first point in terms of the similarities and differences between the two subjects， then proceed to the next point， and so on. This way is preferable in long essays where many aspects are mentioned， for a long discussion of the various aspects of one item puts too much burden on the reader’s memory. Its pattern is like the following：
c） The sim-diff pattern： The writer puts all the similarities between the subjects together and all the differences together. This technique is suitable for those subjects whose similarities and differences are more balanced. In an essay using this pattern to organize the body part， the whole essay will be arranged in the following way： Introduction Similarities Differences Conclusion
C. How to end a comparison and contrast essay：
