Comparison and Contrast

A comparison and Contrast pattern presents similarities(comparisons) between two or more things, differences(contrasts) between two or more things, or both similarities and differences. Authors use it when they want to explain or describe hot two or more things are alike or different. they use it when they want to present opposing sides of an issue (such as the issue of gun control or capital punishment). For this reason, you may also hear the pattern referred to as ideas in opposition. Your job as a reader is to determine what is being compared or contrasted, and the ways in which they are similar or different (Elder,2008:133)
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Example: Apples and oranges are both fruits, which means that they have seeds inside of them. Each has a skin, but orange skins are thick and easy to peel. Apple skins are thinner and do not peel easily. Oranges also contain more acid than apples, but both fruits are delicious.
Identifying when the writer is comparing and contrasting is usually not difficult because the speaker will bounce back and forth between two subjects and this pattern is generally pretty easy to recognize.  However, here are some signal words that may indicate that the text is written using the compare and contrast organizational pattern: like, unlike, both, neither, similar, and different.

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