4.6: The Language of Comparison and Contrast

The Language of Similarities
I. Coordinators
and	Community college students need financial aid to support themselves, and four-year college students need financial aid to pay for school.
both…. and …	Both in-state and out-of-state students pay the same tuition rate in private universities.
not only…but also…	Not only Professor Smith but also Professor Brown had a significant impact on my career choice.
neither … nor …	Neither my mom nor my dad will be able to attend my graduation.
II. Subordinating Conjunctions
as	My mother speaks three languages, as does my dad.
just as	I can skate very well, just as my big sister can.
III. Conjunctive Adverbs
similarly	My grades have significantly improved; similarly, I have gained confidence in participating in class projects.
likewise	His writing skill has improved; likewise, he has expanded his English vocabulary knowledge.
also	Tim enjoyed working with his colleagues; he also developed a clear understanding of team work.
too	Chemistry is a difficult field to be in; physics is, too.
IV. Others
similar to	Similar to her husband, she has a military background.
(be) similar to	My sister’s sense of style is similar to mine.
(be) the same as	Her sense of humor is the same as her father’s.
(be) compared to/with	Many foreign TV shows are compared to American TV shows.
like	Many foreign movies like American movies have cruel scenes in them.
just like	Competitive swimming is just like hockey, they both require endurance and speed.

Exercise 3

The following sentences use signal words to show similarities. In each sentence, highlight the signal word and add punctuation.

1. Jeff’s son started college this year likewise my daughter is attending PGCC.

2. Both Paula and Lucca had a great time working on the campaign.

3. She loves hiking and gardening similarly he enjoys participating in outdoor activities.

4. Not only Tim but also Janet spent a full month evaluating their company’s safety plans.

5. Netflix is making their own movies and television shows just as Amazon Prime has gotten into the business of making shows for streaming.

Exercise 4

Combine these sentences into one new sentence with the comparison signal word given in parentheses.

1. George liked studying mathematics.

He saw that English would help him in his career as a counselor.

(similarly)

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2. The dog barked for several hours.

The dog chewed through the pillows on the couch.

(not only…. but also)

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3. Stanford’s women’s basketball team has now won the most national championships.

The University of Maryland’s women’s lacrosse team has won the most national championships.

(similar to)

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4. The United States has the Pacific Ocean on its western border.

The United States has the Atlantic Ocean on its eastern border.

(just as)

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5. Recycling aluminum cans is beneficial to the environment.

Reusing plastic bags helps reduce pollution.

(both….and)

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The Language of Differences
I. Coordinators
but	The twins love traveling, but their brother prefers spending time at home.
yet	I studied for months for the TOEFL test, yet I did not get the passing score to apply for graduate school.
II. Subordinating Conjunctions
while	Many Americans love basketball, while many Canadians love ice hockey.
whereas	Bruce never throws anything away, whereas his sister declutters her house every three months.
although /though / even though	Even though she is old enough, her parents do not allow her to drink at a family dinner.
III. Conjunctive Adverbs
on the contrary	I love winter vacations; on the contrary, my husband prefers summer vacations.
on the other hand	My vacation is going to cost a lot; on the other hand, my sister's choice of vacation is going to be more affordable.
in contrast	Amir was nervous before the test; in contrast, Tammy was very calm.
in comparison	Tammy enjoyed the holiday party. In comparison, James found it boring.
however	Some people enjoy hosting holiday parties; however, others see it as a waste of time and money.
nevertheless	Most parents know that sugar is bad for children; nevertheless, many parents do not limit the amount of sugar they consume.
IV. Others
despite (+ noun)	Despite Jane’s cleanliness, her husband is a very messy person.
(be) unlike	Her new million dollar home is unlike her apartment that she had in New York.
(be) different from	I am different from my sister, who is an introvert.
to differ (from)	George Washington University differs from Howard University in many ways.
compared (to)	Compared to private schools, public schools do not require uniforms.

Exercise 5

The following sentences use signal words that show differences. In each sentence, highlight the signal word and punctuate it properly.

1. Philadelphia is not as expensive as New York City.

2. New York has a relatively low crime rate but Philadelphia’s crime rate is higher.

3. Many people think New York has the best museums whereas the art museum in Philadelphia is world-class.

4. Housing prices in New York City are consistently the highest in the country in contrast Philadelphia offers more reasonable housing costs.

5. Although Philadelphia offers job opportunities in the health sector New York City offers many jobs in the financial sector.

6. The two cities differ from each other significantly in size with Philadelphia having a larger space than New York City but fewer people.

Exercise 6

Combine these sentences into one new sentence with the signal word in parentheses. Be careful to punctuate correctly.

1. The University of Maryland has a large campus in Prince George’s County.

George Washington University has a small campus in downtown Washington, DC.

(on the contrary)

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2. The University of Pennsylvania is a private school in downtown Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania State is a public school in State College, Pennsylvania.

(different from)

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3. The University of Maryland has strong programs in the sciences and engineering.

Students for George Washington University tend to study political science and international studies.

(while)

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Exercise 7

Read the example sentences below and decide whether the two sentences show similarities or differences. Which signal word could you use? Join the two sentences into one complex sentence using an appropriate transition word to show either the similarity or contrast.

Pair 1

Teachers in China do not expect students to ask questions or to make comments in class.

American teachers think that asking questions and making comments shows good participation.

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Pair 2

Some people find it helpful to listen to music when they study.

Others prefer silence.

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Pair 3

English is spoken in America.

It is spoken in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Pair 4

College students have to complete an average of three to five assignments per week.

High school students tend to have one to three assignments per week.

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Pair 5

American students enjoy working on collaborative school projects.

Chinese students enjoy working more on their own.

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Compiled by Delpha Thomas; adapted by Tim Krause. Introduction to Academic Writing for ESOL. Second Edition, released 2018. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License