Comparison & Contrast

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"To compare is to bring both points of similarity and difference, but generally with the greater emphasis on similarities" (Sebranek 1992:211).

Aim: To introduce two methods for writing 'comparison and contrast' essays.
1.   Compare vs. Contrast
       
2.   Uses of Comparisons in Academic Writing

3.   Introductions
• good comparison essay states the comparison and shows how it will develop.
• good contrast essay states the contrast and shows how it will develop.
• good comparison & contrast essay does both.

4.   The Two Methods
 Block Method
allows more scope for details
useful when there are limited similarities
useful for short papers

 Point-by-Point Method
           useful in the introduction
                      useful in arguments & summaries
                      only works when you have a good comparison
                      needs more than 3 points to work

5.  Important Points to Remember
* use one method for short papers
* stick to two units of comparison, if possible.
* avoid vague statements
* order your comparison carefully
* diagram your comparison to ensure all points are discussed
* give greater weight to important points
* use similar type paragraphing
* include reminders 

Block Method :

INTRODUCTION

After I was married and had lived in Japan for a while, my Japanese gradually improved to the point where I could take part in simple conversations with my husband, and his friends and family. And I began to notice that often, when I joined in, the others would look startled, and the conversational topic would come to a halt. After this happened several times, it became clear to me that I was doing something wrong. But for a long time, I didn't know what it was.

Finally, after listening carefully to many Japanese conversations, I discovered what my problem was. Even though I was speaking Japanese, I was handling the conversation in a western way.

Japanese-style conversations develop quite differently from westem-style conversations. And the difference isn't only in the languages. I realised that just as I kept trying to hold western-style conversations even when I was speaking Japanese, so my English students kept trying to hold Japanese-style conversations even when they were speaking English. We were consciously playing entirely different conversational ballgames.

BLOCK 1
A westem-style conversation between two people is like a game of tennis. If I introduce a topic, a conversational ball, I expect you to hit it back. If you agree with me, I don't expect you simply to agree and to do nothing more. I expect you to add something - a reason for agreeing, another example, or an elaboration to carry the idea further. But I don't expect you always to agree. I am just as happy if you question me, or challenge me, or completely disagree with me. Whether you agree or disagree, your responses will return the ball to me.

And then it is my turn again. I don't serve a new ball from my original starting line. I hit your ball back again from where it has bounced. I carry your idea further, or answer your questions or objections, or challenge or question you. And so the ball goes back and forth, with each of us doing our best to give it a new twist, an original spin, or a powerful smash.

And the more vigorous the action, the more interesting and exciting the game. Of course, if one of us gets angry, it spoils the conversation, just as it spoils a tennis game . If there are more than two people in the conversation, then it is like doubles in tennis, or like volleyball. There's no waiting in line. Whoever is nearest and quickest hits the ball, and if you step back, someone else will hit it...  But whether it's two players or a group, everyone does his best to keep the ball going, and no one has the ball for very long.

BLOCK 2
A Japanese-style conversation, however, is not at all like tennis or volleyball. It's like bowling. You wait for your turn. And you always know your place in line. It depends on such things are whether you are older or younger, a close friend of a relative stranger to the previous speaker, in a senior or junior position, and so on.

When your turn comes, you step up to the starting line with your bowling ball, and carefully bowl. Everyone else stands back and watches politely, murmuring encouragement. Everyone waits until the ball has reached the end of the alley, and watches to see if it knocks down all the pins, or only some of them, or none of them. There is a pause, while everyone registers your score.

Then, after everyone is sure that you have completely finished your turn, the next person in line steps up to the same starting line, with a different ball. He doesn't return your ball, and he does not begin from where your ball stopped. There is no back and forth at all. All the balls run parallel. And there is always a suitable pause between turns. There is no rush, no excitement, no scramble for the ball.

 No wonder everyone looked startled when I took part in Japanese conversations.  (Skwire 1994, p.165-167)

Point-by-Point Method


Exam Answer 2001

Writing for Exams	Writing for Assignments
Grammar must flow (structure)  Information  Word count less important than content No draft stages (revision) Spelling less important than clarity Speed of writing crucial Handwritten	Grammar must be correct  Structure very important Word count must be observed Revision is critical Spelling must be correct Speed not very important Word processor

Table 1. Features of writing (Exams vs. Assignments)

While effective writing has some core elements which are applicable across the range of it's application, there are several differences which become apparent when one moves from writing an assignment to the pressure-cooker situation of the examination. This essay will describe firstly, the common elements of effective writing, and then detail the difference between the exam and the assignment.

The unifying requirement of all writing is clarity. The ideas must be presented in a flowing, structured manner, and the grammar must be correct in order that the reader can extract the authors true intent from the text.

When writing an assignment, because one has more time than one would in an exam, much more precision is required of the author. This means that spelling must be correct for an assignment, whereas spelling takes a backseat in exams, content being far more important. This is not to say that one can write in an exam with haphazard spelling, since the marker must still be able to recognise the word for it's meaning to be clear.

One seldom has time to write drafts in an exam, unless one writes with incredible speed. Consequently, each word put on the page must express the intent of the author precisely, while assignments may be revised and rewritten numerous times before the due date.

While an assignment will usually have a strict word limit and penalties for violating this limit, in the exam situation word counts are usually guidelines only, if they are given at all. Rather, one generally writes as much as one is able in the alloted time, exams usually being designed to fit into the timeslot (but only just). More superficially, exams must be hand-written legibly, in place of being type-written. This allows for an experienced keyboard-user to produce text for assignments very rapidly.

In conclusion, despite the many points detailed in Table 1, the basic requirement is to clearly convey one's ideas in the writing. The difference lies in the restriction of time and resources available to the author.

Question

* Find a comparison and contrast question in one of your assignments, tests or final examinations. Would the block or point-by-point method be the most effective means of answering the question? Why?