Comparison/Contrast Paragraph

Comparison/Contrast Paragraph

A.    DEFINITION

Comparison/Contrast Paragraph will tell the reader what is similar or different about two or more compared things. Usually the main emphasis is on the differences, but sometimes a paragraph describes both describes both similarities and differences.

When we compare two (or more) things, we tell what is similar about them. When we contrast things, we tell what is different about them. This pattern of organization is commonly used in everyday life. For example, we compare and contrast lecturers when we decide which classes to take. We compare and contrast products and prices when we shop.

B.     ORGANIZATION

There are two ways to organize a comparison/contrast paragraph. One way is called block organization, and the other way is called point-by-point organization.

1.      Block Organization

In block organization, we group all the similarities together in one block and all the differences together in one block. Both model paragraphs use block organization. (See “Miller Medical Labs Memorandum”)

2.      Point-by-Point Organization

In point-by-point organization, we write about similarities and differences by subtopic. (See “Right Brain/Left Brain”)

      The organization we choose depends on our topic. In addition, whether we discuss more similarities or more differences (or both) depends on your topic.

C.    WRITING A COMPARISON/CONTRAST PARAGRAPH

1.      A topic sentence for a comparison/contrast paragraph should name the topic and also indicate comparison/contrast organization.

-          The left and right sides of your brain process information in different ways.

2.      The supporting sentences will be organized based on the topic chosen whether we want to develop the topic by using block or point-by-point organization. For example, this paragraph will be developed on the basis of point-by-point organization.

1. The left side is logical, rational, linear, and verbal. The right side, on the other hand, processes information intuitively, emotionally, creatively, and visually.
2. Left brains think in words whereas right brains think in pictures.
3. People who depend more on the left side of their brain are list makers and analysts. They are detailed, careful, and organized. In contrast, right-brained people are visual, intuitive, and sensual.
4. When a left-brained person has to make an important decision, he or she makes a mental list of all the factors involved and arrives at a decision only after careful analysis. When a right-brained person has to make the same decision, on the other hand, he or she is more likely to base it on intuition and feelings. For example, a left-brained automobile shopper will consider a car’s cost, fuel efficiency, and resale value whereas a right-brained shopper bases a decision on how shiny the chrome is, how soft the seats are, and how smoothly the car drivers.

3.      End a comparison/contrast paragraph with a concluding sentence. A concluding sentence for a comparison/contrast paragraph may repeat the main idea or a concluding sentence may also make a recommendation.

-          Of course, no one is 100 percent left-brained or 100 percent right-brained. Although one side may be stronger, both sides normally work together.

Right Brain/Left Brain

            The left and right sides of your brain process information in different ways. The left side is logical, rational, linear, and verbal. The right side, on the other hand, processes information intuitively, emotionally, creatively, and visually. Left brains think in words whereas right brains think in pictures. People who depend more on the left side of their brain are list makers and analysts. They are detailed, careful, and organized. In contrast, right-brained people are visual, intuitive, and sensual. When a left-brained person has to make an important decision, he or she makes a mental list of all the factors involved and arrives at a decision only after careful analysis. When a right-brained person has to make the same decision, on the other hand, he or she is more likely to base it on intuition and feelings. For example, a left-brained automobile shopper will consider a car’s cost, fuel efficiency, and resale value whereas a right-brained shopper bases a decision on how shiny the chrome is, how soft the seats are, and how smoothly the car drivers. Of course, no one is 100 percent left-brained or 100 percent right-brained. Although one side may be stronger, both sides normally work together.

Miller Medical Labs Memorandum

To       : Director of Human Resources

From   : Barbara Johnson, Interviewer

            From the fourteen applications received for the job of receptionist, two applicants stand out. Following is a summary of their qualifications. Educationally, the two applicants are quite similar. JZ has completed two years of college, just as SW has, and their grade point averages are approximately equal. JZ’s one past employer was very positive. Similarly, SW’s past employer gave very high recommendations. Finally, both applicants can start work on the same date (June 1). There are two differences the job applicants that may influence the hiring decision. The first difference is that JZ’s job in a medical office included some contact with patients whereas SW’s volunteer work in the library and gift shop of a local hospital included no patient contact. Second, JZ likes to be part of a team while SW prefers to work individually. The hiring decision is difficult because both applicants are equally well qualified. However, JZ would be the better choice for the receptionist job because of her experience with patient contact and preference for working with other staff. If there is a future opening for a lab assistant, SW would be an excellent choice for that position

EVALUATION FORM

Name: _________________________________________               Smt     : ___________

Sm      : _________________________________________             Date    : ___________

Evaluate Yourself

1.      Did you come to campus on time this ……………………? __________

2.      How many minutes did you come late? __________

3.      Did you raise your hand fully from your heart? __________

4.      How many times did you ask questions? __________

5.      How many times did you answer questions? __________

6.      How many times did you give opinions or additional idea? __________

7.      Can you catch the material and share it to your soulmate? __________

Write your comment about yourself today

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evaluate Your Soulmate (Sm)

1.      Did Sm come to campus on time this ……………………? __________

2.      How many minutes did your Sm come late? __________

3.      Did your Sm raise his/her hand fully from his/her heart? __________

4.      How many times did your Sm ask questions? __________

5.      How many times did your Sm answer questions? __________

6.      How many times did your Sm give opinions or additional idea? __________

7.      Can your Sm catch the material and share it to you? __________

Write your comment about your soulmate today

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Logical Division of Ideas Paragraph

Logical Division of Ideas Paragraph

A.    DEFINITION

Logical division of ideas is a pattern of organization in which you divide a topic into points and discuss each point separately. You can use logical division to organize many kinds of topics, for example:

1.  Reason for owning an iPad/blackberry/PDA, for exercising/not exercising, for learning English, for being a teacher, etc.
2. Kinds of teachers/foods /drivers/friends/students/bosses etc.
3. Types of books/movies/music/TV program I like/don’t like etc.
4. Advantages or disadvantages of living in a small town/big city/college dormitory, of being the youngest child/twin, etc.
5. Quality of a good boss/good employee/good friend/teacher/parent etc.

B.     COHERENCE

In addition to unity, which has already been discussed in previous material, every paragraph must have coherence. A coherent paragraph flows smoothly from beginning to end. A reader can follow your ideas easily because one sentence leads naturally to the next one; there are no sudden jumps.

There are three main ways to make your paragraph coherent:

1.      Use Nouns and Pronouns Consistently Throughout a Paragraph

One way to achieve coherence is to use nouns and pronouns consistently throughout a paragraph, that is, continue to use the same nouns and pronouns you start with. For example, if you begin with plural noun such as students, don’t change to singular. In addition, don’t change pronouns; don’t switch from you to they or he for no reason. Be consistent! If you use pronoun you at the beginning of your paragraph, keep it throughout.

Here’s a tip to help you use pronouns consistently. Use a plural noun (employees) rather than a singular noun (an employee) when writing about a group of people of both sexes. When you need to use pronouns, the plural pronouns they, them, and their are less awkward than the singular phrases he or she, him or her, and his or hers.

      Awkward        : An employee must wear his or her ID badge at all times.

      Better               : Employees must wear their ID badges at all times.

2.      Use Transition Signals to Show Relationships among Ideas

Transition signals are words and phrases that connect the idea in one sentence with the idea in another sentence. They are expressions such as first/second, furthermore, on the other hand, for example, and in conclusion. Transition signals are like traffic signals; they tell your reader when to slow down, turn around and stop. Using transition signals makes your paragraph smoother and helps your reader understand it more easily.

Example of transition signals:

-          First, second, etc

-          First of all,

-          Furthermore, also, in addition, moreover,

-          A second (reason, kind, advantage, etc.)

-          An additional (reason, kind, advantage, etc.)

-          The final (reason, kind, advantage, etc.)

3.      Put Your Ideas into Some Kind of Logical Order, such as logical division of ideas.

C.    WRITING A LOGICAL DIVISION OF IDEA PARAGRAPH

1.      Begin a logical division paragraph with a topic sentence.

-          There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card.

2.      In the supporting sentences, discuss each point one after the other. Introduce each new point with a signal word or phrase; in addition, support each point with a convincing detail such as an example or a statistic (numbers, amounts, percentages, and so on)

a.      The first reason is that using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford.

-          For instance, last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store.

-          Of course, I don’t need pink sandals, nor can I afford them.

-          With a credit card, however, I would now own those sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them.

b.      The second reason I don’t have a credit card is that I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the shopaholic.

-          Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000.

-          She buys things that she doesn’t really need such as jewelry and designer sunglasses.

-          Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never decreases.

-          She will be in debt for years.

c.       The third reason I don’t have a credit card is the difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract.

-          If I don’t read the fine print, I can be surprised.

-          For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make payment even one day late.

3.      End a logical division paragraph with a concluding sentence.

-          To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.

Why I don’t Have a Credit Card

            There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card. The first reason is that using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford. For instance, last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I don’t need pink sandals, nor can I afford them. With a credit card, however, I would now own those sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them. The second reason I don’t have a credit card is that I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the shopaholic. Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000. She buys things that she doesn’t really need such as jewelry and designer sunglasses. Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never decreases. She will be in debt for years. The third reason I don’t have a credit card is the difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract. If I don’t read the fine print, I can be surprised. For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make payment even one day late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.

EVALUATION FORM

Name: _________________________________________               Smt     : ___________

Sm      : _________________________________________             Date   : ___________

Evaluate Yourself

1.      Did you come to campus on time this ……………………? __________

2.      How many minutes did you come late? __________

3.      Did you raise your hand fully from your heart? __________

4.      How many times did you ask questions? __________

5.      How many times did you answer questions? __________

6.      How many times did you give opinions or additional idea? __________

7.      Can you catch the material and share it to your soulmate? __________

Write your comment about yourself today

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evaluate Your Soulmate (Sm)

1.      Did Sm come to campus on time this ……………………? __________

2.      How many minutes did your Sm come late? __________

3.      Did your Sm raise his/her hand fully from his/her heart? __________

4.      How many times did your Sm ask questions? __________

5.      How many times did your Sm answer questions? __________

6.      How many times did your Sm give opinions or additional idea? __________

7.      Can your Sm catch the material and share it to you? __________

Write your comment about your soulmate today

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why I don’t Have a Credit Card

            There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card. Using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford. Last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I don’t need pink sandals, nor can I afford them. With a credit card I would now own those sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them. I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the shopaholic. Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000. She buys things that she doesn’t really need such as jewelry and designer sunglasses. Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never decreases. She will be in debt for years. The difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract. If I don’t read the fine print, I can be surprised. Some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make payment even one day late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.

Why I don’t Have a Credit Card

            There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card. The first reason is that using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford. For instance, last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I don’t need pink sandals, nor can I afford them. With a credit card, however, I would now own those sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them. The second reason I don’t have a credit card is that I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the shopaholic. Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000. She buys things that she doesn’t really need such as jewelry and designer sunglasses. Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never decreases. She will be in debt for years. The third reason I don’t have a credit card is the difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract. If I don’t read the fine print, I can be surprised. For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make payment even one day late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.

A Good Boss

There are three important qualities necessary in a good boss. The most important is fairness. If the boss is fair, workers can feel that if they do a good job, their work will be appreciated; in addition, their efforts will be rewarded. The second most important quality is leadership; therefore, the boss should be an example and a teacher. This allows workers to learn from a boss so that they can increase their job skills and get promotion. The third most important factor is the consistent action of the boss; thus, the workers know what they should do. They know how they will be treated and what their share of the workload will be; consequently, I would hire a boss with these qualities for myself.