Compare & Contrast

English INCVPS

What does it mean to compare & contrast things? Have you ever heard “that’s like

comparing apples and oranges?” They are both fruit (compare) They both grow on trees (compare) They both have seeds (compare) They both are used to make juice (compare) They are different colors (contrast) They taste very differently (contrast)

Compare When you compare, you look at the ways

two or more things are alike. Bicycles are like cars because they both move

on wheels. Cats are like dogs because they both have fur. CD’s are like MP3 players because they both

play music.

Contrast When you contrast, you look at the ways

two or more things are different. Bicycles are different from cars because one is

powered by humans and one is powered by gas.

Cats are different from dogs because one barks and one meows.

CD’s are different from MP3 players because they play music through different devices.

Comparing and Contrasting in Literature When you read, you might use compare

and contrast in various ways: You can compare or contrast two or more

characters in the same story. You can compare or contrast various settings

or events in a story. You can compare or contrast two or more

aspects from different stories.

How can comparing and contrasting help? When you look at the similarities and

differences between aspects of stories, you can better understand what the author’s purpose is (remember that we learned about author’s purpose at the beginning of the course).

Look at this example of comparing & contrasting characters: Seeing that John did not understand the

assignment, Sally offered to explain it to him, while James turned away in disgust. What do we have here: three characters

studying. What qualities can you see in them:

Sally is thoughtful of other people. John needs help. James has no patience for others.

Comparing & contrasting characters: Looking at similarities and differences

between characters helps us better understand why they do the things they do. It can also help us better understand the story as a whole.

What’s next? Now you will go on to the rest of the unit

and think of ways that you can use your new compare and contrast skills.