ENGL 101 COMPARISON AND CONTRAST PARAGRAPHS
Comparison and Contrast Paragraphs explain ways in which two (or sometimes) more subjects are similar or different. Comparison paragraphs describe similarities while
Contrast paragraphs describe differences. RELEVANCE is very important for Compare
& Contrast paragraphs since it helps determine what to include/exclude and which characteristics are worth comparing or contrasting.
1
Approaches to Organizing Compare & Contrast Paragraphs
1) The Point by Point Method
Topic Sentence: Comparison (Similarity) or Contrast (Difference) between X and Y
1st Point of Comparison (Similarity)/Contrast (Difference)
How it is for X
How it is for Y
2nd Point of Comparison (Similarity)/Contrast (Difference)
How it is for X
How it is for Y
Concluding Sentence/Remark (optional)
2) The Block Method
Topic Sentence: Comparison (Similarity) or Contrast (Difference) between X and Y
1st Point of Comparison/Contrast for X
2nd Point of Comparison/Contrast for X
Bridging Sentence
1st Point of Comparison/Contrast for Y
2nd Point of Comparison/Contrast for Y
Concluding Sentence/Remark (optional)

2
TASK Decide whether the following linkers are used in comparison or contrast paragraphs.
Different from Although On the other hand By contrast
In the same way In contrast Similar to However
Likewise In like manner Unlike Yet
Nevertheless While But Differ in
Even though As opposed to Both…and… The same
In addition to Similarly Neither…nor… Too
In a similar way Like Moreover Whereas Also
A) Linkers & Expressions Commonly Used in Comparison (Similarity) Paragraphs
B) Linkers & Expressions Commonly Used in Contrast (Difference) Paragraphs

3
Write sentences in each blank to complete the paragraphs and then compare them in terms of organization.
Paragraph 1
My hometown and Kalkanlı have several things in common. First, ____________
___________________________________________________________.
For example, my hometown, Yeşilırmak, has a population of only about 2000 people. Similarly, Kalkanlı consists of about 2500 local residents. This population swells a little when METU NCC students are attending classes. A second way in which these two towns are similar is that they are both located in rural areas. Yeşilırmak is surrounded by many fields which are devoted mainly to growing strawberries and potatoes. _________________________________
_______________________________. In brief, both Kalkanlı and Yeşilırmak are truly wonderful places to live with fresh air and great local produce.
Paragraph 2
_________________________________________________________. My hometown, Yeşilırmak, is a small community with a population of only about 2000 people. In addition, located in a rural area, Yeşilırmak is surrounded by many fields which are devoted mainly to growing strawberries and potatoes. Similar to
Yeşilırmak, Kalkanlı is also a small community which consists of about 2500 local residents. This population swells a little when METU NCC students are attending classes. Moreover, just like Yeşilırmak, Kalkanlı is surrounded by nature - a beautiful valley full of ancient olive trees. Kalkanlı is in fact renowned for high quality olives and olive oil. In short, _________________________________
____________________________________________________________

4
Paragraph 3
___________________________________________________________. The first evident area of difference between living in a small city and living in a big city is the pace of life. The fast paced lifestyle of a big city is fascinating for many. People are dynamic, always on the move with endless choices of venues for shopping and entertainment. However, ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
In addition to pace of life, career opportunities in a big city and a small city also vary greatly. While a big city enjoys an abundance of local and multinational corporations with numberless job opportunities, career opportunities in a small city are fairly limited.
A small city mostly has small retail businesses such as mini-markets, butchers, bakers and restaurants; and generally there are not too many large organizations in a small city offering employment opportunities. Thus, we can clearly say that a small city and a big city are a world away from each other; so depending on what type of life you are looking for, each offers a distinct environment.
Paragraph 4
Life in a small city and a big city are quite different in many ways. To begin with, the fast paced lifestyle of a big city is fascinating for many. People are dynamic, always on the move with endless choices of venues for shopping and entertainment. In addition to this fast pace of life, career opportunities in a big city are plenty. For instance, _____
_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________. Unlike a big city, a small city offers a more quite simpler, slower pace of life. The air is often fresh with beautiful, calming nature giving the residents opportunities for relaxing activities such as trekking, hiking, cycling and walking. When it comes to career opportunities, a small city does not offer the same wide array of job opportunities that a big city does.
In fact, ___________________________________________________________.
That is to say, a small city has mainly small retail businesses such as mini-markets, butchers, bakers and restaurants; and there are not too many large organizations in a small city offering employment opportunities. _______________________________
________________________________________________________________.