It is better to plant a single seed than to dream of the tree it could be.

Trn Thi Thu Hin hienesp@gmail.com

Comparison

Contrast

Differences

Similarities

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Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states of the U.S., they are strikingly different in many ways. For example, the physical size of each state is different. Arizona is large, having an area of 114,000 square

miles, whereas Rhode Island is only about a tenth the size, having an
area of only 1,214 square miles. Another difference is in the size of the population of each state. Arizona has about four million people living in it,

but Rhode Island has less than one million. The two states also differ in
the kinds of natural environments that each has. For example, Arizona is a very dry state, consisting of large desert areas that do not receive much rainfall every year. However, Rhode Island is located in a temperate zone and receives an average of 44 inches of rain per year. In addition, while Arizona is a landlocked state and thus has no seashore, Rhode Island lies on the Atlantic Ocean and does have a significant coastline.
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Block organization
Point-by-point organization

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A
A1

B
B1

A2
A3

B2
B3

Each subject is discussed separately; features about each subject are grouped together.
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A1 B1

A2
B2 A3 B3 One relevant feature for one subject is discussed, then the same feature with a different subject. December 3,
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Living in a big city vs. Living in a small town

Services Opportunities Safety

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Topic sentence

Body

Concluding sentence In brief, living in a small town and living in a large city both present benefits for different people depending on their life styles.

There are major differences between living in a big city and a small town.

Living in a big city: Services, Opportunities, Safety Living in a small town: Services, Opportunities, Safety

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Topic sentence
There are major differences between living in a big city and a small town.

Body
Services: Big city vs. Small town Opportunities: Big city vs. Small town

Safety: Big city vs. Small town

Concluding sentence
In brief, living in a small town and living in a large city both present benefits for different people depending on their life styles.
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Block pattern Point-by-point pattern

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Jessica Simpson and Ashley Simpson are both same in a sense that they are both famous singers and even sisters, yet they are quite different in many ways. Jessica was always sure what she wanted to do with her life and worked very hard whereas Ashley enjoyed what life had to offer her at the moment. Jessica was in voice lessons and started to sing Gospel music during her high school career. On the other hand, Ashley took dance classes and learned how to perform to Hip-hop music. Jessica is more well known as the air head sister. For example, they both did a breath mint commercial together, and it poked fun of Jessicas blond moments by having Ashley point them out. Jessica is more girly of the sisters. She loves to wear dresses, high-heels, and has the blond bombshell look, unlike Ashley who has more of a punk style. Jessica Simpsons music has more of a classical pop tone, while Ashleys music has more of a pop-rock ring to it. Both of these girls are hard workers and both are very successful singers although they are very extraordinary in their own ways.

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Although my sister and I look alike, we have plenty of differences. My sister, Jessica, is thirteen years old, and she is in the eighth grade. She likes to be with a lot of people at once and always has something going on. She takes more of a relaxed attitude towards her schooling. Jess is into many sports, and is more of a tomboy than many other girls. She is definitely not as sheltered as I was when I was a child. Also, although we are sisters our physical appearances are quite different. Jessica has more of a light complexion. On the other hand, I am eighteen years old, and a freshman in college. I love my quiet time, for example reading magazines, watching TV, or just taking a little nap. I like to have more one on one dates, whether it is friends or my boyfriend, instead of being in a group. I try to stay focused on school, doing all of my homework before anything else. I did not really like to play sports, but rather cheer for them. I was a cheerleader in high school. Although I am older than my sister, I am much more petite. My sister and I both have brown hair, although mine is curly. Jessica and I both have the same values, beliefs, and traditions.
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Even though my sister and I are twins, we are very

different. First, she lives in the United States with her husband and children. Her daughters names are Nicole and Katie. On the other hand, I live in Kuwait and I live by myself. Our jobs are different, too. She works in a bank while I am a teacher. Unlike my sister, I am not very good with numbers. A final difference is in our abilities. My sister is good at art, and

she can draw wonderful pictures. However, the pictures I

draw are not very good. These are some

differences between my sister and myself.

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Introduces the items that will be contrasted in the paragraph. E.g.:

Although . and are both , they are different in many ways. While and are both , they are different in many ways. There are many differences between and .

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Restates the items that were contrasted in the paragraph. E.g.:

and are so different that . Even though and are very different, .. As is clear to see, . and are very different from each other.

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COHESION

COHERENCE

The connection of ideas at the The connection of ideas at the idea level sentence level and paragraph level Describes the way in which a text is tied together by linguistic devices, such as And so we see . . . , Additionally . . . , Therefore . . . , However . . . and On the other hand . .. Focuses on the aspects of writing Means that the text is easy to read and understand because the text follows a certain kind of logical order and the organization of ideas is systematical and logical. Some kinds of logical order: chronological order, spatial order, order of importance

grammatical Refers to the rhetorical aspects of your writing, which include developing and supporting your argument (e.g. thesis statement development), synthesizing and integrating readings, organizing and clarifying ideas.

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Connector
But / However

Note
But is more informal than however. However (not BUT) can be used at the beginning of a sentence in written English Interchangeable, both followed by a S + V Interchangeable, both followed by a noun or a gerund Followed by a S + V

E.g
-I tried to lift the box, but it was too heavy for me. -I tried to lift the box. However, it was too heavy for me. -The flight has been delayed, however , the airline will offer

compensation to all passengers.

Although / Even though Despite / In spite of Despite the fact that / In spite of the fact that While / Whereas / Unlike

-Although I exercise every day, I cant seem to lose any weight. -She still loves him, even though he treated her very badly. -Our plane arrived on time in spite of the delay during takeoff. -We won the game despite having two fewer players. -Our plane arrived on time in spite of the fact that it left 30

minutes late. -We won the game despite the fact that we had 2 fewer players. Show contrasts. While and whereas are usually used between 2 complete phrases. Unlike is typically used with only a subject.
-While London is exciting, it is much too busy. -Life in the city is fast, whereas life in the countryside is slow. -His boss allows him to work from home, unlike mine. -Unlike her sister, shes very friendly.

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

An active student and a passive student An online class compared to a traditional class Living on campus and living off campus Two careers Two fast-food restaurants Two generations Two places you have visited
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