www.yasi-kouyu.com.cn

Written May 19, 2008

Comparing and Contrasting Two Things

Introduction

One of the most common speaking test questions asks you to compare (and contrast) two things, ‘A’ and ‘B’. (See Note 1)

‘Comparing’ and ‘contrasting’ are two different things, although they are similar and they usually go together in the same answer. (See Note 2)

In the IELTS speaking test, the most frequently used examples of the two things, A and B to compare are:

1. males/females  (boys and girls; men and women)

2. old/young  (‘old’ can mean your parents' age and older; ‘young’ means about 15 to 30 years old)

3. urban/rural  (city and country)

4. children/adults  (‘children’ are from about 3 to 12 years of age; ‘adults’ are over 18 years old)

5. today/before  (‘before’ usually means 20 to 50 years previously)

As well as these frequently used examples of A and B, the topic of the question can suggest other examples of A and B. For example, when talking about the news, obvious comparisons can be drawn between the different types of news media – newspapers, TV, radio, the internet, and news magazines. Some of these other examples of A & B are listed on this page.

See Note 3 for suggested study idea.

************************************************************

The Wording of ‘Compare Questions’

Sometimes the examiner actually uses the word ‘compare’ in these questions but not always, especially in Part 1. The examiner might just ask you if you think there is a difference between A & B, or if A is the same as B, or if A is better than B, or if something has changed in the past few decades. After you have read this page, you will be able to recognize that whenever the examiner mentions two things, such as ‘old people and young people’ he or she usually expects you to include the language of comparison in your answer.

Some questions that require you to make comparisons have the form of ‘Yes/No’ questions or ‘Prefer’ questions or ‘Opinion’ questions. For these questions, first answer the basic questions (“Yes” or “No”, or what you prefer, or what your opinion is) and then in the second part of your answer, give more details, especially your reasons why you said that and this involves (more or less) making a comparison. For example, “Do you prefer to get your news from newspapers or from TV?”

A similar situation exists for questions that ask you about changes that have taken place (in China). Here’s an example: “Has the style of furniture in Chinese people's homes changed in recent years?” For this question, you first say that, yes, the style has changed. A typical answer should continue with comparative statements such as, “… people now buy more luxurious and more fashionable furniture than they did 30 years ago. …”

After you have read and studied this page, you should practice making answers to as many of the ‘compare questions’ that are listed on this website as possible. You can find them on this page: List of 'Compare Questions' from this website. (This list contains most of them – I might have missed a few.)

************************************************************

Review  – Comparative Adjectives

Exception: quiet, quieter

Irregular Adjectives 

(The superlative form is shown here but it is not needed for comparing two things.)

************************************************************

How to Compare and Contrast

·  The main way to compare is to use the three different types of sentences that are shown in this table.

Extra notes on these three types of sentences

·  When answering a question, try to say 2 or 3 different comparisons and show a variety of sentence types.

·  Type 1: You can add adverbs, such as in, “A is much bigger than B ”

·   Type 2: You can also say this: “B is not quite as big as A ” or “B is not nearly as big as A ”

·  Type 3: You can also say this: “A is big but B is rather small ”, “A is big while B is small ”, or “A is big whereas B is small. ”

·  Type 3: Here is another example of two statements that are in contrast: “Old people prefer gentle, non-competitive exercise, such as walking whereas young people, especially young men, prefer strenuous, competitive sports such as football.” (The darker words are spoken with ‘contrasting stress’, i.e., a little louder than the other words.) 

·    Types 1 & 3: Some candidates only use contrasting statements because they are easier to say than sentences that include comparative adjectives and comparative adverbs but you should try to show the examiner that you know how to use these more difficult forms of English. For example: “Young people prefer much more competitive physical activities than old people.” And: “Old people engage in less strenuous activity than young people.”

************************************************************

Some More Suggestions

      When comparing two things, is it good enough just to talk about the ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’?

·    Many people think that comparing A & B just means comparing the advantages and disadvantages of A & B (or, the ‘good points’ and ‘bad points’ of A & B). It is true that many ‘compare questions’ can be answered by thinking this way but you should be careful because this is not always applicable.  For example: “Compare the sports that boys play with those that girls play.” 

     Compare, don't just describe

·   In general, try to actually compare rather than simply describe A and then follow that by describing B. (For example, comparing the sports that boys play with those that girls play.) In other words, try to make sentences that contain comparisons of A and B in each sentence. This usually involves using some comparative adjectives (比 较 形 容 词) but that is not the only way to compare two things. It is not ‘wrong’ to talk about A first and then talk about B and quite often that is the most natural way to answer the question. However, comparing the two things in the same sentence will impress the examiner more because it is more difficult to make that kind of sentence and it shows the grammar that the examiner is looking for.

     How to speak fluently and show good coherence

·   After you look at some of the example answers on this page, below, (most of which are at Band 8/9 level), you might think that it is difficult to quickly make similar answers yourself. ‘Quickly’ means that you speak fluently – you should not sit there silently thinking of what to say for an unnaturally long time. But it is not easy to quickly form these sentences comparing A & B because you first have to think of the ideas before you make the sentences.

     My first suggestion is this: Think aloud, i.e., speak what you are thinking – show the examiner your thinking process. 

     For example, make a general statement at the beginning, before you even start comparing. This will help you focus on the question and it will give you a little time to gather some ideas. As well as that, by beginning with a general statement, you are also showing good coherence because showing your thinking process (your logic) will help the listener understand the meaning and the logic of what follows that. 

     Some examples of general statements are: “Oh, there’s a big difference between the two.” Or, “Well, there are several major differences between the two.” Or, “Well, they’re quite similar in many ways but ....” These are all quite good to use but they are not 'wonderful' beginnings because they state rather obvious things or they state things that are just too general. Don't forget, good communication involves the exchange of information and, although there is some good information contained in those sentences, they could be better. So, if you are still unsure of what are some good points of comparison between A & B after you make such a very general statement, the next sentence should be another general statement, but coming closer to actually talking about the differences (or similarities) between A & B. The more difficult it is to think of differences between A & B, the more general things you need to say at the beginning – it's kind of like having a ‘discussion with yourself’ in order to gather your thoughts.

     These general statements should be about the first things that come to your mind, i.e., the most obvious but still rather general differences between A & B. Many candidates actually say the words, “(Well,) the first thing that comes to my mind is ...”. This is quite a good thing to say but, if you think about it, that sentence says something rather obvious – if it's the first thing you say, then obviously it's the first thing that comes to your mind! Another reason to be a little wary of that sentence is the fact that it tends to be overused in the speaking test because it's in many model answers in IELTS speaking test books. Don't misunderstand me – I'm not suggesting you don't use that sentence at all because it's quite a good thing to say but I do suggest you be a little careful about using it and I certainly suggest you don't use it more than once in the speaking test. 

     Let's look at some more examples of a general statement. If the examiner asks you: “Are the houses in the rural parts of China the same as houses in the cities?” you could begin by making the following general observation: “Well, most people in the rural parts of China are farmers who don't have as much money as people in the cities so ...” Notice that the general observation leads you to a conclusion, which you begin by using the word, “so”. You could even pause (for a very short period of time) to consider what conclusions you can draw from your general observation – a short pause is natural when you are considering something. Some obvious conclusions, (following the word “so”) for this answer are: “... so most rural houses are cheaper and simpler than those in the cities. ” 

     To repeat: These general statements are especially useful when you still haven't thought of what to say but it also shows good coherence to begin your answer with a general statement (or two) even when you do know exactly what comparisons you are going to say between A & B. 

     Other general statements you could make are: “Well, China's countryside is not as well developed as the cities so ...” ( “... so most homes in the countryside are rather old, simple and cheap while those in the cities are mostly now new, modern apartments, which are quite expensive to buy.”) Or: “Well, the cities in China are quite crowded so ...” ( “... so land is very expensive and most people live in flats whereas most people in the countryside live in small houses in villages and they often have a small yard around the house, with a garden and chickens or a pig in the yard.”

    You could also give this kind of answer: “Actually, most people in the cities don't live in houses, they live in flats, which are often quite modern and expensive but most people in the countryside do live in small, rather cheap houses in villages, near their farmland.” This answer compares rural & city housing by contrasting the two.

    Here's another example question: “Compare the sports that boys play with those that girls play.”

    Answer: “Well, ... let me think ... boys are more aggressive than girls so ... so boys' sports often involve more pushing and physical contact than girls' sports. For example, in boys' basketball, players try to grab the ball from the player who has the ball but that is not allowed in girls' basketball.”

·  Your answer is also more coherent if you end your comparison by using a summary sentence such as, “Overall, I’d say it’s probably better to use emails when applying for a job in China today.”

·   Of course, for good coherence, you should use ‘connecting words and phrases’ to begin many of your sentences. For example: However, On the other hand, In contrast ....  

·   When speaking in general, it is usually better to use plural nouns. For example, “Emails are much faster than letters.” Or, “Dogs are usually friendlier than cats, but cats are cleaner than dogs.”  

     It is usually possible to use singular nouns, such as, “An email is much faster than a letter” but you are more likely to make a mistake when using singular nouns because you have to remember to include the word “a” or “an” and you have to make sure you choose the correct one of those two.

************************************************************

Some Example Answers

1.  Compare how adults spend their leisure time with how children spend their leisure time. 

Well, young children of course like to play, especially with toys or play games such as ‘hide and seek’ with their friends. Adults, on the other hand, are usually more goal-oriented in their leisure time activities. For example, they decide to go out with friends or do some exercise or read a book. But there are some things that both groups have in common. For example, almost everybody watches some TV from time to time.  

2.  Compare old houses and modern houses. Which do people prefer to live in?

     Most old houses in China tend to have a smaller floor area than newer apartments and are not as well equipped as modern houses. For example, some of the old houses don’t have central heating and some, such as in the alleyways of old Beijing, don’t even have their own toilets. So, of course, people prefer to live in modern apartments, if they can afford it although some people choose to live in older apartments because they are closer to their workplace or to the city centre.

3.  Compare watching films with reading books.

Well, I think that watching films is a passive pursuit, compared to reading books because by reading you are exercising the brain and improving your language ability. In other words, depending on what books you read, you can learn a lot more than from films – most films are purely for entertainment. Not only that, most films appeal to the ‘lowest common denominator’. I mean films usually just appeal to people’s interest in romance or excitement  – things that help sell the film – but with books, there’s a wide range to choose from, to suit all tastes and interests.

************************************************************  

Fill-in Exercise

Choose the most suitable comparative adjective to fill in each empty space. Each of these choices is used only once.

a) more convenient   b) more functional   c) more necessary   d) less strict  e) more up-to-date   f) less interested   g) more sophisticated   h) more competitive   i) slower-paced  j) more spacious   k) more attractively  (This is a comparative adverb.)  l) greater    m) less developed   n) quieter  o) better educated   p) simpler   q) more professional   r) more mellow   s) friendlier

1. Men are usually much ____________________ in shopping than women. Men go shopping in order to buy what they need but a lot of women find enjoyment in the shopping experience itself – they’re not just interested in getting what they need. 

2. In general, grandparents are ________________ with their grandchildren than the parents. I guess it’s because they have a __________________ attitude towards life. 

3. Generally speaking, city people are ________________ and _________________than country people. 

4. The countryside is certainly__________ than the city but some small cities in China are quite noisy. 

5. Children today do face more challenges than children of my parents’ generation, one of the reasons being that life today is ____________________ than it used to be. 

6. Modern apartments are ___________________than those built 40 or 50 years ago. 

7. Modern buildings are usually  ____________________ designed than those built a few years ago. 

8. The information in magazines is usually ________________  than that in books because new editions of magazines are published every few weeks.  . 

9. There’s a ____________ emphasis on the quality of life in cities than there is in rural areas. 

10.Office furniture is usually _____________ and ___________________ than home furniture. 

11.Practical skills are ____________________ for everyday life than academic skills. 

12.Customer service in department stores and big supermarkets is usually  _____________________ than it is in small, family-owned shops. On the other hand, if you're a regular customer at a small shop, the owner is usually ____________ than the employees at the big shops. 

13.It’s _______________________ for me to take the subway than to go to work by bus. 

14.Life when my parents were young was _______________ than it is today. 

15.The educational and health facilities in the countryside are _________________ compared to those in the big cities such as Beijing.  

Answers

************************************************************

   Notes

1.     In fact, if you carefully consider all the questions that are shown on this website, it is possible to include the language of comparison in a very large number of your answers.

2.     In 'compare sentences' you talk about the same adjective such as, “Dogs are usually friendlier than cats.” In 'contrast sentences' you talk about different adjectives such as “Dogs are usually friendly but cats are quite clean.” 

    A particularly strong sentence combines both comparing and contrasting: “Dogs are usually friendlier than cats but cats are cleaner than dogs.” And: “Cars are faster than bicycles but bicycles are cheaper than cars.”

    You can usually express the same idea by using either a 'compare sentence' or a 'contrast sentence'. For example: “My computer's older than hers” = “My computer's old but hers is almost new .” 

    When you speak a contrast statement, you should emphasize the words in contrast by speaking these words  with more stress (a little louder) than the other words. In the following sentence, the words highlighted in yellow are stressed: “Dogs are usually friendlier than cats but cats are cleaner than dogs.”

3.      After you have read all of this article, I suggest a good exercise for you is to see how many different sentences you can make, comparing the 5 different sets of A & B shown above (male/female, old people/young people etc.) For example, how many different comparisons can you make between young people and old(er) people?

************************************************************