Comparison and Contrast
One kind of writing is Comparison. Sometimes we call it Comparison and Contrast, and say that we compare two things when we say how they are similar, and we contrast two things when we say how they are different from each other. Usually, however, we use the word Comparison to mean showing how two things are similar and different.
Looking carefully at two things and noticing how they are alike and how they are different helps us to see and learn more about each of the two things. When you arrive in a new country, you need to familiarize yourself with the coins in use there. Examine two coins: which piece is larger? Which piece is worth more? Open a can of Pepsi and a can of Coke. Which is sweeter? Which is fizzier? Now pour some of each into a glass. Which is darker in color?
When we compare two entities, our basis for comparison is what they share to some degree. We can compare Rome and Florence because they are both cities; we can compare a Fuji apple and a Macintosh apple. If you are going to hire someone, you like to interview a number of essentially qualified people for the job. Then you compare them, and make a choice.
Comparing and contrasting comes naturally to us. As infants we learn to identify people as familiar or strange. We learn to identify foods by their taste; to a baby, sweet is good and bitter is bad.
By comparing myself to other people I can learn more about myself and about them. The more people we come into contact with, the more universally valid our comparison can be. Let’s say that in your family you are the shortest of the children, and you think of yourself as a short person. Then you start school and you are the tallest person in your grade. Now you think of yourself as tall. Then you go to another country and everyone your age is taller than you. You might begin to wonder how tall you are relative to children your age throughout the world.
Maybe you are interested in Dance. As you learn about different types of dance, you can compare and contrast them. The more kinds of dance you know about, the better you will be able to understand each one.
Assignment: Choose two forms of dance or music, and compare and contrast them. In the photograph below, we see three couples of tango dancers. You might compare and contrast the tango with another style of couples dancing. If you try to compare the tango with hip hop dancing, you will not have a useful basis of comparison because hip hop dancing is not by definition a couples dance.