ENG1020 Ch13 PDF

CHAPTER
13 Comparison: Showing
Relationships
In this chapter you will learn how to:

13.1 Use comparison as a writing strategy.
13.2 Select items for comparison.
13.3 Use details to develop a comparison.
13.4 Use different patterns to organize a comparison.
13.5 Use analogies in your comparison.
13.6 Write so that your comparison is ethical.
13.7 Prewrite, plan, draft, and revise your comparison.
Fly Fernandez/Corbis
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219
Strategies for Successful Writing: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, Tenth Edition, by James A. Reinking and Robert von der Osten.
Published by Longman. Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Which candidate for senator should get my vote, Ken Conwell or Jerry Mander?
Let me know whether this new shipment of nylon thread meets specs.
Doesnt this song remind you of Faith Hill?
How does high school in Australia stack up against high school in this country?
Everyone makes comparisons, not just once in a while but day after day. When we
compare, we examine two or more items for likenesses, differences, or both.
13.1 Comparison often helps us choose between alternatives. Some issues are
trivial: whether to play World of Warcraft or Warhammer, whether to order
Use comparison as a
pizza or a sub sandwich. But comparison also influences our more important
writing strategy.
decisions. We weigh majoring in chemistry against majoring in physics, buying
against renting, or working for Microsoft against working for IBM.
Comparison also acquaints us with unfamiliar things. To help American
readers understand the English sport of rugby, a sportswriter might compare
its field, team, rules, and scoring system with those for football. To teach stu-
dents about Frances government, a political science textbook might discuss the
makeup and election of its parliament and the method of picking its president
and premier, using our own government as a backdrop.
Both your classes and your job will call for comparison writing.
Your humanities instructor may have you compare a short story and its
movie adaptation to explain the adaptation process.
Your psychology instructor may want you to compare two types of psycho-
sis and assess the legal and medical ramifications of each.
Your health administration instructor may have you compare two differ-
ent types of elder care facilities to determine the best choice for different
individuals.
An office manager may compare different types of cell phone services to
determine which is best for the companys work force.
A nurse assesses the condition of a patient before and after a new medi-
cine is given.
An insurance agent points out the features of two insurance policies to
highlight the advantages of one.
Selecting Items for Comparison

Any items you compare must share some common ground. For example, you
13.2
could compare two golfers on driving ability, putting ability, and sand play, or two
Select items for cars on appearance, gas mileage, and warranty; however, you cant meaningfully
comparison.
compare a golfer with a car, any more than you could compare guacamole with
Guadalajara or chicken with charcoal. Theres simply no basis for comparison.
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220
Developing a Comparison 221
Any valid comparison, on the other hand, presents many possibilities. Listen to the
Suppose you head the music department of a large store and have two excel- Podcast on Faulty
Comparison
lent salespeople working for you. The manager of the store asks you to prepare
a one- or two-page report that compares their qualifications for managing the
music department in a new branch store. Assessing their abilities becomes the
guiding purpose that motivates and controls the writing. On the spot you can
rule out points such as eye color, hair style, and religion, which have no bearing
on job performance. Instead, you must decide what managerial traits the job will
require and the extent to which each candidate possesses them. Your thinking
might result in a list like this:
Points of Similarity or Difference Pat Mike
1. Ability to deal with customers, sales skills Excellent Excellent
2. Effort: regular attendance, hard work on the job Excellent Excellent
3. Leadership qualities Excellent Good
4. Knowledge of ordering and accounting procedures Good Fair
5. Musical knowledge Excellent Good
This list tells you which points to emphasize and suggests Pat as the candidate
to recommend. You might briefly mention similarities (points 1 and 2) in an
introductory paragraph, but the report would focus on differences (points 3, 4,
and 5) since youre distinguishing between two employees.
EXERCISE
Say you want to compare two good restaurants in order to recommend

one of them. List the points of similarity and difference that you might
discuss. Differences should predominate because you will base your
decision on them.
Developing a Comparison
Successful comparisons rest upon ample, well-chosen details that show just how 13.3
the items under consideration are alike and different. Such support helps the
Use details to develop a
reader grasp your meaning. Read the following student paragraphs and note
comparison.
how the concrete details convey the striking differences between south and
north 14th Street:
On 14th Street running south from P Street are opulent department

stores, such as Woodward and Lothrop and Julius Garfinkle, and small
but expensive clothing stores with richly dressed mannequins in the
windows. Modern skyscraping office buildings harbor banks and travel
bureaus on the ground floors and insurance companies and corporation
headquarters in the upper stories. Dotting the concretescape are high-
priced movie theaters, gourmet restaurants, multilevel parking garages,
bookstores, and candy-novelty-gift shops, all catering to the prosperous
population of the city. This section of 14th Street is relatively clean: The
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222 CHAPTER 13 Comparison: Showing Relationships
city maintenance crews must clean up after only a nine-to-five populace

and the Saturday crowds of shoppers. The pervading mood of the area is
one of bustling wealth during the day and, in the night, calm.
Crossing P Street toward the north, one notes a gradual but dis-
turbing change in the scenery of 14th Street. Two architectural features
assault the eyes and automatically register as tokens of trouble: the
floodlights that leave no alley or doorway in shadows and the riot
screens that cage in the store windows. The buildings are old, con-
demned, decaying monoliths, each occupying an entire city block.
Liquor stores, drugstores, dusty television repair shops, seedy porno-
graphic bookstores that display photographs of naked bodies with the
genital areas blacked out by strips of tape, discount stores smelling
perpetually of stale chocolate and cold popcorn, and cluttered pawn-
shopsbusinesses such as these occupy the street level. Each is sepa-
rated from the adjoining stores by a littered entranceway that leads up
a decaying wooden stairway to the next two floors. All the buildings are
three stories tall; all have most of their windows broken and blocked
with boards or newspapers; and all reek of liquor, urine, and unidentifi-
able rot. And so the general atmosphere of this end of 14th Street is one
of poverty and decay.
Vivid details depict with stark clarity the economic differences between the two
areas.
Organizing a Comparison
You can use either of two basic patterns to organize a comparison paper: block
13.4
or alternating. The paper may deal with similarities, differences, or some combi-
Use different patterns to nation of them.
organize a comparison.
The Block Pattern

The block pattern first presents all of the points of comparison for one item
and then all of the points of comparison for the other. Following is the com-
parison of the two salespeople, Pat and Mike, outlined according to the block
pattern:
I. Introduction: mentions similarities in sales skills and effort but recom-
mends Pat for promotion.
II. Specific points about Mike
A. Leadership qualities
B. Knowledge of ordering and accounting procedures
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C. Musical knowledge
Using Analogy 223
III. Specific points about Pat

A. Leadership qualities
B. Knowledge of ordering and accounting procedures
C. Musical knowledge
IV. Conclusion: reasserts that Pat should be promoted.
The block pattern works best with short papers or ones that include only a few
points of comparison. The reader can easily remember all the points in the first
block while reading the second.
The Alternating Pattern

The alternating pattern presents a point about one item, then follows imme-
diately with a corresponding point about the other. Organized in this way, the
Pat-and-Mike paper would look like this:
I. Introduction: mentions similarities in sales skills and effort but recom-
mends Pat for promotion.
II. Leadership qualities
A. Mikes qualities
B. Pats qualities
III. Knowledge of ordering and accounting procedures
A. Mikes knowledge
B. Pats knowledge
IV. Musical knowledge
A. Mikes knowledge
B. Pats knowledge
V. Conclusion: reasserts that Pat should be promoted.
For longer papers that include many points of comparison, use the alternat-
ing method. Discussing each point in one place highlights similarities and differ-
ences; your reader doesnt have to pause and reread in order to grasp them. The
alternating plan also works well for short papers.
Once you select your pattern, arrange your points of comparison in an ap-
propriate order. Take up closely related points one after the other. Depending
on your purpose, you might work from similarities to differences or the reverse.
Often, a good writing strategy is to move from the least significant to the most
significant point so that you conclude with punch.
EXERCISE
Using the points of comparison you selected for the exercise on

page 221, prepare outlines for a paper organized according to the
block pattern and then the alternating pattern.
Using Analogy
An analogy, a special type of comparison, calls attention to one or more simi- 13.5
larities underlying two kinds of an item that seem to have nothing in com- Use analogies in your
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mon. While some analogies stand alone, most clarify concepts in other kinds comparison.
of writing. Whatever their role, they follow the same organizational pattern as
ordinary comparisons.
An analogy often explains something unfamiliar by likening it to something
familiar. Following is an example:
The atmosphere of Earth acts like any window in serving two very important
functions. It lets light in, and it permits us to look out. It also serves as a shield to
keep out dangerous or uncomfortable things. A normal glazed window lets us keep
our houses warm by keeping out cold air, and it prevents rain, dirt, and unwelcome
insects and animals from coming in. . . . Earths atmospheric window also helps to
keep our planet at a comfortable temperature by holding back radiated heat and
protecting us from dangerous levels of ultraviolet light.
Lester del Ray, The Mysterious Sky
Conversely, an analogy sometimes highlights the unfamiliar in order to help

illuminate the familiar. The following paragraph discusses the qualities and obli-
gations of an unfamiliar person, the mountain guide, to shed light on a familiar
practiceteaching:
The mountain guide, like the true teacher, has a quiet authority. He or she en-
genders trust and confidence so that one is willing to join the endeavor. The guide
accepts his leadership role, yet recognizes that success (measured by the heights that
are scaled) depends upon the close cooperation and active participation of each mem-
ber of the group. He has crossed the terrain before and is familiar with the landmarks,
but each trip is new and generates its own anxiety and excitement. Essential skills must
be mastered; if they are lacking, disaster looms. The situation demands keen focus
and rapt attention: slackness, misjudgment, or laziness can abort the venture.
Nancy K. Hill, Scaling the Heights: The Teacher as Mountaineer
When you develop an analogy, keep these points in mind:

1. Your readers must be well acquainted with the familiar item. If they
arent, the point is lost.
2. The items must have significant similarities. You could develop a meaning-
ful analogy between a kidney and a filter or between cancer and anarchy
but not between a fiddle and a flapjack or a laser and limburger cheese.
3. The analogy must truly illuminate. Overly obvious analogies, such as one
comparing a battle to an argument, offer few or no revealing insights.
4. Overextended analogies can tax the readers endurance. A multipage
analogy between a heart and a pump would likely overwhelm the reader
with all its talk of valves, hoses, pressures, and pumping.
Ethical Issues
13.6 Although an old adage declares that comparisons are odious, most people
embrace comparisons except when they are unfair. Unfortunately, this situation
Write so that your com-
occurs all too often. For example, advertisers commonly magnify trivial drawbacks
parison is ethical.
in competitive products while exaggerating the benefits of their own merchan-
dise. Politicians run attack ads that distort their opponents views and demean the
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Writing a Comparison 225
opponents character. And when scientific theories clash, supporters of one view
have been known to alter their findings in order to undermine the other position.
Your readers expect any comparison to meet certain ethical standards. Ask and
answer these questions to help ensure that those you write measure up.
Am I avoiding skewing one or both of my items in order to ensure a par-
ticular outcome?
Are the items Im comparing properly matched? It would be unethical
to compare a student essay to a professional one in order to demonstrate
the inadequacy of the former.
If Im using an analogy, is it appropriate? Comparing immigration
officials to Nazi storm troopers is ethically odious: It trivializes the
suffering and deaths of millions of Nazi victims and taints the officials
with a terrible label.
Writing a Comparison
Dont write merely to fulfill an assignment; if you do, your paper will likely ram- 13.7
ble aimlessly and fail to deliver a specific message. Instead, build your paper
Prewrite, plan, draft, and
around a clear sense of purpose. Do you want to show the superiority of one
revise your comparison.
product or method over another? Do you want to show how sitcoms today differ
from those twenty years ago? Purpose governs the details you choose and the Watch the Animation
on Writing a Comparison
organization you follow.
Prewriting the Comparison
Brainstorm major areas of interest: movies, TV shows, teaching styles. FINDING YOUR TOPIC
Brainstorm basic areas of comparison, or narrowing: the representation
of fathers on TV in the 1950s and now.
Identify your purpose for the comparison, such as to show progress
or help consumers make a choice.
Identify what audience would be interested in your comparison.
If possible, re-observe or use items to be compared and take notes DEVELOPING YOUR
of similarities and differences.
COMPARISON
Brainstorm or create a chart of the major similarities and differences of the
items being compared.
Branch or chart the details and examples.
Decide what points of comparison you will use based on audience and purpose.
Create a chart or create an outline that establishes an order for your
comparison.
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Planning and Drafting the Comparison

When you decide upon an order, copy the points of comparison and the details,
arranged in the order you will follow, into a chart like the one below.
Item A Item B
First point of comparison First point of comparison
First detail First detail
Second detail Second detail
Second point of comparison Second point of comparison
A thesis statement for a comparison often stresses the major point or two of
comparison and relates that point to the readers interests. While earthquakes
in the East may be more infrequent and less severe than those in California, they
may be more widely felt because they tend to be shallower and are not damp-
ened byadditional faults. To develop your thesis, review your brainstorming to
identify the main points of comparisons that will interest your reader and con-
sider why those points are important.
Connect to readers interest, identifying readers interest in

making a choice or reasons for understanding something
unfamiliar.
Introduction
Identify items being compared and main points of comparison.
Sometimes preview the key points of comparison in the order
they will be presented in the paper.
Based on purpose, number of points you will make, and length,

select organizational pattern: block or alternating.
If explaining something unfamiliar, start with something familiar.
Body If trying to demonstrate superiority of an item, go from less to
more desirable.
Follow a consistent pattern throughout.
Provide details or examples to develop points of comparison.
Possibly end with a recommendation, like whether to buy

Mac or PC.
Or make a prediction, such as the growing popularity of rugby
at colleges.
Conclusion Or stress the major point of the comparison and its importance:
Why the East Coast also needs to be prepared for
earthquakes.
Do not summarize all similarities and differences for a
short paper. You may provide such a summary on a much
longer paper.
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Revising the Comparison

Revise your paper in light of the general guidelines in Chapter 4 and the ques-
tions and suggestions that follow:
What could help strengthen the achievement of the papers purpose,
whether to choose between alternatives or acquaint the reader with
something unfamiliar?
For something unfamiliar, where could the unfamiliar features be made
clearer by a stronger comparison with something familiar?
Where could the paper be better directed to the audience? Cut or revise
material not appropriate to the audience and purpose.
What additional points of similarity and difference might be included?
Brainstorm.
Watch the Animation
Where would additional details or examples strengthen the paper? Brain- on Comparison Signal
storm or use branching. Words
Does the organization of the paper not fit the purpose and audience?
Where doesnt the paper follow a consistent pattern? Experiment with
reorganization.
Where could the transitions be strengthened to better show the shifts in
points of comparison?
Where do paragraphs lose focus or try to deal with too many points of
comparison?
Where, if anywhere, does the paper unfairly distort the comparison
unethically?
SAMPLE
STUDENT ESSAY OF COMPARISON
Differences between Korean and English

Sunho Lee
1 As the world undergoes globalization, English is given a great deal Establishes point of topic
of weight as an official language; as a result, many people have been Identifies major items
to be compared and
trying to learn English. The Korean people have also been making efforts ordered
to acquire the language; however, learning is troublesome for Korean
students because English and Korean have a lot of differences. Three Identifies key points of
comparison and reasons
major differences between English and Korean give people from Korea
for the discussion of
special difficulty in learning English: accent, tense, and articles. those points
2 Accent is one of the obvious differences that frustrate Korean people Identifies first major point
who try to become skilled at English. For instance, impact can be a noun of comparison and rea-
son for discussion
or a verb, depending on how it is stressed. When people who speak
Identifies differences with
English emphasize the first syllable, impact is a noun. If people who use example
English stress the second syllable, impact is a verb. The Korean tongue
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does not use accents in this way and spells noun and verb forms com-
pletely differently. Thus distinguishing parts of speech by accent is not
something familiar to Korean learners.
Identifies second point of 3 The second difference is tense, especially the present perfect tense.
difference
The present perfect tense describes actions or states that begin in the
Explains difference with
past, continue into the present, and might continue into the future. This
example
kind of tense does not exist in Korean grammar. For example, the mean-
ings of I worked out and I have worked out are slightly dissimilar.
Of course, Korean students can interpret both meanings, yet when
people who are used to speaking Korean use the present perfect tense in
English, they have trouble because past and present perfect are not dis-
tinguished in the Korean language.
Identifies final difference 4 The last noticeable difference between Korean and English is the use
to be discussed
of articles: definite and indefinite. Ducks like to swim, There is aduck
Explains difference with in my bathtub, and The duck quacked all night are good
examples
examples. Each ducks or duck is different in these examples, but a Korean
learner cannot easily see the difference between the usages. One English
instructor said, When I speak English, a bird flies to me and gives me
some tips about what article I should use in this situation. This means
that even native English speakers cannot define exactly how to
use articles. To be sure, English grammar has some rules about how touse
articles, but the number of exceptions is more than the regulations. The Ko-
rean language does not have articles; in addition, before Korean students
Explains importance of learn English, they do not know what an article is exactly. Accordingly, for
difference
someone learning English using articles precisely is very complicated.
Reaffirms importance of 5 All languages have differences. Thus for a second language learner,
difference
studying English is very hard, and it is challenging to overcome the variations
Challenges Korean between the two languages. It is especially difficult because of the differences
readers
in stress, the present perfect tense, and articles. Although these features of
English are not easy to understand and use, if Koreans who struggle to use
English fluently study constantly, they can finally conquer English.
Discussion Questions
1. This writer decided to use a point-by-point rather than a block comparison.
Was this the right decision? Why?
2. While the writer provides clear examples in English, there are no matching
examples in Korean. Is this the right choice for this communication situation?
Why or why not?
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3. What is the audience and purpose for this essay? Does it achieve its purpose?
4. What are some of the effective organizational strategies of this essay?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages that would result if the writer had
looked at additional differences between English and Korean?
Suggestions for Writing

1. Write a properly focused comparison essay on one of the topics below or another
that your instructor approves. Determine the points you will discuss and how you
will develop and arrange them. Emphasize similarities, differences, or both.
a. The representation of women, fathers, teenagers, or some other group in a 1950s
or 1960s sitcom and in a similar contemporary sitcom
b. The physical or mental demands of two jobs
c. Male and female styles of conversation
d. Online and brick-and-mortar shopping
e. The playing styles of two NBA or WNBA superstars
f. Online and traditional classes
g. The effectiveness of two pieces of writing
h. Traditional and extreme sports
i. Two or more college or business Web pages
j. Two musical groups or musical styles
k. Two or more products being considered for purchase
l. Two or more video games or types of video games
2. Develop an analogy based on one of the following sets of items or another set that
your instructor approves. Proceed as you would for any other comparison.
a. The offerings in a college catalog and a restaurant menu
b. A heart and a pump or airport hub
c. Writing and gardening or mountain climbing or spelunking
d. A teacher and a merchant or coach or prison guard
e. A brain and a computer or rock concert or busy city
f. Developing an idea and building a house or exploring new territory
g. Succeeding at school and winning a military campaign or a sporting event
h. A workaholic and an alcoholic
i. A cluttered attic and a disorderly mind
j. Reading a book and exploring a new place or hunting for treasure
STEPPING UP TO SYNTHESIS
Although you rely on your own knowledge or findings to
develop many comparisons, in some cases youll synthesize
material from other sources.
Prewriting for Synthesis Lets say that your business man-
agement instructor has asked you to prepare a report on the
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management styles of two high-profile chief executive officers (CEOs) at For-
tune 500 companies that manufacture the same kinds of products. You realize
that youll need to do some reading in business periodicals like Forbes, Fortune,
and the Wall Street Journal in order to complete this assignment. Your sources
reveal that the first CEO favors a highly centralized managerial structure with
strict limits on what can be done by all employees except top executives. The
company has pursued foreign markets by establishing factories overseas and
has aggressively attempted to merge with or acquire its domestic competitors.
The second CEO has established a decentralized managerial structure that al-
lows managers at various levels of the company to make key decisions. The
company has also established a strong foreign presence, but it has done so pri-
marily by entering into joint ventures with foreign firms. Most of its domestic
expansion has resulted from the construction of new plants rather than from
mergers or takeovers. Both CEOs have borrowed heavily to finance their com-
panies expansion.
Critically Evaluating Your Sources After youve read the views expressed
by your sources, examine them critically. Does any of the information about
the two CEOs seem slanted so that it appears to misrepresent their man-
agement styles? For example, do any of the writers seem to exaggerate the
positive or negative features of centralized or decentralized management? Do
appropriate examples support the writers contentions? Does any relevant in-
formation appear to be missing? Does any source contain material that isnt
related to your purpose? Judging the works of others in this fashion will help
you write a better report.
Planning and Drafting Your Synthesis The three differences and one similarity
between CEOs are your points of comparison, which you can organize using ei-
ther the block or alternating pattern. You could make a chart with each of the
key points of comparison in order with information from your sources. When
you write your rough draft, you will want to decide in advance whether you
want an unbiased comparison or whether you will lead to a preference. If the
latter, your introduction might focus on the challenges of determining a more
effective management style; your paragraphs would compare the styles point by
point that lead to an emphasis on the qualities of the one you favor. You might
conclude by indicating why you prefer one of the two management styles.
Getting Started
1. Read Going Nuclear by Patrick Moore and Ten Reasons Why New Nuclear
was a MistakeEven before Fukushima by Alexis Rowell (in the Reader) and
then compare the views of these two writers on the feasibility and safety of
nuclear power
2. Read several reviews of the same movie and then compare what the critics have
written.
Complete additional
exercises and practice 3. Write a criticism of a comparison you read recently that you thought was
in your MyLab unreasonable.
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Writing a Comparison
Prewriting the comparison.
Identify items for comparison, purpose, and audience.

Make observations of objects to compare if possible.
Brainstorm or create a branching tree of details for
comparison.
Check to make certain that the items being compared
are properly matched.
Planning the comparison.
Create a table laying out points of comparison and details.

Determine pattern: block or point by point.
Create a rough outline.
Test to determine whether points are complete, meet the
purpose, and are not skewed.
Drafting the comparison.
Introduction establishes purpose for comparison

and main point.
Body develops each point of comparison with detail
using pattern.
Conclusion may vary but reaffirms the main point.
Revising the comparison.
Gather peer responses, talk over the topic, and reexamine

items being compared.
Repeat the Check to make certain everything fits the purpose.

process Add additional similarities or differences as needed.
as needed.
Cut points that dont fit.
Test organization, especially transitions.
Proofread.
ISBN 1-269-98692-9

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CHAPTER

In this chapter you will learn how to:

Selecting Items for Comparison

Say you want to compare two good restaurants in order to recommend

On 14th Street running south from P Street are opulent department

city maintenance crews must clean up after only a nine-to-five populace

The Block Pattern

III. Specific points about Pat

The Alternating Pattern

Using the points of comparison you selected for the exercise on

Conversely, an analogy sometimes highlights the unfamiliar in order to help

When you develop an analogy, keep these points in mind:

Prewriting the Comparison

Planning and Drafting the Comparison

Connect to readers interest, identifying readers interest in

Based on purpose, number of points you will make, and length,

Possibly end with a recommendation, like whether to buy

Revising the Comparison

STUDENT ESSAY OF COMPARISON

Differences between Korean and English

Continued from previous page

4. What are some of the effective organizational strategies of this essay?

Suggestions for Writing

Continued from previous page

Identify items for comparison, purpose, and audience.

Planning the comparison.

Create a table laying out points of comparison and details.

Drafting the comparison.

Introduction establishes purpose for comparison

Revising the comparison.

Gather peer responses, talk over the topic, and reexamine

Repeat the Check to make certain everything fits the purpose.

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