COMPARISON-CONTRAST

CHAPTER 8

Comparing concepts, things, persons, and places with each

other means pointing out their similarities and contrasting their
difference.
As a technical writing technique, comparison-contrast are
dominantly used in the following technical reports: (Riordan,
2005)
1.Recommendation reports that compare-contrast people based
on their credentials or qualifications.
2.Feasibility reports that compare-contrast two or more options.
3.Proposal reports that compare-contrast two or more
suggestions or offers for a companys growth or solution to its
current problems.
4.Progress reports that compare-contrast accomplishments of

ALTERNATING PATTERN OR
POINT-BY-POINT MANNER
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES ARE
GIVEN ON EVERY ASPECT OR FEATURE
POSSESSED BY THE ITEMS BEING
COMPARED AND CONTRASTED

OPPOSING PATTERN OR
BLOCK ORGANIZATION
A SUMMARY OF ALL INFORMATION ABOUT
ONE ITEM IS GIVEN IN THE FIRST
PARAGRAPH, AND OF THE OTHER ITEM IN
THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.

DISCOURSE
MARKERS
FOR COMPARING
THINGS

FOR CONTRASTING
THINGS

SIMILARLY
SIMILAR TO
THE SAME AS
PARALLEL TO
FOR
ALIKE
BOTH
THE SAME
ANALOGOUS TO
LIKE

CONVERSELY
DIFFERENT FROM
NOT THE SAME
OPPOSITE OF
AGAINST
DISSIMILAR
BUT
IN CONTRAST TO
CONTRARY TO
UNLIKE

GUIDELINES IN COMPARING AND

CONTRASTING THINGS:

1. BEGIN YOUR COMPARISON-CONTRAST WITH SOME SORT OF

DEFINITION, EXPLANATION, OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEMS
YOU ARE COMPARING AND CONTRASTING.
2. CONSIDER BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL
CHARACTERISTICS OR PROPERTIES OF THE OBJECTS TO
KNOW THEIR SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN LOOKS
AND IN PURPOSE OR FUNCTION.
3. BRING OUT THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF THINGS
BASED ON CRITERIA, STANDARDS, OR CHARACTERISTICS
BELONGING OR CLOSE TO THE TOPIC OF COMPARISONCONTRAST.
4. PUT THEIR SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN AN
ORGANIZED MANNER BY USING A PARTICULAR