example paragraphs

8/12/2019 Example Paragraphs

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Compare and Contrast Paragraph

In a compare and contrast paragraph, you write about the similarities anddifferences between two or more people, places, things, or ideas.

First, craft a Topic Sentence - In one sentence, tell the reader thefocus of your paragraphDecide to what extent you will stress the similarities between yoursubjects and to what extent you will stress their differences.Create a topic sentence that reflects that decision.

Example (for a paragraph comparing the Canadian cities of Vancouverand Halifax:)

While there are some similarities between Vancouver and Halifax, thereare also some differences, particularly in weather and population.

Or Although Vancouver and Halifax are similar in some respects, they arequite different in terms of climate and size.

Or

Vancouver and Halifax are similar in many ways, but they have onemajor difference: weather.


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Using the following words and phrases helps to clarify similaritiesand differences when writing a good compare and contrastparagraph:

Helper Words:

Similarities Differences is similar to On the other hand

both howeveralso buttoo in contrast

as well differs fromwhileunlike

Similarities is similar to (Example:) Spring weather in Vancouver is similar to spring weatherin Halifax.Both ( Example:) Both Vancouver and Halifax have rain in the spring.Also ( Example:) Halifax also has a rainy spring season.Too ( Example:) Halifax has a rainy spring season, too .as well (Example:) As well , Halifax has a very rainy spring season.

Differences on the other hand ( Example:) On the other hand , winter is much colder in Halifax.

however (Example:) However , winter is much colder in Halifax.but (Example:) Vancouver has a mild winter, but Halifax has a cold one.in contrast to (Example:) In contrast to Vancouver, Halifax has a coldwinter.differs from ( Example:) Halifax differs from Vancouver by having a cold winter.while (Example:) While Vancouver has a mild winter, Halifax has a cold winter
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Paragraph: Similarities

Sample 1

Similarities Between Work and School

Work and school are very much alike in at least three ways. First, both requirean early start. Going to work requires getting up early to be assured of a parkingspace, and going to school requires getting up early to avoid the traffic rush. Second,promptness is important in both places. Being at work on time pleases the employer;being in class on time pleases the instructor. Third, both work and school deadlinesmust be met. On the job, the boxes would have to be filled and the telephone callsmade by a certain time; in a class, the essays would have to be submitted and thebooks read by a certain date. In conclusion, it is not surprising that work and schoolshare these three similarities, since one of the purposes of school is to prepare a

student for the job of his choice.

http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/tlc/pub/handouts_worksheets/english/075_comparison_contrast.pdf


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Paragraph: Differences

Sample 1

The differences between two states in the U.S

Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states of the U.S., they arestrikingly different in many ways. First of all, the physical size of each state isdifferent. For example, 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 1,214square miles. Another difference is in the size of the population of each state. Arizonahas 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 notreceive much rainfall every year. However, Rhode Island is located in a temperatezone and receives an average of 44 inches of rain per year. In addition, while Arizonais a landlocked state and thus has no seashore, Rhode Island lies on the AtlanticOcean and does have a significant coastline.

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/compcont.html

Sample 2

Teaching Styles

Students who have Mr. Wong and Mr. Kumar are immediately aware of the

difference in the lecturing manner of each teacher. Mr. Wong has a pleasant

voice, which helps hold the interest of the students. Mr. Kumar, however, has a

booming voice, which commands rather than teaches.The moderate tone and

inflected words of Mr. Wong make his lectures more interesting than those of Mr.

Kumar, who speaks in a boring monotone. Mr. Wong welcomes questions from

students who dont understand the material, as compared to Mr. Kumar who hates to

be interrupted. Mr. Wong takes his time and explains slowly, whereas Mr. Kumar

rushes through each lesson. Mr. Wong is very enthusiastic about his subject: he tries

to make sure everyone understands a concept before he moves on to something

new. Mr. Kumar, however, is always in a determined mood; he feels that he must

cover everything. Each teacher has a different voice, tone, expression, and attitude:

and as a result, their lectures are quite different.Source: Donald, Moore, Morrow, Wargetz, Werner, Writing Clear Paragraphs,

Prentice Hall, 1978.


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Sample 3

Two Varieties of English

Although U.S.English and British English are mutually understandablelanguages, there are quite a few differences. One difference is spelling. Some wordsare spelled one way inthe United States but spelt another way in Great Britain. Aperson goes to a British theatre but to a U.S. theater. In U.S. schools, studentstheorize, analyze and socialize, whereas British students theorise, analyse, andsocialise. A second area of difference is vocabulary. For example, the word collegenames two very different types of schools in the United States and Great Britain university level in the United States and pre-university level in Great Britain. Also,British university students live in halls on campus a nd in ats off campus, but

U.S.students live in dormitories on campus and in apartments off campus. Finally,there are many differences in pronunciation. In Great Britain, the sound of a in thewords path, laugh, aunt, plant, and dance is like the a in father. In the UnitedStates,in contrast, the a sound in the words is like the a in cat. All in all, though there aredifferences between the English spoken in the United States and the English spokenin the British Isles, we understand each other most of the time!

http://www.ablongman.com/samplechapter/0131933957.pdf

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