段落結構

第八課：寫段落的方法 (四)

　　
(7) 對比法（Comparison and Contrast）

    當我們要比較兩件事或兩個人時，除了指出其相同之處外，更會說明兩者不同的地方。有時候，我們想描述一地方時，也會與另一地方作比較，例如：當我們要說新加坡的經濟時，可能會以香港的情況作一比較，包括政府施政，銀行體系，金融信貸等，令讀者更清楚明白。

    一般來說，可有兩種方法來表達。第一種是先詳細說明一件事物的情況，再開始另一項，又稱縱向比較（item-by-item comparison）。第二種是同時比較兩件事物，穿插說明其異或同處，又稱為橫向比較（point-by-point comparison）。



   縱向比較（item-by-item comparison）：

    No two people are exactly alike, and my two older brothers, Sam and Peter, are no exceptions. Even though they have the same parents, their differences in looks, attitude, and personality toward life reflect the differences between Eastern and Western cultures.

    Like the majority of Asian men, Sam is short and has a full-moon shaped face. His smooth white skin and small arms and feet made him look somewhat delicate. Moreover, he likes to wear formal and traditional clothes.

    In contrast to Sam, Peter who is his younger brother by eight years, looks more like an American boxer. He is tall and big-boned. His face is long and angular as a western character. Unlike Sam, Peter has strong feet and arms, and whereas Sam has smooth skin. In addition, Peter likes to wear causal tee-shirts and jeans or sport clothes.


    本例子是比較兩兄弟的不同處，從外形，樣貌，以至衣著方面，Sam 像亞洲男士，但他的弟弟Peter則似美國人，分別由第二段落和第三段落表示出來。

   

     橫向比較（point-by-point comparison）：

    Life in the city is quite different from life in the suburbs. People living in the city are constantly exposed to the hustle and bustle of urban life. However, life in the suburbs is generally quiet and casual than that in the city. If city dwellers want to see trees and grass, they have to go to one of the public parks. On the other hand, the streets of many suburban communities are lined with trees and each house has its own grassy yard. A person living in the city is close to many sources of entertainment, but a suburban dweller must go into the city for entertainment.

    以上一段落是用穿插方式表達城市人和鄉民的生活各有不同，當中應用了一些表示相反的連接詞，如：however, but, on the other hand等。

                 常用的比較及相反連接詞
           （Transitions for Comparison & Contrast）

    1. Transitions in Phrases
    連接詞後須用名詞Noun，而片語phrase通常放在句子的前面，同時之後要用逗號comma（,）。

    表示相同：
Similar to New York, Washington attracts many tourists.
Like many top-level universities, San Francisco University also asked for my high school grades.

    表示相反：
Different from the musical hall, the Cultural Center has comfortable seats.

Compared with Toronto, Vancouver has a very warm climate.
Unlike before, the apartment building was now rundown and in disrepair.

    2. Coordinating Conjunctions as Transitions
    一般用but 及yet去表示相反的意思，使用時，Coordinating Conjunctions會出現在兩完整句子中間，並用逗號放在前面。


The business seat is more expensive than the economy seat on flights, yet it has better meals and comfortable seat.


    3. 其他可參考本欄 Part B 第四課之 Transitions & Conjunctions

Exercise:

Choose one of the following writing assignments.

1. Compare and contrast two people, or two products.

2. Have you ever visited or lived a place you had left a long time ago and found it has changed considerably? Compare and contrast the "way it was" with the "way it is now." Have things changed for the better or the worse?

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