Eng 101 SS15

Comparison Techniques
Reading Discussion

What are the elements of a

comparison?
Purpose
Selected items
Points of comparison
Organization
Analogy
Ethics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2mhD
hB9xkQ

Purpose

Helps choose between alternatives

Pizza versus hoagie
Buying versus renting
Mac versus PC

Acquaints us with unfamiliar things

Compare rugby to football to increase
American understanding of rugby rules
Compare short story to movie to
explain adaptation process

Item selection
Items must have a common ground
Compare chicken to charcoal
Compare two cars
Appearance, gas mileage, warranty

Items must have dividing and meaningful

differences that relate to purpose
Compare two workers to determine
promotion
Eye color, hair style, religion irrelevant
Salesmanship, attendance, leadership
qualities are relevant

Points of comparison

Well chosen points

Help reader grasp meaning and purpose
Are interesting and significant

Must be specific and concrete

Thing versus decaying wooden stairway

Are selective
Only comparisons made relate to purpose

Organization & Arrangement

Block
All points of comparison for one item and
then the other
Works best for short essays
Reader can forget details of comparison in longer
pieces

Points of comparison presented in same

order for each item

Alternating
Presents a point about an item then gives
corresponding point about the other
Emphasizes individual points of comparison
more than subject as a whole
Works in any length of essay

Organization & Arrangement

Appropriate order
Closely related points one after the other
(grouping of ideas)
Depends upon purpose

Similarities to differences
Differences to similarities
Least significant to most significant
Most significant to least significant

Analogy
Calls attention to one or more
similarities of items that seem to have
nothing in common
Often explains something unfamiliar
by likening it to something familiar
Earth to a window

Highlights unfamiliar in order to

illuminate the familiar
An unfamiliar mountain guide to the
practice of teaching

Analogy
Readers must be well acquainted with
familiar item
Items must have significant similarities
Laser to cheese

Analogy cannot be overly obvious or

offer few revealing insights
Battle to an argument

Lengthy analogies overwhelm readers

Multiple pages comparing heart to a
pump

Ethics

Avoid skewing any items in order to

ensure a particular outcome
Altering findings to make one view seem
better (political ads, product advertising)

Items should be properly matched

Comparing student essay to professional
essay to point out inadequacies

Analogies must be appropriate and

not extreme
Comparing immigration officials to Nazi
storm troopers

Eng101SS15
Reading discussion
Lees Invasion of the Body Builders
Rodriquezs Private Language, Public
Language
Jenkinss Art for the Digital Age

Freewriting
Given a topic
Write for given time
Do not stop writingif you get
stuck, pick a word and just keep
writing it until your next thought
comes through

Freewriting

Charlemagne said, To have another language is to

possess a second soul.

According to Mark Rippetoe, Strong people are

harder to kill than weak people and more useful in
general.

Visual arts cultivate thinking, innovation and

collaboration, elucidates Bette Fetter.

Choose one of the quotes. Write it down.

How does it line up with one of the readings? Do you
agree or disagree with the quote? Why?

Read each of the following essays:

Chris Lees Invasion of the Body Builders
Richard Rodriquezs Private Language, Public
Language
Henry Jenkinss Art for the Digital Age
In a Blackboard thread, discuss your assigned
comparative techniques for each essay.
Purpose, item selection Anthony, Blanche, Karen,
Ce-Ce
Points of comparison, organization & arrangement
Misty, Unique, Grace, Pamela
Analogy, Ethics Ryan, Chad, Kam

You must post by Saturday at noon.

Comparison Analysis

Choose ONE of the readings

Write a 3-4 page essay discussing the
effectiveness of the authors comparison
techniques

Writing process; MLA format

Introduction
Body paragraphs
Conclusion
Grammar & mechanics

Rough draft conferences & Peer review

rough drafts Wednesday 7/15
Final copy due Thursday 7/16

For Monday
Set timer for 5 minutes; complete
freewriting activity
Discussion board by noon Saturday
Start working on your essay!