Compare and Contrast

Compare and Contrast When you compare two things, you decide how they are similar. When you contrast two things, you decide how they are different.

Compare and Contrast You can compare or contrast any elements of text, including characters, setting, scope, theme, text structure, genre, and author’s purpose. Writers often use comparing and contrasting to organize their texts.

Compare and Contrast Words that signal comparing: also, too, both, likewise, similarly, in addition, like, moreover, in the same way, as well as Words that signal contrasting: but, instead, otherwise, except, although, different from, on the other hand, unlike, however, by contrast

Read the two passages and then answer the questions that follow. Compare and Contrast Read the two passages and then answer the questions that follow. Passage 1 Daytona Beach, Florida, is a resort town on the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of a large area with about half a million people. The summers are hot and humid, and the winters are mild and dry. The height of the tourist season is from May through September. Known for its hard-packed sand, Daytona was home to car races on the beach from 1902 to 1959. More than 8 million tourists visit Daytona Beach each year.

Read the two passages and then answer the questions that follow. Compare and Contrast Read the two passages and then answer the questions that follow. Passage 2 This summer I took a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Even though I had to help babysit my four little cousins, it was a great vacation. We drove there from Georgia. Being in the car with four little kids was the hardest part of the whole trip. We stayed at a hotel right on the beach. The beaches there are beautiful. It was cool to see palm trees. I loved swimming in the ocean, and I learned to bodysurf.

Compare and Contrast How are the two passages alike? How are the two passages different?

Compare and Contrast How are the two passages alike? How are the two passages different? They have the same topic: Daytona Beach. They are both nonfiction. They both describe what Daytona Beach looks like. The first passage is informative, giving facts about Daytona Beach. The second passage is narrative, an account of one person’s trip to Daytona Beach.

Guided Practice with Compare and Contrast Read the two passages and then answer the questions that follow. Passage 1 Hurricanes and tornadoes are two different kinds of huge windstorms. They both form in warm, damp air. When winds blowing from opposite directions meet, a swirling pattern can develop, and the funnel-shaped hurricane or tornado can form. Hurricanes develop over warm, tropical oceans mainly from June 1–November 30. The swirling winds in a hurricane can spiral at up to 200 miles per hour. In the middle is an “eye,” which is calm. The strongest wind and rain are right around the eye. Hurricanes usually take several days to develop, and they travel for long distances over the ocean before making landfall. They are often accompanied by high ocean waves at landfall. Then hurricanes start losing their strength after landfall.

Guided Practice with Compare and Contrast Read the two passages and then answer the questions that follow. Passage 2 Tornadoes form over land, mainly in the spring. They are often more violent than hurricanes. The funnel-shaped whirlwind can be up to 2,000 feet high. In the center is an eye of air coming down, about 50–100 feet wide, and around the eye is a strong current going upwards. The upward current pulls up anything in its path and destroys it. Tornadoes can travel for hundreds of miles. Tornadoes are often accompanied by hail or lightning. Most tornadoes have wind speeds from 40 to 110 miles per hour, but they can have wind speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes can form very quickly.

Guided Practice with Compare and Contrast A. They both travel long distances over the ocean. B. They both have an eye of air coming down. C. They are both funnel-shaped windstorms. 2. In what way are hurricanes and tornadoes similar? D. They both form in cold, dry air. A. The eye of a tornado is calmer than the eye of a hurricane. B. Tornadoes form over land, and hurricanes form over the ocean. C. Hurricanes are often accompanied by hail or lightning. 1. According to the passage, what is an important difference between a hurricane and a tornado? D. Hurricanes are more violent than tornadoes.

Guided Practice with Compare and Contrast A. They both have a still, calm eye that can be 4–25 miles wide. B. They both form mainly in the spring. C. They both have winds up to 300 miles per hour. 4. What is another way that hurricanes and tornadoes are similar? D. They both form when warm, damp winds blowing from opposite directions meet. A. The eye of a hurricane is calm, but the eye of a tornado has a downward air current. B. Hurricanes form in warm, dry air, but tornadoes form in cool air. C. The fastest wind speed of a hurricane can be faster than a tornado’s fastest wind speed. 3. What is another way that hurricanes and tornadoes are different from each other? D. Hurricanes form very quickly, but tornadoes take a long time to develop.

Guided Practice with Compare and Contrast A. They both travel long distances over the ocean. B. They both have an eye of air coming down. C. They are both funnel-shaped windstorms. 2. In what way are hurricanes and tornadoes similar? D. They both form in cold, dry air. A. The eye of a tornado is calmer than the eye of a hurricane. B. Tornadoes form over land, and hurricanes form over the ocean. C. Hurricanes are often accompanied by hail or lightning. 1. According to the passage, what is an important difference between a hurricane and a tornado? D. Hurricanes are more violent than tornadoes.

Guided Practice with Compare and Contrast A. They both have a still, calm eye that can be 4–25 miles wide. B. They both form mainly in the spring. C. They both have winds up to 300 miles per hour. 4. What is another way that hurricanes and tornadoes are similar? D. They both form when warm, damp winds blowing from opposite directions meet. A. The eye of a hurricane is calm, but the eye of a tornado has a downward air current. B. Hurricanes form in warm, dry air, but tornadoes form in cool air. C. The fastest wind speed of a hurricane can be faster than a tornado’s fastest wind speed. 3. What is another way that hurricanes and tornadoes are different from each other? D. Hurricanes form very quickly, but tornadoes take a long time to develop.

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