写段落的方法 (四)
(7) 对比法（Comparison and Contrast）
当我们要比较两件事或两个人时，除了指出其相同之处外，更会说明两者不同的地方。有时候，我们想描述一地方时，也会与另一地方作比较，例如：当我们要说新加坡的经济时，可能会以香港的情况作一比较，包括政府施政，银行体系，金融信贷等，令读者更清楚明白。
一般来说，可有两种方法来表达。第一种是先详细说明一件事物的情况，再开始另一项，又称纵向比较（item-by-item comparison）。第二种是同时比较两件事物，穿插说明其异或同处，又称为横向比较（point-by-point comparison）。
纵向比较（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.
本例子是比较两兄弟的不同处，从外形，样貌，以至衣着方面，Sam 像亚洲男士，但他的弟弟Peter则似美国人，分别由第二段落和第三段落表示出来。
横向比较（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达城市人和乡民的生活各有不同，当中应用了一些表示相反的连接词，如：however, but, on the other hand等。
常用的比较及相反连接词（Transitions for Comparison & Contrast）
1. Transitions in Phrases
连接词后须用名词Noun，而词组phrase通常放在句子的前面，同时之后要用逗号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，使用时，Coordinating Conjunctions会出现在两完整句子中间，并用逗号放在前面。The business seat is more expensive than the economy seat on flights, yet it has better meals and comfortable seat.
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?
