2020-04-17 TOEFL: compare/contrast, writing

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-ballet-that-incited-a-riot-iseult-gillespie
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Homework: compare/contrast language worksheet - complete the sentences with expressions from the list at the top
1 similarities between
2 Both...and (yes+yes)
3 have in common, both
4 Similarly/Likewise/In the same way, also
	(At the beginning of a sentence, only an adverb or a prepositional phrase can be separated with a comma like this.)
5 Similar to/Like (The preposition “like” always has this meaning.)
6 resemble/are similar to
7 Neither...nor (no+no)
8 difference between
9 While/Whereas (These show basic contrast, without contradiction or surprise. If the contrast is surprising, use “even though”.)
10 on the other hand/however/in contrast
11 In contrast to/Compared to/Unlike
12 is different from/differs from
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like (v) = enjoy/love - I like pizza.
like (prep) = similar to - You sound like your dad. I cried like a baby. (vs. “I cried as a baby.”)
alike (adj/adv) = similar - You and your dad sound alike.
likewise (adv) = similarly - Likewise, photography is also used to document history.
likely (adj/adv) = probable/probably - That is a likely outcome. It will likely rain.
unlike (prep) = different from
unlikely (adj) = improbable
dislike (v) = don’t like
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Basic contrast means two things are different, but it’s not necessarily surprising or unexpected:
	Boston is cold in the winter. Miami is warm in the winter.
Boston is cold in the winter, but Miami is warm in the winter.
	Miami is warm in the winter, but Boston is cold in the winter.
While/Whereas Boston is cold in the winter, Miami is warm in the winter.
	= Boston is cold in the winter while/whereas Miami is warm in the winter.
	= Miami is warm in the winter while/whereas Boston is cold in the winter.
Boston is cold in the winter. However/On the other hand/In contrast, Miami () is warm in the winter.
	= Miami is warm in the winter. However, Boston is cold in the winter.
	= … Boston, however, is cold in the winter.

“Contradiction” means something is surprising or different from expectations.
	It was raining. We had a picnic. (Here the order matters - the picnic is the surprising fact.)
Even though it was raining, we had a picnic. = We had a picnic even though it was raining.
It was raining, but we had a picnic. = We had a picnic, but it was raining.
It was raining. However, we (still) had a picnic.
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surprising:
Even though the chemicals can make otters vulnerable to disease, no dead otters have been found.
	(We would expect to find dead otters if they’d been dying from disease.)

basic contrast:
While the text argues that pollution is the most likely explanation, the speaker believes it’s predation.
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If there’s a real contradiction or inconsistency, you can’t connect statements with these transitions, because these transitions still mean both sentences are true.
	WRONG: Even though the otters are dying from pollution, the otters are dying from predation.
	WRONG: The otters are dying from pollution. However, the otters are dying from predation.
To avoid problems with this, you can report all opposing facts with citation language:
	The text states that otters are dying from pollution. However, the lecture argues that it’s predation.
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Practice handout - part A
1 b
2 b
3 a
4 b
5 c
part B
1 both
2 like
3 however
4 are different / differ
5 difference
6 While/Whereas
7 resemble (/ are often similar to)
8 on the other hand / in contrast / however
9 in common
10 unlike / in contrast to (/ “compared to” would also work if there’s no comma after “lines”)
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BREAK
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“Faulkner, who sometimes writes several pages about one scene,” = Faulkner
	(In other words, this whole phrase just refers to Faulkner and takes the place of a noun in a sentence. In particular, it can go after a verb or preposition.)
“Faulkner sometimes writes several pages about one scene.” = sentence
	(In other words, this can go after a conjunction like “whereas” or a sentence adverb like “however”.)
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https://www.livescience.com/new-coronavirus-compare-with-flu.html - Example compare/contrast article in which you can find many examples of this language. In a close reading, identify each example and make sure you understand why that word or phrase is used.
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Writing practice: ETS 2 test 3
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A very common issue with this independent writing is that people lose focus on the specific topic of the value and quantity of information available online.
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thesis: problems if you don’t use it right
1 benefits: books, research, blogs available to help with problems
	example: embarrasing health question someone doesn’t want to ask a librarian about
2 anxiety: too much information about negative things can cause stress without being helpful
	example: COVID-19 information
3 reliability: anyone can write anything, so you can’t always tell if it’s reliable
	details: with fewer sources, or a library, it’s easier to know what’s reliable or not, but there are no barriers to making a website or a blog
conclusion: if you aren’t careful, the amount of information online can cause problems because it’s stressful and may not be accurate
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Homework (optional): if you want extra feedback on this writing, send me a self-evaluation about what you did well or badly, what you want to try to work on for next time