Comparison - Contrast - 41

                                                                          

        Comparison and Contrast

                                                                     

Comparison and contrast forms an integral part of any free or formal talks. In our daily routine we compare or contrast the character of people, their attitude, their abilities etc.  Comparison and contrast doesn’t confine to people alone we can compare weather or population or anything ( Of different regions.). We have also discussed equating things/people. With regard to comparison there are three levels/degrees  namely positive, comparative and superlative.

In a sentence of positive degree  we just say good or bad about someone/something.

In a sentence of comparative  degree there is a comparison (Good or bad) between two things/people.

In a sentence if superlative degree there is a comparison (good or bad) between more than two things.

Smith is a Good student – positive degree

Jim is better then Smith – Comparative degree

Joe is the best student ( in the whole group or in comparison to Smith and Jim.) - Superlative degree

NOTE: In this session we have confined our discussion to comparison between the two things/people.

              Generally the comparison between two things/people is made either by using so…. as, as….. as, or comparative degree word (larger, smaller, bigger etc) + ‘Than’, combination. The emotional outcome is same in all the three cases. ( If a word has more than one syllable like ‘ beautiful’, most is added to make it a comparative word.)

e.g. 1. America is not so large as Russia. (= Russia is larger than America.)

          The new Russia is not so large as the old USSR. (= Old USSR was larger than new Russia.)

e.g. 2. Your family is not quite so large as hers. (quite as optinal word)

           Your family isn’t as large as hers.

           Your family is not larger than hers.

     

More sentences (Comparison)

The New government is not so good as the old one.

Her second novel is not so interesting as her first noel.

John is not so committed as his brother.

She is not so attractive as she appears in the media.

My brother is better today than he was ten years back.

Many people talk more about their rights than about their duty.

Jane likes him more that Clara.

Joe doesn’t play so hard as Jim.

I like her more than anything else.

Higher Level

Nothing else I want more, than your happiness and peace.

Nobody ever did more (Service) to this country than Mr.  Oliver.

It is more important that the rulers must be more cautious than the public.

More sentences ( Equalization)

She is as fair as me (‘me’ is used instead  ‘I’ in informal style.)

Is she as fair as Shane?

Isn’t Mitt Romney as efficient as Obama?

Your family is as large as mine.

Russia is as powerful as America.

Parallel/anti parallel Comparison ( The more…… the….)

The sooner you begin,  the sooner you will finish.

The more learned a man is, the more humble he usually is. (usually is optional)

The more he read, the less he understood. (‘read’ as a past tense verb)