Coordination: Comparisons and Contrasts

In our daily life, there are some occasions on which we have to show the similarities and differences between things or persons. Then how to? Today we will focus on how to make a comparison and contrast by means of conjunctions, adverbs, and adverbial phrases, and some expressions.

Strictly speaking, a comparison points out the similarities between two or more persons or things of the same class, while a contrast, the differences between them.

In order to make our micro-lecture more interesting, let’s take a couple of hairstyles for illustration.

Generally speaking, such words and phrases as similarly, likewise, in the same way, like, in the same manner/way, equally, identically, equivalently, by/in comparison, etc can be used to make a comparison. let's read some examples.

The mohawk (also referred to as a mohican) is a hairstyle with the middle hair standing high, the side hair cutting short. This is widely seen in the American Indians.

Similarly, the faux hawk is typically worn with a small but noticeable spike in the middle, though usually considerably shorter than many traditional mohawks. (It has gained immediate popularity in 2002 FIFA World Cup because David Beckham has worn this style and has since won millions of hearts.)

Likewise, euro-hawk copies the style of a mohawk, with the hair down the center of the head longer than the hair on the sides.

The ponyhawk follows euro-hawk, in the same manner/way, this hairdo ask for a row of ponytails going down the middle of the head.

From the above illustrations, we can get:

1. The mohawk is a hairdo in which both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center, by/in comparison, the fauxhawk also asks for a bunch of long hair in the middle, which is shorter than mohawk.

2. Euro-hawk evolves from Mohawk, and ponyhawk derives equally/identically/equivalently from Euro-hawk.