Skill 11
Compare and Contrast
Critical reading includes the ability to compare and contrast. These two skills involve determining how things that you read about are alike and how they are different. When you compare, you identify a particular way in which two or more things are alike, or similar. When you contrast, you identify a particular way in which two or more things are different. Sometimes it helps to make a chart to find similarities and differences.
Here is an example.
When you say the word football, it has a different meaning depending on where in the world you are. In the United States, football is a game played most often in college and in professional leagues. Players use an elliptical ball called a football. In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at any one time. The way to score points is for a player to physically carry the ball over the goal line. A player who does this makes a “touchdown,” which is worth six points. The team with the most points wins. The sport is a contact sport with players colliding with one another to prevent the forward movement of the ball by the opposing team. |
In other parts of the world, the term football describes what Americans call soccer. It is played by two teams of 11 players each. The object of the game is to drive a circular ball into the opposing team’s goal to score one point. The team with the most points wins. To prevent the opposing team from scoring points, a goal keeper on each team tries to block the ball from entering his/her team’s goal. Goal keepers can use their hands to catch the ball, but they are the only players who can use their hands. Other players must use their feet to kick the ball or sometimes use their head or torso to intercept and move the ball. Physical contact between players is minimal. |
So based on the passage, the two sports are alike in the number of players on the team and how to determine the winning team. They are different in the type of ball used, the number of points per score, how the ball is moved or handled, and the amount of physical contact between and among players.
Test Yourself!
Identify the similarities and differences in the following passage by writing “Yes” or “No” for each item in the chart.
When President Barack Obama was elected, he promised his daughters that they would have a puppy in the White House. Because one of his daughters has allergies, they needed to find a hypoallergenic variety. The choice came down to two types of dogs, a Labradoodle or a Portuguese Water Dog.
As a breed, the Portuguese Water Dog dates back to at least the thirteenth century. Dogs of this kind worked on boats to help Portuguese fisherman. Their feet are somewhat web-like, giving them more traction on the boat decks. The Portuguese Water Dog doesn’t shed much, but it needs a lot of exercise because it is a high-spirited dog with lots of energy. It is a very friendly dog and is good with families. It thrives on having a lot of attention.
The Labradoodle is a relatively new breed that was introduced around 1989. It is a cross between a poodle and a Labrador, thus the name Labradoodle. It is a bubbly creature and is good with families. It does not require as much exercise and attention as a Portuguese Water Dog, and it is very sociable with other animals and very patient with young children. Dogs of this kind are very easy to train.
