Chapter 8: Recognizing Comparison/Contrast and Cause/Effect Patterns Active Reading Skills, 2/e Kathleen McWhorter Brette McWhorter Sember PowerPoint by Gretchen Starks-Martin

Comparison/Contrast Patterns Comparison: Explains how items, people, or events are alike. Contrast: Explains how items, people, or events are different.

Compare and Contrast Two Professors Items A and B: Professor Miller and Professor Wright Similarities: Both require attendance. Both give essay exams. Both are fair. Both have a sense of humor. Both wear casual clothes. Differences: Only Miller assigns a term paper. Only Wright demands class participation. Wright is married, while Miller is single. They graduated from different universities.

Comparison Pattern Map Item A Item B Similarity 1 Similarity 2 Similarity 3

Transitions Used in the Comparison Pattern alike same similar similarity like likewise both just as each in common

Contrast Pattern Map Item A Item B Difference 1 Difference 2

Transitions Used in the Contrast Pattern unlike different difference on the other hand instead in contrast despite nevertheless however but

Using Both Comparison and Contrast Items A and B: Professor Miller and Professor Wright Similarities: Both require attendance. Both give essay exams. Both are fair. Both have a sense of humor. Both wear casual clothes. Differences: Only Miller assigns a term paper. Only Wright demands class participation. Wright is married, while Miller is single. They graduated from different universities.

Cause/Effect Patterns Writers use the cause/effect pattern to explain why an event or action causes another event or action.

Single Cause/Multiple Effects Effect A Cause Effect B Effect C

Single Cause/Multiple Effects Burned skin Overexposure to the sun Wrinkles and age spots Skin cancer

Multiple Causes/Single Effect Map Cause A Effect Cause B Cause C

Multiple Causes/Single Effect Map Good Exam Grade Attend class Take Notes Study the text

Transitions in the Cause/Effect Pattern because consequently because of as a result since one result is due to therefore reasons thus

Other Useful Thought Patterns Classification Statement and Clarification Summary Addition Spatial Order

Classification Pattern Topics are divided into parts and each part is explained. Transitions: another, another kind classified as include is composed of one types of

Statement and Clarification Pattern Writers make a statement of fact and then clarify or explain that statement. Transitions: in fact in other words clearly evidently obviously

Summary Pattern Transitions: A summary is a condensed statement that provides the key points of a larger idea or piece of writing. Transitions: in summary in conclusion in brief to summarize to sum up in short on the whole

Addition Pattern Transitions: Writers introduce an idea or make a statement and then supply additional information about that idea or statement. Transitions: furthermore additionally also besides further in addition moreover again

Spatial Order Pattern Spatial order is concerned with the physical location or position in space. (photography or automotive technology texts as an example)

Spatial Order Transitions above below besides next to n front of behind inside outside opposite within nearby

Evaluating Your Progress Use the “Patterns of Organization-New York” module in the Reading Skills section on the MyReadingLab Web site at http://www.ablongman.com/myreadinglab.

For more practice visit the Companion Web site. http://www.ablongman.com/mcwhorter