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

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

3. 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.

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

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

6. Contrast Pattern Map
Item A
Item B
Difference 1
Difference 2

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

8. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

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

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

22. Evaluating Your Progress
Use the “Patterns of Organization-New York” module in the Reading Skills section on the MyReadingLab Web site at

23. For more practice visit the Companion Web site.