Exposition Comparison _and-Contrast Ess How does the a demonstrate comparison id see a movie contrast skills or a sub, or painting? [AnalyWhat Is a Comparison. and-Contrast Essay? \ comparison-and-contrast ess; Y iS a short picee of eXpository writing that describes the i yt larities and differences between two or more gett jects. An effective comparison-and-contrast eecry + identifies a purpose for comparison and con + identifies similarities and differences he nwo or more things, people, place tween, or icleas, + aves factual details about the subjects being compared. * uses an organizational plan suited to ils topic and purpose. To see the criteria on which the final draft of your comparison-and-contrast essay may be evaluated. preview the Rubric for Self Assessment on page 186 Types of Comparison- Writers im x SII eS | The playwright Fidward Albee is Anown for creating stark contrasts and striking similavities between the worlds he presentson stage and the worlds his audience inhabits, While some of his plays are disturbing, Albee aft! Ais observations are vital, He explains his writing in this way: “The ait of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt that it didw't matter.” _ and-Contrast Essays Explaining similarities and differences can provide a wealth of information. Following are some common. types: of comparison-and-contrast essays: * Report about consumer goods ("Which Is Better? Brand A or Brand B?") * Essay on economic or historical development Japan's Postwar Economie Development Different From Germany's?) * Comparison and contrast of literary works (“A Comparison, and Contrast of the Styles of Charlotte and Emily Bronté") Work IN PROGRESS In this chapter, you'll follow the writing process of Vanessa Serna, a student at Bel Air High School in El ie . Texas, In her essay, Vanessa used the writing —_ arate 8 ol fi svising to compare and contrast prewriting, drafting, and revising to compare anc authentic Mexican food and Americanized Mexican {ood, tow Was. PREVIEW Comparison-and-Contrast Essay * 167> Model from Literatup, vd people's lives in many Technological advances have chang “5 comparison and stephen Kuuststo Us ways. In this essay, author Stephen Kuusts a ye contrast to evaluate whether new technology ; r aes aifjer visually impaired is better than the oldl technology er. ” od Planet of the ent, The writer, who has published a memotr entilted Pl une ot Blind, uses his experiences (o explain the comparisons ane iw trasts between reading with a hétech solution and using the tins tested system of Braille. Reading Strategy: Set a Purpose for CA Meitins) Reading Belore you beyin reading, set @ NOTED, purpose, such as learning about a specific lenging a writer's ideas; or getting ing a focus in mind as item, event, or person; chi involved in a wonderful narrative. Kee you read will help you identify the significant details that are related to your purpose. In this case, you'll probably read to learn more about the similarities and differences between two reading systems for the blind. In the Darke Stephen Kuusisto If you're like most folks with good eyes, you've Probably exam- ined the Braille in hotel elevators. You may even have touched the raised dots signilying your floor and marveled at the capacity of . the blind to travel and read in the dark. Who would imagin tH Braille would be supplanted by machines? Who would oa aa Braille is even now nearly extinct? euses tH Approximately 10 percent of that has many blind advocates iio cau a“ machines are taking the place of Louis Braille’ te tt cee system. Braille will soon be as foreign ( fase aeons © the blind as hieroglyphs Thave on my desk a machine callled “The Re: eclge," bles a desktop copier, and it translates ie Pane ge, I eget: Speech. I need this gadget heeatise rng Trane ite synthetic Braille. Its vou ay 1m a blind man who can't pe, ee fa PUTE SCI, But Ive grow irarnensety aa pa of its 168 © Comparison-and-Contrast Essay The introduction immediately con nects the writer (0 his audience. Statistics and infor mation about read ing systems for the blind offer context for the comparison and contrast to come,¥y Critical Viewing How might learning Brail 9 Braille i ‘of people who use this system exclusively? iyo perception intonation. It reads robotically. It sweats through the prosody of George Herbert. Sometimes it spells words aloud if the software can't identify them. ‘The truth is, synthetic reading is a trial. | must wait for the scanner to decode each page. This gives me time to wonder i I'm really reading at all. Many blind people argue that machine read: ing is really illiteracy: by relying on microchips or audiotape, the blind become dependent. According to them, I'm illiterate. It makes no difference that my own written work has been translated into a dozen languages. Because my words are mediated, Tm novhing more than a helpless listener. Braille, on the other hand, gives the blind instant contact with language. No batteries are required. “Yes,” says the machine man, “but Braille is manufactured by \d this takes time. I've already devoured this e by Calvin Trillin on fat- Paid Braillists, an week's New Yorker. Did you see that piec free truffles?” “You're a slave.” says the Braille man. “Yes, | am,” the machine man answers, way to Balducci's for fat-free truffles. Come “put I'm a slave on his on, Fido.” ‘The writer uses point by point organization. In his first comparison: and-contrast para- graph, the writer focuses on the expe- Tience of reading. This fictional dia: logue reveals two points of comparison that favor the tech nology: time and speed. Model From Literature © 1692 truffle, | must IF really think about Oe ite mans vew. AS admit that t have great sympathy [o" 8 in language. I love Kenneth @ poet, | admire location and press! . i nese poet Tu Fu that Rexroth’s translation of the ancient Cb! F reads in part Soon now In the winter dawn I will face My 40th year, Borne headlong Towards the long shadows of sunset By the headstrong, stubborn moments, Life whirls past like drunken wildfire. Given a choice, | would prefer to feel these words under my fingers. Without sight, only the flesh can assimilate the torque of Tu Fu's line, “Life whirls past like drunken wildfire.” Unfortunately, | have to listen to poetry by means of silicon. And more and more blind people are just like me. Nowadays most blind children go to public schools and don’t learn Braille. In a digital age, why waste resources teaching something so outdated? Besides, Braille is cumbersome. An average Braille edition of a book looks like a sofa cushion. Compare that to a 3-1/2-inch floppy disk. Meanwhile, I switch the “Reading Edge” from English to Spanish and scan a poem by Pablo Neruda. The machine pinches its nose and reads: “gPor qué yo vivo desterrado/del esplericior de las naranjas?" “Why,” asks Neruda, “do I live in exile/from the shine of the oranges?” “The Reading Edge” sounds like a tourist in Santiago. It pro- nounces the question with too much display. In the poem Neruda feels vaguely sorry for himself. Like most writers he has spent too much time sitting indoors, al Viewing How does the “desk-top copier” size of a read- ing machine like the one shown influence its convenience? [Analyze] 70 © Comparison-and-Contrast Essay ‘THis paragrap) points out the, culty of learns Braille system The poems qu here are artfu linked to thee subject.“Me too. Pablo,” I say half aloud. and the sound of my voie~ human voice—brings my Guiding Eyes dog. Corky. to my side Together we go outside and stand under a poplar. Corky explores the grass. I lean against the tree. Until | have a command of Braille, I'm an eavesdropper. not a reader. I sit in the garden and finger a sleeve of fallen birch bark. C distinguish it from the bark of a holly tree? Can I distinguish one orange from another through acquisitive touching? To learn Braille in your 40's you must refresh the very infancy of touching ¢ can't be learned like Berlitz and recharge your hands. Braill Spanish. You have to think with your skin. ‘The poet Charles Olson imagined that our tissues and organs can think. Sitting beneath the trees Il settle for one thinking index finger. I'm going to read Walt Whitman in the dark, without batteries. Writing Application: Set a Purpose for Reading Writing Help your readers see the purpose of your comparison-and-contrast essay by Con including information that shows why a study of the similarities and differences between your subjects is important to you. Mode! From Literature © 1Choosing Your Topic tng To write an'effective comparison-and-contrast essay, choose CDR @ topic that has enough similarities between pak to ue al I~ comparison logical and enough differences to make a aa asi For Oth meaningful. The specific subjects that you choose might be a tonic two related items, like hiking and rock-climbing. Alternatively, ACtivitigs 2 you might address two aspects of a single topic, like starting eS Project and finishing it. Use these strategies to choose a topic: Strategies for Generating Topics 1. Categories with a group, make a list of categories like the ‘ones often used on game shows. Your categories might include winter sports. animals of Africa, or historic battles. List several items, and choose two or three items in one of the categories as the basis for a comparison-and-contrast essay. 2. Magazine Review Look through several magazines, and scan the articles and images. Use bookmarks to write notes about what you found and how you could use the idea for a comparison-and-contrast essay. Review the pages that you marked, and choose a topic to develop into an essay. | Ctudent Work IN PROGRESS Reviewing Magazines to Spark Ideas Vanessa flagged pages of a magazine that suggested topics for a comparison-and-contrast essay. She decided to write about ethnic What | found: Ad for a minivan, p. 4 What | found: Recipe for burritos, p. 12 What | could compare/contrast: New cars What | could compare/contrast: Ethnic foods What | found: cure of My Favorite Act‘% ein | TOPIC BANK If you are having trouble choosing a topic, consider the following possibilities: 1. Essay About Two Possessions Think of a possession that you treasured at some time in your life and another one that took its place or was similar in some way. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the two, 2. Essay About Colleges Use college admissions brochures, Web site information, or your own knowledge to write a comparison-and-contrast essay about two colleges. Cespentling to Fine Cit, 3. Andy Warhol's paintings provide a new way of looking at everyday objects. which is just what a good comparison- and-contrast essay should do. Use your response to Diamond Dust Shoes, at right, to write an essay that compares and contrasts items of clothing that seem similar at first glance. Cospeniing to literature 4. Read “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Plame st epi ‘Copyngi Evening” and “Acquainted With the Night.” by Robert Frost. In a comparison-and-contrast essay, show how the writer addresses night in two separate works. You can find the poetry in Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes, The American Experience. (A Cooperative Writing Opportunity 5. Report on Celebrities Then and Now With a group, collect information comparing the celebrities of an earlier gen- eration with those who are popular today. After creating and using a questionnaire to identify the people 0 include in the report, group members can split the task of researching and writing about the celebrities chosen. Prewriting © 173rw = opic Narrowing Your Te ; os Once you've chosen a topic. consiaer whether you can effec. 5 ; if your topic is too broad, you | tively cover the topic in an essay: " won't be able to provide enough details 10 make it worthwhile. If you focus on a specific idea, you ca make your writing more insightful and valuable. Looping ca? help you narrow your topic, Looping to Narrow a Topic | vering the features of a topic that | Looping is a way of discov are most interesting to you. subjects that you have chosen. Review your writing, and cirele the idea that you think is most important. Freewrite about that idea, review it, and again circle the most important idea. Continue looping until you've narrowed your topic to an idea that you can cover well in an essay- Begin by freewriting about the Looping | Vanessa used looping to narrow the broad topic of ethnic food to one she cau use to write a good comparison-arid-contrast essay. 7 Broad Topic: The variety of ethnic foods i= i I like a lot of different ethnic foods. There are many | different kinds of ethnic restaurants in the United States. It seems like everywhere I go, I see restaurants that serve Chines / Malian, and| Mexican food)along with rvstaurants that serve | served in fast-food restaurants as well as in more tradition! | restaurants. > Mi is my favorite ethnic food. I especially like gorditas and chili with everything, but Mexican restaurants ™ | | American food. These ethnic foods are so popular that they a | | i | the \| e /TexMex food is a lot different from the real Mexican food : st United States usually don’t have real chili./Actually. ») Narrowe ‘. ed Topic: Authentic Mexican food is different !ro™ 174. © Comparison-and-Contrast Essay TexMex food. e ——— wsConsidering Your Audience and Purpose Identity Your Audience Yo Dest emmuttnttoate your tdleas to your readers, ake a woRWEnE LO EAE Hhe people you expect Lo read your Writ A Anowtatge of your audicnce will help you decide what level ob kangnagge, formality, and detatl to melude ti your writing, Focus Your Purpose While your will set out a compare anal contast Ovo Hem, You should have at even more focused purpose in mind, Consider why such an analysis ts valuable or necessary, and then ietadte details to help you achieve your goal, You may Write to advocate one idea over the other, (0 reveal connec Atos That may Hol be obvious, of to stiow the causes of sinit larities and dilerences you describe, The following examples may hel you to focus your purpose, Sample Purposes Examplee D1 home-cooked food ve. restaurant culaine C2 iving in the city ve. the country D1 soccer football To reveal connection Ohaving a pet and having a. not be obvious. friend COmati and music Dsaccer- and tennia Osahara va Death Valley Dtie internet ve a library, Dijaze va. buen 2 Writing Lab CD-ROM , you need help iden titying your audience, see the Audio Annotated Writing Models in the Exposition lesson. Prewriting © 175Gathering Details ied your purpose, begin to focus on e : the comparisons you want to gathering details that develop UNC" : draw. You may need to conduct F¢ ae a a a easel own knowledge and experience to identily the Key © ie nts you'll describe. As you gather details. foc us on points of compari- son and contrast between your subje ts. Once you have identi Identify Points of Comparison and Contrast Charting the elements to be considered in a comparison- and-contrast essay will help you note the details to include in your writing. Using a chart like the one shown on this Page, identify the points you'll address in your writing. As you fill in the chart with facts, details, or examples, you'll see which points reveal similarities and which points show the differences between your subjects. At this point, you might start considering which details you will want to emphasize in your draft. | Student Work iN ROGRESS Gathering Details Using @ Chart ‘After deciding on the elements she would include ner essay, Vanessa listed the | ideas that would help her supe osition. od] Americanized Mexican Food Points of Comparison and Contrast© Drafting Shaping Your Writing When you are ready to start writing, Sather your prewriting draft, you'll need to make choices about how to group the details of comparison and contrast into a logical organization, Organize to Show Comparison and Contrast To avoid confusing your readers, ¢ hoose strategy that will make your writing clear ways to organize a comparisoi subject or point by point. an organizational There are two basic m-and-contrast essay: subject by Subject-by-Subject Organization Using this type of organizational plan. you compare and contrast the subjects as wholes: First, you discuss al you discuss alll the features of the other subject. While this format allows you to focus your full attention on one subject ala time. be sure that you address the same features and devote equal time to each subject. Point-by-Point Organization This plan of organization: allows you to move back and forth between your subjects a you discuss each point of comparison and contrast. First, you develop one point by showing how it applies to both sub: jects. Then, you move on to your next point, shifting back and forth between subjects until you have addressed each point of comparison. The advantage of this method is that it allows you to sharpen your points of comparison and con- trast. It also makes it easy for you to make sure that you address each feature for both subjects. Two Basic Organizational Plans ] Subject by Subject Point by Point Til Maunzain bikes both bikes 1 the features of one subject; then. Writing Lab CD-ROM , If you need help organizing your essay, see the Audio- Annotated Writing Models in the Writing Lab CD-ROM. Drafting © 177Providing Elaboration aia vaone nx comparing your two subjects 18 to me a ter your : vu explain, you should provide enough escribe, persuade, os it ops e a Belalia ie cliaimouureadersitg fully uncerstane the similari ee ite on the points that you make Ues and differences. To labor dann # - d wu draft, extend your points of comparison and contrast using the SEE method Use the SEE Method For each main topic of et support using the SEE method of Elaboration. nparison in your draft, develop Statement, Extension, and © Statement: State the main idea in a topic sentence, * Extension: — Extend the idea of the topic statement by restatement, * Elaboration: Provide examples, details, or facts to further prove the point. Look at this example of the SEE method in action: STATEMENT: CDs are more visually appealing than audio- cassette: EXTENSION While cassettes are stacked in shelves without calling attention to their cover art, CD cases are used to present walls of display. ELABORATION: —At just less than 6 square inches, the ¢rt on the CD case is visible from a short distance. When customers enter a music store, | 1c faces of popular artists smile out at them from these miniature frames. a el . may Mans© Revising Once your first draft is complete, review it by checking the structure, paragraphs, sentences, and word choice. The changes you make can make your essay more effective. Be Sure Your Draft Reflects Your Purpose Revising Your Overall Structure | Make sure that your essay does what you set out to do. Check that the points of comparison and contrast that you | purpose in writing, To verily this, identify sentences that con. present and the elaboration you provide reflect your original | nect to your purpose. REVISION STRATEGY Bracketing Sentences That Address Your Purpose Write your specific purpose on a self-sticking note, and attach it to your draft for easy reference. Then. go through your draft to bracket sentences that address your purpose. If you can’t identify at least one sentence in each paragraph i consider adding or revising a sentence to clarify how the f details in the paragraph support your purpose. il s Your Purpose | = ces That Addres: | Bracketing el achieve her writing purpose, Vanessa rocketed || To review her essay’ ait that helped her prove her point. rc 1s between the two \ ne of the major difference: forms of Mexican food is in its preparation. form: Because many Mexican families work on cal Purpose: To show | cms, they grow most of their own Mose od ts, [As a result, authentic Mexican Mexican foodie | ingredients ere vee food is juicier and tastier]... Because th TexMex food. ta vegetable garden outside of every paragraph i | | a, 3 etrongly wi | Mexican restaurant - -- most restaurants oe le { \gredients are canned or frozen. "> 4 be » af authentic Men go 0179> Revising Your Paragraphs ie of your draft, take a Stu pviewed the St sure that the sen- After you have reviewee |. Make sure voce on a graph of Your dra tr to call attention to ae M9 to vec paragraph work (OFF Ten your subjects. ROH the points of comparison and coma, Ar 1 want to make. u ‘ Transitions can help you stress 5° the, Orta cher REVISION STRATEGY Transitions Expos Color-Coding to Evaluate Tra hele tome Read your wat and identify the places where you address coe YT ach subject, Use one color to underline every instance in Men Sim eee d use a second color to YOur ides which you refer to one subject, an underline every reference to the ot! eeeetr your writing in places where the colors meet, judge the con: nection between the two subjects. Add transitions like the ones below to make the shift clearer. * Transitions that show similarities: all, similarly, both, in the same way, closely related, equally. * Transitions that show differences: on the other hand, in contrast, however, instead, yet. N her subject. To evaluate Wek PROGRESS ee Evaluating Transitions : When she color-coded her paper, Vanessa realized that most of her point comparison and contrast might not be obvious to readers. She added transitions to make the relationships clear. 5 of Another difference between the two cuisines is in the use of spices and side dishes. For example, chili has an important role Chili i t luded in rr t TexMex " = cl almost every Mexican meal, including breakfast., In mo United St in ae to a mild mixture- ates, the term “chi ‘ refer In Mexican cultur hile” refers to a wide variety of peppers saulRevising Your Sentences Once you have added transitions to sh; comparison and contrast within Make Verb Tense Work for You The tenses of verbs allow you to express time by showing when events occurred ina sequence. Unless you want to show action in the past, present, or future, you should be sure that the verb tense of your writing is consistent For example, if you're writing about two subjects that still exist Paragraphs, examine your use the present tense consistently. However, if you are com paring items in different time periods, you may need to make use of the past tense. Evaluating the verbs in each sentence can help you to avoid unnecessary shifts in verb tense. REVISION STRATEGY Identifying the Verb Tense of Each Paragraph Circle all the verbs in your draft; then, analyze your use of verbs. For each paragraph, confirm that all the verbs fit the same general tense. If they do not, make sure that the verb shift is necessary to indicate a time shift. Look at this example EXAMPLE: ANALYSIS: EVALUATION: REVISION: The drivers became tired after the long inter- state trip. They are driving for days! Became expresses action that happened in the past. ; Are kee expresses action that is still hap- pening, ‘This unnecessary ; net Change the verb to indicate that the second action happened before the first setion and does not continue into the pres- ent ‘The drives state trip. They ha ed after the long inter- s became tired alte i: id been driving for day arpen your points of hifi in tense causes confu- 4 Critical Viewing What comparison and contrast can you draw between this truck and a family station wagon? [Compare and Contrast]Revising Your Word Choice Stress the Opposites The words thal you use to deseribe your subjects can sharpen points of comparison and contrast just as much as transitions can. As you evaluate your word ¢ ice, you may find that you can strengthen your points opposite or nearly opposite words to di a T-chart to examine your word choice for points of contrast > REVISION STRATEGY Charting Opposites Ina T-chart like the one shown below, identify the words you've used to create contrast in describing your subjects. In one column, write the strongest words you've used to describe D Research Tip Use a thesaurus to find the most precise words to convey the contrasts you make. one topic. In the other, jot down the words that describe the other topic. Review your chart to see whether opposites are strongly expressed. Revise some of these words in your draft to make your comparison and contrast stronger. Works (“TN PROGRESS 5 Opposites Charting to per i choice and describe the fea- improve te points to inv ricanized Mexican food more em Mea ad opposite words to describe the features of the he usec ; types of food. Vanessa charted opposi tures of both authentic her final draft to see how TexMex Food Mexican Food eee fh Ape ee Mildly hot, tomatolike mixture ’ ees cacao hot, © mild to burning Y Ready-made from a container jeans Fresh avocados and 610¥” cooked be Colorless plortul, bright. colors Vanessa decided to ‘spicy” to make contrasts more RevisingPeer Review ith a small group can Sharing your revised draft w uP help you to look more objectively at your work. Peer reviewers can help you see whether your points of comparison are well developed. clear, and purposeful Ask Reviewers to Offer Suggestions Give a copy of your essay to each member of a group of classmates. Ask each reviewer to read your essay and consider the following questions: * Is the purpose of comparing and contrasting the two subjects clearly addressed? 4 Critica cal * Are both subjects covered equally well? Im what wa Your reviewers can attach self-sticking notes with their com- Classmate be; ments to any areas of your essay that they think could be | Sounding bey improved. | YOUF Writing | [Relate] iN | | Asking Reviewers to Respond to Questions i Vanessa asked her peer reviewers to respond to her essay in specific ways. She |) used her reviewers’ comments about this paragraph to clevelop it more fully. You it can see her final draft on pages 187-188. The look of authentic Mexican food as opposed jg a sentence an to TexMex food is also very different. Authentic *lit3"o" 2" tortillas look. corn and flour tortillas, for example, look much different from those served at American restaurants. Authentic corn and flour tortillas are a shade of erea™ white and have a much softer texture than those served in Amer! et restaurants. Another difference in the appe™™ You could give some \ concrete examples of the two types of Mexican food is color: of the ingredients wake that make Mexican | Combinations of different fresh ingredient ™ colorful, food Mexican food very colorful.© Editing and Proofreading Errors in seeing you ammar or mechanies ea leas. Proofrea An distract readers from | d to make your writing error-free Focusing on Sentences | To study the criteria for Sentences should express a complete thought, Use these | tips to review the mech effective sentences, see . y e mechanics your Chapter in your dratt | Chapter 20. | @ Learn More of each sentence Avoid Fragments Be sure that cach sentence contains a sub | Ject and a verb, Revise fragments—those that don't meet these criteria—to create complete sentences. | Avoid Run-on Sentences Run-on sentences are (wo or more | complete sentences written as if they were a single sentence, Revise them to create separate sentenc Grammar in Your Writing ——-— Comma Splices A comma splice is an error in which a comma by itself joins (wo inde- pendent clauses. COMMA SPLICE: He loves math, he wants to learn more. To revise a comma splice, use one of these strategies: Add a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet: He loves math, and he wants to learn more, Use a period or a semicolon between the clauses: He loves math; he wants to learn more. [or] He loves math. He wants to learn more. Revise one independent clause into a dependent clause: Because he loves math, he wants to learn more. ii ii ding Review Stephen Kuusisto’s essay on pages ea a ee in which the writer uses a semicolon or a coor- dinating conjunction to combine independent claus Find It in Your Writin splices you have included. g Read your draft to find and revise any comma For more on comma splices, see Chapter 20. Editing ond Proofreading * 185[Elaboren Building Your Portfolio final resent your he following ways (© Poa Pr re compuarison-and-contrast say 0" 4 to the Class Collect photos, ting. Use the o enhance your writing, La 1. Give a Presentation Ist " maps, or other visual Seen dined Sup) Information in your essay alo + class. nake a formal presentation to the cl - 2 Publish NourlEeeay, On ine ae tty posting it on " others who are interested in your sul a *e ourre nat an Internet site that offers sludent waiting If youre oe sure of the procedures for publishing on-line, rienced Internet user for help. Reflecting on Your Writing When your comparison-and-contrast essay is complete, jot Gown your ideas about the writing process. Use these questions a Internet; {o get started. Add your comments to your writing portfolio. To see model es * What new insight into your subjects did you gain? scored with this * Which strategy for prewriting, drafting, revising, or editing Tubric, go to will be most useful to you in future writing projects? www. phschool.o Adequately provides a | Pro nfo) reason for a comparison. fe ome 9 | Does not provide a contrast anahjan reason for a comparison- comparison-contrast Teason for a companx mae” | ys Contrast analysis analysis, contrast anahas ; j Organization | clearly presents information | Presents information 5 | in a consisten It organization Chooses an of € ‘Ganization | Shows a lack of | using an organization ison} ssttinetgc” | eon <> ee ca ey compare this dish with ing Po" as_a startin’ ppears on page 187. inet en 4 Crit e there is not a vegetable ood. Becaus ba veneiat lod. Bem ewing outside every fast-food 7 a that sells Mexican food and ant tha garde! ‘annot afford restau fee eeinse most companies , mployees to slow-cook h as pinto beans for six be to pay their €! sucl ingredients ' Hours, many restaurants use ingredi 10 any A say that Americanized ents that are canned or frozen. This isnt to oes eee Hee Mexican food doesn’t taste good; it just lacks som: and the homemade touch of authentic Another difference between the two € pa aera ae spices and side dishes. For example. chile has an imp almost every Mexican meal, including breakfast. In most of the United States, the term chili refers to a mildly hot tomatolike mix- ture, whereas in Mexican culture, chile refers to a wide variety of Peppers, sauces, and mixtures: red peppers, green peppers, and jalapenos—from mild to burning hot! Chile goes anywhere and everywhere and is essential to an authentic Mexican meal. In con- trast, chile is not included in many Mexican meals served in the Mexican food. uisines is in the use of United States. Another popular side dish served at both real Mexican and Americanized Mexican meals is guacamole. In Mexico. classic gua- camole is created by mashing an avocado and Jetting the flavor come directly from the creamy green produce. Stateside, gua- camole is doctored with onions, lemon juice, and tomatoes to cre- ate a clear variation of the Mexican style, The look of authentic Mexican food as opposed to American Mexican food ts also very different. Authentic corn and fle. or. tllas. for example, look much different from those served at American restaurants. In Mexico, tortilla shells do not come in lovely shades of bright yellow like those used for “tace supremes.” Authentic corn and flour tortillas are a shade of creamy white and have a much softer texture, This ts because of the contrast in. ingredients, Mexican tortilias are made from an ae maiza, which makes them light. The tortitas made, United States restaurants are created trom flour and eure ey are thicker and not as light, trea, Bo they The United States is a long w, ing authentic Mexican food ea mas able to duplicate the fresh ingredients, the aE the colorful look, and the delicious tase ‘e penbinatcn of spices, 1 © real thing. When American chefs! stering the art of creat- Transition, “whereas. contrasy* connections POINtS of conn This paragraph addresses te ence in the i the two foods ives reasons” ferences Y Vanessa oo essay il ‘She extent clusion rope! atOne of the most practical applicati comand contrast wee ae gbcations of compart similar produéis or services'tohem dhe informed decisions, A consumer ese ane ate Ee anni p og evaluations of si eral anes ids, shows readers how one item stac - the competition. acks up) Consumer report writers use compari contrast 10 explore similarities and diflerenecs brands, usually by rating them against several eriter Challenge yourself (o write a consumer repo cane writing process steps below offer some Teng polity . against reverting roe and services you use I y a product, identily sever- al examples and develop criteria for comparison and contrast, Gather details about several examples of your topic either by personal experience or through tele- phone and library research. For each brand you address, list your findings on index cards, as shown here Exerc 7 = enteral |_Exercise Facility #2 —_—_— © 80% membership a newal each year_—_| + 50%! membership renewal each year |e Up-to-date equipment| + Old equipment | variety of classes | + Small selection of classes ——— a chart to show your findings at plus or a minus sign or support your evaltia- Drafting Consider creating a glance. For each category. provide a g ie assign a grade. Then, in your Wilk you faa Define your standard, and then rate each example against it Provide specific supporting details. In a conclusion, your best advice offer readers ing and Editing Read juct by name, Mo or superlative modil to emphasize YO" raft to be sure you have dei number. and specific fers, Such as more ur evaluation. your d Revi: identified each prod cost. Add comparative dependable or most reliable. findings in a lively. consider our report and Presenting Share you! To make yo eech more our spe ‘ems you included i y Publishing presentation. demonstrating the Connected Assign CR EEE a Re 5 eee 3 fat, eae ai aa ‘A Critical Viewing | What items in this | photograph might be appropriate subjects for a con- | sumer report? | Udentity] Grammar and Style Tip Use comparative modifiers such as faster and more eco- nomical to compare two items. Use superlative modifiers such as fastest and most economical to compare three or more items. ent: Consumer Report! * 189