Comparison Sentences

WRITING COMPARISON SENTENCES
There are several ways of writing sentences which compare two or more objects or people. Here are some patterns you may use…

1. WHILE …, ….
While my friend likes reading romance novels, I prefer realistic adventure stories.
While Crispin – in the novel by Avi – is still fearful, he is learning to be courageous.

2. …, WHILE ….
My brother enjoyed reading the Percy Jackson novels, while I did not like them at all.
I prefer historical novels, while my friend prefers fantasy novels.

3. ALTHOUGH …, ….
Although Christmas can be very cold in Canada, it usually is quite mild on the west coast.
Although I like novels by Carol Matas, I much prefer novels by Deborah Ellis.

4. BOTH ….
Both Eric Wilson and Roy MacGregor write fast-paced mystery novels.
Both Kit Pearson and Katherine Paterson write historical novels.

5. NEITHER … NOR ….
Neither my brother nor I like reading about dinosaurs anymore.
Neither the public library nor my school library lets me borrow books when I have overdues.

6. NOT ONLY …, BUT ALSO ….
Not only Lemony Snicket, but also Maryrose Wood writes novels about orphans.
Not only Anthony Horowitz, but also Carlos Ruiz Zafon writes novels full of supernatural suspense.

7. …; ON THE OTHER HAND, ….
I generally prefer reading realistic novels; on the other hand, I occasionally enjoy a fantasy novel if it is not too long.
Hamish X is a hilarious character in Sean Cullen’s novels; on the other hand, after reading three books about him, I think I’ve had enough of his bossy self-confidence.

8. …; IN CONTRAST, ….
Geronimo Stilton books are very short; in contrast, Harry Potter novels are very long.
I like to spend time reading every day; in contrast, my sister spends time running every day.

9. … RELATIVELY SMALL …, WHILE … RELATIVELY LARGE ….
My sister spends a relatively small amount of time reading, while I spend a relatively large amount of time reading.
Christopher Paolini has written relatively few novels about dragons, while Anne McCaffrey has written many novels about dragons.

10. … IN COMPARISON TO …. WHICH IS….
The ‘Orca Soundings’ series is for older readers in comparison to the ‘Orca Currents’ series which is for younger readers.
Terry Pratchett writes humorous stories with an underlying seriousness in comparison to Gordon Korman who writes novels which can seem quite serious but are actually quite light-hearted.

Note that a semi-colon (;) is used to join two complete sentences in order to make one sentence. Do not confuse semi-colons with commas!

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