Comparison Pattern

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A comparison pattern organizes the speech around major similarities and differences between two events, objects, or situations. Each main point discusses an important similarity or difference. This pattern can help your audience learn about a new subject by comparing or contrasting it to a subject with which they are familiar. To illustrate, you might compare recent scientific discoveries about planets outside our solar system (exoplanets)8 with certain characteristics of our own solar system:

  1. Like our sun, most other stars have planets.
  2. Our planets orbit one sun, but many exoplanets orbit two “suns.”
  3. Our planets have remained in similar orbits, whereas many exoplanets’ orbits have significantly changed.
  4. Our planets tend to be smaller than the exoplanets scientists have discovered.