Academic Word List- Comparing and Contrasting
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Similarities and differences academic vocabulary practice.
Lesson Plan Content:
Academic Word List comparing and contrasting
Worksheet 1 – Comparing and contrasting phrases presentation
Write words in the gaps to complete these phrases for comparing and contrasting. There are several possible answers for each.
They are ________________________________________________________ the same
They are _________________________________________________________ identical
They are __________________________________________________________ similar
They are _________________________________________________________ different
A is _____________________________________________________... er/ more…than B
A is ____________________________________________________________ as… as B
The __________________________________________ difference between A and B is…
A/ An _________________________________________ difference between A and B is…
Use words and phrases under the fold to help you with task above. Some can be used more than once.
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… percent … times
a great deal a lot
a (tiny) bit absolutely
almost basically
biggest completely
considerably exactly
fairly (far) far
great half
more or less most important
most obvious most significant
much (not/ very) nearly
(not) quite obvious
one and a half times only/ sole
practically quite a lot
slightly substantially
surprisingly three quarters
totally twice
very
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Partial answers
Match each of these lists of words to one gapped sentence on the previous page.
- a tiny bit/ a bit/ slightly/ … percent/ quite a lot/ considerably/ substantially/ a great deal/ a lot/ much/ far/ … times/ far far
- almost/ absolutely
- almost/ more or less/ nearly/ very nearly/ basically/ exactly
- biggest/ most important/ most significant/ most obvious/ only/ sole
- great/ obvious
- not nearly/ half/ three quarters/ not quite/ nearly/ almost/ exactly/ one and a half times/ twice/ three times
- slightly/ quite/ fairly/ very/ completely/ totally
- very/ quite/ surprisingly
Compare with the answer key under the fold. Other answers may be possible, so please ask if you wrote something different.
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Suggested answers
- They are almost/ more or less/ practically/ (very) nearly/ basically/ exactly the same
- They are ___________almost/ absolutely__________________________ identical
- They are ___________________very/ quite/ surprisingly______________ similar
- They are _____________slightly/ quite/ very/ completely/ totally__________ different
- A is ______a tiny bit/ a bit/ slightly/ … percent/ quite a lot/ considerably/ substantially/ a great deal/ a lot/ much/ far/ … times/ far far_______ ….er/ more…/ less… than B
- A is ______not nearly/ half/ three quarters/ not quite/ nearly/ almost/ exactly/ one and a half times/ twice/ three times______ as… as B.
- The ______biggest/ most important/ most significant/ most obvious/ only/ sole_______ difference between A and B is…
- A/ An _____________ great/ obvious____________ difference between A and B is…
Do any of those expressions have (basically) the same meaning?
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Worksheet 2 – Comparing and contrasting places
Compare one of these things in your country/ city and other places, supporting your arguments. Your partner will agree or disagree, or if they don’t know the other place they will just ask for more support for your arguments.
- Acceptance of differences in sexuality
- Belief in personal transformation
- Bullying subordinates
- Carbon offsetting
- Corporate restructuring
- Electricity generation
- Government use of statistics
- Granting sabbaticals
- Immigration
- Importance of hierarchy
- Infrastructure
- Interest in sustainability
- Job security
- Maintaining traditions
- Naming of successors
- Number of guidelines from the government
- Number of subsidiaries
- Publication of theses
- Research funding
- Residential care
- Restoration of historical buildings
- Rigid management
- School resources
- Self-sufficiency of adult children
- Stress
- Strictness of school grading
- Submissive females
- Suspension from school
- Taking dietary supplements
- Tax revenues
- Teaching of study techniques
- Temporary jobs
- The baby boomer generation
- The impact of globalisation
- The IT sector
- Theoretical physics
- Times when you need to use identification
- Transmission of disease
- Treatment of historic sites
- Use of panel interviews
- Volunteering
- Welfare payments
All the words in italics above are from the AWL. Ask about any you don’t know.
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Worksheet 3 – Comparing and contrasting Academic Word List vocabulary
How different are the following words from the Academic Word List and the words next to them and what are the differences (if any)?
A generation/ An era A majority/ Most
A medium/ Media A parallel/ A similarity
A perspective/ A viewpoint An illustration/ A figure
An image/ An icon An institute/ An academy
An instructor/ A teacher At short intervals/ For a short time
Banned/ Prohibited Conservative/ Reactionary
Exactly/ Precisely For Instance/ For example
Habits/ Norms Identification/ ID
Ignorance/ Stupidity Immaturity/ Childishness
Index/ Contents page Individualism/ Selfishness
Inhibit/ Restrict Initially/ At first
Innovator/ Inventor Insightful/ Intuitive
Integrate/ Merge Internalise/ Remember
Irrational/ Illogical Isolation/ Loneliness
Labourer/ Worker Legislation/ Law
Legislator/ Lawyer Magazine/ Journal
Manipulate/ Control Manual/ Handbook
Mechanism/ Machine Mediate/ Negotiate
Minimalize/ Reduce Ministry/ Government department
Minor/ Unimportant Misinterpretation/ Misunderstanding
Objectivity/ Logic Odd/ Abnormal
Paragraph/ Section Predicted/ Inevitable
Preliminary/ Preparatory Principal/ Principle
Private investigator/ Private detective Professor/ Lecturer
Psychiatry/ Psychology Purchase/ Buy
Qualitative/ Quantitative Ratio/ Percentage
Regime/ Government Relocate/ Move
Spouse/ Partner Stubborn/ Persistent
The same/ Identical Theory/ Paradigm
To itemise/ To list Uninvolved/ Disinterested
Unjustified/ Unjust
Write comparisons of four of the pairs of words above, then get together with another group to give feedback on the accuracy of the descriptions, the language used, etc.
Homework
Choose one of the tasks below and write at least 250 words on the topic of your choice.
- Compare the past, present and future of one thing
- Compare two things
- Compare two solutions to one problem
- Compare competing theories (e.g. for why something happens)
- Compare different predictions for the future of something
- Compare different future possibilities depending on what action is taken
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