This document provides guidance on comparing and contrasting cultural tastes and preferences. It discusses identifying appropriate bases of comparison that topics have in common. It also reviews language structures like both, neither, as...as, comparatives, and superlatives that can be used to show similarities and differences. Examples are given for comparing cultural exchanges. Strategies are outlined for completing exercises that practice applying patterns to identify grammar rules for accurate comparison.

1. 




Do you know the following CULTURAL EXCHANGES?
Which are they?
What are they about?
What do they have in common?
What makes them different?

3. Content Objective:
YW state your opinion about different cultural tastes and
preferences
Language objectives:
YWBAT identify bases of comparison
YWBAT compare and contrast cultural tastes and
preferences
YWBAT use different structures to show similarities and
differences
Strategies Objectives:
YWBAT use the problem solving strategy Applying Patterns
to identify and apply grammar rules

4. Bases Of Comparison
Find TOPICS that have strong and interesting basis of
comparison. That is, even if the two things you are
comparing are very different, they should have
something in common.
Examples:
Race Car Driver and The Mayor Of A City ----------- Fame
The Mayor Of A City and
The President Of A Company-----------------------------Run Large Organizations
Obligations
Duties
Dangers of the position
Differences between
running a city and a company

5. Bases Of Comparison
Practice identifying Bases of
Comparison
Exerc. 2 p. 139 (in the purple table)

6. Bases Of Comparison
Now, read the essay on pgs. 142-143 and answer the
questions on pg. 143
1. Does the essay focus more on similarities or
differences?
2. What are the bases of comparison that the author has
chosen?
3. In the second paragraph, what do you notice about the
order the author chose to write about the bases of
comparison?
4. Find the words and expressions below in the essay.
Which ones does the writer use to show similarities?
Which ones show differences?
Both in contrast less on the other hand

7. Find/Apply Patterns
Apply a rule.
Make a rule.
Recognize and apply letter/sound, grammar, discourse, or
register rules.
Chamot, A. U., Barnhardt, S. El – Dinary, P. B., & Robbins, J. (1999). The learning strategies handbook. White Plains, NY:
Addison – Wesley Longman.

8. BOTH
Show Similarities
1. Before Nouns
Both living situations are safe
2. As a pronoun
Both are safe
3. With verbs
They are both safe
They both have advantages
They have both given me an advantage
They can both help you

9.  Compare the cultural exchanges by using BOTH

10. NEITHER
Show Negative Similarities
1. With NOR
Neither living in a dorm nor sharing an apartment is
ideal
2. Before a singular noun
Neither situation is ideal
3. As a pronoun
Neither is ideal

11. Show Similarities
• Writing sentences with BOTH and NEITHER
Exerc. 1 pg. 146

12.  Compare the cultural exchanges by using NEITHER

13. As _____ as
Show Similarities
As clean as
As beautiful as
Living in a dorm is as convenient as sharing an
apartment

14.  Compare the cultural exchanges by using As ______ as

15. Showing Differences
Comparatives
…er than
More ________ than
cleaner than
more beautiful than
Superlatives
The … est
The most __________
the cleanest
the most beautiful
Check Examples pg. 147

16. Showing Differences
Complete the sentences with Comparative or
Superlative
Exerc. 3 pgs. 147-148

17.  Compare the cultural exchanges by using the COMPARATIVE,
SUPERLATIVE AND EQUATIVE

18. TOEFL SESSION
Language Objective:
YWBAT use different structures to show similarities and
differences
Strategies Objectives:
YWBAT use the problem solving strategy Applying Patterns
to identify and apply grammar rules

19. Find/Apply Patterns
Apply a rule.
Make a rule.
Recognize and apply letter/sound, grammar, discourse, or
register rules.
Chamot, A. U., Barnhardt, S. El – Dinary, P. B., & Robbins, J. (1999). The learning strategies handbook. White Plains, NY:
Addison – Wesley Longman.

20. A NOUN refers to the person, the animal, thing or place
NOUNS must be made plural when they are countable
and plural in meaning.
NOUNS are often modified by ADJECTIVES.
ADJECTIVES usually come before the noun they modify.
ADJECTIVES cannot be made plural

21. .
MODELS
A bolt of lightning travels twenty thousands miles in one second.
A
B
C
D
Some trees grow to be over three hundred foot high
A
B
C
D
The paint bright yellow that she chose for her bedroom creates a
A
B
C
cheery atmosphere
D

22. 
Access:
LANGmaster.com
Click:
2. STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Part A:
6. Adjectives and Nouns
1.
6

23. As _____ as
Show Similarities
As clean as
As beautiful as
Living in a dorm is as convenient as sharing an
apartment

24. Showing Differences
Comparatives
…er than
More ________ than
cleaner than
more beautiful than
Superlatives
The … est
The most __________
the cleanest
the most beautiful
Check Examples pg. 147

26. MODELS
Although Tom’s paper was longer than Alice’s, Alice’s
A
B
paper was more insightful that Tom’s
C
Professor Clark’s chemistry class is __________ Professor
Smith’s
A) More than difficult
B) To the difficult
C) As difficult as
D) The most difficult

27. 
Access:
LANGmaster.com
Click:
2. STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Part B & C:
24. Check Equative, Comparative and
Superlative Degree
1.
2.
3.
24 A
24 B
24 C

28. access: learnenglishfeelgood.com
On the left-side panel
Click: English Grammar Exercises
ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS:
Comparative or superlative (adj.) ? 1

29. Access BLACKBOARD
TOEFL
LISTENING TIPS
Open
. pdf
Print
13: Comparatives and
negatives
Bring it tomorrow

30. Both… and
Laura enjoys both books and music
Laura both enjoys and plays the cello
Both Angela and her mother are coming to the party
Either … or
Either the teacher or the student is coming
Either the teacher or students are coming

31. Not only … but also
Not only he bought her a diamond ring, but he also
bought her a gold watch
(inverted subject-verb word order)
Not only did he buy her a diamond ring, but he also
bought her a gold watch

32. Neither … nor
Neither he wrote nor he called
(inverted subject-verb word order)
Neither did he write nor did he call
Incorrect: Neither her mother or her father was here
Correct: Neither her mother nor her father was here

33. 
Access:
LANGmaster.com
Click:
2. STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Part B & C:
29. Check Paired Expressions
29 A
2. 29 B
1.

34. • First, decide what you are presenting
Cultural Tastes and Preferences
Arts, Technology, Food, Architecture, Traditions, Trends, etc…
• Second, do a research and find images. You just need images in
your PowerPoint presentation (the images must be related to
what you are describing)
What are these Cultural Tastes and Preferences about?
Be detailed and specific
• Third, find the Bases of Comparison or Topics
• Finally, write some similarities and differences