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EAL Nexus resource
Graphic organisers
Describing: A compare and contrast table
Subject(s):
Any subject
Age group(s):
8–11, 12–-14, 15–16
Topic:
Key visuals
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. ©British Council 2015
Source | This resource was originally developed by Nerissa Lea and has been adapted by EAL Nexus.
Visual diagrams can help us to:
- understand information
- structure writing.
Describing organisers
A compare and contrast
diagram is a table that can
be used to present or analyse
information.
This is a
compare and contrast table
Title
(e.g. The similarities and differences
between ...)
A
(versus)
B
Q1: e.g. How many ...
Q2: ...
A compare and contrast table
Title
(The similarities and differences between ...)
A
(versus)
B
Q1: e.g. How many ...
Q2: ...
A compare and
contrast table
can be used ...
... to compare and
contrast, describe and
classify information.
An example
Title
New
Year
in
...
(The similarities and differences between ...)
Questions
A
When ...?
How ...?
China
(verses)
UKB
Q1: e.g., how many ...
A compare and
contrast table
can be used ...
Q2: ...
... to compare and
contrast, describe and
classify information.
New Year
When is it?
China
UK
First day of the first 1st January
month on the Lunar every year
calendar
How long is the 3-4 days
1 day, usually
public holiday?
Is there any
People do not usually Regional
special food?
eat meat on the first foods
day
What do people Adults (married) give Visit friends
do to celebrate red packets (lucky
and family
(the custom)? money) to children
New clothes
New clothes
Dragon dancing
Go to parties
Fireworks
Firecrackers
New Year in China and the UK
New Year China
UK
When ...?
How ...?
A compare and contrast
table can be used ...
... to
compare
and
contrast,
describe
and classify
information.
Writing
practice
New Year in China and the UK
A new year begins on the first day of the first
month in both China and the UK. The _______
_________ is that this day is not 1st January on
the Chinese calendar.
There are many _____ ___________ but also
many ___________ in the way people celebrate.
Ultimately, it is a joyous occasion in both countries.
difference, differences, main,
other, similarities
Check your
work
New Year in China and the UK
A new year begins on the first day of the first
month in both China and the UK. The main
difference is that this day is not 1st January on
the Chinese calendar.
There are many other differences but also many
similarities in the way people celebrate.
Ultimately, it is a joyous occasion in both countries.
Your next task:
Describing, Compare and Contrast
Can you use any of these sentence
starters for your task?
It has ...
It is made up of…
There are more ... than ...
It contains …
The most important … The favourite ... is ...
This is how …
The … and … are both …
There are similar features ...
The … is different from … because …
… they are not the same because …