Open in App
Log In Start studying!

Select your language

Suggested languages for you:
StudySmarter - The all-in-one study app.
4.8 • +11k Ratings
More than 3 Million Downloads
Free
|
|
Comparison

Harder, better, faster, stronger. These are examples of words you would use in a comparison. When writing an essay, you will frequently use comparison to highlight your Evidence and bolster your Thesis. The importance of using comparison in your essay is to explain the way your arguments fit into the big picture. Work harder, organize better, type faster, and write stronger.

Content verified by subject matter experts
Free StudySmarter App with over 20 million students
Mockup Schule

Explore our app and discover over 50 million learning materials for free.

Comparison

Illustration

Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persönlichen Lernstatistiken

Jetzt kostenlos anmelden

Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen.

Jetzt kostenlos anmelden
Illustration

Harder, better, faster, stronger. These are examples of words you would use in a comparison. When writing an essay, you will frequently use comparison to highlight your Evidence and bolster your Thesis. The importance of using comparison in your essay is to explain the way your arguments fit into the big picture. Work harder, organize better, type faster, and write stronger.

Comparison Meaning

Comparisons can be broken down grammatically and logically.

A comparison aims to measure the similarities of two or more things.

In doing so, a comparison can highlight contrasts as well. This is why, sometimes, you will see comparisons paired with contrasts rhetorically.

When writing an essay, you will use comparison in a grammatical manner in order to create logical arguments. Start with understanding the grammar.

Types of Comparisons in English Grammar

There are two types of comparison in English grammar: the comparative and the superlative.

Comparative comparisons indicate a relationship of more or less between two things.

Here is an example of a comparative comparison.

The Enterprise is a larger ship than the Voyager.

On the other hand...

Superlative comparisons indicate a relationship of most or least within a group of things.

Here is an example of a superlative comparison.

The Enterprise is the largest ship in the fleet.

In these examples, follow the adjective (large). This is where you can find the type of comparison being made!

An adjective describes a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea).

That said, you can also see this kind of comparison in adverbs.

Adverbs of Comparison

Also called comparative adverbs, adverbs of comparison occur in the same two familiar forms: comparative and superlative.

An adverb describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Take the adverb, “hardily.” Here is it used in a comparative comparison.

The dwarf ate more hardily than the other adventurers.

Take a different adverb, “lively.” Here it is used in a superlative comparison.

During the dance, the dwarf was the least lively member of the gang.

Importance of Using Comparison in Your Essay

Now that the various kinds of grammatical comparisons are understood, it’s time to use them in your essay. Because comparisons highlight similarities and proportions in things, they are great for making a point. Here’s an example.

Bunting Beach has a rat problem. According to a study by RatMetric, Bunting Beach has the most rats per person among cities of its size.

Now imagine this as a Thesis and a Body Paragraph. The thesis would be that Bunting Beach has a rat problem that needs to be fixed. This statistic would be the featured piece of Evidence of a Body Paragraph. It would support the claim that Bunting Beach has a rat problem.

The comparison in this example helps to show scale and scope. Words like more, less, most, and least provide a point of reference. It tells you not only how many rats Bunting Beach has, but also how many more it has than other cities.

Comparison, rat problem example, StudySmarterFig. 1 - Comparatively, Hunting Beach has a rat problem.

Think of it this way. Which of these two examples has a greater persuasive impact?

The water supply in Windingo has a lead level in the drinking water of 100µg/dL. This has to change.

The water supply in Windingo has a lead level in the drinking water of 100µg/dL. This is 20 times more than is considered safe.

If your audience is not an expert in your topic, comparisons can provide common examples and easy-to-comprehend ratios. A comparison is an important tool for any essay writer because it allows the writer to frame their Argument relative to the world.

Comparison Example (Essay)

Here is how you might use comparison in an English essay.

Although Robin Hood is meant to be the villain in this alternate retelling of the classic tale, he remains among the most charitable men in Nottingham. On page 129, Robin Hood gives five hundred coins to the sheriff’s daughter. Compare that to Sir Guy, the would-be hero. Through the first 300 pages, Sir Guy spends “nine-hundred coin on his attempts to thwart the royal suck-up, Robin Hood.” (302) If you tally up the monies that Sir Guy counts in his journal entries, Sir Guy stole 1245 coins. This means that he had more money than Robin Hood gave to the sheriff’s daughter—by over twice as much—and proceeded to squander 75% on futile attempts to stop the “green-capped cur.” At most, Sir Guy gave away 345 coins, and that’s assuming he had no other expenses and kept none for himself. Sir Guy certainly knows how to do less with more."

These comparisons are equally humorous and illuminating. The essayist compares the amount of money that Robin Hood and Sir Guy spend and concludes that despite Robin Hood being the villain of the book, he is more charitable than Sir Guy, the protagonist.

Comparison, Robin Hood example, StudySmarterFig. 2 - Use more and less to draw a startling comparison.

Your comparisons don’t have to deal with hard numbers like this, but numerical comparisons do make for persuasive writing.

Quantify your arguments if you can, to impart the power of numbers!

Tips for Using Comparison in Your Essay

However you write your comparisons, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Use a comparison to keep your reader in the loop. Think back to the lead example. Comparing the lead levels to the national average gave the reader needed context.

Use a comparison to show the scale and scope of your thesis. You can show how big and important something is by comparing it to something smaller. You can also show how small or insignificant something is by comparing it to something bigger.

When writing a comparison, stay relevant. Don’t compare your evidence to loosely related concepts and ideas. This could result in a rhetorical fallacy (logical fallacy).

When writing a comparison, be accurate. Keep your numbers and ideas straight. Again, when a comparison goes awry, you could end up writing something false.

Comparison - Key takeaways

  • A comparison aims to measure the similarities of two or more things.
  • Comparative comparisons indicate a relationship of more or less between two things.
  • Superlative comparisons indicate a relationship of most or least within a group of things.
  • A comparison is an important tool for any essay writer because it allows the writer to frame their Argument relative to the world.
  • Use a comparison to keep your reader in the loop, and to show the scale and scope of your thesis.

Frequently Asked Questions about Comparison

A comparison aims to measure the similarities of two or more things.

Comparative and superlative. Comparative comparisons indicate a relationship of more or less between two things. Superlative comparisons indicate a relationship of most or least within a group of things.

According to a study by RatMetric, Bunting Beach has the most rats per person among cities of its size.

The comparison is an important tool for any essay writer because it allows the writer to frame their argument relative to the world.

Final Comparison Quiz

Comparison Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

What is a comparison?

Show answer

Answer

comparison aims to measure the similarities of two or more things.

Show question

Question

Comparative comparisons indicate a relationship of _____ between two things.

Show answer

Answer

More or less

Show question

Question

Superlative comparisons indicate a relationship of _____ within a group of things.


Show answer

Answer

Most or least

Show question

Question

What is an adjective?

Show answer

Answer

An adjective describes a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea).

Show question

Question

What suffix does the comparative adjective take?

Show answer

Answer

___-er (or more/less ___)

Show question

Question

What suffix does the superlative adjective take?

Show answer

Answer

-est (or most/least ___)

Show question

Question

Can adverbs be used in comparisons?

Show answer

Answer

Yes!

Show question

Question

What is another name for "adverbs of comparison"?

Show answer

Answer

Comparative adverbs

Show question

Question

What is an adverb?

Show answer

Answer

An adverb describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Show question

Question

What two words does an adverb use to indicate a comparative comparison?

Show answer

Answer

More and less.

Show question

Question

What two words does an adverb use to indicate a superlative comparison?


Show answer

Answer

Most and least.

Show question

Question

A _____ is an important tool for any essay writer because it allows the writer to frame their argument relative to the world.


Show answer

Answer

Comparison

Show question

Question

Use a comparison to show the _____ of your thesis.

Show answer

Answer

Scale and scope

Show question

Question

If your comparison is not totally relevant to your topic, what problem do you risk?

Show answer

Answer

Using a rhetorical fallacy (logical fallacy).

Show question

Question

Is this a comparative or superlative comparison?


"This coffee shop serves over 1000 customers a day. That's 400 more customers per day than the other coffee shops in town."

Show answer

Answer

Comparative

Show question

Question

Is this a comparative or superlative comparison?


"This coffee shop serves over 1000 customers a day. It's the most popular coffee shop in the whole town."

Show answer

Answer

Superlative

Show question

Question

Does this comparison use a comparative adjective or comparative adverb?


"This is the most successful coffee shop I've ever seen."

Show answer

Answer

Comparative adjective

Show question

Question

Does this comparison use a comparative adjective or comparative adverb?


"This coffee shop is run more efficiently than any other coffee shop I've been to."

Show answer

Answer

Comparative adverb

Show question

Question

Does this comparison use a comparative adjective or comparative adverb?


"Out of all the lattes I've ever ordered, this one is the tastiest."

Show answer

Answer

Comparative adjective

Show question

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

How many types of comparison are there in English grammar?

Comparative comparisons indicate a relationship of _____ between two things.

Superlative comparisons indicate a relationship of _____ within a group of things.

Next

Flashcards in Comparison19

Start learning

What is a comparison?

comparison aims to measure the similarities of two or more things.

Comparative comparisons indicate a relationship of _____ between two things.

More or less

Superlative comparisons indicate a relationship of _____ within a group of things.


Most or least

What is an adjective?

An adjective describes a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea).

What suffix does the comparative adjective take?

___-er (or more/less ___)

What suffix does the superlative adjective take?

-est (or most/least ___)

Join over 22 million students in learning with our StudySmarter App

The first learning app that truly has everything you need to ace your exams in one place

  • Flashcards & Quizzes
  • AI Study Assistant
  • Study Planner
  • Mock-Exams
  • Smart Note-Taking
Join over 22 million students in learning with our StudySmarter App Join over 22 million students in learning with our StudySmarter App

Discover the right content for your subjects

Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.

Start learning with StudySmarter, the only learning app you need.

Sign up now for free
Illustration