Comparing and contrasting ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

 

ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

UNIT 55

Comparing and contrasting

A	Comparing two places Emily has been offered two different jobs. The jobs are fundamentally similar but they are in different towns – Alton and Belville. The two towns bear very little resemblance to1 each other. Alton is a small town by the sea; Belville is entirely different as it is a large industrial town. Alton is a beautiful old town which attracts a lot of tourists. This is in marked contrast to Belville, which is a rather ugly town. There is a wide variation in the cost of accommodation in the two towns. There is also a world of difference in the entertainment on offer in the two places. Because there is a clear distinction between the types of people who live in each place – there are far more young people in Belville – there is a yawning gap2 between what the cinemas and theatres show. Belville tends to have a lot of foreign films and original new plays, and those are much more to Emily’s taste. The options for eating out also differ widely. Although Alton is smaller, it has a lot of good restaurants, though they do tend to be rather expensive. Belville is the exact opposite. It has a small number of relatively inexpensive restaurants. To sum up, Alton and Belville are in many respects polar opposites3. Emily is finding it hard to make up her mind. As soon as she decides that the advantages of Alton outweigh its disadvantages4, then someone reminds her of the other side of the argument. Which of these two strikingly different places do you think she should decide to move to? 1 don’t look at all like 2 an enormous difference 3 extreme opposites 4 are stronger than the disadvantages
B	Finding a balance Tom: How’s work going these days, Karl? Are you still at the bank? Karl: No, I decided to do something fundamentally different last year and retrained as a teacher. Tom: Wow! That’s a bit of a change! Your salary as a teacher surely doesn’t bear comparison with1 what you got as an investment banker. Karl: Yes, but in other respects teaching compares very favourably with banking. I find it very rewarding – the financial advantages of banking pale in comparison2. Tom: So, what appeals to you so much about teaching? Karl: Well, a teaching friend of mine once drew a comparison between teaching and gardening. Teachers tend children in much the same way as gardeners tend flowers. I love gardening, so perhaps that’s why I love teaching so much! Tom: But lots of people say it’s a very stressful job these days. Karl: Perhaps. When I first started, I found it hard to strike the balance between being firm and being friendly. I wanted to be my pupils’ friend but I soon learnt that you can never totally bridge the gap between pupil and teacher. Tom: Yes, I guess there’s a subtle distinction3 between being friendly and being weak. Karl: That’s right. Anyway I think I’ve got the balance right now and I have no regrets at all about my career change – despite the growing disparity4 between what I earn now and the salaries of my ex-colleagues still at the bank.
C	1 can’t be compared with 2 seem unimportant 3 also subtle difference 4 increasing difference

EXERCISES

55.1	Look at A. Complete the sentences. 1 There is a _______________ gap between the lives of the rich and the poor. The rich person’s experience of life is entirely _______________ from that of someone without money. 2 Once you have read both _______________ of the argument, you can draw your own conclusion. 3 The two approaches are in many ways polar _______________. 4 There is a world of _______________ between your way of life and mine. Your living arrangements are, for a start, in marked _______________ to my own. 5 There is a _______________ distinction between lying and not telling the whole truth. 6 There was a _______________ variation between the exam marks of the stronger and the weaker candidates.
55.2	Match the beginning of each sentence (1–8) with its ending (a–h). 1 Harula bears very little 2 I find it hard to appreciate the subtle 3 In my essay I attempted to draw a 4 My own painting doesn’t bear 5 Our results were the exact 6 Students may find it hard to strike the 7 The conference’s aim is to bridge the 8 There seems to be a growing a difference between the cheeses from these two regions. b right balance between their studies and their social life. c opposite of what we had predicted. d gap between artists and scientists. e disparity between the rich and the poor. f comparison between language learning and riding a bike. g resemblance to her sister. h comparison with that of a trained artist.
55.3	Choose the correct collocation. More than one option may be possible. Use a dictionary such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary to help you if necessary. 1 The two performers are entirely / highly / strikingly different. 2 Politicians talk a lot about how to join / bridge / cross the gap between rich and poor. 3 Tessa’s work is OK, but it doesn’t make / work / bear comparison with yours. 4 There is a deep / clear / subtle distinction between our points of view. 5 There is a land / world / planet of difference between our two lifestyles. 6 The two theories are fundamentally / strikingly / widely similar. 7 There is a(n) growing / rising / extending disparity between the haves and the have-nots. 8 It is important that you also hear the other edge / side / aspect of the argument.
55.4	Write sentences comparing life in the town with life in the country using the words in brackets in a collocation from this unit. 1 (OUTWEIGH) __________________ 2 (FAVOURABLY)__________________ 3 (FUNDAMENTALLY)__________________ 4 (PALE)__________________ 5 (STRIKINGLY)__________________ 6 (DIFFER)__________________
55.5	Use a dictionary such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary to find two more collocations for contrast, outweigh and gap.

ANSWER KEY

55.1 1 yawning; different 2 sides 3 opposites 4 difference; contrast 5 clear/subtle (with different meanings) 6 wide   55.2 1 g     2 a       3 f        4 h         5 c      6 b       7 d       8 e   55.3 1 entirely / strikingly 2 bridge 3 bear 4 clear / subtle 5 world 6 fundamentally / strikingly 7 growing 8 side   55.4 Possible answers: 1 I think the advantages of living in the country far outweigh the disadvantages. 2 Life in the country compares very favourably with life in the town. 3 Social relationships in the country are fundamentally different from those in the town. 4 The pleasures of town life pale in comparison with the pleasures of country living. 5 Unfortunately, public transport in the country is strikingly different from the transport services available in the city. 6 Entertainment and sports facilities available in the town and in the country differ widely.   55.5 Here are some possible collocations: in stark contrast                outweigh the benefits             a gap in the market in sharp contrast               outweigh the risks                  a gap between her teeth to contrast dramatically                                                    the generation gap