Compare and Contrast for IELTS Writing Task 1

Jul 19, 2022

Compare and Contrast for IELTS Writing Task 1. The two words, ‘compare’ and ‘contrast’ are often used together. However, there is a minute distinction between the two words. For the IELTS exam, the word ‘compare’ is used to assess the similarities or differences between different qualities or characters of something. The word ‘contrast’ is used to assess only the differences between different qualities or characters of something. It is focused on how effective a candidate interprets the minute information from a given image and presents it in writing.The info-graphic questions in IELTS writing task 1 require candidates to write a summary or overview based on a diagram, a table, a line graph, or a bar graph in at least 150 words. IELTS academic writing task 1 is a writing task for 150 words. Candidates are given 20 minutes and are required to write a summary for IELTS Academic writing task 1. Meanwhile, candidates might consider practicing from IELTS writing practice papers to help excel your writing skills.

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Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

The students preparing for the IELTS exam must know that complex grammar not only helps in improving the overall grammar score. But also increases the coherence and cohesion IELTS writing score. The simplest way to use comparing and contrasting language is to use comparative and superlative adjectives.

The following examples can be used to exemplify this:

Adjective	As a Comparison	As a Contrast
Happy	At this moment, John is happier than most men in the village.	At present, Sam is the happiest man in the entire town.
High	Presently, the price of vegetables is higher than the previous year	My brother has managed to score the highest marks in class 6.
Low	Due to the high population in India, the cost of labor is lower than in most countries.	Due to the pandemic, India experienced the lowest GDP in 2020.
Good	John is better than Ramesh in dancing.	The spring season is the best time to visit Kashmir.
Bad	In August, the weather conditions will be worse than in July	The rainy season is the worst time to visit the hill stations.
Little	In India, most women earn less than their male counterparts.	By the end of the period, the stock market had inevitably hit the least numbers.
Much	In 2022, the rate of inflation is more than the previous year.	The state of West Bengal had experienced the most devastating cyclone in 2021.
Popular	Due to his singing, his brother is more popular than Ramesh at school.	Biryani is one of the most popular Indian foods in the world.
Expensive	Platinum earrings are more expensive than silver earrings.	This is the most expensive thing that was ever gifted to me.
Important	Presently, my education is more important than my marriage.	The rate of literacy is the most important indicator for the development of any nation.

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Using Transition Words

Comparison and contrast can also be done by the use of transition words. Transition words can be simply defined as words that link or show a close connection among other words.

Some examples to exemplify the use of transition words for comparing and contrasting language are as follows:

As a comparison:

The developed countries of the world use more electricity. However, the developing nations use less volume.
In comparison to her sister, Riya is more beautiful and good-natured.
In comparison to the previous year, the increased price of oil is higher in the world.

The rate of inflation in India increased between 2002-2003. Similarly, the crime rate in India shows an increasing trend between 2002-2003.

As a contrast:

In contrast to the United States, St. Helena has the lowest nominal GDP in the world.
China, with a population of 140.21 crores, has the largest population in the world. In contrast, Vatican City has the least population in the world.

Google lost $9 billion quarter in 2021. On the other hand, the company made a profit of $12 billion in 2019.

Using Subordinating Conjunctions

Another effective way to use comparing and contrasting language is through the use of subordinating conjunctions. These conjunctions are used for two different ideas or independent contrasting clauses.

The following examples can be used to exemplify this:

The company sales were the lowest in 2011-2012 whereas it remained the same in 2009-2010.
Although the literacy rate of India saw an increase in 2020, the country lags behind most of the other countries in the world.
Most Americans prefer to spend their holidays abroad whereas many Indians choose to stay at home during the holidays.
Although the price of electronics was low in 2019, it saw a rapid increase after the pandemic.
The highest rate of divorce is seen in the USA while it is the lowest in Others.

Many men migrate from the rural to urban areas because of the better job opportunities and a better standard of living in the cities.

Additional Vocabulary

Besides using comparative and superlative adjectives, transition words and subordinating conjunctions, some other IELTS vocabulary can be used as an effective way to compare and contrast. These include words like more / less / similar (to) / same….as / as…as, etc.

The following examples can be used to exemplify this:

Research has shown that the male mortality rate is more than the mortality rate among the females.

The rate of pollution in the Yamuna River was less in 2020 due to the COVID Pandemic.
The rate of consumption in the United States is similar to that in London.
The crime rate in Mexico is the same as that in Brazil.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is not as appealing as the Taj Mahal in India

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.