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Compare and contrast pictures


Useful language:

1.      In the first picture I can see people riding their bicycles. In contrast, people in the second picture are on the beach.

2.      People in the first picture are spending their free time, and so do the people in the second picture.

3.       One similarity which stands out is that people in both pictures seem to look happy.

4.       One thing that picture A and picture B have in common is that they show happy people spending their free time.

5.       One of the similarities between two pictures is that both families consist of four people.

6.        The most obvious/important/apparent [ə'pær(ə)nt] similarity/difference (for me) between … and … is …

7.      A striking similarity/ difference is…

8.      Picture A and picture B (quite/ very/ really/ really quite) similar/ different, for example…

9.      Picture A and picture B are (quite/ very/ really/ really quite) similar/ different in terms of (на основе; исходя из) …

10.  People in both pictures have a lot in common, for example…

11.  … and… don’t have much in common, but…

12.  There are more similarities than differences between… and… For instance,…

13.  The main similarity/ difference between… and… is…

14.  The only difference/ similarity between… that I can see is…

15.  In comparison to…,…

16.  Compared to…,…

17.  The most apparent difference/ similarity between… and… is…

18.  … differs from… in that…

19.  Neither… nor…

 Study the two photographs

  • give a brief description (action, location)
  • say what the pictures have in common
  • say in what way the pictures are different
  • say what kind of lesson you’d prefer
  • explain why



    Sample answer:
  • I would like to compare and contrast these two pictures:
  • In both pictures we see people studying. The first picture shows a lecture, perhaps, at university. The teacher might be explaining something to the students. It seems that the lecture is quite interesting because most students are listening to the lecturer. It looks as if some of the students are taking notes. In the second picture, we also see a group of students. Perhaps, they are doing some task at the seminar or a workshop.
    These pictures have a lot in common: both of them show groups of students engaged in studying. Besides, the action in these pictures takes place in a classroom. What is more, both groups of students seem to be genuinely interested in whatever they are doing judging by their faces and postures. Another similarity is that some of the students in both pictures are writing something.
    However, these photos have certain differences too. In the first picture, the students are not expected to take active participation in the lesson. They are probably only expected to listen to the speaker. While in the second picture the students seem to be active participants. They might be discussing something, or, perhaps, they are playing a game. What is more, in the first picture the students are sitting at the desks with the teacher in front of them whereas in the second picture the students are sitting in a circle. Finally, there are a lot of students in the first picture. In contrast, the group in the second picture is relatively small.
    Personally, I would prefer to attend the seminar rather than a lecture. Firstly, I believe that it is easier to study in a small group because you get distracted less. In addition, I would like to be an active participant rather than a listener. Finally, I believe people remember material better when they have an opportunity to discuss it together or role-play.

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