Authors may show relationships between characters by telling how they are alike and different. To compare is to tell how

things are alike, and to contrast is to tell how they are different.

Compare and Contrast

Authors sometimes use signal words to show that they are comparing and contrasting something.

Words that compare Words that contrast

AndBothTooLikesimilarly

ButUnlikeAlthoughWhilenevertheless

Read the paragraph on the next slide to find out about Maya and Bo, two characters who are alike in some ways, and different in others.

◦Each weekend, Maya and Bo go sailing with their dad. They look forward to the outing all week. Maya loves to sit on the deck of the boat and feel the wind and salt spray on her face. Unlike Maya, Bo enjoys staying in the cabin and playing his guitar. Maya and Bo usually take their pet dogs on the boat. The two dogs behave like their owners-Lulu enjoys the wind, while Frankie rests in the cabin.

This Venn diagram breaks down Maya and Bo’s similarities, and differences.

Maya BoBoth

Love to sail

Enjoys staying in the cabin

Loves to sit on the deck

Now you try:

What other comparisons were made in the paragraph? What could you add to the Venn diagram?