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Spot the difference: making comparisons A
B
Talking about similarity collocation
meaning
I often feel there is a cultural affinity between London and New York. I felt an affinity with the writer as I read this novel.
closeness, similarity; feeling that different things/people have much in common
Her singing is more akin to that of Rihanna than Adele.
similar in spirit/feel
To use a sporting analogy, middle age is like half-time at a football match.
see similarities that help us understand something
The picture this news article paints does not correspond to the truth.
is not equal to / does not match
It’s a mistake to equate the price of something with its true value.
consider as the same
She knew that to apologise would be tantamount to admitting she had failed.
the equivalent of (normally used in negative contexts)
The goals of the two sides in the war have become almost interchangeable.
so similar that they could be exchanged one for the other
Mrs Burton’s house was indistinguishable from all the others in the street.
so similar you cannot see the difference
Talking about difference: adjectives beginning with diexample
contexts/comments
The diverse ethnic groups living in Malaysia give the country its cultural richness.
used to show a group is made up of different types of something
The disparate regions of Spain all have unique customs and cultures.
used for different types within a group, but emphasises separation and difference
This house is not dissimilar to the one I was born in.
very often used with not
They have widely divergent opinions.
often used to show contrasting opinions or ideas within a group
The Swedish and Norwegian languages are quite distinct from one another, even though they look similar when written.
used to describe differences where one might be deceived by similarities
It’s easy to find our car in a car park because of its distinctive colour.
used to describe something that is easy to recognise because it is different
There are several discrete categories of verbs in English.
different and separate, not overlapping
Note the verbs associated with some of the adjectives above: to differentiate [to find a difference between], to diversify [to become or make more varied], to diverge [to move away, become more different from something], to distinguish [to notice the difference between two things].
Language help Comparable (to) means similar in some way to something else, e.g. The two girls are a comparable size. [about the same size] Comparative means when comparing different things. These collocations are common: comparative silence/freedom/comfort.
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English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
