68 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 di-

example 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.

68.1

68.2

68.3

One of these words is followed by a different preposition from the rest. Which word is it and which preposition does it need?

akin correspond dissimilar distinct tantamount

Now use the words above and their prepositions in these sentences.

1 The state of Maine in the USA is not parts of Scandinavia. They both have lakes and forests. 2 To pretend I didn’t want to be with her would be telling a lie.

3 What you say

what I’ve heard too. I’m sure it’s correct. 4 His life story is more a novel by Charles Dickens than a James Bond film. 5 The culture of the north of the country is quite that of the south, and it’s a mistake to think they are the same.

Fill in the missing words.

1 There is a close affinity

Singapore Hong Kong; both are crowded, vibrant cities existing in a confined space. 2 I just cannot feel any affinity his poetry; it’s too dark

and cruel. 3 This version of her essay is indistinguishable the first version. I can’t see any changes. 4 It would be a great mistake to equate his shyness coldness or unfriendliness. 5 His ideas are not that dissimilar mine. 6 The temperatures in Moscow are currently comparable those in New York.

Choose the appropriate word in these sentences.

1 Spanish and Portuguese cultures are quite diverse / distinct, even though, to the outsider, they may sometimes appear similar. 2 The way they weave carpets in this region is not dissimilar / divergent to the way they are made in neighbouring countries. 3 English verbs do not always fit very easily into distinctive / discrete categories. For instance, is the verb used to an ordinary verb or a modal verb like would? 4 Seen from the widely disparate / divergent viewpoints of left and right, the problem either originates in too much freedom or in too much state control. 5 It would be very difficult to unite the disparate / discrete tribes and ethnic groups to form one coherent political force. 6 Her CD collection contains quite a divergent / diverse selection of music, with everything from classical to heavy metal. 7 The two suits I liked are a comparable / comparative price. 8 We walked part of the way home together and then our paths differentiated / diverged. 9 As he’d been to a boarding school, John loved the comparable / comparative freedom he had at university. 10 The business used only to make bicycles, but they’ve now diversified / distinguished into a range of other cycling products.