Meaning & use
comparison between two things
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
the act of examining two things to see how they are similar and how they are different.
Grammar: Countable when used as a noun phrase: make a comparison between two things; the preposition 'between' is fixed with two items.
Patterns
- make a comparison between two things
- a comparison between two things and something
- draw a comparison between two things
The teacher asked us to make a comparison between two things: a smartphone and a landline phone.
There is a big comparison between two things in this chart: the cost in 2010 and the cost today.
Her essay draws a comparison between two things that look similar but work very differently.
phrasefixed phrase
a statement or judgment that one of two things is better, worse, or more important than the other.
Grammar: Often used after 'by' to show a standard of judgment: By comparison between two things, the smaller one seems safer.
Patterns
- by comparison between two things
- invite a comparison between two things
- the comparison between two things is unfair
By comparison between two things, the older model is much slower.
The comparison between two things is unfair because one was made for children and the other for adults.
Any comparison between two things should consider price, quality, and size.
Common combinations
- make a comparison between
- Scientists often make a comparison between two things to test a new idea.
- draw a comparison between
- The article draws a comparison between two things that seem completely unrelated.
- a fair comparison between
- A fair comparison between two things must use the same measurements.
- invite a comparison between
- The similar covers invite a comparison between two things.
- by comparison between
- By comparison between two things, the second option looks much cheaper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contrast
- Use 'contrast' when you focus mainly on differences, not on similarities.
- evaluation
- Use 'evaluation' when you judge the value or quality of one thing, not necessarily two side by side.
Word family
- compare verb
- to examine things to see how they are similar or different.
- comparable adjective
- similar enough to be compared fairly.
- comparative adjective
- involving comparison, especially between two things.
Commonly confused: comparison between two things or comparison of? comparison between two things or comparison with?
comparison between two things vs comparison of
'Comparison of' usually introduces one item being described or analyzed, while 'comparison between' needs two items.
comparison between two things vs comparison with
'Comparison with' sets one thing against another standard; 'comparison between' puts two equal items side by side.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Comparison between' is the standard phrase for two items. 'Comparison of' is used for one item being analyzed, 'comparison with' for setting one thing against a standard, and 'among' is used for three or more.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “comparison between two things”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.