GEC 1033- English for Effective Communication

Reading Skills-

Causes and effects

Compare and contrast
Facts and opinions

A. Causes and Effects

Causes and effects connect events or situations. Causes explain why something happens.
Example: Continuous heavy rainfall leads to floods.
(Cause)
(Effect)
Sometimes the effect may be stated before the cause.
Example: Floods are the result of continuous heavy rainfall.
(Effect)
(Cause)
Sometimes causes and effects are more complex. One cause may have many effects or one
effect may have many causes.
Example: Continuous heavy rainfall, together with bad drainage, lead to floods, as shown in Figure 2.3.

Figure 2.3: Two causes with one effect

Example: Continuous heavy rainfall leads to floods and damage to property, as shown in Figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4: One cause with two effects

Sometimes an effect can become a cause. There can also be a cycle of causes and effects.
Example: Continuous heavy rainfall leads to floods, which can disrupt traffic and lead to missed
appointments, as shown in Figure 2.5.

Figure 2.5: Cycle of causes and effects

Exercise 1
Read the following sentences carefully. Underline the cause(s) and circle the effect(s) in each
sentence.
1. When wax is heated, it melts.
2. The gravitational pull of the moon creates ocean tides.
3. No sound can be heard when a bell is struck in a vacuum.
4. Chlorophyll makes leaves look green.
5. Severe droughts lead to famine.
6. Carbon dioxide turns solid when frozen.
7. Smoking may result in cancer.
8. Overeating may lead to obesity and hypertension.
9. Driving at high speed and fatigue may result in road accidents.
10. No one was killed because the landslide happened away from the villages.
B. Compare and Contrast
i. )

Compare and contrast are useful skills when analysing text for details. It is important to
remember the following things when comparing and contrasting.

Compare and contrast involve the study of two or more items to discover the similarities and
differences between them.
Example: The world has two polar caps Arctic in the north and Antarctic in the south.
However, the northern and southern polar regions are different in many ways.
Comparing involves looking for similarities between things.
Example: The Arctic and the Antarctic caps are covered with ice.
ii.)

Contrasting is often linked to looking for differences between things.

Example: The Arctic region is an ice-covered sea almost completely surrounded by land. The
Antarctic region is a large ice continent surrounded by a huge ocean.

iii)

Language Structures for Making Comparison and Contrast

To compare and contrast, two types of sentence can be used:
a. Structure 1: Talking about Similarities (see Table 2.2)

Table 2.2: Similarities between a Space Shuttle and a Space Rocket

like
similar to
The space shuttle is
a space rocket.
comparable to
as important as
resembles
The space shuttle
a space rocket in many ways.
parallels

b. Structure 2: Talking about Differences (see Table 2.3)

A helicopter

Table 2.3: Differences between a Helicopter and a Space Shuttle

is unlike
is different from
a space shuttle.
differs from

Unlike a helicopter
In contrast to a helicopter
Compared with a helicopter
In comparison to a helicopter
slower than
The helicopter is
smaller than
relatively cheaper
The helicopter is a
comparatively cheaper

the space shuttle can fly to outer space.

the space shuttle.

aircraft.

Exercise 2
1. Read the text below about big things. Find as many comparisons as you can.
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived even bigger than the largest of the
dinosaurs. But even the blue whale is dwarfed by the redwoods and giant sequoia trees that
grow in California. The Californian redwoods are the worlds tallest trees. Many of them reach
more than 100 metres in height. A mature redwood towers over a space shuttle or a jumbo jet.
The redwood tree is about 50 times as tall as a fully grown person. The giant sequoias are not
as tall as the redwoods but have much thicker trunks. One sequoia tree called General
Sherman is 83 metres high and the base of its trunk is more than 11 metres wide. General
Sherman is the largest living thing.
Exercise 3
a.

Tick whether the answer is (True) for the sentences that highlight the comparisons found
in this text or (False) for sentences that are inaccurate
Sentence

True / False

(i)

The blue whale is the largest living thing.

True

False

(ii)

The blue whale is bigger than the largest dinosaur.

True

False

(iii)

The giant sequoia is the tallest tree.

True False

(iv)

The Californian redwoods have thicker trunks than the sequoia.

True False

b.

(v)

A redwood tree is taller than a space shuttle.

True False

(vi)

A jumbo jet is bigger than both the redwood and the sequoia.

True False

(vii)

The redwood is the tallest living thing in the world.

True False

(viii)

General Sherman is the biggest of all living things.

True False

Underline the correct words or phrases in the text below.

Dolphins and submarines are (similar/different) because they can both be found underwater. The
dolphin is (smaller/larger) than a submarine and in contrast is much (slower/faster). But the
dolphin is (more/less) agile compared to the submarine. The dolphin can make quick turns easily
(in contrast/similar) to the submarine. The dolphin (resembles/varies) in shape to most
submarines. The dolphin is a living creature (unlike/similar to) the submarine. The dolphin is as
(important/ unnecessary) to marine life as the submarine is to human transportation.

C.

Fact and Opinion

A fact is something that is true or can be proven. An opinion is how you or someone else
feels or thinks about a particular topic.

Exercise 4

a.
Read the sentences below, and choose if the statement is a fact (F) or an
opinion(O).

b.

1. Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States during the Civil War. (F/O)
2. The cookies my mom makes are the best in town. (F/O)
3. My teacher feels all students should wear school uniforms. (F/O)
4. I enjoy reading books at night. (F/O)
5. In America, we celebrate Christmas in December. (F/O)
6. There are seven days in a week. (F/O)
7. My friend likes to go to the park during the evenings. (F/O)
8. She awoke at 7:00 a.m. this morning. (F/O)
9. English is an easy language to learn. (F/O)
Underline the facts and use a highlighter or colored pen to highlight the opinions. Be
carefulyou may find fact and opinion together in the same sentence.
There are many different ways to invest your money to provide for a financially secure future.
Many people invest in stocks and bonds, but I think good old- fashioned savings accounts and
CDs (certificates of deposit) are the best way to invest your hard-earned money. Stocks and
bonds are often risky, and it doesn't make sense to risk losing the money you've worked so hard
for. True, regular savings accounts and CDs can't make you a millionaire overnight or provide the
high returns some stock investments do. But by the same token, savings accounts and CDs are
fully insured and provide steady, secure interest on your money. That makes a whole lot of cents.