20.01.24
LESSON 4 CHAPTER 9
Making comparisons
Emphasise similarities and differences
Making comparisons
Welcome back! In this lesson we'll look at some useful structures for comparing common characteristics and significant differences between two things. We'll discover what Aisha and Andrew have to say about the cultural similarities and differences between the UK, Pakistan and China.
Pakistan:
Finally, we'll also learn how to show awareness of causing offEnce. (осведомленность о причинах правонарушения)
Let's start with expressions to describe what two things have in common...
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There are some clear parallels between the US and the UK work culture - I'd say the people I've met from both countries have had a strong work ethic.-True -The speaker uses the word "parallels" to point out something which they feel people from these two countries have in common.
parallels/ˈpær.ə.lels/сходство
I think it's fair to say(справедливо сказать) there are parallels between the American and Canadian way of life. They both consume(потребляют) a lot of the same media and both enjoy sports like ice hockey and baseball.
similarities -сходство, аналогия-What would you say are the main similarities between Portugue/i/se and Brazilian culture?
Brazilian and Portuguese people may share the same language, but we shouldn't make assumptions(предположение) about the similarities between them on that basis alone!=
Emphasising significant differences-Подчеркивание существенных различий. What about if we want to emphasise the significant differences between two things, places, or people?
Let's listen again to how Aisha and Andrew did this in the previous lesson... It was amazing, I really had a blast, but honestly the cost of living in London was far more expensive than I'd realised.
...it was bound to open up way more(намного больше) doors for me later in my career...
When we use the adverbs "way" and "far" in a comparative structure, it adds emphasis to the degree of difference between two things. These adverbs are used to highlight that one thing is significantly more or less than another in a particular quality or aspect.
For example:
Positive Comparison:
- She is way smarter than her classmates. (She is significantly smarter than the others in her class.)
Negative Comparison:
- This task is far more challenging than I expected. (The task is much more difficult than what I thought it would be.)
In both cases, "way" and "far" emphasize the extent of the difference. It's a way of expressing that the difference is not just a little, but quite substantial. В обоих случаях "путь" и "далеко" подчеркивают масштабы различия. Это способ выразить, что разница не просто небольшая, но довольно существенная.
WAY - значительно FAR -гораздо
Это правило говорит о том, что мы можем использовать наречия "way" и "far" для подчёркивания степени различия в сравнительной конструкции. Эти наречия помогают выделить, что одна вещь существенно превосходит или отстаёт от другой по какому-то качеству или аспекту.
Примеры:
Положительное сравнение:
Этот город way красивее, чем я ожидала. (Этот город значительно красивее, чем я предполагала.)
Эта книга is far интереснее, чем предыдущая. (Эта книга гораздо интереснее, чем предыдущая.)
Отрицательное сравнение:
Эта задача is way сложнее, чем та, которую мы решали вчера. (Эта задача значительно сложнее, чем та, которую мы решали вчера.)
Этот экзамен is far труднее, чем я думал. (Этот экзамен гораздо труднее, чем я думал.)
В этих примерах "way" и "far" выделяют степень разницы, подчёркивая, что различие не просто небольшое, а значительное.
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Comparing different cultures 🗺️
Now Aisha and Andrew are going to share some of their perceptions about how British culture is similar or different to Pakistani and Chinese culture. Remember that using our own existing knowledge to predict what we might hear can help to prepare us for listening. What differences do you think they might discuss in the next part of the conversation?
Listen to Andrew and Aisha sharing their perceptions of British, Pakistani and Chinese culture. What differences and similarities do they mention?
Part 2: Andrew and Aisha share their observations of British culture.
Something which Aisha feels the UK and Pakistan have in common is that both countries have a lot of cultural diversity|diversity. I’d say there are definitely some parallels|similarities between the two countries. They feel that their cultures emphasise family relationships more than British culture. Andrew and Aisha both think family values in the UK are similar to those in both China and Pakistan. False.--- My British friends don’t seem anywhere near as close to their families and local communities as my Pakistani friends .Мои британские друзья не кажутся ближе к своим семьям и местным общинам, чем мои пакистанские друзья .I think our culture places far greater emphasis on family relationships...Я думаю, в нашей культуре гораздо больше внимания уделяется семейным отношениям...
Let's see how Aisha and Andrew use these expressions to compare the tea-drinking traditions in the UK, Pakistan and China...
Well, my parents would definitely say there’s no comparison between Chinese tea and English tea either.
- People can be sensitive about their cultural identity, so if you want to share an opinion which is critical of an aspect of someone else's culture, in order to be respectful it's a good idea to indicate your awareness the opinion might cause offence.Люди могут быть чувствительны к своей культурной самобытности, так что если вы хотите поделиться мнением, которое критикует аспект чужой культуры, для того, чтобы быть уважительным, это хорошая идея, чтобы указать на вашу осведомленность, мнение может вызвать обиду.During the conversation, Aisha makes a couple of critical observations about British culture. Since she knows that Andrew considers himself to be British, she acknowledges that what she wants to say may be upsetting for him to hear.Во время разговора Аиша делает пару критических замечаний о британской культуре. Поскольку она знает, что Эндрю считает себя британцем, она признает, что то, что она хочет сказать, может расстроить его.Вы помните, как она это делает? Давайте посмотрим...Can you remember how she does this? Let's take a look...
- What phrase does Aisha use to show that she does not intend to cause offence?-
I think our culture places far greater emphasis on family relationships, but British culture can sometimes seem a little… forgive me for saying this… individualistic.
The speaker is anticipating(прогнозирует) that the listener may take offence to what he's saying. TRUE He says, "forgive me for saying" in case the listener is American or someone who disagrees with him. I love the USA but forgive me for saying it. American don't tend to adopt a very healthy lifestyle? they drive everywhere and eat far too much junk food... British people are always going on about how good their tea is, but, I’m sorry, it’s nothing like the chai we drink in Pakistan…You are talking to some British people about their culture. Complete the sentence with a phrase that shows you don't intend to cause offence.- Forgive me for saying it Forgive me for saying this|I'm sorry|I'm really sorry, but it's really hard to understand British people. They're very indirect and never say what they really mean!
Excellent work!
We hope you now feel more confident about meeting people from other cultures and being able to compare cultural differences in a respectful way.
Something which Aisha feels the UK and Pakistan have in common is that both countries have a lot of cultural diversity|diversity.
Aisha prefers the tea in her own culture, but Andrew doesn't reveal a preference.
