Discuss comparison and contrast and narration methods of informing with examples.

What will be an ideal response?

Comparison and contrast is a method that focuses on how something is similar to and different from other things. For example, in a speech on veganism, a speaker might tell his or her audience how vegans are similar to and different from other types of vegetarians. The speaker can point out that like vegetarians, vegans don’t eat meat. In contrast, semi-vegetarians eat fish or poultry. Like lacto vegetarians, vegans don’t eat eggs, but unlike this group and lacto-ovo vegetarians, vegans don’t use dairy products. So of all vegetarians, vegans have the most restrictive diet. Because comparisons and contrasts can be figurative or literal, one can use metaphors and analogies as well as make direct comparisons.
Narration is a method that recounts an autobiographical or biographical event, myth, or other story. They usually have four parts. First, the narrative orients listeners by describing when and where the event took place and introducing important characters. Second, the narrative explains the sequence of events that led to a complication or problem. Third, the narrative discusses how the complication or problem was solved. The characteristics of a good narrative include a strong story line; use of descriptive language and detail that enhance the plot, people, setting, and events; effective use of dialogue; pacing that builds suspense; and a strong voice.
They can be presented in a first-, second-, or third-person voice. A first person narrative reports what a speaker has experienced or observed personally, using the pronouns I, me, and my: "Let me tell you about the first time I tried to water-ski." In a second person narrative, the speaker places his or her audience at the scene by using pronouns you and your: "Imagine that you just got off the plane in Hong Kong. You look at the signs, but can’t read a thing. Which way is the terminal?" Finally, in a third person narrative, a speaker describes what has happened, is happening, or will happen to other people by using pronouns like he, she, his, her, and they: "When the students arrived in Venice for their study-abroad experience, the first thing they saw was the Rialto bridge."

Communication & Mass Media

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Communication & Mass Media