14. Similarities and Differences

Main Practice:  Words for similarities and differences
Revision:             Relative Clauses  -  Present Participles


Vocabulary
absolutely  -  strong agreement; a strong 'yes', i.e. 
-  Are you really going ask the boss for longer breaks?
- Absolutely, two ten-minute coffee breaks and a twenty-minute lunch in eight hours is not 
   enough, in fact, it's *outrageous. 
* outrageous - shockingly bad, unacceptable

alike  -  adjective: similar in appearance or character, i.e.

• The two brothers are very alike.

alike  -  adverb: the same, i.e.

• The new college rules affect teaches and students alike.

quite alike  - similar; almost the same, i.e.

• The two computers are quite alike but this one is faster. 

both  -  two people or things considered together, i.e.

• I like both tennis and hockey.
• Both the rivers flow to the sea but only the northern one is polluted.

different from  -  not the same as another, or each other, i.e.

• Our new house is very different from our old house.
• My two grandmothers are very different from each other.

(a) fanatic  -  in this conversation:  to be very enthusiastic about a past-time or hobby, i.e.

• She's a fanatic about chess. She spends all her free time practising the game.
• He's fanatical (adj) about computer games; he never does anything else but play them.

(to) have a lot in common  -  sharing attitudes or background, interests and likes with
                                                          another person, i.e.

• I have a lot in common with Alice: we grew up in the same town, went to the same school and we're both atheletes. 
• The two scientific theories have a lot in common but only Professor Brown's became well-known.

Opposite: to have nothing in common

lively  -  full of energy, i.e.

• The town has a very lively night-life.
• It's nine o'clock but the children are still so lively; I can't get them to go to bed.

to be into something  -  to be enthusiastic about, to like something very much, i.e.
- Jan's really into classical music.
- Alan's into tennis right now; he plays every day.

neither  -  a negative statement which applies to two things or people, i.e.

• Neither of these mobile phones can access the internet.
• I'm not going to the party and neither is Jan.
• Neither car is cheap. (Both are expensive.)

- Would you like tea or coffee?
- Neither, thank you, just water.

outgoing  -  to be very sociable, i.e.

• He has an outgoing personality; he makes friends very easily. 
• She was a very outgoing teenager but now she spends most of her time alone.

(a) sense of humour  -  to appreciate / enjoy humour, i.e.

• My brother is so serious about everything; he has no sense of humour.
• My mum has a great sense of humour: she sees the funny side of most things. 

similar (to)  -  sharing qualities but not exactly the same, i.e.

• I didn't enjoy the novel; its the plot was too similar to the last book he wrote. 
• She's similiar to her mother in many ways.
• Yes, the houses are very similar but ours has a bigger garden.