Compare and Contrast

The first time a teacher told me to compare and contrast, I thought, "But that's redundant, because comparing is contrasting."

And, sure enough, the Webster's entry for compare shows this for the second definition:

"[T]o look at (two or more things) closely in order to see what is similar or different about them or in order to decide which one is better."

The etymology of the word is simple, too. Our word compare came into late Middle English in the 14th century, from the Old French comparer, from the Latin particles com (with) and par (equal), to find the similarities and differences in things that seem equal.

So, lesson learned. Teachers, you need only tell your students to compare. Students, question authority and think for yourself.