To express similarity (compare):
Similarity (between)
Both… and… have in common
in the same way
similarly
likewise
like
be similar to
resemble
neither… nor
To express diference (contrast):
difference (between)
whereas
while
on the other hand*
however*
by contrast*
unlike
in contrast to
compared to
be different from (than)
differ (from)
*these expressions can be used at the begining of a sentence. (e.g. A photograph captures an image of actual material things. On the other hand, a painting can depict images from the artist’s imagination)
TEST TIP: Reading section
When tackling the vocabulary questions in the reading section, try replacing the highlighterd word with each of the answer options. Then try reading the sentence. When you insert the correct answer option, the sentence should be logical and should support the MAIN ideas of the passage.