| Compare/Contrast
The purpose of a compare/contrast paragraph is to show
how two items—ideas, objects, characters,
and so forth—are alike or different
from one another. The comparison or contrast should not simply discuss
features that are self-evident, but should have some larger purpose of
illustrating or illuminating an idea. The paragraph may solely discuss
similarities (compare) or differences (contrast) or
a combination of the two.
Typically, a compare/contrast paragraph is organized in one of two ways:
part by part, in which the two subjects are discussed separately;
or point by point, in which a common feature of both subjects
is compared and/or contrasted.
Part by Part Paragraph:
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The function of control is to enable the creative expression
of will and to manage the mission problem in order to minimize the
risk of not achieving a satisfactory solution. Control is predicated
on standard operating procedures (SOPs), rules of engagement (ROEs),
regulations, military law, organizational structures, policies, equipment—in
short, all those structures and processes put in place by the military
to facilitate the accomplishment of its mission in a safe and efficient
manner. The function of command is to invent novel solutions
to mission problems, to provide conditions for starting, changing
and terminating control, and to be the source of diligent purposefulness.
If command is incapable of fulfilling these functions—if
it cannot, for example, identify new patterns of behaviour in the
adversary or take advantage of changes in the environment—then
the mission may fail. |
Point by Point Paragraph:
| Commanding
is the act of creatively expressing
will to accomplish the mission. Controlling
is the act of enabling command and of managing risk using existing
structures and processes. Essentially, controlling
involves monitoring, carrying out, and adjusting processes that have
already been developed. Commanding
involves creating new structures and processes (i.e., plans, SOPs,
etc.), establishing the conditions for initiating and terminating
action, and making unanticipated changes to plans. Most acts, including
decision making, involve a sophisticated amalgam of both commanding
and controlling.
For example, firing a rifle requires the initial command
act of deciding when to pull
the trigger (e.g., Are the conditions right? Is it safe? Am I ready
to accept the responsibility of hitting (or missing) the target?).
Continued firing at the same target then involves the controlling
acts of monitoring hits and adjusting aim accordingly. However, if
the person firing the weapon is told by another individual when to
shoot and when to stop shooting, then the acts of commanding
and controlling
are divided between two people. The individual giving the instructions
is commanding
and the one firing is controlling. |
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