AT passages.
A. Compare and contrast two positions.
This technique has a number of variations， but the most common and direct is to develop two ideas or systems （comparing） and then point out why one is better than the other （contrasting）。
Writing-technique questions are similar to main idea questions； except that they ask about how the author presents his ideas， not about the ideas themselves. Generally， you will be given only two writing methods to choose from， but each method will have two or more variations.
Example： （Refer to the first passage.）
Which one of the following best describes the organization of the passage？
（A） Two systems of criminal justice are compared and contrasted， and one is deemed to be better than the other.
（B） One system of criminal justice is presented as better than another. Then evidence is offered to support that claim.
（C） Two systems of criminal justice are analyzed， and one specific example is examined in detail.
（D） A set of examples is furnished. Then a conclusion is drawn from them.
（E） The inner workings of the criminal justice system are illustrated by using two systems.
Clearly the author is comparing and contrasting two criminal justice systems …… Indeed， the opening to paragraph two makes this explicit. The author uses a mixed form of comparison and contrast. He opens the passage by developing （comparing） both systems and then shifts to developing just the adversarial system. He opens the second paragraph by contrasting the two criminal justice systems and then further develops just the inquisitorial system. Finally， he closes by again contrasting the two systems and implying that the inquisitorial system is superior.
Only two answer-choices， （A） and （B）， have any real merit. They say essentially the same thing——though in different order. Notice in the passage that the author does not indicate which system is better until the end of paragraph one， and he does not make that certain until paragraph two. This contradicts thesgroupsgiven by （B）。 Hence the answer is （A）。 （Note： In （A） thesgroupsis not specified and therefore is harder to attack， whereas in （B） thesgroupss definite and therefore is easier to attack. Remember that a measured response is harder to attack and therefore is more likely to be the answer.）
B. Show cause and effect.
In this technique， the author typically shows how a particular cause leads to a certain result or set of results. It is not uncommon for this method to ntroduce a sequence of causes and effects. A causes B， which causes C， which causes D， and so on. Hence B is both the effect of A and the cause of C.
Example： （Mini-passage）
Thirdly， I worry about the private automobile. It is a dirty， noisy， wasteful， and lonely means of travel. It pollutes the air， ruins the safety and sociability of the street， and exercises upon the individual a discipline which takes away far more freedom than it gives him. It causes an enormous amount of land to be unnecessarily abstracted from nature and from plant life and to become devoid of any natural function. It explodes cities， grievously impairs the whole institution of neighborliness， fragmentizes and destroys communities. It has already spelled the end of our cities as real cultural and social communities， and has made impossible the construction of any others in their place. Together with the airplane， it has crowded out other， more civilized and more convenient means of transport， leaving older people， infirm people， poor people and children in a worse situation than they were a hundred years ago. It continues to lend a terrible element of fragility to our civilization， placing us in a situationswheresour life would break down completely if anything ever interfered with the oil supply.
