Các cụm từ chỉ sự tương phản như “on the contrary” và “by contrast” được dùng để so sánh hai ý tưởng, quan điểm, hoặc tình huống khác nhau trong tiếng Anh.

1. “On the contrary”

• Cấu trúc:
  • [S] + [Verb] + [Object] + on the contrary, [S] + [Verb] + [Object]
• Sử dụng:
  • “On the contrary” được dùng để phủ định một ý kiến hoặc quan điểm đã được đưa ra trước đó và thay vào đó đưa ra một ý kiến trái ngược.
  • Thường được sử dụng sau một mệnh đề để nhấn mạnh sự đối lập với thông tin trước đó.
• Ví dụ:
  • Many people think the movie was boring; on the contrary, I found it very engaging.
  • He is not shy; on the contrary, he is quite outgoing.

2. “By contrast”

• Cấu trúc:
  • [S] + [Verb] + [Object] + by contrast, [S] + [Verb] + [Object]
• Sử dụng:
  • “By contrast” được dùng để so sánh hai sự việc hoặc hai tình huống khác nhau, để làm nổi bật sự khác biệt giữa chúng.
  • Thường đứng đầu câu hoặc giữa câu để so sánh và nhấn mạnh sự khác biệt.
• Ví dụ:
  • She loves urban life and enjoys the hustle and bustle of the city. By contrast, her brother prefers the peace and quiet of the countryside.
  • The weather was sunny and warm last week. By contrast, this week has been rainy and cold.

Một số ví dụ khác:

• On the contrary:
  • I thought the task was going to be easy. On the contrary, it turned out to be very challenging.
  • He doesn’t like to socialize. On the contrary, his sister is very sociable and loves meeting new people.
• By contrast:
  • The new policy has been well-received by employees. By contrast, the old policy was widely criticized.
  • Her previous job required her to work long hours. By contrast, her new job offers a much better work-life balance.

Lưu ý:

• Vị trí trong câu: “On the contrary” thường được dùng sau một mệnh đề để đưa ra ý kiến trái ngược. “By contrast” thường được dùng để so sánh hai tình huống khác nhau và có thể đứng ở đầu hoặc giữa câu.
• Mức độ trang trọng: “By contrast” có thể được sử dụng trong cả văn viết và văn nói, trong khi “on the contrary” thường trang trọng hơn và thường thấy trong văn viết hơn.

Bài tập

1. She enjoys outdoor activities; ________, her brother prefers staying indoors.
2. The restaurant was quite expensive; ________, the food was not very good.
3. I thought the movie would be entertaining; ________, it turned out to be quite boring.
4. His plan seemed practical; ________, the results were disappointing.
5. The new policy aims to reduce costs; ________, it has led to increased expenses.
6. Many people thought the book was a masterpiece; ________, I found it mediocre.
7. She is usually very punctual; ________, today she arrived late.
8. The project was expected to be easy; ________, it turned out to be quite complex.
9. He loves to travel to new places; ________, his sister prefers staying at home.
10. The weather forecast predicted sunshine; ________, it rained all day.
11. The presentation was well-received; ________, the follow-up meeting was unsuccessful.
12. They were confident about the result; ________, the test scores were lower than expected.
13. The customer service was excellent; ________, the product itself was of poor quality.
14. He usually enjoys reading fiction; ________, this particular novel did not interest him.
15. The company has been growing steadily; ________, recent profits have declined.
16. She loves fast-paced action movies; ________, her partner prefers romantic comedies.
17. The new system was designed to be user-friendly; ________, many users found it confusing.
18. The sales numbers were impressive; ________, the overall profit margin remained low.
19. She was excited about the new job; ________, she found it less fulfilling than she expected.
20. The vacation was planned meticulously; ________, the weather was terrible throughout.
21. His argument was well-structured; ________, it did not convince the audience.
22. They believed the strategy would succeed; ________, it resulted in failure.
23. The team’s performance was exceptional; ________, they did not win the championship.
24. The restaurant received rave reviews; ________, the dining experience was underwhelming.
25. The book was highly recommended; ________, I found it rather disappointing.
26. Her promotion was anticipated; ________, she was not pleased with the new role.
27. The project was completed on time; ________, it did not meet the quality standards.
28. He usually enjoys classical music; ________, he did not like this particular piece.
29. The new policy was meant to simplify procedures; ________, it made them more complex.
30. She is known for her organizational skills; ________, her desk is often cluttered.
31. The experiment was expected to be straightforward; ________, it encountered several issues.
32. They were optimistic about the outcome; ________, it did not turn out as planned.
33. The film was praised for its visuals; ________, the storyline was criticized.
34. The meeting was intended to be brief; ________, it lasted for several hours.
35. The conference was expected to be informative; ________, it did not cover the main topics.
36. She usually prefers spicy food; ________, she did not like the new dish.
37. The new software was advertised as efficient; ________, many users reported problems.
38. The event was highly anticipated; ________, it did not live up to expectations.
39. He enjoys working on projects independently; ________, he found this team assignment challenging.
40. The new policy was designed to streamline processes; ________, it led to more paperwork.
41. The film received positive reviews; ________, it failed at the box office.
42. They were hopeful about the future; ________, recent developments have been discouraging.
43. The book was described as a classic; ________, I found it difficult to read.
44. Her speech was intended to inspire; ________, it left the audience indifferent.
45. The job offer seemed promising; ________, the actual work environment was disappointing.
46. The team was confident about their strategy; ________, it did not produce the desired results.
47. The restaurant was recommended by many; ________, the service was poor.
48. He usually enjoys quiet places; ________, he found the new café too noisy.
49. The technology was said to be cutting-edge; ________, it often malfunctioned.
50. The team’s performance was outstanding; ________, they were not recognized for their efforts.
51. The vacation was meant to be relaxing; ________, it was filled with unexpected problems.
52. She is known for her punctuality; ________, she missed several appointments last month.
53. The experiment was designed to be simple; ________, it proved to be quite complicated.
54. The event was expected to be a success; ________, it did not attract many attendees.
55. The report was well-researched; ________, it did not address the key issues.
56. The product was advertised as innovative; ________, it was similar to existing ones.
57. They thought the job would be challenging; ________, it turned out to be quite monotonous.
58. The meal was supposed to be gourmet; ________, it was quite ordinary.
59. The new model was claimed to be efficient; ________, it consumed more energy than expected.
60. She usually enjoys horror movies; ________, she found this one disappointing.
61. The course was intended to be comprehensive; ________, it only covered basic concepts.
62. The technology was promised to be reliable; ________, it frequently failed.
63. His approach was supposed to be effective; ________, it did not achieve the desired outcomes.
64. The team was excited about the project; ________, it faced numerous obstacles.
65. The book was hyped as a bestseller; ________, it did not meet readers’ expectations.
66. The software was designed for ease of use; ________, many users found it difficult to navigate.
67. The trip was planned to be enjoyable; ________, it was marred by bad weather.
68. The new policy aimed to reduce costs; ________, it led to unexpected expenses.
69. The presentation was supposed to be engaging; ________, it was quite dull.
70. The concert was anticipated to be fantastic; ________, it was poorly attended.
71. Her promotion was seen as a reward; ________, she was not satisfied with the new position.
72. The seminar was intended to be informative; ________, it did not provide useful information.
73. The painting was described as a masterpiece; ________, it did not impress the critics.
74. The new feature was said to enhance productivity; ________, it complicated the workflow.
75. The team was prepared for the challenge; ________, they struggled to meet the goals.
76. The book was recommended by experts; ________, I found it hard to follow.
77. The vacation was planned to be relaxing; ________, it was filled with activities.
78. The movie was expected to be a hit; ________, it received mixed reviews.
79. The renovation was supposed to improve the space; ________, it made it less functional.
80. The experiment was predicted to yield clear results; ________, it produced ambiguous data.
81. The product was marketed as groundbreaking; ________, it did not offer significant improvements.
82. The team’s efforts were praised; ________, the results were below expectations.
83. The recipe was supposed to be easy; ________, it turned out to be quite complicated.
84. The event was planned to be successful; ________, it faced several logistical issues.
85. The presentation was meant to be dynamic; ________, it was monotonous.
86. The course was intended to be advanced; ________, it covered basic material.
87. The technology was described as revolutionary; ________, it did not perform as expected.
88. The new system was designed to simplify tasks; ________, it added extra steps.
89. The meal was expected to be gourmet; ________, it was quite ordinary.
90. The new feature was supposed to enhance user experience; ________, it caused more problems.
91. The event was meant to be a grand celebration; ________, it was rather low-key.
92. The book was advertised as a must-read; ________, it did not meet the hype.
93. The project was planned to be innovative; ________, it followed traditional methods.
94. The trip was supposed to be enjoyable; ________, it was marred by delays.
95. The product was claimed to be high-quality; ________, it had several defects.
96. The software was designed for efficiency; ________, it was slow and cumbersome.
97. The film was expected to be a blockbuster; ________, it did not attract many viewers.
98. The seminar was planned to be interactive; ________, it was mostly a lecture.
99. The technology was supposed to be user-friendly; ________, it had a steep learning curve.
100. The book was recommended as a classic; ________, it did not resonate with me.

Đáp án

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