•With the alternating pattern, the writer moves back and forth between the two things. The two things are compared and contrasted point by point or characteristic by characteristic.

•With the block pattern, the writer gives all the significant characteristics or points of one thing in a block. Then, in a matching block, the characteristics or points of the second thing are compared and contrasted with the first.

At the close of day they light their fires to prepare the evening meal. The fortunate ones milk and shut in the stock, but for most there is no stock to shut in, and their children do not know the milk from the family cow. For some there is a letter of good news from the father and husband far away in the work center—the long awaited letter with money has come—part of the debt at the trader's will be paid off. There will be bread, sugar, tea and a few extras to eat for at least a few weeks. For others it is bad news. The loved one far away is ill, has met with an accident, has been thrown in jail because he failed to produce his papers when demanded by some government official. . . . It is a sad day for this one. Her children look up anxiously in her face. They fear to ask her any questions, and she does not know how much to tell them. "Tata sends his greetings," she manages to say at last, "but says we will have to be patient about the money we asked for; he has had some trouble and has used up all the money." The rest of the evening is spent in silence. And when they kneel down to pray, this lonely woman sends to heaven a prayer with an "Amen." Small wonder most such women are old at the age of thirty, emaciated, tired and worn-out.

— From "The Widows of the Reserves," by Phyllis Ntantala