In contrast is a linker that compares two different facts and highlights the difference between them. It usually opens the second sentence and is followed by a comma; with to or with, it introduces what you are comparing: in contrast to last year. It is a neutral written linker that works well in essays and graph descriptions; by contrast means the same.
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In contrast, + clause (after a full stop or semicolon); in contrast to/with + noun, + clause; by contrast, + clause
- Rent in the city centre keeps rising; in contrast, prices in the suburbs have barely changed.
- In contrast to her first job, her new role gives her plenty of time to travel.
- The morning group was lively and talkative, in contrast with the evening group.
What changed
First versionTokyo is huge and noisy; on the contrary, my home town is small and quiet.
RevisionTokyo is huge and noisy; in contrast, my home town is small and quiet.
On the contrary looks similar, because contrary and contrast look and sound alike, but on the contrary only rejects something that has just been said. Here the two cities are simply compared, so on the contrary was replaced with in contrast.
On the contrary comes after a negative statement or someone else's opinion, to turn it around: The film wasn't boring. On the contrary, it was brilliant. To compare two facts within one sentence, whereas is often easier: Tokyo is huge, whereas my town is tiny.
Your turn
Summers in Seville are hot and dry; ___, summers in Edinburgh are cool and often wet.
Show the answer
in contrast — Summers in Seville and Edinburgh are simply being compared: hot and dry versus cool and wet. Nobody has said anything false before this, so there is nothing to reject, and on the contrary does not fit.
Compare two cities where you have lived or studied. Name both and show the difference in prices, starting the second sentence with In contrast.
In Kazan, I rented a two-bedroom flat quite cheaply. In contrast, in London I paid twice as much for one small room.
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