a brief guide to writing a comparison/contrast essay

What this handout is about This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.” Introduction In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them. Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples: Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression. Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the causes, development, and outcomes of the wars. Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major differences in their poetry? Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others only for contrast, and others for both. But it’s not always so easy to tell whether an.
To write a compare/contrast essay, you’ll need to make NEW connections and/or express NEW differences between two things.  The key word here is NEW! Choose 2 things that could go in the same category, but are also quite different. Good choices might be: Basketball & Football (both sports) Horses & Cats (both animals, but different in many ways) Writing & Singing (both art forms, but different in many ways) Gather your ideas by writing down characteristics of each thing.  Note the differences and similarities between them. Ask yourself these important questions before you begin writing your draft: Does my instructor want me to compare AND contrast, or am I only being asked to do one of those things? Some instructors prefer that you only write about the differences between two things, while others want you to focus on explaining the similarities as well.  Either way, you'll need to make sure that your thesis statement reflects your instructor's expectations. For example, if I wanted to write about Social Networking sites, I'd need to write different thesis statements depending on my compare/contrast assignment.   Sample thesis statement for contrast paper:  In terms of social networking sites, Facebook focuses on presenting your daily life to others, whereas MySpace allows you to focus more on demonstrating your personal style. Sample thesis statement for compare/contrast paper:  While both Facebook and MySpace allow you to meet other users who have similar interests, only MySpace allows you to demonstrate your personal style.        Are these 2 things similar and/or different, in at least one meaningful way? If you want to write a successful compare/contrast essay, you'll need to avoid writing about really obvious differences and similarities.  For example: We all know that horses are larger than cats. We also know that basketball teams contain less players than.
Boy Writes in Class.  Michael H/ Digital Vision/ Getty Images The compare/contrast essay is an excellent method to help students progress in their critical thinking and writing skills. This site has many resources to help you when teaching the compare/contrast essay. Following is an explanation of two methods students can use when writing a comparison essay. Two methods for writing a comparison essay are the block and the feature-by-feature methods. Use the following information about each format to help your classes write comparison essays. I. Block Format Introduction Begin with a sentence that will catch the reader's interest. This might be a question, a reason people find the topic interesting or important, or something the two subjects have in common. Then name the two subjects and say they are very similar, very different or have many important (or interesting) similarities and differences. Paragraphs 2 - ? The next paragraph(s) describe features of the first subject. Be sure to include examples proving the similarities and/or differences exist. Do not mention the second subject. Make new paragraphs to avoid very long paragraphs. Paragraphs ? - ? The next section must begin with a transition showing you are comparing the second subject to the first. For each comparison, use compare/contrast cue words such as like, similar to, also, unlike, on the other hand. Be sure to include examples proving the similarities and/or differences exist. Make new paragraphs to avoid very long paragraphs. Conclusion In the final paragraph, give a brief, general summary of the most important similarities and differences. End with a personal statement, a prediction, or another snappy clincher. II. Feature by Feature (or Point by Point) Format Introduction Begin with a sentence that will catch the reader's interest. This might be a reason people find the topic interesting or.
The Basics of Essay Writing General 12 Tips for Writing Your Essay Paper 7 Secrets to a Striking Essay A List of Essay Writing Don’ts Why My Attempts at Nonfiction Essays in Grad School Bombed Outlines Examples of Essay Outlines Essay Outline A Perfect Essay Outline Outline for Essay Writing The Structure Of The Essay Outline Creating an Outline for an Essay Organize Your Ideas How to Make and Use an Essay Outline How to Write an Outline Thesis Statements Thesis Statement Establish Your Topic How To Write a Thesis Statement The Thesis Statement Developing a Thesis Statement What is a Thesis Statement? Thesis Statements: How to Write Them Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements Guide to Writing Thesis Statements What is a thesis? Writing Effective Thesis Statements Introduction Writing the Introduction The Basics of the Introduction Things NOT to do in an introductory paragraph Four Methods for Developing an Introduction Developing an Introduction: The Top-Down Model Types of Introductions Essay Introductions Introductions and Essay Structure Beginning the Academic Essay Conclusions The Conclusion Concluding Paragraphs Strategies for Concluding Paragraphs Introduction and Conclusion Tips Ending the Essay: Conclusions Strategies for Writing a Conclusion Writing Effective Conclusions Writing a Conclusion Drafts Write a First Draft Revise the First Draft Proofread the Final Draft Writing a First Draft Building the Essay Draft Revising the Draft Revising Drafts Essay Types The Five Paragraph Essay The Classic Five-Paragraph Essay Writing the Five Paragraph Essay How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay Five-Paragraph Essay Expanded Five Paragraph Essay Three-Point Thesis Statement and the Five-Paragraph Essay The Five Paragraph Essay and Student Creativity Writing the Essay Graduate Application Essay Tips Graduate School Admission Essays Application Essays Handout.
Throughout your academic career, you'll be asked to write papers in which you compare and contrast two things: two texts, two theories, two historical figures, two scientific processes, and so on. Classic compare-and-contrast papers, in which you weight A and B equally, may be about two similar things that have crucial differences (two pesticides with different effects on the environment) or two similar things that have crucial differences, yet turn out to have surprising commonalities (two politicians with vastly different world views who voice unexpectedly similar perspectives on sexual harassment). In the lens (or keyhole ) comparison, in which you weight A less heavily than B, you use A as a lens through which to view B. Just as looking through a pair of glasses changes the way you see an object, using A as a framework for understanding B changes the way you see B. Lens comparisons are useful for illuminating, critiquing, or challenging the stability of a thing that, before the analysis, seemed perfectly understood. Often, lens comparisons take time into account: earlier texts, events, or historical figures may illuminate later ones, and vice versa. Faced with a daunting list of seemingly unrelated similarities and differences, you may feel confused about how to construct a paper that isn't just a mechanical exercise in which you first state all the features that A and B have in common, and then state all the ways in which A and B are different. Predictably, the thesis of such a paper is usually an assertion that A and B are very similar yet not so similar after all. To write a good compare-and-contrast paper, you must take your raw data—the similarities and differences you've observed—and make them cohere into a meaningful argument. Here are the five elements required. Frame of Reference. This is the context within which you place the two things you plan to.
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