Comparison and Contrast
Writing
Steven Federle
Solano College
What is comparison and contrast?
 Comparison shows how two or more
things are similar
 Contrast shows how two or more
things are different
 In most writing situations, the two
related processes are used together
 An analogy explains one thing by
comparing it to a second, more
familiar, thing.
Establishing a basis for comparison
 The two things to be compared must
have enough in common to justify the
comparison.
 In making comparisons, you should
move beyond the obvious (i.e.,
people and bees)
 When two things are very similar, it is
the contrasts that may be worth
writing about.
Searching points for discussion
 Determine your
emphasis on
similarities, differences,
or both.
 Determine the major
focus of your paper.
 Make sure you treat the
same or similar
elements for each
subject you will discuss:
Novel A
Novel B
Major
characters
Major
characters
Minor
characters
Minor
characters
themes
themes
Novel A
 Do not discuss
entirely different
elements for each
subject.
Novel B
Major
Plot
Characters
Minor
Author’s
Characters Life
Themes
symbolism
Formulating a Thesis Statement
 Identify not only the subjects to be
compared and contrasted in your essay,
but the point you will make about them.
 Also indicate whether you will focus on
similarities or differences, or balance the
two.
 “Although Melville’s Moby-Dick and
London’s The Sea Wolf are both about the
sea, the minor characters, major
characters, and themes of Moby-Dick
establish its greater complexity.”
Structuring a Comparison and
Contrast Essay




Subject by Subject
Write a separate essay about each subject,
but you discuss the same points for both
subjects.
Use basis for comparison to guide your
selection of points.
Arrange points in logical order, usually
order of importance.
Good for short, uncomplicated papers.
Point by Point Comparison
 Good for longer, more complex papers
 Make a point about one subject, and then
follow it with a comparable point about the
other subject.
 Alternating pattern
 Be careful not to fall into a monotonous,
back and forth movement between points.
To avoid this problem, vary sentence
structure as you move from point to point.
Using Transitions
 See list on page 43.
 See transitions especially useful for
comparison and contrasts on page
369.
 Longer essays may have transitional
paragraphs that connect one part of
the essay to another.
REVISING:
 See checklist on page 369
Student Example: Comparison and Contrast Essay
WRITING EXERCISE: LOVE!
Auguste Rodin, The
Kiss (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
What significant characteristics do these
two sculptures share? Do they share
enough characteristics to establish a
basis for comparison? Explain.
Auguste Rodin, The
Kiss (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
In your journal, create a venn diagram to list
the similarities and differences of these two
works of art.
Auguste Rodin, The
Kiss (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
What general statement could you make about these two
sculptures? Do the points you listed on your venn diagram
provide enough support for this general statement?
Auguste Rodin, The
Kiss (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
Write a short comparison-contrast essay in your journal on
the following:
How does each sculpture convey the idea of love? Which
one do you believe conveys this idea more effectively?
Why?
Grammar: parallelism
 Parallelism is the use of matching
nouns, verbs, phrases, or clauses to
express the same or similar ideas.
 “It was the best of times; it was the
worst of times.” Charles Dickens, Tale
of Two Cities.
 Click here to visit Purdue University
website on parallelism.