Compare and Contrast
In these essays, your goal is to examine the similarities and differences between to topics
or works of literature. The way to make this writing more sophisticated is to then assess
those similarities and differences, and discuss their significance.
- There must be some similarity between the two items
- You must discuss more than the obvious
On the exam, this is called a “synthesis text.”
Formats
There are a few possible ways to address these questions.
1. Block or Chunk method
Discuss all of the aspects of object A in your first body paragraph, and then all of the
aspects of object B in your second body paragraph. The significance of this is then
discussed in the third body paragraph.
- Advantages: it is easier to write
- Disadvantages – it is too easy to make this a summary, rather than analyzing key
details.
2. Similarities and Differences
In your first body paragraph, discuss the similarities; in your second body paragraph,
discuss the differences; in your third body paragraph, discuss the significance of these.
Each body paragraph will contain information from BOTH items.
- Advantages: organization is easy to create and follow.
- Disadvantages: can seem unfocussed, as it is easy to simply state all of the
similarities and differences, rather than focusing solely on the important ones.
Requires control in writing.
3. Point-by-Point
In this format, you select specific areas or aspects of your items that you will compare
and contrast (ex tone, theme, irony, imagery, etc). Each body paragraph is then focused
on one of those aspects, discussing both items. You would then add a final body
paragraph to discuss the significance of this, or discuss this in your conclusion.
- Advantages: it automatically requires you to discuss the relevant aspects, rather
than simply summarizing. It the method that tends to demonstrate the most
sophistication.
- Disadvantages: writing requires control; you must be clear which item you are
discussing at each point. It is also easy to forget to discuss the significance of the
similarities and differences.
**For all formats, use a grabber that relates thematically to BOTH items!!
Synthesis Essay Survival Guide
In a synthesis essay, you must analyze two texts or characters (their beliefs, attitudes, or
traits) from different texts. Generally, this requires you to consider the similarities as well
as the differences between two works. As well, you need to put to use your literary
analysis skills.
SYNTHESIS TOPICS
Here are some possible ways the question may be worded.
 Assess the extent to which each character is influenced by their environment.
 Compare and contrast how their environments influence the speaker in “Poem”
and the narrator in “Story”.
 Discuss how the character’s experiences lead to meaningful change in “Poem”
and “Story”.
 Discuss the qualities that --- in “Article” and --- in “Story” share in facing their
challenges.
 Assess which passage, “Article” or “Story” portrays family values as having the
greater importance.
 How would --- of “Article” respond to the beliefs of “--- in “Story”.
 Assess the role that optimism plays in the lives of ----- in “Story” and ------- in
“Article”. (08/09 Sample Question)
 Contrast the relationships that the father in “Poem” and --- in “Story” have with
their children. (08/09 Sample)
 Assess which passage, “Article” or “Story,” shows the more respectful approach
of parents to their children. (Aug 09 Release)
STYLE - remember as you write:
An essay is a formal piece of writing. In formal writing you
 Don’t Do not use contractions
 Do not use slang.
 Do not use first (I, We, Us) or second person (you).
 Use present tense when analyzing literature.
 Integrate quotes into your sentences fluently.
o short quotes or phrases are easier to work with.
o include a citation (page number).
o underline the title of the novel.
o don’t start a sentence with a quote.
YOUR THESIS
The objective of the synthesis essay is to show your understanding of both texts; the
themes as well as the specific differences or similarities. Thus, your thesis may look like
one of these:
 1 and 2 are very similar.
 1 and 2 are very different.
 1 and 2 have many important (interesting) similarities and differences.
However, the way to make this more sophisticated is to then asses those similarities and
differences and discuss their significance. Your essay will be more persuasive in tone, as
you assert an opinion about the two topics and support it.
For example, when comparing one character to another, you might see the similarities as
strengths, or you might see the differences as strengths. In other words, you can
EVALUATE one character based on its similarities and differences to the other. Your
thesis then might like look one of these:
 1 is better / more --- than 2.
 Character 1 would disagree with the attitudes of Character 2
 --plays a more significant role in the life of character 1 than it does in character 2.
SO WHAT – remember, whatever you are analyzing, you want to make an argument for
WHY your observations are significant. In addition to one of the above thesis statements,
try to add on a further argument
 Through these different outlooks on life, the audience is reminded that…
This is a way to end your essay thoughtfully.
ORGANIZATION IS VERY IMPORTANT
There are three main formats to follow for this essay. You may use either, but you will
need to evaluate which is more appropriate given the ideas you have to convey.
Your introduction and conclusion will be the same regardless of which method of body
development you follow.
Introduction
 GRABBER: Theme makes an ideal grabber – you want a statement that
thematically connects both works, even if the two themes are very different, and
connects to the overall topic of the essay.
 SUMMARY STATEMENTS: Introduce each text or character in one or two
sentences. Focus your summary on the subject you are writing about. Connect
summary to the main theme introduced in the grabber. This should be very brief.
 THESIS: This sentence needs to state the purpose of your essay and answer the
question you are responding to. Outline the key points you will discuss
throughout the essay (blue print sentence). This should be very specific, and not
merely state that they are similar and different – state HOW.
**Somewhere in this paragraph, you need to include the titles and authors of each
work; this often works well in the summary statements. The introduction does not have
to be 3 separate sentences; it can be more or less, this is merely the order of ideas.
Example:
Hope for a better future can be a unifying force for change in the face of a variety of
problems. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous cry for equality during the Civil Rights
movement, “I Have a Dream,” and President Obama’s November 4th speech accepting
the Presidency of the United States both rely on extensive rhetorical and stylistic devices
to advocate for unity, but the problems they each face are very different.
NOW CHOOSE A METHOD OF ORGANIZATION
**”Body Paragraph” is a convenient term – each can be split into multiple paragraphs, if
necessary, though they should not be combined. If you are writing a longer piece, use
this as a guide for how to order your ideas.
BODY FORMAT A – Block or Chunk method
ADVANTAGES – easier to write
DISADVANTAGES – too easy to make this a summary, rather than analyzing key
details.
Body 1 - Topic 1
 Analyze text (or character) 1, but do not mention text 2 in this section.
 Make at least two points, with evidence and explanation for each.
Body 2 - Topic 2
 Analyze topic 2, and do not discuss topic 1 in this section, (though you may
allude to it briefly).
 In your discussion of topic 2, follow the same order of points as you did in topic
1. For example, if you discussed topic 1’s characters, setting and theme (in that
order), then discuss topic 2’s characters, setting the theme in the same order.
 Make at least two points, with evidence and explanation for each.
Body 3 - Topics 1 and 2 together.
 Analyze the two topics together.
 This is where you explain the key similarities or differences and explain the
significance of these.
Example:
Body 1 – Rhetorical and stylistic devices used, argument/theme, and problems faced in “I
Have a Dream.”
Body 2 - Rhetorical and stylistic devices used, argument/theme, and problems faced in
Obama’s speech.
Body 3 – Assessment: how they are similar or different, which is more effective, etc.
BODY FORMAT B – Similarities and Differences
ADVANTAGES – organization is easy to create and follow.
DISADVANTAGES – can seem unfocussed, as it is easy to simply state all of the
similarities and differences, rather than focusing on just the important ones.
Body 1 - All Similarities
 Examine all the similarities in the two topics.
 Aim for at least two comparisons. Support with evidence and an explanation for
each.
 You may want to discuss each comparison in a separate paragraph if you are
developing your ideas with several pieces of evidence for each.
Body 2 - All Differences
 Examine all the differences in the two topics.
 Aim for at least two contrasts. Support with evidence and an explanation for each.
 You may want to discuss each comparison in a separate paragraph if you are
developing your ideas with several pieces of evidence for each.
Body 3 – Significance of each of your comparisons and contrasts.
Example:
Body 1 – All similarities between “Dream” and Obama relating to devices, argument,
and problems.
Body 2 – All differences between “Dream” and Obama relating to devices, argument,
and problems.
Body 3 – Assessment, importance of similarities/differences, which is more effective, etc.
BODY FORMAT C – Point by Point
ADVANTAGES – it automatically requires you to discuss the relevant aspects, rather
than simply summarizing. It is the method that tends to demonstrate the most
sophistication.
DISADVANTAGES – writing requires control; you must be clear which item you are
discussing at each point. It is also easy to forget to discuss the significance of the
similarities and differences.
Body 1 - First ISSUE or point of Comparison or Contrast
 Introduce Issue 1 - TRANSITION / TOPIC SENTENCE you need to connect the general idea
from your grabber to the first part of the topic being discussed; use a transition word or
phrase that is fitting to begin this sentence.
 Introduce your main point about text 1
 Evidence 1 from Text 1
 Set up, give context for the quote ie. Who says it, to whom it’s said, when in the
text this happens.
 Quote or paraphrase with citation (page reference)
 Follow up – explain how this supports the main point of your paragraph
 Evidence 2 from Text 1
 Set up
 Quote or paraphrase with citation (page reference)
 Follow up – explain how this supports the main point of your paragraph
 Introduce your main point about text 2
 Evidence 1 from Text 2
 Set up
 Quote or paraphrase with citation (page reference)
 Follow up – explain how this supports the main point of your paragraph
 Evidence 2 from Text 2
 Set up
 Quote or paraphrase with citation (page reference)
 Follow up – explain how this supports the main point of your paragraph
 Conclusion / transition sentence: sum up the ideas discussed in the paragraph and connect
them to the part of the topic to be covered in the next paragraph.
Body – 2 SECOND ISSUE or point of Comparison or Contrast (follow details
above)
Body 3 – THIRD ISSUE or point.
Body 4 – SIGNIFICANCE of the similarities and differences.
 Why are the similarities and/or differences important? What do they reveal? Do they
make one source more effective than the other? Explain.
Example:
Body 1 – Rhetorical and stylistic devices for both; discuss the similarities AND
differences between “I Have a Dream” and Obama’s speech.
Body 2 – Themes for both; discuss the similarities AND differences between “I Have a
Dream” and Obama’s speech.
Body 3 – Problems faced by both; discuss the similarities AND differences between “I
Have a Dream” and Obama’s speech.
Body 4 - Assessment, importance of similarities/differences, which is more effective, etc.
Conclusion
Remember – The conclusion format will remain largely unchanged, regardless of the
body format you selected. The main thing is to make sure you remember to wrap up your
ideas in the same order you have discussed them in the body.
 Transition / Thesis: Restate the purpose of your essay, but not exactly how you
wrote it in your introduction.
 Blue print: Summarize the main topics you covered in proving your point. Keep
the order the same as in your essay.
 Clincher sentence: leave the reader with a powerful thought on the topic of the
essay; write something that leaves the reader thinking about life (or your topic) in
a new or different way. (A rhetorical question sometimes works well here).
(THEME)
Example:
In the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, people can be united by hope, often
through the efforts of a charismatic leader, such as Martin Luther King Jr. or President
Barack Obama. In speeches decades apart, both used rhetorical and stylistic devices to
create cohesion to address diverse obstacles, demonstrating both the power of both wellcrafted oration and a dynamic personality to deliver it.