Name: _________________________________________
6B- _____
Date: _________________________________
Writing: Sample Compare-Contrast Essay  Cats & Dogs
Directions: Use the following sample compare-contrast essays to help you write
your own.
Block Form Sample Essay:
From the Westminster Kennel Show to all the silly cats in viral videos online,
we see pets everywhere. But what makes them so loveable? In “Of Cats and Men”
by John Smith, the author describes the many joys and responsibilities of owning a
cat, and in “For Whom the Dog Barks” by Kate Williams, the author describes the
pleasures and pitfalls of sharing one’s life with a dog. Despite their differences, cats
and dogs have at least one significant quality in common.
Cats tend to have very independent personalities, but they offer great
rewards to their owners. According to Smith, cats demonstrate their independence
by defining their territory to include an area far larger than their owner’s house and
property. In fact, some cats wander up to a mile from the house of their owner. In
doing so, they often act as predators, hunting small rodents and bringing them back
to the house of their owners, as if it is they, the cats, who provide for their owners
and not the other way around. Because cats tend to exhibit independent
personalities, the rewards of cat ownership are special. Smith says that a cat’s love
is rare and must be earned; it’s not automatic. However, once an owner earns a cat’s
(over)
love, the relationship between pet and human can become warm and pleasant. For
example, cats are known to purr in their owners’ laps, preening their owners as a
sign of their affection.
Unlike cats, dogs are very social animals, but they, like cats, offer tremendous
love in exchange for the care they receive from their owners. According to Williams,
dogs see their owners as “adopted packs.” In fact, dogs are known to fit themselves
into a power structure, or hierarchy, paying respect, in most cases, to the authority
of their new pack, the family that has taken them in. Within the pack, dogs are
known to be playful animals who, depending upon their breed, are generally not
likely to stray too far from their homes. Similar to cats, dogs are loving animals who
honor their owners with fondness and adoration. Depending on their size, dogs are
known to jump on a lap, play “catch,” and, like cats, preen their owners. The oftenused expression, “Dogs are man’s best friend,” is, according to Williams, based on
solid evidence.
Basically, the difference between cats and dogs is most dramatic in regard to
their personalities, while the main similarity between the two is the reward they
give their owners. Ultimately, a comparison of cats and dogs reveals that, in some
ways, pets can be quite different from each other. That said, in the best cases we
come to love our pets for a simple reason, because they love us in return!
(next)
Point-by-Point Form Sample Essay:
From the Westminster Kennel Show to all the silly cats in viral videos online,
we see pets everywhere. But what makes them so loveable? In “Of Cats and Men”
by John Smith, the author describes the many joys and responsibilities of owning a
cat, and in “For Whom the Dog Barks” by Kate Williams, the author describes the
pleasures and pitfalls of sharing one’s life with a dog. Despite their differences, cats
and dogs have at least one significant quality in common.
Cats and dogs have very different personalities. According to Smith, cats
demonstrate their independence by defining their territory to include an area far
larger than their owner’s house and property. In fact, some cats wander up to a mile
from the house of their owner. In doing so, they often act as predators, hunting
small rodents and bringing them back to the house of their owners, as if it is they,
the cats, who provide for their owners and not the other way around. On the
contrary, dogs, according to Williams, see their owners as “adopted packs.” In fact,
dogs are known to fit themselves into a power structure or hierarchy, paying
respect, in most cases, to the authority of their new pack, the family that has taken
them in. Within the pack, dogs are known to be playful animals who, depending
upon their breed, are generally not likely to stray too far from their homes.
While their personalities are likely to differ, cats and dogs offer a similar
reward to their owners. Because cats tend to exhibit independent personalities, the
rewards of cat ownership are special. Smith says that a cat’s love is rare and must
be earned; it’s not automatic. However, once an owner earns a cat’s love, the
(over)
relationship between pet and human can become warm and pleasant. For example,
cats are known to purr in their owners’ laps, preening their owners as a sign of their
affection. Similar to cats, dogs are loving animals who honor their owners with
fondness and adoration. Depending on their size, dogs are known to jump on a lap,
play “catch,” and, like cats, preen their owners. The often-used expression, “Dogs
are man’s best friend,” is, according to Williams, based on solid evidence.
Basically, the difference between cats and dogs is most dramatic in regard to
their personalities, while the main similarity between the two is the reward they
give their owners. Ultimately, a comparison of cats and dogs reveals that, in some
ways, pets can be quite different from each other. That said, in the best cases we
come to love our pets for a simple reason, because they love us in return!