Module for Organizing Compare and Contrast Essays
Prepared by Karin Kohlmeier, Spring 2008
[This module (presented to two Sociology classes) took the form of a lecture with
questions from students interspersed throughout and at the end. The students had been
given a choice of six questions, one of which they were to answer in a 5-6 page essay.
All of the questions provided called for a compare and contrast structure. (At the time of
the presentation of the module, the students were supposed to have completed a rough
draft.) The presentation of the module, including questions, took 20 minutes in the first
class and about 25 minutes in the second. The following are the notes I used.]
We’re going to talk about organizing a compare and contrast essay. Compare and
contrast is one of the most challenging structures for an essay, because while you’re
composing it, you always have to have more than one train of thought going on: not only
do you have to make the point about the thing you’re writing about at the moment, you
always have to be thinking of how it compares to the other thing (or things) you will be
writing about. So, we’re going to talk about some strategies for making that process
easier.
The first thing you need is a basis for comparison. If two things are exactly alike,
there’s no point in comparing them. Same goes if they’re completely different.
Therefore, the subjects you discuss will necessarily have both things in common and
differences, but your essay will focus primarily on either comparing OR contrasting,
depending on the point you will be making.
--Example: You’re writing about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
--If you want to encourage your reader to vote for Obama, you will focus
on the differences.
--If you want to convince your reader that all democrats are alike and they
should therefore vote for Ralph Nader, you would focus on the similarities
between Clinton and Obama and downplay the differences.
***Both arguments draw from the same bank of information, but the focus
is different.
***So, the first thing you need before you even sit down to write the paper is a
THESIS. You have to know what point you’re making before you can organize your
paper. (You can do brainstorming activities and/or even write a rough draft first if that’s
how you get your ideas flowing, but before you structure your final draft, you have to
have your argument in mind.)
[I wrote the following on the board]:
There are two basic patterns for organizing your compare and contrast essay: Subject-bySubject and Point-by-Point. (Which one you will use will depend on your own personal
preference, the length of the paper [how many points you’re making], and what fits best
with the points you want to make.)
Subject by subject:
Introduction—Thesis statement: Despite the fact that television and radio are distinctly
different media, they use similar strategies to appeal to their audiences.
Television audiences:
Point 1: Men
Point 2: Women
Point 3: Children
Radio audiences:
Point 1: Men
Point 2: Women
Point 3: Children
Conclusion: Restatement of thesis and/or review of key points.
Point by point:
Introduction—Thesis statement: Although Melville’s Moby-Dick and London’s The Sea
Wolf are both about the sea, the minor characters, major characters, and themes of MobyDick establish its greater complexity.
Minor characters:
Book 1: The Sea Wolf
Book 2: Moby-Dick
Major characters:
Book 1: The Sea Wolf
Book 2: Moby-Dick
Themes:
Book 1: The Sea Wolf
Book 2: Moby-Dick
Conclusion: Restatement of thesis and/or review of key points.
[I took these examples from a composition textbook, Patterns for College Writing. They
are a bit dorky, but are simple enough to get the point across quickly.]
***NOTE: Points must be parallel. You should address the same number of points for
each thing you’re comparing, and they should be the same basic types of points for both.
(In other words, if in the second example you talk about major characters in Moby-Dick
then minor characters in The Sea Wolf then themes in The Sea Wolf, you paper won’t
cohere.)
***Also vital for each pattern is the introduction and conclusion that stress the point
you’re making.
--Transitional words that guide your reader through the paper: like, likewise, in
comparison, similarly, in the same way....although, conversely, despite, even though,
however, in contrast, instead, nevertheless, whereas, etc. These words—and, at times,
entire transitional paragraphs—guide your reader through your paper and make it clear at
all times where you’re going. [There are obviously many more transitional words than
those listed here. I didn’t give the students a list but just mentioned a few. It seemed like
it would be too elementary to give them a complete list or put them on the board, as it
was clear that they were getting the point.]
[The essay questions given by the professor all had a compare and contrast structure, but
while some had a simple structure of comparing two things, others had a more
complicated structure, such as one that asked the students to compare a theory from Marx
and Weber then discuss it in terms of a third “neglected theorist.” I pointed this out to the
students and asked them how they would approach a question like this in terms of the two
structures that were up on the board. In responding to their answers (which were
generally correct) I stressed that they should mention all three theorists and the points
they would be making about them in the introduction, but then—whichever structure they
use—cover Marx and Weber completely first, then move on to the third theorist so that
the discussion of the “neglected theorist” would stand out as their main point.]
[At this point, I entertained questions and passed around the following sheet on
Organizing Your Essay. I would have gone over it, but I was out of time, so I briefly
explained reverse outlining and told them to read over the rest of the suggestions on their
own. I also pointed out that the suggestions on the sheet apply to all essays, not just
compare and contrast.]
Organizing your Essay
Once you have a working thesis statement, the rest of your paper should provide
arguments that support that statement in a clear and logical manner. Here are five
strategies you can use to test the organization of your paper, or to reorganize it.
Strategy 1. Reverse Outlining: This is an outline of what you've written, as opposed to
the kind of outline you make before you write. It will help you evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of both your organization and your argument. First, read your draft over and
make brief notes in the margin about what each paragraph is trying to do. Transfer the
notes to a fresh page, listing them in order. Check for repetition or other organizational
problems. See how well the outline supports the argument in your thesis statement. You
may find some paragraphs are irrelevant to the focus of your argument or have more than
one idea. Then you can rewrite or reorder your paragraphs as necessary.
Strategy 2. Talking It Out
Explain your paper to someone else: a friend, your professor, a relative, a Writing Center
tutor, or any sympathetic and intelligent listener. Pressure, anxiety, and expectations can
cloud our writing, so it's a good idea just to talk about ideas in order to relieve some of
those feelings. The order in which you present your argument to your listener is probably
a logical way to arrange it in your paper. Take notes. Get your listener to ask questions.
Questions you need to think about will probably make you realize that you need to
explain more your paper. In short, you want to know that your listener fully understands
you; if not, chances are your readers won't, either.
Strategy 3: Listing and Narrowing Your Argument
What might be giving you trouble with organization is that you've tackled a subject that is
too broad. There's only so much you can do in a short paper. If you look more closely,
you might find places where your paper loses focus; eliminating these tangents will, in
turn, help you rethink your organization. Try making a list of all the points you make in
your paper, and verify that they all directly relate to your thesis.
Strategy 4: Sectioning
Sectioning is necessary for papers that contend with a number of ideas or a complicated
argument. It's also useful if you are having difficulty distinguishing between the goals of
each paragraph. Try putting your paragraphs under section headings. If a paragraph
doesn't fit any category, then it may not belong in the paper.
Strategy 5: Visualizing
Many people find that a visual brainstorming technique called clustering, mapping, or
webbing is a good tool for rethinking a draft's organization. In effect, this means drawing
a picture of how your paper is organized.