When you write a comparison essay, you should go through a number of steps before you
jump into writing the introductory paragraph. You will make a list of things that are similar about your
two topics, and follow with making a list of characteristics that are very different.
After you make these lists, you'll put together a single statement that states an overall
assessment of your comparison. This statement will be your topic sentence. Your lists will provide
topics for your body paragraphs.
Some of the essay ideas below may seem to contain subjects that have nothing in common. But
think again! You’ll find contrasting characteristics as well as similar characteristics in each individual
set.
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Halloween night to prom night.
Your best friend to your archenemy.
Weeds to flowers.
Slave insurrection to the Revolutionary War.
Being the president to being a homeless person.
Being a snob to being a nerd.
Poverty to paranoia.
Christopher Columbus to early astronauts.
School bullies to dictators.
Writing essays to going to the dentist.
Church sermons to campaign speeches.
Acting to lying.
Hurricanes to blizzards.
The 1970s to another decade.
The decisions of Red Riding Hood to the decisions of Goldilocks.
Wandering on the African plain to drifting in the open sea.
Making an apple pie to making a mud pie.
Being afraid to being bored.
The influence of music to the influence of books.
The influence of celebrities to the influence of parents.
Learning to ride a bike to learning to drive a car.
Going to a move to watching a movie at home.
Spending time with your friend to spending time with your dog.
Playing Wii™ games to playing real games.
Snowfall to rainfall.
Living on a farm to living in the city.
Being a teen to being a toddler.
Nascar to Formula One.
Reality TV shows to high school.
Washing dishes to washing laundry.
A female friend and a male friend.
The life of a dog to the life of a cat.
Riding a roller coaster to loving somebody.
Camping in the deep woods to sleeping in a motel.
Physical beauty to inner beauty.
Being rich to being famous.
Being grounded to being in jail.
Talking to your mom and talking to your friends.
The benefits of cold to the benefits of heat.
Your best birthday to your worst birthday.
Your happiest day to your saddest day.
Before you begin to draft a compare and contrast essay, you should brainstorm by creating a Venn
diagram or a chart to list pros and cons of each subject you’re exploring.
The first paragraph of your compare and contrast essay (the introductory paragraph) should contain
references to both subjects you’re comparing. This paragraph should end with a thesis sentence that
sums up your overall purpose or results, like this:
"While city life brings many social opportunities, country life can provide the best of both worlds."
Comparison essays can be constructed in two ways. You can focus on one topic at a time, describing
the pros and cons of one topic first and then moving on to the next topic.
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Cities have lots of great restaurants.
City life offers culturally diverse populations.
Cities contain theaters, sporting events, and other activities.
Country life brings fresh produce within easy reach.
Country life is quiet living with the opportunity to travel into cities for cultural exposure.
Entertainment opportunities exist in the country, as well.
Summary paragraph
You could instead alternate your focus, covering one after the other in a back-and-forth pattern.
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Cities have lots of great restaurants.
On the other hand, country life brings fresh produce within easy reach.
Cities contain theaters, sporting events, and other activities.
But entertainment opportunities exist in the country, as well.
City life offers culturally diverse populations.
However, country life is quiet living with the opportunity to travel into cities for cultural
exposure.
Make sure that each paragraph contains a smooth transition statement, and end your essay with a
sound conclusion.
Country Life or City Life?
City
Country
Entertainment
theaters, clubs
festivals, bonfires, etc.
Culture
museums
historic places
Food
restaurants
produce