Do I want this car … ?
… or do I want the other car?

Do I want to visit
Egypt on my next vacation …
?
… or do I want to go to
Las Vegas?

Do I want to eat something healthy … ?
… or do I want something bad?

Understand what comparison or contrast requires you to do!
Compare = Similarities
Contrast = Differences

Clothing
Literature
Restaurants
Height
Drinks
What other things do we compare/contrast?
Music

• To decide if we like that object
• To determine if we want to buy it
• To figure out if we want to eat there

What features can we use to compare and contrast the wooden spoon and the spaghetti spoon?
Features:
Function/Use
Weight
Material
Shape

Wooden Spoon Spaghetti Spoon
• wood
• shallow scoop
• light
• scoop sauce
• used in cooking
• metal & plastic
• deep scoop
• a little heavy
• scoop spaghetti
Features: material, shape, weight, use

Point- By - Point Method
I.
Introduction
II. First point
A. Explanation of how this point relates to the first item
B. Explanation of how this point relates to the second item
III. Second point
A. Explanation of how this point relates to the first item
B. Explanation of how this point relates to the second item
IV. Third point
A. Explanation of how this point relates to the first item
B. Explanation of how this point relates to the second item
V. Conclusion

Begin with a broad, general statement of your topic and narrow it down to your thesis statement. Broad general statements ease the reader into your thesis statement by providing a background for it. Look at the following example!

“For women shopping can be a pleasant and fun experience, especially when they see a sale on an item that they have wanted to buy. I think it is a little different for men because some men find it boring, and they hate to walk through a crowded mall. Females are very indecisive when it comes to shopping because they can't make up their minds about what they want to get. Males know what they want and pick only that item up. Ladies can take hours getting one item while men can get five items in 20 minutes or less. Women spend a lot more money than men when they shop because they want everything they see. Men and women are so different when shopping is concerned.”

BODY
Thesis statements are extremely important because they will organize and outline the ideas for your BODY PARAGRAPHS. The three parallel structures will serve as the basis for your three paragraphs in the body. This way, the first item of the parallel structure will be the topic in the first paragraph, the second item will be the topic in the second paragraph, and the third item will be the topic in the third and the last paragraph of the body. In any given essay writing, once you write an effective thesis statement, the body of the paragraph will fall into place automatically... in the thesis statement you plan the order and sequence of your essay. For example,

1 st Body
First of all, women are indecisive while shopping, and men aren't. A women can go into a store with every intention on getting one item, but she sees all the cute things lying around the store saying "buy me." For that reason, she feels compelled to buy other items within the store. That is why a woman can be very indecisive. When a man says that he is going to get one thing from the store, it's a guarantee that he will come home with that one item because things don't scream out at him, "buy me".

2 nd Body
Secondly, a female can take a lot longer time to shop than a male does. For some reasons, a lady has to look at everything which she finds appealing to the eye. I know when I go shopping for a pair of jeans, I end up with a shirt and a cute pair of shoes to match.
Normally to buy something may take 20 minutes, but it may become 2 hours for women. A man just doesn't seem to notice things as a woman. Or maybe it is because a man just doesn't care. In any case, when a male says he will be back in 20 minutes from shopping, he will be back in 20 minutes or less.

3 rd Body
Thirdly, a female normally spends more money than a male. Most females want everything to be name brand regardless of the cost of the item. A male doesn't care too much if it has Nike or Adidas logo on it or not.
All he cares about is whether or not it does the job. On the other hand, one thing I have noticed about a man is his tools. He will spend a lot of money on name brand tools.

CONCLUSION
A concluding paragraph is your chance to remind the reader of your thesis. Also, the conclusion brings the paper to a natural and graceful end, sometimes leaving the reader with a final thought on the subject. For example,

In essence, women and men are different in a lot of ways. One difference is for sure, and that is shopping. Most women like to take their time and look for great buys and cute things, but most men could care less about that stuff. They just get what they want.They do not feel the need to try on their clothes as women. Most men also seem to be a little more thriftier with their money than women.

Key words to express Comparison : like same similar in the same way both most important the same as similarly as too have in common as well as
Key words to express Contrast: although however differ unlike even though yet but instead on the contrary whereas while unless contrary to on the other hand the reverse

Ipod
Group 1 Radio
Cell phone
Group 2
Directions: In the groups I assigned, complete the Venn diagram for the two objects. Remember to list the features you are comparing in the diagram.
Regular phone
Laptop
Group 3
Home PC
Truck
Group 4
Car