COMPARING AND CONTRASTING
Ms. Fatema Khurshid
Instructions for the Comparison or
Contrast Essay
Do I want
this car … ?
… or do I
want that
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?
How to Write a
Compare/Contrast Essay
Compare and contrast essays are the another
essay type in academic writing. These essays
will follow a specific question and are fairly easy
to complete. There are several ways to write this
type of essay. The most important thing to
remember is structure.
Introduction
Your introduction — like the fiveparagraph-essay, should open
generally (with a quotation, anecdote,
generalization), and lead into the thesis
statement.
Conclusion
The conclusion — like the introduction
— should be a generalization of the
thesis. This paragraph should express
your certainty and absolute knowledge
on the subject matter. You should
reaffirm your thesis (essentially restate
it in new words) and show how you've
proven it.
Understand what comparison or
contrast requires you to do.
Always choose two equal items—two cars,
two vacations, two sports stars—not two
unequal items, like a car and an octopus.
Next, decide if you want to compare or
contrast as your primary strategy. The
essay should be 80/20 in favor of one
strategy, not 50/50.
Your job is to interest the reader. Choose
points to discuss that are not immediately
obvious.
Now let’s test
your
understanding ...
A baby is like a vacuum cleaner.
WRONG!
Yeah,
baby!
Even though my little brother
Fred is 20 years my junior, he
and I have much in common.
My sister and I look alike, have
common hobbies, and enjoy the
same foods.
Boring!
Even though Venus and Serena Williams are
both professional tennis stars, they differ in
their opinions about men, movies, and music.
Excellent!
Make the comparison or
contrast interesting.
Be sure that your essay has a purpose.
Ask yourself this important question: Why
would anyone want to read this comparison
or contrast?
Consider giving the essay a specific
audience. Imagine the essay is a letter to
a specific person.
Dear Mom and Dad,
My current car is a death trap! Do you want me
to be the reason I-4 traffic is at a standstill? For this
reason, I want you to consider helping me pay for my
dream car, a 2011 Honda Accord …
Pick a pattern for your essay.
Pattern A is a
typical 5-paragraph
essay.
The thesis statement
will read like this:
Because of X, Y,
and Z, Subject A
is similar to [or
different from]
Subject B.
Each body paragraph
will discuss both
Subject A and
Subject B.
Introduction
All about Point X
All about Point Y
All about Point Z
Conclusion
Pattern B will look a bit different.
Pattern B has only
4 paragraphs.
Alas, the essay must
still be 500 words.
The thesis statement
should not include
restrictions, like this:
Subject A is
similar to [or
different from]
Subject B.
One body paragraph
will discuss X, Y, and
Z for Subject A; the
other body paragraph
will do the same for
Subject B.
Introduction
All about Subject A
All about Subject B
Conclusion
If we follow the
advice above …
Do we have two like things?
How are they alike?
Would it be better to compare
or contrast?
What is the purpose?
What will make the essay
interesting?
Would Pattern A or Pattern
B work the best?
Format the Pattern A outline
correctly.
I. Point X
A. Subject A
1. Detail 1
2. Detail 2
3. Detail 3
B. Subject B
1. Detail 1
2. Detail 2
3. Detail 3
Roman numerals
address the X, Y, and
Z from the thesis
statement.
Capital letter A is
always for the first
subject; capital
letter B is always for
the second
subject.
A detail for Subject A
must correspond to a
detail for Subject B.
Thesis statement: The two Sigourney Weaver
movies, Aliens and Gorillas in the Mist, have three
important points of comparison [or contrast]: X, Y, and
Z.
I. Point X
A. Gorillas in
the Mist
II. Point Y
A.Gorillas in
the Mist
III. Point Z
A. Gorillas in
the Mist
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
B. Aliens
B.Aliens
B. Aliens
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
A Pattern B outline looks a little different:
Thesis Statement: Subject A is different from/similar to Subject B.
I.
Subject A
A. First Point of C/C
1. Detail
2. Detail
3. Detail
B. Second Point of C/C
1. Detail
2. Detail
3. Detail
C. Third Point of C/C
1. Detail
2. Detail
3. Detail
II.
Subject B
A. First Point of C/C
1. Detail
2. Detail
3. Detail
B. Second Point of C/C
1. Detail
2. Detail
3. Detail
C. Third Point of C/C
1. Detail
2. Detail
3. Detail
Pattern B Outline Topics:
Expectation vs. Reality
Vacation
Class
Date
Car
Friend
Pet
Job
Computer
School
Scholarship
Church
Concert
Sports event
Membership
Decide the topic for your actual
essay:
Your comparison/contrast essay will discuss the
similarities/differences between the Disney
version of Cinderella or Snow White and the
Brothers Grimm or Anne Sexton version or the
Vietnamese Cinderella.
Consider these points of comparison or contrast:
Characters
Animals
Costume and setting
Violence
Parents and step-parents
Lessons
Reading and viewing
Remember that you need a
purpose for the
comparison/contrast. So
decide which fairytale
version you would share
with a specific child.
Create a works cited page:
Use MLA-style page numbering: your last name
and the page number.
The works cited page is the last page of the essay.
Title the page: Works Cited.
The entire page is double spaced [with no extra
spacing between entries].
For each entry, all lines after the first are indented
five spaces.
Punctuation and capitalization require your careful
attention.
The list of entries is alphabetized.
Note the format:
Williams 4
Works Cited
The Greatest Movie Ever Made. Dir. John
Bowman. Funtime Studios, 2010. DVD.
Robertson, Zachary. “Wow Story.” The
Greatest Website Ever Made. Web. 19
Jully. 2011.
If you are using a movie,
set up the entry like this:
The Title. [in italics]
Dir. Director’s First Name and
Last. [Dir. stands for Directed by.]
Studio Name, Year of
Release.
Publication Medium.
The entry will look like this:
Title of Film. Dir. Director’s
First and Last Name. Studio
Name, Year of Release. DVD.
Your two movie options:
Title: Cinderella
Directors: Clyde
Geronimi, Wilfred
Jackson, and
Hamilton Luske
Studio: Walt
Disney Pictures
Year: 1950
Title: Snow White
and the Seven
Dwarfs
Director: David
Hand
Studio: Walt
Disney Pictures
Year: 1937
If you are using a document
within a website, set up the
entry like this:
Author’s last name, first name.
“Title of Story or Poem.” [in
quotation marks]
Title of Website. [in italics]
Publication Medium.
Date accessed. [Day Month Year]
The entry will look like this:
Author’s Last Name, First Name.
“Title of Story or Poem.”
Website Name. Web. 11 Feb.
2011.
Your two author options:
Authors: Jacob
Grimm and Wilhelm
Grimm
Title: “Cinderella”
or “Little Snow
White”
Website: National
Geographic
Author: Anne
Sexton
Title: “Cinderella”
or “Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs”
Website: Miami
University or
Poets.org
Tam and Cam:
Author: None – so skip it!
Title: “The Story of Tam and Cam”
Website: The Homepage of Professor D.
L. Ashliman, University of Pittsburgh
Note these rules about
names:
If you refer to the character, treat
his/her name as your own and just
capitalize.
If you refer to the short story or
poem, use quotation marks and
capitalize all major words.
If you refer to the movie, use italics
and capitalize all major words.
Draft the introduction.
Remember that you are explaining
which version of the story is
appropriate for a specific child.
Use the introduction to give your reader
background on that child.
Write 5 - 7 sentences that explain the
child’s personality and/or
situation.
Have these sentences lead up to your
thesis statement.
Add support with direct quotations.
First, introduce the source with a speaker tag.
The Queen says, …
According to “Little Snow White,” …
Then use the exact words of the source in
quotation marks.
You can make small changes with brackets like these: [ ]
You can omit chunks of text with ellipses, three periods in a
row where you have removed words in the middle or at the end.
Follow with an in-text citation [aka parenthetical
reference]
If you have one or more authors, use the name(s) of the
author(s) in parentheses: (Grimm and Grimm)
If you do not have an author, use the abbreviated title of the
work in parentheses: (“The Story”)
Format the quotations like this:
According to _____ [story or poem’s title],
“exact words” (In-text citation).
__________ says, “exact words” (In-text
citation).
According to “Little Snow White,” our
heroine “was as beautiful as the day, and more
beautiful than the Queen herself” (Grimm and
Grimm).
The queen says, “[B]ring me her heart … and I
will salt and eat it” (Sexton).
First Draft Directions
To earn all of the points on your prewriting
sheet, do the following:
Confirm that you have a correct heading at
the top left.
Give the essay a correct and interesting
title.
Be sure that you have written 500+ words.
Be sure to work in at least three
quotations that have in-text citations.
Your homework is to type/polish the draft
for an in-class activity during the next class.
Prepare the final draft of the
essay.
Be sure that you have MLA-style page
numbering on every page.
The works cited page should be the last page of
the essay.
Confirm that you have three quotations—correctly
integrated and cited—from your print source.
Know how many points each skill is worth on the
evaluation sheet.
Visit the Writing Center [5-155] for advice.
Be sure to read and follow all of the format
guidelines on your syllabus.
Send the essay as an email attachment before
you arrive to class!
The End.
Look, I don’t have
time for this. I’m going
to get to work.