Comparisonand-Contrast
Essay
Exploring similarities and differences . . .
From Reading to Writing The story “The
Beginning of Something” and the poem “Hanging
Fire” are told from the first-person point of view
and deal with the pain and the challenges of
growing up. Their tone, form, and themes differ
greatly, however.
Comparisonand-Contrast
Essay
Exploring similarities and differences . . .
Comparing these two pieces—or two other related
works—can help you understand each better. One
way to explore such similarities and differences is
by writing a comparison-and-contrast essay.
Basics in a Box
Comparison-and-Contrast
Essay at a Glance
Introduction
• Identifies the subjects
being compared
• Tells the purpose for
the comparison
Body
Subject
Subject
Both
A
B
Only Subjects Only
Conclusion
Restates the main
idea or draws a
conclusion
Explains similarities
and differences
RUBRIC
Standards for Writing
A successful comparison-and-contrast essay should
• identify the subjects being compared
• follow a clear organizational pattern
• establish a clear purpose for the comparison
• use transitional words and phrases to
make the relationships among ideas
clear
• include both similarities and differences and
support them with specific examples and
details
• summarize the comparison in the
conclusion
Writing Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
1
Prewriting
Gather topic ideas for your essay by
brainstorming reasons why you might
compare two things. Ask yourself:

Do you have to make a choice or
decision?

Do you want to prove that one product or
idea is better than another?

Do you need to understand how two
subjects are related?
Planning Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
1. Explore the similarities and differences of your
subject. What are their most important features?
Which ones do they share? Which ones are unique?
Making a Venn diagram can help you sort out your
ideas. If you can’t identify several major features,
choose two other subjects to compare.
2. Decide which features to compare and contrast.
Think about the point you are trying to make in your
essay. Focus on the similarities and differences that
will help you make this point.
Planning Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
3. Choose an organizational pattern. There are two
basic ways to organize your comparison-andcontrast essay: subject-by-subject or feature-byfeature. You might want to try each organizational
pattern before deciding which works better for your
subject. You might also discuss all your subjects’
similarities first and then their differences, or the
Subject-by-Subject
Feature-by-Feature
other way around.
Subject A
Feature 1
Feature 2
Subject B
Feature 1
Subject A
Subject B
Feature 2
Feature 1
Subject A
Feature 2
Subject B
Writing Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
2
Drafting
Begin by simply getting your thoughts on
paper. You can revise them later. You
might start by identifying the subjects you
are comparing. As you write your draft,

Tell what features your essay will
compare and contrast.

Support the comparisons you make
with specific details and examples.
Writing Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
2
Drafting

Use transitional words to show
similarities and differences between
ideas.

End with a conclusion that
summarizes your main points.
Writing Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
3
Revising
Target Skill
TRANSITIONS
In a comparison-and-contrast essay, use
transitions to show the logical
connections between ideas. Transitions
that show comparisons include in the
same way, also, both, and similarly.
Transitions that show contrast include
yet, while, on the other hand, in contrast,
and however.
Writing Your Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
4
Editing and Proofreading
Target Skill
PARALLELISM
Keeping similar ideas parallel will help
you to present your ideas clearly and
logically. Parts of a sentence that serve a
similar function should be parallel in
structure.