Compare and Contrast Essays
A compare and contrast essay focuses
on how two items are similar, different,
or similar in some ways and different in
others.
You can compare and contrast any
number of items including events,
people, types of music, book genres,
movies, etc.
Getting Started
1. Choose a topic that you can argue.
Remember you need to do more than just
list how items are similar or different.
2. Plan to discuss both items equally. Don’t
write a whole paragraph about one item,
and just one sentence about the other.
Similarly, if you plan to make three or four
points about one of the items, you should
plan to make the same number of points
about the other.
Getting Started
3. Remember to connect your ideas! The point
of a compare and contrast essay is to actually
compare the items – not just summarize
information about each one. One way to
connect ideas is to use transitional words and
phrases that emphasize how items are similar
or dissimilar.
Question: What are five transitional words we
might have used in our personal narratives?
Writing a Thesis Statement
1. Choose your topic.
2. Make a point (assertion) about
your topic
3. Add these together to form a
Working Thesis Statement (WTS)
Writing a Thesis Statement
Topic: Dogs and cats
Point: They are both excellent animals that are entirely lovable.
= WTS: Dogs and cats are excellent animals that are entirely
lovable.
Topic: Coffee and energy drinks
Point: Both are used by many people for many reasons, except
thirst.
= WTS: Coffee and energy drinks are used by many people for
many reasons, except thirst.
Topic: Books and movies
Point: Both provide entertainment in opposite ways.
= WTS: Books and movies, though somewhat similar, provide
entertainment in opposite ways.
Organizing Your Essay
Point by Point
-
Alternates arguments about the two items (A and B) that
you are comparing and contrasting.
(For example: rock music vs. classical music)
-
Point 1: Discuss A (Types of people who like rock music)
-
Point 1: Discuss B (Types of people who like classical)
-
Discussion about overall links between A and B
-
Point 2: Discuss A (Instruments used in rock music)
-
Point 2: Discuss B (Instruments used in classical music)
-
Discussion about overall links between A and B
Organizing Your Essay
Point by Point
-
Often easier for the reader because
similarities and differences are more
obvious when placed next to each other.
-
For this reason, writers generally use this
method for longer essays.
Organizing Your Essay
Block Method
-
Presents all arguments related to A, and then
compares and/or contrasts them to all arguments
related to B.
-
It is a little bit more difficult to use because there
is so much space between points about A and
points about B.
-
It can be useful for shorter arguments.
Organizing Your Essay
Block Method
Paragraph 1: Point 1 about A (types of people who listen to
rock music)
Point 2 about A (types of instruments in rock)
Paragraph 2: Point 1 about B, including connections to A
(types of people who listen to rock
music, and how they compare with
those who listen to classical)
Point 1 about B, including connections to A
(types of people who listen to classical
music, and how they compare with
those who listen to rock)
Please Consider:
Block Method
-
Don’t just list everything about A and then
everything about B without actually making
connections between them.
-
Or, when making those connections, do not list all
the connections in one paragraph towards the end.
Since your whole essay is supposed to
compare/contrast two things, you need to make those
connections throughout, not just in one paragraph at
the end of the essay.
-
Please note that on both of these structures, I’m
giving you just the outline. Remember, every good
essay has an intro that hooks the reader and a
conclusion that wraps up the writing!
Compare/Contrast Transition Words
To compare:
also
as
as well as
both
like
too
and
in the same manner
in the same way
similar
most important
same
even though
yet
similarly
likewise
in addition
To contrast:
Although
however
On the other hand
On the contrary
otherwise
differ
unlike
in contrast
but
instead
unless
while
nevertheless
Question: Why are these words different than those we
would use with narrative?
Topics
*Dogs vs. Cats
*City vs. Country
*Christmas morning vs. New Year’s Eve
*Soccer vs. Football
*Beach vs. Mountains
*Rap vs. Country
*Pizza vs. Burgers
*Rock vs. Classical
*Vader vs. Skywalker
*Hunger Games vs. Maze Runner
*Band vs. Choir
*Six Flags vs. NRH2O
*Heels vs. Boots
*Breakfast vs. Dinner
*Makeup vs. Natural
*Books vs. Movies
*ELA vs. Math *Coffee vs. Energy Drinks
*Luxury Hotel vs. Camping