Comparison/Contrast Essay

What is a Comparison/Contrast Essay?

A comparison shows how two subjects are similar; a contrast shows how two subjects are different. In writing, you must first decide whether you will compare, contrast, or do both.

Follow These Steps When Writing a Comparison/Contrast Essay:

1. Identify similarities and differences. If you have two items to compare or contrast, determine how they are similar and how they are different. You should find at least three points for comparison or contrast. Then write the detailed characteristics for each point. Let’s say you want to compare two types of dogs.

The following is an example:

Points                          Labradors                                          Cocker Spaniels
Appearance:              large, solid color, short hair           small, mixed color, long hair

Temperament:          easy going, smart, rarely bites     high strung, dumb, often bites

Performance:            retrieves in water, excellent          retrieves on land, average swimmer
                                      swimmer, complex fetching        simple fetching

 

2. State your purpose in the thesis sentence. Identify the two subjects that you will compare or contrast and state whether you will focus on similarities, differences, or both. The thesis may also indicate which points you will compare or contrast.

3. Choose a pattern to organize your essay. The two major patterns for organizing a comparison/contrast essay are

• Subject by Subject (Whole to Whole). Write first about one of your subjects, covering it completely, and then you write about the other, covering it completely. Each subject is addressed in a separate paragraph. The points of comparison or contrast should be the same for each subject and should be presented in the same order.

• Point by Point. Each point is addressed in a separate paragraph. Discuss both of your subjects together for each point of comparison and contrast. Maintain consistency by discussing the same subject first for each point. 

4. Use appropriate transitions. Transitions are important in comparison/contrast writing, especially with the point-by-point organization, to avoid confusion. Without transitions, the points you are comparing/contrasting may blur into one another. Also, a variety of transitions prevent monotony.

 

A list of transitions follows

• For comparison: like, same, both, the same as, similar, in the same way, most important, similarly, as, too, have in common, as well as.
• For contrast: although, however, differ, unlike, even though, yet, but, instead, on the contrary, on the other hand, whereas, while, unless, contrary to, the reverse.

To Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Comparison/Contrast Essay, Ask the Following:

Is the essay balanced? The most common error in a comparison/contrast essay is spending too much time on one subject and too little on the other. Make sure the essay equally and thoroughly covers both subjects.