The Comparison and Contrast Essay

A comparison essay is an essay in which you emphasize the similarities.. PurposeWith comparison and contrast essay, the purpose is not just to point out similarities and differences,

The Comparison and

Definition

Comparison and contrast essays indicate the similarities and

contrasts between two things

A comparison essay is an essay in

which you emphasize the similarities.

A contrast essay is an essay in which you emphasize the differences.

Purpose

With comparison and contrast

essay, the purpose is not just to point out similarities and

differences, or advantages and

disadvantages; the purpose is to persuade, explain or inform.

Think of comparison and contrast

as a method of development – not

as a purpose for writing.

A paragraph of comparison

A paragraph of contrast

attending classes A second way in which these two towns

Gridlock is surrounded by many acres of farmland which is devoted mainly to growing corn and soybeans In the same way , Subnormal lies in the center of farmland which is used

to raise hogs and cattle Thirdly, these towns are similar in that they contain college campuses Gridlock, for example,

is home to Neutron College, which is famous for its

Agricultural Economics program as well as for its annual Corn-Watching Festival Likewise , the town of Subnormal boasts the beautiful campus of Quark College, which is well

Contrast Paragraphs

Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states of the U.S., they are strikingly different in many ways For example, the physical size of each state is different Arizona is large, having an area of 114,000 square miles, whereas Rhode Island is only about a tenth the size, having an area of only 1,214 square

miles Another difference is in the size of the

population of each state Arizona has about four

million people living in it, but Rhode Island has less than one million The two states also differ in the

kinds of natural environments that each has For

example, Arizona is a very dry state, consisting of

large desert areas that do not receive much rainfall every year However , Rhode Island is located in a

temperate zone and receives an average of 44 inches

of rain per year In addition, while Arizona is a

landlocked state and thus has no seashore, Rhode Island lies on the Atlantic Ocean and does have a

significant coastline.

Point-by-Point or Alternating Arrangement

(five paragraphs)

I Introduction in which you state your purpose which is to discuss differences between

vacationing in the mountains or at the beach

II First difference between mountains and

IV Third difference between mountains and

beaches is the location

A Mountains

B Beach

V Conclusion

Block Arrangement

(four paragraphs)

I Introduction in which you state your purpose which is to discuss the differences between vacationing in the mountains or at the beach

Go on vacation : on a beach or in a city

1 Introduction:

Thesis statement: The purpose of this essay is to contrast the differences

between vacation at a beach or in a city.

-Fancy clothes, etc.

c Differences about the pace of life:

- Relax and let things happen at a beach

- Schedule activities to have enough time to visit many places in a city

3 Conclusion:

- Both are interesting

- Keep in mind that wherever you decide to go you will enjoy it.

_ Collect your raw data—the similarities and differences

you’ve observed—and make them cohere into a meaningful argument

Tips

_ When you write a compare and contrast essay, you can end up evaluating good and bad sides of the items you are discussing

_Be consistent, don’t firstly state similarities, and

secondly provide a list of differences

The Introduction

General guidelines:

within which you place the two things you plan

to compare and contrast in your essay.

_Grounds for custom essay comparison

two things you’ve chosen to compare/contrast actually relate to one another; it means that the statement should arise from grounds for

comparison In your thesis statement you should make it clear to the readers whether the essay is indicating the similarities or differences.

Tips

Try a quotation, or an anecdote to make the

context more lively

- No matter what you prefer, make sure to give

equal amount of attention to both comparison and contrast in your essay.

- Don’t forget to link your investigations to the thesis The readers should have a clear picture

of your comparison and contrast.

The conclusion

General guidelines:

-A conclusion should be a strong paragraph; restate your thesis in new words and show how you’ve proven it in the preceding

paragraphs.

-Wrap the essay up with a final sentence or two.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject you have raised in your paper

It is also your opportunity to make a good final

impression and to end on a positive note

Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study This can redirect your

readers’ thinking process and help them to apply your ideas to their own lives or to see the broader

implications.

A vote for McDonald’s

For my birthday this month, my wife has offered to treat me to dinner

at the restaurant of my choice I think she expects me to ask for a meal at the Chalet, the classiest, most

expensive restaurant in town

However, I’m going to eat my birthday dinner at McDonald’s When I

compare the two restaurants, the

advantages of eating at McDonald’s are clear.

For one thing, going to the Chalet is more difficult than going to McDonald’s The Chalet has a jacket-and-tie rule, which means I have

to dig a sport coat and tie out of the back of

my closet, make sure they’re semiclean, and try to team out the wrinkles somehow The

Chalet requires advance reservations Since it

is downtown, I have to leave an hour early to give myself time to find a parking space within six blocks of the restaurant The Chalet

cancels reservations if a party is more than ten minutes late Going to McDonald’s, on the

wearing jeans or a warm-up suit I don’t have

to do any advance planning I can leave my

house whenever I’m ready and pull into a

doorside parking space within fifteen minutes.

The Chalet is a dimly lit, formal place While I’m struggling to see what’s on my plate, I worry that I knock one of the fragile glass vases off the table The waiters at the Chalet can be

uncomfortably formal, too As I awkwardly

pronounce the French words on the menu, I get the feeling that I don’t quite live up to their

standards Even though the food at the Chalet is gourmet, I prefer simpler meals I don’t like

unfamiliar food swimming in dead-white sauce or cover with pie pastry Eating at the Chalet, as to

me, is less enjoyable than eating at McDonald’s.

McDonald’s is a pleasant place where I ell at ease

It is well lighted, and the bright-colored décor is

informal The employees serve with a smile, and the food is easy to pronounce and identify I know what I’m going to get when I order a certain type of sandwich.

The most importance difference

between the Chalet and McDonald’s,

though, is the price difference Dinner for two at the Chalet, even one without the appetizers or desserts, would easily cost

$50 And the $50 doesn’t include the cost

of parking the car and tipping the waiter, which can come to an additional $10

Once, I forgot to bring enough money At McDonald’s, a filling meal for two will cost around $10 with the extra $50, my wife and I can eat at McDonald’s five more

times, or go to the movies five times, or buy play-off tickets to a football game.

So, for my birthday dinner

celebration, or any other time, I prefer

to eat at McDonald’s It is convenient, friendly and cheap And with the

money my wife save by taking me to McDonald’s, she can buy me what I really want for my birthday-a new

Sears power saw.

The outline

Thesis statement

When I compare the two restaurants, the advantages of eating at

McDonald’s are clear.

Body: point by point

difficult than going to McDonald’s

(block)

Pa.2: Eating at the Chalet is less

enjoyable than eating at McDonald’s (block)

Conclusion

Language and

Sentence Structures

To show similarities

Short Conjunctions Longer Expressions

Similarly, Likewise,

In the same way,

X is similar to Y in that (they)

X and Y are similar in that (they)

Like X, Y [verb]

In like manner, One way in which X is similar to Y

is (that)

Another way in which X is similar

to Y is (that)

On the other hand, even though + [sentence] although + [sentence] whereas + [sentence] unlike + [sentence]

while + [sentence]

nevertheless,

On the other hand

Example: On the other hand, winter is much

Example: Vancouver has a mild winter, but Halifax

has a cold one.

Example: While Vancouver has a mild winter,

Halifax has a cold winter.

unlike

Example: Unlike Vancouver , Halifax has a cold

winter.

Thank you for

listening!