All you have to do is glance at your Venn diagram to get a sense of the things that you could write about. If you prefer to focus on one subject at a time, jot your lists down on a blank sheet of paper and flip it over to the other side for the other subject.
Remember to keep characteristics of the different subjects somewhat parallel. This will make it easier to structure a good argument. A good compare-and-contrast essay goes beyond a simple listing of similarities and differences to make a meaningful statement about a larger topic. What do these similarities and differences say about the topic?
That will be your main argument. There are many possibilities for structuring a compare-and-contrast essay. You could write about one subject in detail, and then switch to the other. You could write two paragraphs about qualities that are common to women they tend to be more compassionate, they are good multitaskers along with some that they share with men they are capable of sacrificing self for the good of others.
Then you would focus on men in the next section. For a comparison essay, you likely would not choose two apples or two oranges because they share so many of the same properties already. Rather, you might try to compare how apples and oranges are quite similar. The more divergent the two subjects initially seem, the more interesting a comparison essay will be. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so.
The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader. Take the following thesis as an example that leans more toward contrasting:. Thesis Statement: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny. Here the thesis sets up the two subjects to be compared and contrasted organic versus conventional vegetables , and it makes a claim about the results that might prove useful to the reader.
The organizational structure you choose depends on the nature of the topic, your purpose, and your audience. Given that compare-and-contrast essays analyze the relationship between two subjects, it is helpful to have some phrases on hand that will cue the reader to such analysis.
First choose whether you want to compare seemingly disparate subjects, contrast seemingly similar subjects, or compare and contrast subjects.
Once you have decided on a topic, introduce it with an engaging opening paragraph. Your thesis should come at the end of the introduction, and it should establish the subjects you will compare, contrast, or both as well as state what can be learned from doing so. You can write your introduction following the same guidelines as other essay types, though be sure to mention all your subjects. Likewise, you can write an essay conclusion with the standard rules and best practices.
Do you write about both subjects at the same time, or switch back and forth? The hardest part of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay is knowing when to talk about which subject.
Essentially, you have three options:. No matter which option you choose, you have to pay particular attention to topic sentences. The block method is usually divided into paragraphs: a paragraph about one subject and then a new paragraph about another subject.
In the first paragraph after the introduction, the author talks only about Ahab from Moby Dick , but in the next paragraph talks only about the narrator from The Raven. Each subject gets its own paragraph. Using the block method, you can go back and forth like this for pages, covering as many topics as you need. This approach is best for giving each subject its own attention but tends to slightly weaken the connection between the two. As another option, you can break paragraphs up by a specific topic and issue, and in each paragraph discuss both or all subjects.
Here, both subjects are discussed in the same paragraph, one right after another. Once you have listed similarities and differences, decide whether the similarities on the whole outweigh the differences or vice versa. Create a thesis statement that reflects their relative weights. A more complex thesis will usually include both similarities and differences.
Here are examples of the two main cases:. Although Darwin and Lamarck came to different conclusions about whether acquired traits can be inherited, they shared the key distinction of recognizing that species evolve over time.
Note that the French and Russian revolutions A and B may be dissimilar rather than similar in the way they affected innovation in any of the three areas of technology, military strategy, and administration.
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