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The Compare/ Contrast Essay

First, lets explain compare and contrast:
When we compare, we show our readers a subject's similarities.
When we contrast, we show our readers a subject's diferences.
Compare and Contrast essays are
learning-process essays. You learn
about your subject as you gather and
organize information.
his type of essay ta!es a bit of
organization, and it"s this
organizational process, this
gathering of facts, that helps you
learn as you go.
You #ill create lists of $ualities or
traits that each of your subjects has, and as you do this, you #ill disco%er insights to your
subject that, at first glance, you may not ha%e realized #ere there.
&ts li!e buying a ne# shirt. he moment you spread it out on your bed, you start seeing
things you hadn"t noticed in the store. 'erhaps a button is loose, or the poc!et is torn, or
it"s a size too big. (ut there"s more) *s an intelligent, probing #riter you"re going to as!
$uestions of this shirt: why, what, where, when, how, who. +hy are buttons on the collar,
+hat other type of shirt does this shirt remind you of, +here #as it made, +hen #as it
made, -o# did it get to your store and into your hands, +ho made it, he $uestions
are endless. (ut you must as! them to understand your subject. .sing why, what, where,
when, how, who, you to probe into the core and the reason this shirt exists.
he same type of probing and unco%ering #ill happen to you as
you outline your subject"s $ualities. Youll disco%er all sorts of
ne# things as you as! why, what, where, when, how, who, and
as you unco%er these ne# points, your essay #ill change. &n the
end, most essays end up far different than expected.
Your Thesis
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You will ofer a thesis, like in an argumentative essay, but in this essay,
your thesis sets the tone of your paper. In other words, through your
thesis, you want the reader to understand what you plan to compare or
contrast.
eep it simple! Your thesis will be one or two sentences on what you
want to ofer "your subject#, and if you$re comparing or contrasting.
Getting Started
&f possible, find an interesting subject about #hich you can #rite. his is important
because your enthusiasm #ill sho# in your #or!.
his essay calls for an outline list: you are going to list the $ualities of both subjects,
$ualities that can be compared, contrasted, or shared.
For example: let"s say your comparing and contrasting surfing to sno#boarding. Your
first job is to list the $ualities of each subject. From these $ualities and your insight, you
can then de%elop your thesis.
/ualities of *: surfing 0hared /ualities /ualities of (:
sno#boarding
surf on #ater both use a #ater medium sno#board on sno#
need #etsuits and trun!s both re$uire special clothing need #inter clothes and
boots
* thesis that #ill set the tone of your essay for the $ualities abo%e might read: hough
surfing and sno#boarding are done in different seasons, these sports ha%e more
similarities than differences.
1f course, the list abo%e is incomplete, and, perhaps, not as academic is #e #ould #ant it
to be. (ut its a start. You !eep listing $ualities until you belie%e you ha%e enough
information to #rite a %alid essay. * list of fi%e to ten $ualities #or!s #ell for the
a%erage paper. (ut you may ha%e to list t#enty $ualities to get fi%e that #ill #or! for
you. +hen listing, it is good to o%erdo it2 this #ay, #hen you"re ready to #rite your
paper, you can #eed out the $ualities that #on"t #or! and pic! the best of the bunch.
Three Parts
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1pening: You #ill
begin your essay,
introducing the
subjects you plan to
compare and contrast
and ending your fist
paragraph #ith your
thesis.
(ody: text by text
3first discuss all of *
and then discuss all of
(4 or point by point
3alternate bet#een *
and (4. &n this class
you #ill stic! to point
by point. *nd you #ill either compare or contrast, not both. (e careful, sometimes going
point by point can ma!e your #riting sound tedious and repetiti%e. +atch your language
and transition #ords. .se se%eral points at a time.
5nding: *s in the argumentati%e essay, bring it all together. *llo# your ending to go
bac! to your thesis. .se the transitional #ords on the next page to help your papers
coherence. ransitions and other connecting #ords and connecting sentences should be
used throughout.
6emember: here are no hard and fast rules as to ho# many comparisons or contrasts
you should offer. For a thorough loo! into your subject, you must offer enough
comparisons or contrasts or both to ma!e a %alid statement.
ransitional +ords 3Conjuncti%al *d%erbs4
.se these #ords to help you connect your thoughts, your sentences, and your paragraphs:
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37est you #ish to sound pedantic, tiptoe #ith caution through #ords such as 8indeed,8 and 8of
course.84
addition
again, also, and, and then, besides, e$ually important, finally, first, further, furthermore, in
addition, in the first place, last, moreo%er, next, second, still, too
comparison
also, in the same #ay, li!e#ise, similarly
concession
granted, naturally, of course
contrast
although, and yet, at the same time, but at the same time, despite that, e%en so, e%en though, for
all that, ho#e%er, in contrast, in spite of, instead, ne%ertheless, not#ithstanding, on the contrary,
on the other hand, other#ise, regardless, still, though, yet
emphasis
certainly, indeed, in fact, of course
example or illustration
after all, as an illustration, e%en, for example, for instance, in conclusion, indeed, in fact, in other
#ords, in short, it is true, of course, namely, specifically, that is, to illustrate, thus, truly
summary
all in all, altogether, as has been said, finally, in brief, in conclusion, in other #ords, in particular,
in short, in simpler terms, in summary, on the #hole, that is, therefore, to put it differently, to
summarize
time se$uence
after a #hile, after#ard, again, also, and then, as long as, at last, at length, at that time, before,
besides, earlier, e%entually, finally, formerly, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place,
in the past, last, lately, mean#hile, moreo%er, next, no#, presently, second, shortly,
simultaneously, since, so far, soon, still, subse$uently, then, thereafter, too, until, until no#, #hen
Compare Contrast Grid
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SUBJECT A SHARED QUALITIES SUBJECT B
Outline Form for Compare Contrast Essays
Tesis Statement
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_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Quality !" for para#rap !$
Specific support_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Comparati%e&Contrastin# Qualities for para#rap !$
Specific support_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Quality !$ for para#rap !'
Specific support_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Comparati%e&Contrastin# Qualities for para#rap !'
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Specific support_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Quality !' for para#rap !(
_______________________________________________________
Specific support_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Comparati%e&Contrastin# Qualities for para#rap !(
Specific support_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Con)lusion
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

Compare or Contrast Checklist
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999999& ha%e made it clear in my opening paragraph #hat t#o things & #ill #rite about
and #hether & #ill compare or contrast.
999999& offered a good strong thesis letting the reader !no# #hat & plan to compare or
contrast.
99999& ha%e offered three points in #hich & #ill compare and contrast my t#o subjects
99999 & stuc! to my method of de%elopment: loo!ing, in order, at one side at a time.
99999& ha%e used transition #ords as & mo%ed to each subject and from paragraph to
paragraph, so my essay reads smoothly li!e #ater rolling do#n a hill. here are no
sudden changes of subjects #ithout gracefully transitioning into them.
999999:y concluding paragraph binds my t#o subjects together and brings me bac! to
the thesis of my essay.
999999:y simple sentences offer one thought only.
999999& %ary my sentences. & ma!e sure to use compound and complex sentences, so my
essay has a musical $uality to it, but & do not o%erdo it.
999999& ha%e re%ie#ed my essay and remo%ed all redundant #ords. & a%oided #ordiness
and stuc! to concision.
Ce)*list
______Prewriting
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______ri! "comparing #ua$ities%
______&ut$ine
______'oug( !raft
______)!ite! !rafts "wit( correction mar*s%
E%aluate +our Essay
_______ 'ea! t(e essa+ once wit(out ma*ing an+ comment
________,raw a $ine un!er an+ aw*war! wor!ing t(at is !ifficu$t
to un!erstan!
_______,raw a two $ines un!er #uestionab$e spe$$ing or grammar
_______-ig($ig(t t(e t(esis statement "or !raw a wa.+ $ine un!er
it%
_______-ig($ig(t or wa.+ $ine un!er t(e main #ua$it+ in eac(
paragrap(
_______Loo* for transitiona$ wor!s an! p(rases/ an! if t(ere are
none/ ma*e notes on +our paper to put t(em in0
_______1rite t(e wor!s 2.ague3 or 2specific3 in t(e margins ne4t
to specific !etai$s0
_______5irc$e or (ig($ig(t6 s$ang/ c$ic(7s/ repetition/ an!
misspe$$e! wor!s
________Pu$$ out -ac*er or open up t(e -ac*er site6 re.iew +our
8L90 :f format is off/ fi4 it0

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