Michel de

Montaigne
 essay
AMONG us

There is 1 liar among us

 compare and
contrast essay
A compare-and-contrast essay examines two
subjects through comparing, contrasting, or
both. The goal of writing a comparison or
contrast essay is to highlight subtle differences
or unexpected parallels between two subjects
rather than to express the obvious.
 The Structure of a Compare/Contrast Essay
The compare-and-contrast essay begins with a thesis
statement that clearly identifies the two subjects to
be compared, contrasted, or both and why. The thesis
could focus on comparing, contrasting, or both.
Remember that the purpose of comparing and contrasting
is to offer the reader with helpful information.
01
example: Thesis Statement
Organic vegetables may be more expensive than
conventionally grown vegetables, but when put
to the test, they are well worth the extra
money.
 YOU MAY ORGANIZE COMPARE-AND-CONTRAST
ESSAYS IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

According to the subjects themselves, discussing

01 one then the other.

According to individual points, discussing each

03 subject in relation to each point.

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.
PHRASES OF COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
 03

COMPARING ENTAILS RECOGNIZING SIMILARITIES

AND/OR DIFFERENCES (FOR EXAMPLE, APPLES AND
ORANGES ARE BOTH FRUITS), WHEREAS CONTRASTING
ENTAILS COMPARING TWO OR MORE ITEMS OR EVENTS
IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR DIFFERENCES (AN
APPLE HAS A THIN SKIN THAT WE CAN EAT; AN
ORANGE HAS A THICK SKIN THAT WE CANNOT EAT).
WRITING COMPARE/CONTRAST ESSAY

Presently, decide whether you want to compare subjects

that appear to be unlike, contrast subjects that appear
to be similar, or compare and contrast subjects. Once
you've decided on a theme, begin with an intriguing
introductory paragraph. Your thesis statement should be
at the end of the introduction and should specify the
subjects you will compare, contrast, or both, as well as
what you will discover from doing so.
WRITING COMPARE/CONTRAST ESSAY

The essay's body might be ordered in two ways: by subject or

by individual points. Your organizing technique will, as
always, be determined by your audience and goal. Consider
your approach to the subjects as well as the nature of the
subjects themselves; some subjects may lend themselves
better to one framework or the other. Use comparison and
contrast phrases to direct the reader's attention to the
manner in which you are studying the relationship between
the subjects.

Emergency button
 COMPARE/CONTRAST ESSAY EXAMPLE

Comparing and Contrasting London and

Washington, DC

By Scott McLean in Writing for Success

Blue was ejected

Both Washington, DC, and London are capital cities of English-speaking countries,
and yet they offer vastly different experiences to their residents and visitors.
Comparing and contrasting the two cities based on their history, their culture, and
their residents show how different and similar the two are.

Both cities are rich in world and national history, though they developed on very
different time lines. London, for example, has a history that dates back over two thousand
years. It was part of the Roman Empire and known by the similar name, Londinium. It was not
only one of the northernmost points of the Roman Empire but also the epicenter of the
British Empire where it held significant global influence from the early sixteenth century on
through the early twentieth century. Washington, DC, on the other hand, has only formally
existed since the late eighteenth century. Though Native Americans inhabited the land
several thousand years earlier, and settlers inhabited the land as early as the sixteenth
century, the city did not become the capital of the United States until the 1790s. From that
point onward to today, however, Washington, DC, has increasingly maintained significant
global influence. Even though both cities have different histories, they have both held, and
continue to hold, significant social influence in the economic and cultural global spheres.
 Both Washington, DC, and London offer a wide array of museums that harbor many of
the world’s most prized treasures. While Washington, DC, has the National Gallery of Art and
several other Smithsonian galleries, London’s art scene and galleries have a definite edge in
this category. From the Tate Modern to the British National Gallery, London’s art ranks among
the world’s best. This difference and advantage has much to do with London and Britain’s
historical depth compared to that of the United States. London has a much richer past than
Washington, DC, and consequently has a lot more material to pull from when arranging its
collections. Both cities have thriving theater districts, but again, London wins this comparison,
too, both in quantity and quality of theater choices. With regard to other cultural places like
restaurants, pubs, and bars, both cities are very comparable. Both have a wide selection of
expensive, elegant restaurants as well as a similar amount of global and national chains.
While London may be better known for its pubs and taste in beer, DC offers a different bar-
going experience. With clubs and pubs that tend to stay open later than their British
counterparts, the DC night life tend to be less reserved overall.
 Both cities also share and differ in cultural diversity and cost of living.
Both cities share a very expensive cost of living—both in terms of housing and
shopping. A downtown one-bedroom apartment in DC can easily cost $1,800
per month, and a similar “flat” in London may double that amount. These high
costs create socioeconomic disparity among the residents. Although both cities’
residents are predominantly wealthy, both have a significantly large population
of poor and homeless. Perhaps the most significant difference between the
resident demographics is the racial makeup. Washington, DC, is a “minority
majority” city, which means the majority of its citizens are races other than
white. In 2009, according to the US Census, 55 percent of DC residents were
classified as “Black or African American” and 35 percent of its residents were
classified as “white.” London, by contrast, has very few minorities—in 2006, 70
percent of its population was “white,” while only 10 percent was “black.” The
racial demographic differences between the cities is drastic.
 Even though Washington, DC, and London are major capital cities of
English-speaking countries in the Western world, they have many
differences along with their similarities. They have vastly different
histories, art cultures, and racial demographics, but they remain similar
in their cost of living and socioeconomic disparity.
 ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
a type of writing in which the student must study
a topic, acquire, develop, and evaluate evidence, and
establish a clear viewpoint on the topic. Its purpose
is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument
being made.
Examples of argumentative essay prompts

All of the prompts imply an argumentative essay as the

suitable response at the university level.

Your research should bring you to a definite point of view

on the subject. The essay then argues for that position,
attempting to persuade the reader by the presentation of
facts, evaluation, and analysis.
 Argumentative Essay Example
As online learning becomes more common and more and more
resources are converted to digital form, some people have suggested
that public libraries should be shut down and, in their place,
everyone should be given an iPad with an e-reader subscription.

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local

cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain.
They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they
won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply
click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are.
They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have
to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many
digital copies as they need.
 However, it would be a serious mistake to replace
libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are
associated with less learning and more problems than print
resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people
read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and
understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read
the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a
screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including
blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at
much higher instances than reading print does. People who use
tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence
of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and
back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that
whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to
feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems
by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at
screens.
 Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only
service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of
benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location.
Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a
way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics,
providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community
connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted
community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for
teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents
reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey
conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that
closing their local library would have a major impact on their community.
People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions
answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple

solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital
screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access
to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many
areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they
could never be replaced by a simple object.