COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAYS

DEFINITION

• A compare-and-contrast essay is a 
style of essay that points out the similarities
and differences between two or more subjects.
• It’s ideal for showing what separates and
unites related things or concepts, particularly if
the subjects are often confused for each other
or unjustly lumped together. 
• Compare-and-contrast essays have a lot in
common with other essay types, but differ in
many ways, too—and that’s the heart of
comparing and contrasting! By seeing the
differences and similarities, the reader
better understands each of the subjects by
using the other subject as a frame of
reference. 
 Purpose of a compare-and-contrast essay

. 
Unlike argumentative essays or persuasive essays,
compare-and-contrast essays deal with multiple topics
instead of focusing on one.
The downside is that they don’t describe the individual
subjects as much as single-topic essays.
They’re also a common assignment for college essays
 since they show the instructor how well you grasp both
subjects. 
How to write a compare-and-contrast essay 

• When writing a compare-and-contrast essay, it

helps to figure out two things:
• what your thesis is (the subject matter)
• and how you plan to structure it. 
 Thesis

• First things first: You need to choose which

subjects you’re comparing. This isn’t always
easy, especially if you have to pick the subjects
on your own. 
• For inspiration, here are some compare-and-
contrast essay example topics:
• Opposing options for a certain category 
– fossil fuels and renewable resources
– Coca-Cola and Pepsi 
• People who are similar, connected, or
associated with each other
– Elon Musk and Thomas Edison
• Two different but related places  
– Roman Empire and Greek Empire
• Opposing viewpoints or opinions
– liberalism and conservatism
 Venn diagram
• This is a visual aid that helps you understand
which characteristics your subjects share, and
which ones are exclusive. *
 Organization
• Compare-and-contrast essays follow our
own recommended essay structure. While the linked
guide goes into more detail, in a nutshell, your
compare-and-contrast essay should follow a simple
format of beginning, middle, and end: 
•
Introduction: where you explain your thesis or what
your essay will discuss
• Body: where you actually list the similarities and
differences of your subjects; the largest section
• Conclusion: where you wrap up and summarize your
points
 How to structure a compare-and-contrast
essay?
• The hardest part of structuring a compare-and-contrast
essay is knowing when to talk about which subject.
Essentially, you have three options: 
• block method (subject by subject): You discuss one subject
in full and then move on to the next subject.
• alternating method (point by point): You discuss one
subject’s take on a certain aspect and then another subject’s
take immediately afterward, followed by a new aspect.
• similarities and differences: You discuss all the similarities
between your subjects and then all the differences, or vice
versa (differences first and then similarities).
 The writing process for compare-and-contrast essays

1.  Brainstorming — As mentioned above, 

brainstorming should involve listing all the
similarities and difficulties; creating a Venn
diagram is a useful method. 
2.  Preparation — Looking at your
brainstorming lists, decide which structuring
method would best get your point across:
block, alternating, or similarities/differences. 
3.Drafting — Here you write your rough draft;
this is the longest and toughest phase. 
4.Revising — Does the structure you’ve chosen
work? With the first draft finished, you can more
easily identify any areas that need to be fixed,
revised, or rewritten from scratch. 
5.Proofreading — Finally, you want to make sure
you corrected all the spelling and grammatical
mistakes in your draft. With a writing assistant
like Grammarly, this phase is a breeze. 
Tips for writing compare-and-contrast essays 

1. Choose topics that are related .

Choose topics that have plenty in common,
otherwise, your essay will be all contrasting and
no comparing. Typically, subjects in compare-
and-contrast essays share a strong connection,
such as two people in the same profession or
two products in the same category. *
2.Write for clarity

• Essays with only one subject can be confusing

enough—imagine how complicated it gets with
two or more subjects. One of the biggest
obstacles with compare-and-contrast essays is
communicating clearly so your reader knows
which points relate to which subject, and what
conclusion the entire essay is building toward.