Compare and contrast essays are generally based on identical situations or objects serving the same purpose or reason. For example, choosing the worst day between two rough days, or deciding which job to take between multiple choices, etc.
- A hook - That motivates readers to read the essay and aim to grab their attention.
- Precise information about the topic of your essay. It is an overview of the selected main points. The best way to write an introduction is to state subjects and their issues without giving away the similarities and differences.
- Thesis Statement - write a sentence or two about the main argument and the purpose of your essay.
Giving an abrupt ending to your essay ruins the whole point of it. Every paragraph from the introduction should be leading up to the conclusion to make your essay impressive and readable.
In concluding paragraphs, add a summary of the key points and restate your thesis statement in different words and tell your readers how it is proved.
2. How to write Compare and Contrast Essay?
The format of ta compare and contrast essay can be written through two approaches. Any approach can be used by the students to write their compare and contrast essays.
Writing an essay for your academics is a mainstream thing, but knowing how to write a perfect essay is rare. Knowing that all your grades depend on this piece of writing, it is extremely overwhelming to draft an essay.
To give you a better understanding of the concept of compare and contrast essay and for your ease, we have provided some essay topics that can be chosen to write your compare and contrast essay.
According to our write an essay for me service professionals, it would also be a good idea to create an outline before you begin writing. The outline is like a template that you can follow to keep your essay on track throughout the writing process, and it should include the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
End your introduction with a thesis sentence. It will allow readers to grasp your opinion of the compared subject matters, and it will logically draw their attention to the main idea.
Also, guys from EssayPro have prepared a video guide on "How to write a Compare and Contrast Essay":
Here is the list of possible topics for compare and contrast essay:
Creating an Outline
- Energy Drinks: Mind Boosters or Soft Drugs
- International Monetary Fund: Economic Investments or a Debt Pit
- Abortion: Life Saver or Death Sentence
- Online Courses: Waste of Time or a Key to Better Future
- Cell Phones: Vital Gadget or a Deadly Threat
- Homeopathy: Self-Deceptiveness or Real Treatment
- GMO: Famine Problem Solution or Poison
- Online Communication: True Friendship or Illusion of Emotional Bond
- Religion: Vestige of the Past or Salvation of Nations
- Plural Marriage: Way Out of Underpopulation or Flashback to Barbarian Times
- Edward Snowden vs. Julius Caesar
- Putin vs. Obama
- Orwell vs. Huxley
- Dita Von Tease vs. Bettie Page
- Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris
- Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Sylvester Stallone
- Napoleon vs. Kutuzov
- Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates
- Nikola Tesla vs. Thomas Eddison
- Jesus vs. Thor
The compare and contrast essay format is similar to that of other essay types. The writer must state a thesis in the introduction, argue the thesis in the body, and then form a conclusion. However, with a compare and contrast essay, the goal is to show how one subject is similar to another (i.e., compare them), as well as how it is different (i.e., contrast them). Such an essay requires upfront planning to ensure the writer has a firm grasp on both subjects. One way to plan for a compare and contrast essay is to create a Venn diagram to show how two subjects are similar and different, such as this one. Here’s an example:
Energy drinks in aluminum cans are relatively new for humankind, but stimulating substances were used centuries before aluminum cans were invented. Today, energy drinks seem to be a panacea for students during exams, white collar employees during deadline periods, night clubbers dancing all night long, athletes heading toward a record, drivers, and basically, everyone who is dog-tired and must stay awake and work hard. You drink a can, and then you are ready to go for several hours afterward.
In the block method, you cover each of the overall subjects you’re comparing in a block. You say everything you have to say about your first subject, then discuss your second subject, making comparisons and contrasts back to the things you’ve already said about the first. Your text is structured like this:
- The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
- The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.
Comparing and contrasting is an important skill in academic writing. It involves taking two or more subjects and analyzing the differences and similarities between them.
Mouse over the example paragraph below to see how this approach works.
Table of contents
Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison. You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.
You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay, so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.
Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing: You might compare different studies in a literature review, weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay, or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework.
If you are more of a visual learner, creating a Venn diagram might be a good idea. In order to create it, draw two circles that overlap. In the section where it overlaps, note similarities. Differences should be written in the part of circle that does not overlap.
Now that you know everything there is to know about compare and contrast essays, let’s take a look at some examples to get you started on your paper.
Compare and contrast essays are academic papers in which a student analyses two or more subjects with each other. To compare means to explore similarities between subjects, while to contrast means to look at their differences. Both subjects of the comparison are usually in the same category, although they have their differences. For example, it can be two movies, two universities, two cars etc.
This format of visual aid helps to organize similarities and differences and make them easier to perceive. Your diagram will give you a clear idea of the things you can write about.
How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay: Brainstorm Similarities and Differences
For the section where you compare two subjects, you can include any of the following words: similarly, likewise, also, both, just like, similar to, the same as, alike, or to compare to. When contrasting two subjects, use: in contrast, in comparison, by comparison, on the other hand, while, whereas, but, to differ from, dissimilar to, or unlike.
The biggest tip we can give you is to have the right attitude when writing a compare and contrast essay, and actively engage the reader in the discussion. If you find it interesting, so will your reader! Here are some more compare and contrast essay tips that will help you to polish yours up:
- Compare and contrast essays need powerful transitions. Try learning more about transition sentences using the words we provided for you in the “Compare and Contrast Structure and Outline” section.
- Always clarify the concepts you introduce in your essay. Always explain lesser known information—don’t assume the reader must already know it.
- Do not forget to proofread. Small mistakes, but in high quantities, can result in a low grade. Pay attention to your grammar and punctuation.
- Have a friend or family member take a look at your essay
- An introductory paragraph- Mention only the most important facts about both the subjects in this section. Also, do not forget to state the importance of the comparison that you intend to do in the rest of the paper.
- At least four body paragraphs(2 for each subject of comparison and contrast)- This is where you need to discuss the facts about your subjects. Use supporting evidence to make the essay credible.
- Conclusion- Briefly summarise the crucial points of your essay in this section. Do not include any new details in the conclusion since that may confuse your readers.
- Write the essay
- Compare
- Contrast
- Similarities
- Differences
In this method, you need to present all the arguments of A, followed by all the arguments of B. The pattern is:
Use the tips discussed above to start writing the paper finally. Embrace the method as per your convenience and complete the essay easily. Here is an image of what your compare and contrast essay will look like if you follow the Point-by-Point method.
What is a compare and contrast essay?
- Note down the similarities and differences
The compare and contrast essay outline will make it easier for you actually to write the paper. Make sure your essay consists of the following elements:
This is the most important step since it will determine the overall structure of your paper. You can create a Venn Diagram to highlight the similarities and differences between the two subjects. Write the differences in the separate space and similarities in the overlapping space. Say you have been asked to compare and contrast humans and persons.
There are two methods you can follow to organize your compare and contrast essay. The two methods are Point-by-Point and Block.