Writing a comparison-contrast essay

1. Writing a comparison-contrast essay English I

2. Prewriting • Finding the subjects: Comparison points out the similarities between people, ideas, or things, while contrast points out the differences. • Good subjects have plenty of similar features. • Good subjects are different enough to be interesting. • Do a little comparison shopping. • Try something new.

3. Narrow your subjects • Whittle it Down: Make sure your topic is not too broad. • France VS the U.S is too big! • Choose an aspect like school systems, tourist attractions, or climate.

4. Think about purpose, audience, and tone • Purpose: to inform readers. • Tone: Formal tone is best ! • Audience: Consider what your audience. • Ask: • Who are my readers? • What do my readers already know about the subjects I am comparing or contrasting? • What information might help my readers better understand?

5. Gather info about your subjects • Collect data: In comparison and contrast essays, you are not looking for just any kind of info- you are looking for similarities and differences. • Use a Venn diagram.

6. Write your thesis statement • A thesis statement tells your audience what your essay will be about. It should clearly state the main idea. • Examples: • Mountain biking and road cycling each involve two wheels, but beyond that, the two sports differ significantly in equipment, terrain, and technique. • Although Granny Smith apples are green and Red Delicious apples are bright red, they share many similar features.

7. Writing Your thesis (cont.) • Your thesis statement should be specific. • The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper. • The thesis statement answers a question. • Examples: In the film and the story, the butterfly effect is the same, however, the time lapse is very different.

8. Find relevant features • Relevant features are the categories of support that relate to and develop your thesis statement. • Thesis: Body language in France can be quite different from body language in the U.S. The last row should not be included because the information is verbal instead of non-verbal.

9. Arrange your informati0n • Creating Order: • Block method: You discuss all the features about your first subject. (Works best with shorter pieces)

10. Arrange your information • Point by Point Method: You present your first feature for both subjects. Then you use another sentence or group of sentences to present the second feature. (Works best for longer papers).

11. Essay Framework • Introduction • Capture your reader’s attention. • Provide background information. • State your thesis. • Body • Organize your information using either the • block or point by point method. • Conclusion • Summarize how your support leads to your thesis. • Bring your essay to a close.

12. Evaluate and Revise • Smooth out the bumps! • Step 1: Read your paper aloud to yourself. • Step 2: Have your partner read it aloud. • Ask these questions: • Do the first one or two sentences grab the audience’s attention? • Does the introduction clearly identify both subjects and the thesis of the essay? • Is the body organized by the block method or the point by point method? • Does the conclusion bring the essay to a definite close by summarizing or evaluating the subjects?

13. Evaluate and Revise (cont) • Tips • Put a check above the interesting parts of the first two sentences. • Underline the thesis statement and draw a squiggly line under each subject. • Put a letter A above each point about the first subject. Use a letter B for each point about the second subject. Write which method that is used at the top of the paper. • Underline the sentences that summarize and evaluate.

14. Revision • Techniques if things are missing. • Add an interesting statement. • Add a sentence that clearly identifies both subjects. Add a sentence that states the main idea. • Rearrange sentences into either block or point by point method. • Delete ineffective sentences. Add effective statements. Elaborate on existing statements. • Check sentence length with our “Varying sentence length “ worksheet. • Email your final and best copy!