The Writer’s Toolbox: Comparison & Contrast

What Are Comparison & Contrast? A comparison shows how two or more things are alike or similar. A contrast shows how two or more things are different. When writing, an author has the option of only comparing, only contrasting, or using both compare and contrast.

When Do We Use C & C? Comparing and contrasting are things we do every day! Every time we make a choice, we think about our options and decide whether one is better than another. Because we use this kind of thinking SO much, we are often asked to answer questions or write essays using the compare and contrast method.

How Do We Use C & C? First, we look for key words and phrases such as compare and contrast, similarities and differences, relative merits, advantages and disadvantages, better, best, greater, greatest, most, least, smallest or biggest to let us know that we are being asked to compare or contrast.

How Do We Use C & C? cont’d Once we know that we’re being asked to compare and contrast two things, we must decide what characteristics or properties the two things have in common. If the two things DO have something in common, then we say that there is a valid basis for comparison.

Basis for Comparison Once a basis for comparison has been established, we need to decide whether we will focus our writing on how the items are similar, or how they are different. When things are similar, it is the difference between them that is worth writing about. When two things are not very much alike, the similarities are what are interesting. There’s no point in writing what our readers already know!

Organization In addition to deciding whether to write about similarities and differences, we need to decide what elements of our subjects we want to discuss. We need to discuss the SAME elements about each subject, and we need to discuss them in the SAME order!

Organization Incorrect: Novel ANovel B Characters Plot Setting Point of View Theme Conflict Correct: Novel ANovel B Characters Plot Theme

Organization, cont’d Once we determine the elements we want to write about, we need to decide on the order in which we want to write about them. There are two main structures for comparison & contrast essays:  “Block” or “subject-by-subject” comparisons  “Alternate” or “point-by-point” comparisons

“Block” or “Subject-by-Subject” This style is almost like writing a separate essay about each topic you are comparing and contrasting. Each topic you discuss in the “separate essays” should appear in the same order. Usually points are presented in the order of least important to most important.

“Block” or “Subject-by-Subject” Let’s say you were writing a block style essay based on this statement: Doctors and nurses perform different tasks at a hospital, but what they do is similar when they interact with patients. It would be organized in the following way:  Doctors’ tasks Teaching Patients Assessing Patients Giving Out Medication  Nurses’ tasks Teaching Patients Assessing Patients Giving Out Medication

“Alternate” or “Point-by-point” This organization of this style is more strongly related to the points we want to make than it is to the subjects we are comparing or contrasting. First, we make a point about one subject, and then we make a RELATED point about the other subject. This alternating pattern continues throughout the essay until all the comparisons or contrasts have been made.

“Alternate” or “Point-by-point” Let’s say we’re writing the same essay about doctors’ and nurses’ tasks as before, but now we want to use alternate style. It would be organized in the following way:  Teaching Patients Doctors’ tasks Nurses’ tasks  Assessing Patients Doctors’ tasks Nurses’ tasks  Handing Out Medicine Doctors’ tasks Nurses’ tasks

Getting Started… Now you know what compare and contrast mean, what kinds of topics you should be looking for, and how to organize those ideas into “block” and “alternate” styles. Let’s take a quick look at how to organize our brainstorming (thought-showering) using a Venn Diagram.

The Venn Diagram This type of diagram was created in 1880 by the British logician, John Venn. Narrator of the Raven Narrator of the Tell Tale Heart Both Unstable Mad depressed insane Kills Someone Obsessed Rhymes Dark Tone Hear Sounds Go insane

So What? It is important to remember that there is more to writing this type of essay than just listing similarities and differences. We also need to tell our readers what conclusion we’ve come to as a result of learning about the similarities and differences. Be sure to share what the POINT of comparing and contrasting was. Tell your readers what you learned by doing it.  Think of this like the THEME…it’s the big idea behind the compare/contrast.

What’s MY Point? You know what compare and contrast are. You know what block and alternate styles are. You know what a Venn Diagram is. You are now ready to go and WRITE your own compare/contrast essay!