Comparison and Contrast DS 014 Writing Weston

Today's Agenda Sign-In What is Comparison and Contrast? Topic Sentences and Transitions Establishing a Basis for Comparison Example Essays Assignment Coming Up...

What is Comparison/Contrast writing? Comparison/Contrast is basically a type of writing that takes two items/situations/events and discusses their similarities and differences. Many, many essay examinations are based on comparison/contrast writing.

Topic Sentences for Comparison/Contrast A topic sentence in this style of writing should introduce the two items being compared with whether the focus will be on similarities or differences (if there is such a focus). Examples--  “Although some people think high school has a lot in common with college, I find them to be very different.”  “Pepper's and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference.”  “My hometown and my college town have several things in common.”

Transitions Transition words and phrases that might be useful in comparison and contrast essays are as follows... Comparison-- Also Both, neither In the same way Just as Like Similarly Contrast-- Although But In contrast However On the other hand Unlike

Establishing a Basis for Comparison Once you've selected your topic(s) and focus, you need to figure out what characteristics you will be comparing. On page 98, your book uses the example of two computers. If you were to write a comparison/contrast paragraph on two computers, you might want to compare them on price, warranty, software included, and ease of use. This pulls in a “parallel” quality to your writing.

Example Essay I My Hogs Although I raised Marcee and Obbie from puppies, they have completely diverse personalities. Obbie is a six year old, male, toy Pomeranian whereas Marcee is a one year old, female, Boston terrier. Obbie is small and soft, unlike Marcee who has bristly hair and is much bigger. Marcee insists on sleeping on the bed, under the covers every night. On the other hand, Obbie will only sleep on the floor, under the bed. Obbie is tremendously loyal and uptight; however, Marcee is hyper and friendly to anyone she meets or sees. Around other dogs, Marcee cowers to the larger dog, yet Obbie will always stand his ground, never giving up until he is scolded. Given that they were both treated the same way all their life, it is hard to believe that they are so different in everything they do. ~© 2005 Kayla Marie Anfinson~

Example Essay II Telephone Service Although VCI and Qwest have some similarities, they are also very different. VCI charges a $150 connection fee that you pay $25 the first time, and $10 a month addition to your regular phone bill for 1 year. They charge $15 a month for local service plus tax; in addition, they offer call waiting, three way calling, and caller Id. There is no long distance offered in this package. The bill would total anywhere from $35 to $45 a month. If your bill is late they charge an additional $10 for a late fee; on the other hand, Qwest offers no connection fee for service and free local calls for the first three months with no deposit, just for hooking up service with them. They charge $15 a month for local service + tax with voice mail, call waiting, and caller Id. They also offer unlimited long distance for $20 a month. They charge no late fees for late payments; however, with long distance the bill would total about $50 a month. Both VCI and Qwest offer necessary service to the public; However, their service rates are different. ~© 2005 Rubyee Brown~

Example Essay III My hometown and my college town have several things in common. First, my hometown, Gridlock, is a small town. It has a population of only about 10,000 people. Located in a rural area, Gridlock is surrounded by many acres of farmland which are devoted mainly to growing corn and soybeans. Gridlock also contains a college campus, Neutron College, which is famous for its Agricultural Economics program as well as for its annual Corn-Watching Festival. As for my college town, Subnormal, it too is small, having a population of about 11,000 local residents, which swells to 15,000 people when students from the nearby college are attending classes. Like Gridlock, Subnormal lies in the center of farmland which is used to raise hogs and cattle. Finally, Subnormal is similar to Gridlock in that it also boasts a beautiful college campus, called Quark College. This college is well known for its Agricultural Engineering department and also for its yearly Hog- Calling Contest.

Assignment Take a look at the forty topic ideas to get you thinking. Fill out three (3) of the graphic organizers for three different topics. Let me see what you've done before you leave so you'll get credit for it.

Coming Up... Wednesday--  More on Comparison and Contrast Friday--  Rough Draft due  Peer Review day