Compare and Contrast Essay: Structuring the paper from beginning to end

Thesis Statement that you are trying to prove/support Suggest organization of your paper 2 main components: claim and details to sustain it It’s like a bridge: Specific Claim Supporting Details

Thesis: Claim Claim - 1 sentence statement: –Takes a stance/position –Not a fact –It is debatable –Presented in intro and conclusion Where?

Claim Examples Apples and oranges are delicious fruits. - strong or weak? - why?

Claim Examples Though they are fortified with different vitamins, apples and oranges are the best fruits a person can consume. - strong or weak? - why?

Thesis: Supporting Details Reinforce the claim Organized into topics/categories (that become the body of the essay) 1.They are are inexpensive compared to other fruits like berries and other seasonal produce 2.They are easily accessible; able to find them all seasons 3.Compared to the juice versions, they provide more direct sources of vitamins and minerals.

Introduction Most general part of the paper Roadmap for further discussion Simplified formula: –Interesting/catchy opening statement –Identify, define, and/or describe the topic (What will you be talking about? Make a general similarity and difference statement.) –Insert the thesis statement

Intro’s Opening Sentence: What grabs attention? Unusual detail Strong statement Quotation Anecdote Statistic/Fact Question Exaggeration / Outrageous Statement

Body of Essay EACH supporting detail is a new paragraph Supporting detail = reworded topic sentence –At beginning of paragraph –Back it up with support Examples from book AND movie Synthesize your thoughts

Conclusion Summarizing the introduction but in reverse order. 1. Restate the thesis 2. General statement about similarities and differences 3. Closing statement to wrap it up

3 Compare/Contrast Formats Whole-to-whole –describe one subject then describe the other subject Similarities-to-differences –write about how they are similar and then about how they are different Point-to-point –write about one point for both subjects before moving to another point

MLA Rules Third Person – this is a formal paper, no “I’s” or “you’s” Write in present tense MLA style: –Title: italics vs. quotation marks –header

Do Not Say… This paper is going to tell you… In this paper I will discuss you… I am going to explain you… This paper is about the similarities and differences…

In a nutshell… I. Intro a. Thesis II. Supporting Detail 1 (Topic Sentence) - Book and Movie Examples III. Supporting Detail 2 (Topic Sentence) - Book and Movie Examples IV. Supporting Detail 3 (Topic Sentence - Book and Movie Examples V. Conclusion –Thesis