Comparison and Contrast Writing Steven Federle Solano College

What is comparison and contrast?  Comparison shows how two or more things are similar  Contrast shows how two or more things are different  In most writing situations, the two related processes are used together  An analogy explains one thing by comparing it to a second, more familiar, thing.

Establishing a basis for comparison  The two things to be compared must have enough in common to justify the comparison.  In making comparisons, you should move beyond the obvious (i.e., people and bees)  When two things are very similar, it is the contrasts that may be worth writing about.

Searching points for discussion  Determine your emphasis on similarities, differences, or both.  Determine the major focus of your paper.  Make sure you treat the same or similar elements for each subject you will discuss: Novel ANovel B Major characters Minor characters themes

 Do not discuss entirely different elements for each subject. Novel ANovel B Major Characters Plot Minor Characters Author’s Life Themessymbolism

Formulating a Thesis Statement  Identify not only the subjects to be compared and contrasted in your essay, but the point you will make about them.  Also indicate whether you will focus on similarities or differences, or balance the two.  “Although Melville’s Moby-Dick and London’s The Sea Wolf are both about the sea, the minor characters, major characters, and themes of Moby-Dick establish its greater complexity.”

Structuring a Comparison and Contrast Essay Subject by Subject  Write a separate essay about each subject, but you discuss the same points for both subjects.  Use basis for comparison to guide your selection of points.  Arrange points in logical order, usually order of importance.  Good for short, uncomplicated papers.

Point by Point Comparison  Good for longer, more complex papers  Make a point about one subject, and then follow it with a comparable point about the other subject.  Alternating pattern  Be careful not to fall into a monotonous, back and forth movement between points. To avoid this problem, vary sentence structure as you move from point to point.

Student Example: Comparison and Contrast Essay

Grammar: parallelism  Parallelism is the use of matching nouns, verbs, phrases, or clauses to express the same or similar ideas.  “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens, Tale of Two Cities.  Click here to visit Purdue University website on parallelism. Click here

Possible topics  Two places you have visited  The rules set for you as a child and the rules you have set (or plan to set) for your own children  A real vacation and a dream vacation  The car you own and the car you dream of owning  Your family home and the house of your dreams  Harry Potter or Twilight--on the page and on the screen  Two memorable teachers or professors