1. structure

2. Traditional Compare/contrast structures
Intro w/ claim
Acknowledgement of differences
Similarities
Conclusion
Intro w/ claim
Acknowledgement of Similarities
Differences
Conclusion
Suitable for this COMPARISON ESSAY assignment
Mostly alike
Mostly different

3. Straight Comparison structure
Intro w/ claim
Similarity (thematic)
Conclusion
ALSO Suitable for this COMPARISON ESSAY assignment

4. Compare-contrast ¶ org
Work 1 and 2 do ____. Work 1 does x. Work 2 does x. transition Work 1 does y. Work 2 does y. transition Work 1 does z. Work 2 does z.
Work 1 and 2 do ____. Work 1 does x………… , y ………………………………, z. Transition Work 2 does x…… , y ………………………………, z.
MOST PRACTICAL for this essay
Point-by-point
Block

5. TASK Look at your claim– ID your THEME STATEMENT and DEVICE(S)
Consider your STRUCTURE
How many paragraphs?
Compose TOPIC STATEMENTS for your paragraphs
Check
Does it match your claim?
Is it MORE SPECIFIC?
Do your EXAMPLES support it?
If not, FIND OTHERS!

6. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? PURPOSE: Guides essay INCLUDES:
CLAIM
THEME
TOPIC
PURPOSE:
Guides essay
INCLUDES:
Title(s) and author(s)
What (theme statement)
How (device)
PURPOSE:
Guides ¶
INCLUDES:
What this ¶ Will argue
(piece of theme statement)
How (specific device exs)
PURPOSE:
Guides argument
INCLUDES:
2-3 thematic ideas
Complex connection (cause and effect)
Theme statement
Device statement
Effect
Cause

7. claim I:
In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Lucille Clifton’s poem, “Hips,” they show how people can only assert their true selves once they overcome oppression through the women’s physical totems.

8. TOPIC 1
Topic 1: Speaker and Janie use their totems to give them freedom
Topic Sentence 1 Janie and the speaker of the poem both find themselves freed from the oppressive forces in their lives by their physical totems.

9. TOPIC 2
Topic 2 Speaker and Janie assert true identity because of their physical attributes
Topic Sentence 2 Once their bodies free Janie and the speaker, they use these same physical attributes to assert their true identities as strong, beautiful women.

10. TASK Look at your claim– ID your THEME STATEMENT and DEVICE(S)
Consider your STRUCTURE
How many paragraphs?
Compose TOPIC STATEMENTS for your paragraphs
Check
Does it match your claim?
Is it MORE SPECIFIC?
Do your EXAMPLES support it?
If not, FIND OTHERS!