COMMENTS

  1. Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

    Making effective comparisons. As the name suggests, comparing and contrasting is about identifying both similarities and differences. You might focus on contrasting quite different subjects or comparing subjects with a lot in common—but there must be some grounds for comparison in the first place. For example, you might contrast French ...

  2. Comparing and Contrasting

    Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments. Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples: Compare and contrast Frye's and Bartky's accounts of oppression.

  3. 10.7 Comparison and Contrast

    The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader.

  4. How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

    Key steps include: Pick two things to compare based on the assignment you were given. Brainstorm the similarities and differences between your chosen subjects. Choose a structure for your essay and plan how you will write it. Write up your comparison and use evidence to support your argument.

  5. Comparing and Contrasting: A Guide to Improve Your Essays

    An academic compare and contrast essay looks at two or more subjects, ideas, people, or objects, compares their likeness, and contrasts their differences. It's an informative essay that provides insights on what is similar and different between the two items. Depending on the essay's instructions, you can focus solely on comparing or ...

  6. 4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay

    Key Elements of the Compare and Contrast: The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. Comparison and contrast is simply telling how two things are alike or different. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be ...

  7. Tips for Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay

    Summarize the main similarities and differences you have identified. Make a point regarding the relationship between your subjects. 4. Things to Remember. Here are some important tips to keep in mind when writing your compare and contrast essay: Ensure you are comparing or contrasting the same criteria between each subject.

  8. Compare and Contrast Essay in Literature: Definition & Examples

    Compare and Contrast Essay Definition. A compare and contrast essay (kuhm-PAIR and kuhn-TRAST ESS-ey) is a composition that points out the similarities and differences of two or more things. In academia, educators assign compare and contrast essays to evaluate students' knowledge of the subjects and encourage critical thinking. Outside of ...

  9. Compare & Contrast Essay

    A compare and contrast essay is an essay that defines and makes a point about the similarities or differences between two topics. In compare and contrast essays, to compare is to highlight ...

  10. Compare & Contrast Essays

    To compare is to examine how things are similar, while to contrast is to see how they differ. A compare and contrast essay therefore looks at the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences. This essay type is common at university, where lecturers frequently test your understanding by asking you to compare and contrast two theories, two methods, two historical periods, two ...

  11. Academic Guides: Writing a Paper: Comparing & Contrasting

    Use Clear Transitions. Transitions are important in compare and contrast essays, where you will be moving frequently between different topics or perspectives. Examples of transitions and phrases for comparisons: as well, similar to, consistent with, likewise, too. Examples of transitions and phrases for contrasts: on the other hand, however ...

  12. How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay (with Pictures)

    4. Outline your body paragraphs based on point-by-point comparison. This is the more common method used in the comparison and contrast essay. [6] You can write a paragraph about each characteristic of both locations, comparing the locations in the same paragraph.

  13. 4.2: Comparison and Contrast Essays

    Writing a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay. First, choose whether you want to compare seemingly disparate subjects, contrast seemingly similar subjects, or compare and contrast subjects. Once you have decided on a topic, introduce it with an engaging opening paragraph. Your thesis should come at the end of the introduction, and it should establish ...

  14. How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

    Recognizing the compare and contrast essay. Often they're not actually that hard to spot. Some will even have the word 'compare' and 'contrast' in the title. For example, you might have 'compare two romantic poets and explore the differences between them' or 'contrast the first and the Second World War and the political reasons ...

  15. Introduction to Compare/Contrast Essay

    Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different.. The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison or contrast is not simply to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities.

  16. How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

    Compare and contrast essays examine topics from multiple viewpoints. This kind of essay, often assigned in middle school and high school, teaches students about the analytical writing process and prepares them for more advanced forms of academic writing. Compare and contrast essays are relatively easy to write if you follow a simple step-by-step approach.

  17. Compare and Contrast

    Figure 1. Comparing and contrasting means looking for similarities and differences between two things, which you can see nicely in a Venn diagram. Compare and contrast is a rhetorical style that discusses the similarities and differences of two or more things: ideas, concepts, items, places, etc. This rhetorical style is one that you'll see ...

  18. 4.1: Compare and Contrast

    The Structure of a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both, and the reason for doing so. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide ...

  19. Compare and Contrast Essay

    A compare and contrast essay is a type of essay in which the similarities and differences between two or more corresponding subjects are highlighted and analyzed. The main goal of this essay is to come up with an original argument based on the breakdown of two or more topics. 1. Comparing two subjects that can be better analyzed as a pair.

  20. Compare and Contrast

    A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both. The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects. The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be ...

  21. PDF Comparing and Contrasting

    Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples: Compare and contrast Frye's and Bartky's accounts of oppression.

  22. 5.6: Compare and Contrast

    Drawing distinctions between elements in a similar category will increase the audience's understanding of that category, which is the purpose of the compare-and-contrast essay. Figure 5.6.1 5.6. 1 Apples, Green and Red. Similarly, to focus on comparison, choose two subjects that seem at first to be unrelated. For a comparison essay, you ...