Comparison and Contrast Essay

1.

Comparison-Contrast
Essay

2.

Comparison and contrast are ways of looking at
objects, events or phenomena and thinking about
how they are alike (comparison) and different
(contrast).
For instance, state and private universities are alike
because they both provide higher education but
there are many ways that they are different.
When you write comparison and contrast, you will
pay attention to both aspects and related details.

3.

There are two main reasons that people use
comparison and contrast:
1. To Explain-You might compare and contrast kinds of
universities, for instance, to help someone understand
which is more appropriate for him or relevant to his
personal needs.
2. To Evaluate-You might compare and contrast kinds
of universities to show why one type of univesity is
better than another.

4.

• When you choose items to compare and contrast,
make sure that you choose items that have similarities.
• You have to choose things that will make sense for
comparison and contrast. For instance, it would not
make sense to compare a university with a bank as they
have very few points of intersection.
• Be sure to compare things that belong together.
Compare universities to schools, for example.

5.

Therefore,
When you compare items, you look
for their similarities-the things that
make them the same.
When you contrast items, you look
at their differences.

6.

Using comparison &
contrast in writing
Comparison and contrast are used in your
writing to organize an individual
paragraph as well as to organize entire
papers (essays).
So you should be aware of how to
organize your comparison-contrast essay.

7.

As you begin to organize your writing, it is
important to make sure that you balance the
information about the items that you're
comparing and contrasting.
You need to be sure that you give them equal
time and space/portion in the essay:
If you cover teaching standards, class types,
facilities and the education fee of a state
university, for instance, you need to be sure
that you cover the same elements
for a
private university.

8.

How to organize a
comparisoncontrast essay?

9.

There are three main strategies to
organize comparison and contrast
papers:
1. Whole-to-Whole, or Block
2. Similarities-to-Differences
3. Point-by-Point

10.

Whole-to-Whole or Block
Strategy
In this structure, you say everything about
one item then everything about the other.
For instance, say everything about teaching
standards, class types, facilities and the
education fee in state universities then
everything about teaching standards, class
types, facilities and the education fee in
private universities.

11.

Whole-to-Whole or Block organization uses a
separate section or paragraph for each item you are
discussing.
The section/paragraph for would include everything
about Item #1 - a state university and the next
section/paragraph would cover everything about
Item #2 – a private university.
! The points in each of the sections should be the
same and they should be explained in the same
order (for instance, you might discuss teaching
standards, class types, facilities and the education
fee for both, and in that order for both).

12.

13.

Similarities-to-Differences
organization
(a kind of block approach)
Similarities-to-Differences organization uses a
separate section or paragraph for similarities
and differences.
In other words, the body of your paper would
have two large sections/paragraphs: one for
similarities, and another for differences.

14.

15.

Point-by-Point Strategy
In this structure, you explain one point of
comparison/contrast before moving to the next
point.
For instance, you would write about the facilities
in state and private universities in one section
/paragraph; then you would write about the
education fees for both types of universities in the
next section/paragraph; then you would move on
to learning standards, etc.

16.

17.

Point-by-Point comparison and contrast uses a
separate section or paragraph for each point.
Point #1 for your paper could be information
about the facilities in a state and private
universities.
Then you would begin a section or paragraph for
Point #2 with the same item.
For consistency, begin each section of your pointby-point paper with the same item. For instance,
for each point that you discuss, explain the
information about the state university first and
then about the private university.

18.

Generating Ideas

19.

Venn Diagram

20.

Transitions
In comparison and contrast, transition words tell
a reader that the writer is changing from talking
about one item to the other.
Transitional words and phrases help make a
paper smoother and more coherent by showing
the reader the connections between the ideas
that are being presented.

21.

When you are
comparing items,
using a transition
from this list will
signal to readers
that you are
changing from one
item to the next
and it will also tell
the reader that the
two items are
similar.

22.

On the other hand,
using one of the
transitions from this
list of words will
signal readers that
the two items you
are discussing are
different.

23.

To
Checklist

24.

1. Task fulfilment &
Supporting Details
The paper compares and
contrasts items clearly.
The paper points to
specific examples to
illustrate the comparison
and contrast
The paper includes only
the information relevant
to the comparison and
contrast.

25.

2. Organization
& Structure
The paper breaks the
information into the
whole-to-whole,
similarities-todifferences, or pointby-point structure.
The paper follows a
consistent order
The paper breaks the
information into
appropriate sections
or paragraphs to the
ideas.

26.

3. Transitions &
Coherence
The paper moves
smoothly from one idea
to the next.
The paper uses transition
words to show
relationships between
ideas.
The paper uses a variety
of sentence structures
and transitions.

27.

QUESTIONS?