Compare and Contrast Essay

Remollino Comparison Contrast 1

English 1302

Professor Remollino

Essay #2: Comparison/Contrast

For your next writing assignment, you will be working with the writing mode known as comparison/contrast.

In this writing mode, the writer chooses two closely related items and discusses their similarities or

differences. Even though it is called comparison/contrast, the writer chooses only one of those actions to

perform. To simplify matters, we will only be writing a contrast essay. To begin, you must choose two

items to discuss. These two items must have a common bond. After you have chosen what two items you

wish to discuss, you need to brainstorm for your writing. You may want to use a “T-graph” to accomplish

this task. With a T-graph, you list traits of each of the two contrasted items and then decide what points

should be discussed. Remember that this will be a 2-3 page essay. You need to decide what the major

differences are and then decide what minor points may be discussed as a part of those major differences. In

other words, if you were doing a contrast of two people, you could not write an entire paragraph on their

differences in eye color. You could write a paragraph on their physical differences, and have eye color be

one of those physical differences.

Once you have chose what those major differences are, you would then create a thesis statement. For each

writing assignment we complete from now until the end of the semester, the thesis statement will be a

multi-part one. A multi-part thesis contains specific information about what each body paragraph will

discuss. Consider the following two thesis statements:

My brother and sister are very different.

My brother and sister are different in their appearance, their personalities, and their choice of music.

The first example is not a multi-part thesis statement. It makes a general comment regarding the content of

the paper. The second, however, is a multi-part statement. It specifically tells the reader what the content

of each body paragraph will be.

To organize the contrast essay, we use a structure known as alternating block. Alternating block is the

preferred structural format since it eliminates a common problem in comparison/contrast essays, something I

call “ping-pong structure.” Whenever the writer discusses two objects, he or she has a tendency to flip back

and forth between subject, much like a ping pong ball moving back and forth between players. To avoid this

problem, the writer needs to structure the essay so that he focuses on one object and discusses it in detail

before moving on to the next object. Here is a sample outline:

Remollino Comparison Contrast 2

I. INTRODUCTION:

(Introduce to your audience the two subjects being discussed in this piece, giving any necessary definition or

description of the items. Include in your intro the bases of comparison/contrast by which the items will be

analyzed.)

A. Lead-in

B. Thesis Statement

II. BODY PARAGRAPH ONE

In Alternating Block, the basis of comparison or contrast leads. Each item is discussed BY

their differences to the base being analyzed.

Contrasting Point A

1. Item One

2. Item Two

III. BODY PARAGRAPH TWO

Contrasting Point B

1. Item One

2. Item Two

IV. BODY PARAGRAPH THREE

Contrasting Point C

1. Item One

2. Item Two

V. CONCLUSION

Again, when the points offer similarities in comparison, the conclusion contrasts the items, or examines the

differences between the items. If the points contrast, or shows differences in the two items, the conclusion

demonstrates those things that are similarities between the two.

Using the multi-part thesis statement created earlier, you would write one body paragraph on physical

differences between your brother and sister; one body paragraph on personality differences between your

brother and sister; and one body paragraph on music choice differences between your brother and sister.

Here is your prompt:

In an essay of 2-3 pages (500-750) words to be read by your college English professor, compose a contrast

essay utilizing a multi-part thesis statement on one of the following topics:

A. Living in a house (that you are buying) and living in an apartment

B. Living in two different cities

C. A book that you read and the movie made from it

D. Owning two kinds of pets

E. Any two products (cars, computers, cloth vs. disposable diapers)

F. Any two people (you may be one of them or not)

G. You today and you five or ten years ago

H. Living in the city and living in the country

I. Living in the USA and living in another country