ENGL 1711 03

Compare or Contrast Essay

 

 

Your compare or contrast draft should be at least two pages in length. The draft should be typed and double spaced. 

 

 

Develop your ideas according to the subject by subject or point-by-point pattern as explained on pages 364-365 of the textbook.  If you are using the subject-by-subject pattern, your draft should have a minimum of four paragraphs.  If you are using the point-by-point pattern, a minimum of five paragraphs should be developed.

 

Introduction

Paragraph one should be an introduction of what is being compared or contrasted with a thesis statement.  Consider the most interesting way you can introduce your topics to engage the interest of the reader.  You can write in a person first person or second person voice in the introduction.  However, unless you are comparing two personal experiences, your thesis should be written in an objective third person voice.  Additionally, avoid direct references to what you are going to show in the paper or what the paper itself is going to show.  Below are just a few examples of thesis statements in an objective tone.  Because none of them list the exact points being compared, they are all examples of an umbrella thesis.

·       Other than the obvious size difference, there are several more significant distinctions between a toy poodle and a standard poodle. 

·       Despite the perceived differences, there are several important similarities between Democrats and Republicans. 

·       Although both systems give a vehicle improved road stability, there are meaningful differences between All Wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive. 

 

Content—Body Paragraphs

Three points of similarity or difference are developed within the body of the essay.  Paragraphs should each be introduced by a topic sentence and should end with a concluding statement.  Each of the points has to be backed up using examples and illustrations.  See chapter fourteen and the student examples you read last week for examples of body paragraphs. 

 

 

Concluding Paragraph

Your final paragraph should be a conclusion.

 

Editing

Grammar and Punctuation—Edit for sentence structure trying to eliminate sentence fragments and run ons.  Watch for comma placement, subject/verb agreement and verb tense.  Avoid all references to the second person, “you” in this essay.  When writing lists, be aware of parallel structure. 

 

Style—Use formal English, eliminating slang and overly conversational language.  Even though

you are allowed to use the first person, try to rewrite sentence to avoid overuse of the personal

1. Your topics should be significant by presenting new or original information

· Avoid writing about two subjects that everyone already understands to be different and then describing predictable differences. For example, everyone already recognizes the differences between love and hate or night and day. Therefore, writing about how these things are different from each other would lack significance.

2. Your topics should be focused enough so that you don’t have to make sweeping generalizations or use stereotypes to developed your points. Consider narrowing topics like the below example demonstrates.

· If you are interested in contrasting the United States and Somalia or the United States and any other country, you should narrow your focus to a more specific region. For example, you could possibly consider focusing on just the differences between the capital cities. You could also focus on a specific aspect of the country that most people who haven’t experienced both places wouldn’t know.

· While it might seem more focused to write about the differences between Minnesota and Texas, they are two very different states with major weather differences. You won’t really be presenting new information to describe how cold MN winters are in contrast to how hot Texas is.

3. No outside sources should be used to develop your paper.

· You have to know about your topics by virtue of having experienced both of them.

4. A significant paper can sometimes be written by “flipping” expectations.

· Consider describing the similarities between love and hate in terms of the intensity of emotions both evoke.

· Most people would consider Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to very different presidential candidates, so consider ways in which they could be compared.

5. You are selecting two topics and identifying three points about which you are either primarily comparing for similarity or contrasting for difference.

6. Avoid writing about topics that are very common. Below are a few examples of topics people have written about so much they lack meaningful content

pronoun “I, me, myself.”  Avoid the “you” voice entirely. 

 

Format

Typed and double spaced

Times New Roman 12 point font

Title centered at the top and correctly punctuated

Name and course name at the upper left corner

Tab the first line of a paragraph One inch margins that are left hand aligned