The Comparison and Contrast Essay

The Comparison
and
Contrast Essay


Definition
Comparison and contrast essays
indicate the similarities and
contrasts between two things.
A comparison essay is an essay in which you
emphasize the similarities.
A contrast essay is an essay in which you emphasize the
differences.


Purpose
With comparison and contrast essay, the purpose is not
just to point out similarities and differences, or
advantages and disadvantages; the purpose is to
persuade, explain or inform.
Think of comparison and contrast as a method of
development – not as a purpose for writing.


EXAMPLES
A paragraph of comparison
A paragraph of contrast

Comparison paragraph
My hometown and my college town have several things in
common. First, both are small rural communities. For
example, my hometown, Gridlock, has a population of only
about 10,000 people. Similarly, my college town, Subnormal,
consists of about 11,000 local residents. This population
swells to 15,000 people when the college students are
attending classes. A second way in which these two towns
are similar is that they are both located in rural areas.
Gridlock is surrounded by many acres of farmland which is
devoted mainly to growing corn and soybeans. In the same
way, Subnormal lies in the center of farmland which is used
to raise hogs and cattle. Thirdly, these towns are similar in
that they contain college campuses. Gridlock, for example,
is home to Neutron College, which is famous for its
Agricultural Economics program as well as for its annual
Corn-Watching Festival. Likewise, the town of Subnormal
boasts the beautiful campus of Quark College, which is well
known for its Agricultural Engineering department and also
for its yearly Hog-Calling Contest.


Contrast Paragraphs
Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both
states of the U.S., they are strikingly different in many
ways. For example, the physical size of each state is
different. Arizona is large, having an area of 114,000
square miles, whereas Rhode Island is only about a
tenth the size, having an area of only 1,214 square
miles. Another difference is in the size of the

population of each state. Arizona has about four
million people living in it, but Rhode Island has less
than one million. The two states also differ in the
kinds of natural environments that each has. For
example, Arizona is a very dry state, consisting of
large desert areas that do not receive much rainfall
every year. However, Rhode Island is located in a
temperate zone and receives an average of 44 inches
of rain per year. In addition, while Arizona is a
landlocked state and thus has no seashore, Rhode
Island lies on the Atlantic Ocean and does have a
significant coastline.


Organization
A- Point by point
Feature by Feature
B-All of one / All of the
Other
Block Format


Point-by-Point or Alternating Arrangement
(five paragraphs)
I. Introduction in which you state your purpose
which is to discuss differences between
vacationing in the mountains or at the beach
II. First difference between mountains and
beaches is climate
A. Mountains

B. Beach
III. Second difference between mountains and
beaches are types of activities
A. Mountains
B. Beach
IV. Third difference between mountains and
beaches is the location
A. Mountains
B. Beach
V. Conclusion


Block Arrangement
(four paragraphs)
I. Introduction in which you state your purpose
which is to discuss the differences between
vacationing in the mountains or at the beach
II. Mountain
A. Climate
B. Types of Activities
C. Location
III. Beach
A. Climate
B. Types of Activities
C. Location
IV. Conclusion


Example:
Go on vacation : on a beach or in a city

1. Introduction:
Thesis statement: The purpose of this essay is to contrast the differences
between vacation at a beach or in a city.
2. Body essay:
a. Differences about the kind of activities you are able to do:
* At a beach:
- Sailing
- Fishing
- Surfing
* In a city:
- Visiting museums, theaters, downtown, etc.
- Other things
b. Differences about the clothing and equipment you need to take with you:
* Beach:
- Bathing suit
- Short
- Short-sleeve shirts
- Sunglasses, etc.
* City:
- Jeans
- Tennis shoes
-Fancy clothes, etc.
c. Differences about the pace of life:
- Relax and let things happen at a beach
- Schedule activities to have enough time to visit many places in a city
3. Conclusion:
- Both are interesting
- Keep in mind that wherever you decide to go you will enjoy it.

The Outline
General guidelines:
_Chose two or more items, that need to be compared /
contrasted in essay.
_Look for common ground, on which you will be doing your
evaluation (it’s hopeless to compare the river Nile and New
York city)
_ Collect your raw data—the similarities and differences
you’ve observed—and make them cohere into a meaningful
argument.
Tips
_When you write a compare and contrast essay, you can
end up evaluating good and bad sides of the items you
are discussing.
_Be consistent, don’t firstly state similarities, and
secondly provide a list of differences


The Introduction
General guidelines:
_A good Introduction writing requires the
context within which you place the two things
you plan to compare and contrast in your essay.
_Grounds for custom essay comparison
_The thesis statement just focuses on how the
two things you’ve chosen to compare/contrast
actually relate to one another; it means that the
statement should arise from grounds for
comparison. In your thesis statement you should
make it clear to the readers whether the essay is

indicating the similarities or differences.
Tips
Try a quotation, or an anecdote to make the
context more lively


The body
General guidelines:
There are several ways to organize your
body paragraphs.
+First compare, then contrast (or vice verse)
+Only compare or only contrast
Tips
- No matter what you prefer, make sure to give
equal amount of attention to both comparison
and contrast in your essay.
- Don’t forget to link your investigations to the
thesis. The readers should have a clear picture
of your comparison and contrast.


The conclusion
General guidelines:
-A conclusion should be a strong paragraph;
restate your thesis in new words and show
how you’ve proven it in the preceding
paragraphs.
-Wrap the essay up with a final sentence or
two.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on
the subject you have raised in your paper
It is also your opportunity to make a good final
impression and to end on a positive note
Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or
questions for further study. This can redirect your
readers’ thinking process and help them to apply your
ideas to their own lives or to see the broader
implications.




A vote for McDonald’s
For my birthday this month, my wife has offered to
treat me to dinner at the restaurant of my choice. I think
she expects me to ask for a meal at the Chalet, the
classiest, most expensive restaurant in town. However,
I’m going to eat my birthday dinner at McDonald’s.
When I compare the two restaurants, the advantages of
eating at McDonald’s are clear.


For one thing, going to the Chalet is more
difficult than going to McDonald’s. The
Chalet has a jacket-and-tie rule, which
means I have to dig a sport coat and tie out
of the back of my closet, make sure they’re
semiclean, and try to team out the wrinkles

somehow. The Chalet requires advance
reservations. Since it is downtown, I have
to leave an hour early to give myself time to
find a parking space within six blocks of
the restaurant. The Chalet cancels
reservations if a party is more than ten
minutes late. Going to McDonald’s, on the
other hand, is easy. I can feel comfortable
wearing jeans or a warm-up suit. I don’t
have to do any advance planning. I can
leave my house whenever I’m ready and
pull into a doorside parking space within
fifteen minutes.


The Chalet is a dimly lit, formal place. While I’m
struggling to see what’s on my plate, I worry
that I knock one of the fragile glass vases off the
table. The waiters at the Chalet can be
uncomfortably formal, too. As I awkwardly
pronounce the French words on the menu, I get
the feeling that I don’t quite live up to their
standards. Even though the food at the Chalet is
gourmet, I prefer simpler meals. I don’t like
unfamiliar food swimming in dead-white sauce
or cover with pie pastry. Eating at the Chalet, as
to me, is less enjoyable than eating at
McDonald’s. McDonald’s is a pleasant place
where I ell at ease. It is well lighted, and the
bright-colored décor is informal. The employees

serve with a smile, and the food is easy to
pronounce and identify. I know what I’m going
to get when I order a certain type of sandwich.


The most importance difference
between the Chalet and McDonald’s,
though, is the price difference. Dinner
for two at the Chalet, even one without
the appetizers or desserts, would easily
cost $50. And the $50 doesn’t include
the cost of parking the car and tipping
the waiter, which can come to an
additional $10. Once, I forgot to bring
enough money. At McDonald’s, a filling
meal for two will cost around $10. with
the extra $50, my wife and I can eat at
McDonald’s five more times, or go to the
movies five times, or buy play-off tickets
to a football game.


So, for my birthday dinner celebration, or any other
time, I prefer to eat at McDonald’s. It is convenient,
friendly and cheap. And with the money my wife save by
taking me to McDonald’s, she can buy me what I really
want for my birthday-a new Sears power saw.


The outline

Thesis statement
When I compare the two restaurants, the advantages of
eating at McDonald’s are clear.
Body: point by point
Pa. 1: going to the Chalet is more difficult than going to
McDonald’s (block)


Pa.2: Eating at the Chalet is less enjoyable than eating at
McDonald’s (block)
Pa.3: the price difference (block)
Conclusion


Language and
Sentence
Structures


To show similarities
Short Conjunctions Longer Expressions
Similarly,
Likewise,
the same
the same as
also
, too.
both
In the same way,
X is similar to Y in that (they)

X and Y are similar in that (they)
Like X, Y [verb]
In like manner,
One way in which X is similar to Y
is (that)
Another way in which X is similar
to Y is (that)


To show contrast
Short Conjunctions Subordinating Conjunctions
However,
In contrast,
By contrast,
, but
, yet
On the other hand,
even though + [sentence]
although + [sentence]
whereas + [sentence]
unlike + [sentence]
while + [sentence]
nevertheless,