How to Write a Compare/Contrast Essay:
Compare/Contrast essays are the other important genre of academic writing that you need to master. These essays follow a specific question and are usually easy to complete. There are several ways to write this type of essay. Other than strongly supported claims and content, the most important thing to remember is structure. Many wonderful essays fall victim to the woes of bad structure. For the introduction and conclusion, follow a similar structure to the persuasive essay. Then structure everything in between based on either of the two following formats.
1.Introduction
Your introduction — like the five-paragraph-essay, should open generally (with a quotation, anecdote, generalization), and lead into the thesis statement.
2.Topic 1
This next portion of your essay (which may consist of one paragraph or several) should cover only the first topic of the comparison and contrast. Compare/Contrast essays take two topics and illustrate how they are similar and dissimilar. Do not mention topic 2 in this first portion.
3.Topic 2
This next portion of your essay (which may also consist of one or more paragraphs) should cover the second of the two topics. Do not discuss Topic 1 in this section. Since you have already gone into great detail about it, you may allude to Topic 1 briefly; however, do not analyze Topic 1 in this section. This portion of the paper is to discuss Topic 2 in great detail.
4.Topics 1 and 2 Together
Now that you have analyzed both Topic 1 and Topic 2 independently, now it is time to analyze them together. This section may also be one or several paragraphs.
5.Conclusion
The conclusion — like the introduction — should be a generalization of the thesis. This paragraph should express your certainty and absolute knowledge on the subject matter. You should reaffirm your thesis (essentially restate it in new words) and show how you've proven it.
OR
1.Introduction
Your introduction — like the five-paragraph-essay, should open generally (with a quotation, anecdote, generalization), and lead into the thesis statement.
2.All Comparisons (Topics 1 and 2)
This section — which should consists of several paragraphs — should go through all similarities you find in the two topics on which you are writing. There should be at least three comparisons (essentially three short body paragraphs) in which you give an example from both topics of comparisons in each.
3.All Contrasts (Topics 1 and 2)
This section — which should consist of several paragraphs — should go through all differences you find in the two topics on which you are writing. There should be at least three contrasts (essentially three short body paragraphs) in which you give an example from both topics of comparisons in each.
4.Conclusion
This conclusion is wrapping up everything you have just proven in your paper. It should restate the thesis in a new, more official way, and you should feel quite confident in your writing.
Use a venn diagram for your pre-writing
