Getting familiar with a сompare and contrast essay

This type of essay sometimes is an independent writing assignment or a part of a larger task. For instance, a thesis usually comes with numerous paragraphs of this kind. In this essay, a student is expected to point to the differences and similarities between several things and underpin his findings by strong arguments.

Tutors often ask their students to compare and contrast various abstract things, such as historical periods, theories or methods. However, students can be also assigned to work with quite concrete things. For example, one can compare countries, personages. No matter what you’ve been assigned to deal with, you require a good piece of advice on how to complete a сompare and contrast essay. Follow these tips below.

Find a solid argument

Do not immediately get down to writing. First, have a topic brainstormed and discover some major characteristics of the considered objects. The title of a paper might sound something like this ‘Intel vs. AMD’ or ‘Similarities and differences of ancient Egyptian and Greek cultures’.

Try to explain why it makes sense to reflect on these things backing your stance with strong arguments. For example, in a compare and contrast essay, you may prove why you think that AMD is better than Intel. Alternatively, explain how the contrasts of ancient cultures shaped the destiny of each civilization.

Jot down all the features you consider crucial. Any of these ideas can be decisive for your paper. So, write down anything coming to mind and shift to the next point.

Make a strict structure

As a rule, a compare and contrast essay starts with an introduction, followed by the main body section and the conclusion in the end. Present a subject of your essay to the audience in the introduction. The given section should urge readers to move to the main body. For this purpose, use a catchy hook, such as:

  • A provoking question;
  • A funny joke;
  • Personal experience;
  • A bold claim;
  • An interesting fact.

As a rule, the main body includes three paragraphs. However, you may extend this section if needed. In this part of your essay, provide the chosen arguments and make the bulk of your comparison.

At the end of the research, conclude all the arguments and reiterate your thesis. For this part, one paragraph would suffice. It shouldn’t be too long.

The main body: ways to compare and contrast

Well, you’ve just learned how to structure a compare and contrast essay in general. However, your teacher is more interested in how you can compare and contrast things in the main body first of all. Well, there are three ways to do it:

  1. Point by point Here an evaluation criterion rules. For example, you can evaluate AMD and Intel by the cost of their hardware, innovations, and how they treat their customers. By illustrating every point, you’ll gradually disclose all the features of the compared objects.
  2. Different and common separately. In this case, you are expected to begin a paper with comparison and conclude with contrast. You are free to reverse the order to put an emphasis on the common features.
  3. Topic by topic. Here, begin illustrating one object and mention its key distinctive features. Then, shift to the second object. Provide all the facts you have found about it in the final paragraph of the main body.

Such an approach looks clear and smooth. On the other hand, it more resembles a pure list of points rather than a thorough comparison.

Proofread and edit a compare and contrast essay

Of course, submitting your paper once it’s written is what you shouldn’t do if you don’t want to end up with a bad mark. So, thoroughly proofread your newly-written paper and fix all the glitches discovered in the text. You can do it on your own or ask someone such as a friend to review your paper. To feel 100% confident in the quality of your paper, opt for professional proofreading and editing services.