Compare and Contrast Essay
A compare and contrast essay is an essay that discusses or explains the similarities and differences between two subjects. Sometimes the guidelines for a compare and contrast essay will state which two subjects should be compared and contrasted, such as two stories which were read in class. Other times, it is left up to the student to decide which subjects to compare and contrast. In this case, it is best if the two subjects are from the same category like two books, two films, two animals, two sports, or two songs. It would be much more difficult to compare two subjects that belong to totally different categories, like Shakespeare and a zebra.
When choosing a topic, pick a subject that is interesting to you. It is easiest to write about topics that you are interested in, and it is helpful to already know a little bit about the topic in advance so that you can spend your time writing rather than researching. You should also give some thought to whether the topic will be interesting to your reader, likely your teacher. An interesting topic is not usually a requirement of a compare and contrast essay, but an essay that is interesting or entertaining to read will likely reflect that in the essay’s final grade.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
The point-by-point method uses a standard five-paragraph essay structure:
- Introduction (contains the attention-getter, preview of main points, and thesis)
- Body paragraph 1 (main idea #1 as it relates to both subjects)
- Body paragraph 2 (main idea #2 as it relates to both subjects)
- Body paragraph 3 (main idea #3 as it relates to both subjects)
- Conclusion (restates thesis, summarizes main point, leaves reader with a lingering thought)
The block method uses a four-paragraph structure:
- Introduction (contains the attention-getter, preview of main points, and thesis)
- Body paragraph 1 (main ideas for subject #1)
- Body paragraph 2 (main ideas for subject #2)
- Conclusion (restates thesis, summarizes main point, leaves reader with a lingering thought)
Compare and Contrast Essay Structure
To compare is to explain the similarities between two subjects. To contrast is to explain the differences between two subjects. These similarities and differences will become the main ideas of your body paragraphs. When choosing which similarities and differences to discuss in your essay, be sure they are significant or thought-provoking. The goal of your essay should be to leave the reader with a new outlook on your subjects, not to tell them information they already know.
There are two methods of organization that may be used to arrange your ideas within the body paragraphs, the point-by-point method and the block method:
- For the point-by-point method, each body body paragraph discusses one main idea in relation to both subjects. For example, pretend you are writing an essay comparing and contrasting two types of birds. The main idea of the first body paragraph may be the physical appearances of both birds, the main idea of the second body paragraph may be the diets of both birds, and the third body paragraph’s main idea may be the habitats of both birds. This method works well with a five-paragraph essay structure. However, it may be difficult to seamlessly switch back and forth between subjects in each paragraph.
- The block method uses only two body paragraphs. Each body paragraph is devoted to discussing one of the subjects. For example, if you are writing an essay comparing and contrasting middle school and high school, the first body paragraph would address all of the main ideas related to middle school. The second body paragraph would discuss all of the main ideas related to high school. This method is probably the easier of the two methods since you discuss one subject at a time, but it results in only two body paragraphs. If you are required to write a five-paragraph essay, choose previous point-by-point method.
Despite which method or organization you use, the order of your main points is the same: your strongest point comes last, your second strongest point comes first, and your weakest point goes in the middle. So, if you are using the point-by-point method, arrange your paragraphs with your strongest point in the third body paragraph, your second strongest point in the first body paragraph, and your weakest point in the second body paragraph. If you are using the block method, place your strongest point as the last main idea in the body paragraph, the second strongest point as the first main idea, and the weakest point in the middle of the body paragraph. The reasoning behind this is simple. You are sandwiching your weakest point between the two strongest points so that your essay is compelling at the beginning and at the end.
Compare and Contrast Essay Template
Point-by-point method:
Introduction
- Attention-getter:
- Preview of main points:
- Thesis:
Body paragraph 1
- Main idea #1 for first subject:
- Main idea #2 for second subject:
Body paragraph 2
- Main idea #1 for first subject:
- Main idea #2 for second subject:
Body paragraph 3
- Main idea #1 for first subject:
- Main idea #2 for second subject:
Conclusion
- Restate thesis:
- Summarize main points:
- Lingering thought:
Block method:
Introduction
- Attention-getter:
- Preview of main points:
- Thesis:
Body paragraph 1
- Main idea #1 for first subject:
- Main idea #2 for first subject:
- Main idea #3 for first subject:
Body paragraph 2
- Main idea #1 for second subject:
- Main idea #2 for second subject:
- Main idea #3 for second subject:
Conclusion
- Restate thesis:
- Summarize main points:
- Lingering thought:
How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay
How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay
- A thesis statement is the guiding argument, hypothesis, or theory for your entire essay. It may be one or two sentences and it is placed at the end of the introduction. Although the thesis statement comes last in the introduction, it should be the first sentence you come up with when drafting your essay. The rest of the essay will support, clarify, or explain the presumption you make in your thesis statement, so it is imperative that you draft the thesis at the outset. For a compare and contrast essay about California and New York, a passable thesis statement could be “California and New York are two states with many differences, but despite being located at opposite ends of the country, they have more similarities than one might expect.”
- The attention-getter (also called the attention-grabber, hook, or hook sentence) is the first sentence in the introduction. Like the headlines of “clickbait” articles, the purpose of the attention getter is to capture the interest of the reader. A relevant rhetorical question, little-known fact, joke, or famous quotation can be used as the attention getter. An attention getter for the essay on California and New York could be “Two places located nearly 3,000 miles apart would obviously have many differences, but could they have any similarities?”
- The middle of your introduction should introduce the two subjects that will be compared and contrasted and give a preview of the main points that will be discussed in the body paragraphs.
Compare and Contrast Paragraphs
As mentioned above, the structure and content of the body paragraphs will depend on which method, point-by-point or block, is used. However, body paragraphs should contain these elements regardless of which method is used.
- The topic sentence is the first sentence of a body paragraph, and as the name implies, it states the topic, main idea, or subject that is discussed in the paragraph.
- Transitions such as first, second, and third should be used to separate ideas. Other possible transitions include another, for example, also, and lastly.
- The concluding sentence is the last sentence of a body paragraph. It should bridge the gap between one body paragraph and the next by summing up the main point of the body paragraph that it is a part of while also hinting at the main point of the next body paragraph.
Compare and Contrast Essay Conclusion
- Restate the thesis by using different words and a different sentence structure to reiterate the assertion you make in your thesis statement. Oftentimes, this sentence is begun with a transition that signals that this is the end of the essay. It might look like “All in all, California and New York have many differences, but they have a surprising number of similarities too.”
- Summarize the main points made in the body of the essay.
- End the essay with a lingering thought. Whereas the attention getter draws the reader in, the lingering thought gives the reader something to continue to ponder after reading the essay. An example is “Considering the similarities and differences, in which state would you prefer to live?”
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Compare and Contrast Essay Example
Below is a body paragraph from a sample compare and contrast essay from Lumen Learning at lumenlearning.com. Notice how it uses the point-by-point method to compare and contrast the cultural diversity and cost of living in Washington, D.C., and London.
“Both cities are rich in world and national history, though they developed on very different time lines. London, for example, has a history that dates back over two thousand years. It was part of the Roman Empire and known by the similar name, Londinium. It was not only one of the northernmost points of the Roman Empire but also the epicenter of the British Empire where it held significant global influence from the early sixteenth century on through the early twentieth century. Washington, DC, on the other hand, has only formally existed since the late eighteenth century. Though Native Americans inhabited the land several thousand years earlier, and settlers inhabited the land as early as the sixteenth century, the city did not become the capital of the United States until the 1790s. From that point onward to today, however, Washington, DC, has increasingly maintained significant global influence. Even though both cities have different histories, they have both held, and continue to hold, significant social influence in the economic and cultural global spheres.”
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Lesson Summary
A compare and contrast essay discusses that similarities and differences between two subjects. The two main methods for organizing your ideas within the essay are the point-by-point method (five paragraphs) and the block method (four paragraphs). The method you choose will determine the outline of your essay, but all essays should contain an introduction that begins with an attention-getter, previews the main points, and ends with a thesis statement; body paragraphs that begin with topic sentences, explain the main ideas, and end with concluding statements; and a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes the main points, and leaves the reader with a lingering thought.