Compare and
Contrast Essay
GBSN Year III, semester VI
Jawahir Ali English lecturer SBCON
Compare and Contrast
Comparing and contrasting are ways of looking at
objects and thinking about how they are alike and
different.
For instance, all of these items are alike because they
are kinds of food, but there are many ways that they are
different. For instance, they belong to different food
groups. Some must be cooked before eating, and some
can be eaten raw.
Reasons why do we compare and contrast
To Explain/ To inform: To Evaluate/ To persuade:
You might compare and contrast You might compare and contrast
kinds of food. For instance, it helps kinds of food to show why one kind
someone to understand which of food or brand of food is better or
foods need to be refrigerated and superior than another.
which can be stored in a cabinet or For example, apples are a better
in a bowl. snack than butter.
Compare - Look When you choose items to compare and contrast,
make sure that you choose items that have
for Similarities similarities.
● You have to choose things that will make sense
for comparison and contrast. For instance, it
wouldn't make sense to compare a truck with
crayons or crayons with a birdhouse.
● Be sure to compare things that belong
together. Compare crayons to pencils or pens,
or compare trucks and cars.
Compare - Look
When you compare items, you look for their
for Similarities similarities--the things that make them
the same.
For example:
● Apples and oranges are both fruit.
● They're both foods.
● Both are made into juice.
● Both grow on trees.
Contrast - Look at
Differences When you contrast items, you look at their differences.
For example:
Apples are red. Oranges are orange.
The fruits have different textures.
Oranges need a warmer place to grow, like Florida, and
Punjab.
Apples can grow in cooler places, like Washington,
Gilgit, and Ziarat.
Graphic Organizers
book movie
Graphic organizers are useful tools for
gathering details about the items that
you are comparing and contrasting.
1 2
o Venn Diagrams help you think about
alike
where the various characteristics of
the items being compared and
contrasted fit.
different
o The Compare and Contrast Chart is
more like a listing tool, where you can
brainstorm a list of ways that the
items are alike and different.
Organization of Comparison and Contrast Essay
introduction
Background hook Thesis
point by
Body block transitions
point
Conclusion
Organization of Comparison and Contrast Essay
There are four main things to pay attention to as
you write a compare and contrast essay:
1. Supporting Details
2. Balance
3. Organization
4. Transitions
1. Supporting Details
Set your purpose for writing.
To explain – help the reader understand
how the items are same and different
To evaluate – persuade the reader that
one is better than the other
• Gather an equal amount of details and
examples for each item and place these
on a graphic organizer.
• Only include information that relates to
what is being compared
2. Balance your Writing
Make sure to give equal time to each item
that you are comparing and contrasting.
If you cover character, setting, and
historical accuracy for the book, for book movie
instance, you need to be sure that you
cover the same elements for the movie.
3. Organization
Like other types of essays, a comparison
and contrast essay must have a clear
introduction and conclusion
The body of this kind of essay can be organized in
many ways. We will look at two organizational styles,
but we will consider the BLOCK style in our academic
writing
1. Block Organization
2. Point by Point Organization
3. Organization
Block Organization:
In block organization, the body paragraphs first present the similarities in the two
subjects. Then, after transition, in separate paragraphs, the differences are
presented.
3. Organization
BLOCK: Short Essay Organization
Introduction
Similarities
Differences
Conclusion
3. Organization
BLOCK: Long Essay Organization
Introduction
Similarity # 1
Similarity # 2
Conclusion
Transition
Difference #1
Difference #2
Conclusion
3. Organization
POINT BY POINT: Short Essay Organization
Introduction
Similarities
Differences
Conclusion
3. Organization
Point by Point Organization:
The body paragraphs alternate between
similarities and differences.
In a short essay, one body paragraph will explain the similarities between
the two subjects and one paragraph will explain the differences.
In a longer essay, one paragraph will explain similarities between one main
idea in the two subjects and one paragraph will deal with differences in the
same main idea, and so on.
3. Organization
POINT BY POINT: Long Essay Organization
Introduction
Similarity # 1
Difference # 1
Similarity # 2
Difference #2
Conclusion
4. Transition Words
In compare and contrast writing, transition words tell a
reader that the writer is changing from talking about one item
to the other.
4. Transition Words
also
as
as well as When you're comparing items, using a transition from
both this list will signal to readers that you're changing from
in the same manner one item to the next and it will also tell the reader that
the two items are similar.
in the same way
like Here are some examples:
likewise The characters in the movie were very similar to the
most important characters in the book.
same
similar Both the characters in the movie and in the book were
similarly interested in detective work.
the same as
too
4. Transition Words
although
but On the other hand, using one of the transitions from this
differ list of words will signal readers that the two items you're
even though discussing are different.
however
Here are some examples:
in contrast The setting in the book was summer while the setting
instead in the movie was in winter.
nevertheless
on the contrary The events in the book took place during several
on the other hand afternoons, although the events in the movie took
unless place during the evening.
unlike
while
yet
4. Transition Words
However
In contrast
In comparison
By comparison
On the other hand
while
whereas
but
to differ from
to be different (from)
to be dissimilar to
to be unlike
The Introduction
For both types of organization, the introduction is
the same.
Presents the topic or subject that is being
compared and contrasted in the topic sentence.
Gives some general information about the topic
Ends with a thesis statement that tells the reader
specifically what will be compared and
contrasted.
The Conclusion
For both types of comparison and contrast essay,
the conclusion is the same.
Restate the topic
Restate or summarize the similarities and
differences between the two topics
Give your opinion or feeling about the topic make
a prediction, or explain the results
Thank you.
