Compare and Contrast
The Compare/ Contrast Essay
First, let's explain compare and contrast:
When we compare, we show our readers a subject's similarities.
When we contrast, we show our readers a subject's differences.
Compare and Contrast essays are learning–process essays. You learn about your subject as you gather and organize information.
This type of essay takes a bit of organization, and it's this organizational process, this gathering of facts, that helps you learn as you go.
You will create lists of qualities or traits that each of your subjects has, and as you do this, you will discover insights to your subject that, at first glance, you may not have realized were there.
It's like buying a new shirt. The moment you spread it out on...show more content...
And you will either compare or contrast, not both. Be careful, sometimes going point by point can make your writing sound tedious and repetitive. Watch your language and transition words. Use several points at a time.
Ending: As in the argumentative essay, bring it all together. Allow your ending to go back to your thesis. Use the transitional words on the next page to help your paper's coherence. Transitions and other connecting words and connecting sentences should be used throughout.
Remember: There are no hard and fast rules as to how many comparisons or contrasts you should offer. For a thorough look into your subject, you must offer enough comparisons or contrasts or both to make a valid statement.
Transitional Words (Conjunctival Adverbs)
Use these words to help you connect your thoughts, your sentences, and your paragraphs:
(Lest you wish to sound pedantic, tiptoe with caution through words such as "indeed," and "of course.")
addition again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, finally, first, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, last, moreover, next, second, still, too
comparison also, in the same way, likewise, similarly
concession granted, naturally, of course
contrast although, and yet, at the same time, but at the same time, despite that, even so, even though, for all that, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the
Essay on Compare and Contrast
Regina Brown
Mrs. Joarder
Eng. 100
April 5, 2013
Cleaning with Barry and Britt
The act of being habitually and carefully neat and clean can make for an interesting topic in a comparison and contrast essay. Dave Barry compares the differences of how women and men clean in his compare and contrast essay, Batting Clean– Up and Striking out. In Suzanne Britt's compare and contrast essay, Neat People vs. Sloppy People she compares the differences of personalities between Sloppy people and neat people. Both essays compare cleanliness in one way or another however they both have differences regarding their use of humor, examples, and points made in their thesis.
Batting Clean–Up and Striking out and Neat People vs. Sloppy People both offer...show more content...
The way Barry and Britt support their points in their compare and contrast essays differ. In Batting Clean–Up and Striking Out, Barry uses lots of personal stories and factual happenings to explain his opinions. For example, to explain how men are worse at cleaning Barry specifically refers to a volcano eruption that happened in Pompei because the men, who were in control of the cleaning, did not notice ashes piling up around and in their houses. In addition, when describing how men are better with sports than woman he refers to a personal story; specifically a story about a dinner party that he attended where the men were glued to the World Series and the women were still chatting amongst themselves. These forms of examples are personal stories that offer validity. On the other hand, in Britt's Neat people vs. Sloppy people she uses more dreamt up incidences to explain her opinions. For example when explaining how neat people are "viscous with their mail" she explains, " All ads, catalogs, pleas for charitable contributions, church bulletins, and money–saving coupons go straight into the trash can without being opened...No sentimental salvaging of birthday cards or the last letter a dying relative ever wrote. Into the trash it goes" (256). As seen in this example, Britt uses lots of lists and possible incidents that could exist to support her points, but do these incidences