1. Expository Writing Comparison and Contrast Essay

2. Narrowing Your Topic  Describe It To someone who is not familiar with it  Associate It With someone, something, or some event in your life  Apply It Explain what you can do with it, or to it  Analyze It Break it into parts  Compare and Contrast It Tell things that are similar and different  Argue For or Against It Explain good and bad points

3. Considering Your Audience and Purpose  Audience Who your readers are  Purpose Your reason for writing Persuade  Emphasize details that prove your case Instruct  Think of questions that your readers would probably ask, and answer them in your essay Entertain  Use vivid language to convey humor, beauty, or other qualities about your subject

4. Gathering Details  Use a Venn diagram  Use two-column notes

5. Shape Your Writing  Block Method Present all details about one subject first. Next, present all the details about the second subject  Point-by-Point Method First, discuss one aspect of both subjects Next, discuss another aspect of both subjects and so on

6. Provide Elaboration  STATE the main idea of the paragraph in a sentence.  EXTEND your main idea. Show how it applies in a particular case, or distinguish it from another point.  ELABORATE in your main idea in one or more sentences. Give examples, explanations, or other supporting details.

7. Writing Prompts  Best friends are special people in our lives. Think about your best friend and reasons that you like him or her. Think about things that you enjoy doing together.  Write a paper telling about your best friend. Include at least three reasons why s/he is your best friend. Remember to use specific details to explain and support your reasons. Use interesting adjectives and descriptive words to make your paper interesting to read. Include a short personal story about your best friend to help explain one of your reasons.  Everyone has one item that is important to him or her. Before you begin writing, think about one item that is important to you and why. It could be something you found, made, or had given to you.  Now explain in an essay why this one item is important to you. Support your ideas with examples and details.