1. Comparison and Contrast
A common assignment in all disciplines is to compare and contrast two or more things to discover how they are alike and/or how they are different. In U.S. History students might be asked to compare Jackson and Jefferson, in science students might compare and contrast the results of two similar labs, in music students might compare different pieces of music and their interpretation, in FTA students might compare elementary students to high school students etc. Besides its value in organizing an essay, comparison/contrast is also useful as a technique to structure a paragraph, to define a complex idea, to think about one thing in terms of another (vertebrates vs. invertebrates, World War I vs. World War II, etc., and to make an evaluation. Only similar items can be compared and/or contrasted. The comparison/contrast must be supported by examples.
This Power Point will focus on two organizational patterns for this type of writing assignment, but as with all assignments, you should follow the directions as outlined by your instructor.

2. Comparison and contrast 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 FOODS 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. When you write comparison and contrast, you will pay attention to these kinds of details.

3. What is the Purpose? Compare Contrast To inform To explain To analyze
To show the similarities between at least two things
Contrast
To show the difference between two things
To inform
To explain
To analyze
To evaluate
You must have a purpose for writing the essay—why are you writing the essay? What is your point? When you are getting ready to buy a car you might have specific criteria to compare and contrast. (Teachers-Ask students to generate a list of things they might look for when buying a car.) The purpose of the comparison/contrast might be to get the best value for your dollar, to meet the needs of your budget, to plan for your future etc. As you plan for which college you may want to attend, you’ll compare and contrast specific criteria to make an informed decision.
Writing a solid essay takes planning. Remember the Rhetorical Square. If you don’t have a clear idea of why you are comparing or contrasting two things, then you will have difficulty writing a focused paper.

4. Apples and oranges are both fruit.
When you compare items, you look for their
similarities-
-The things that make them the same.
For example:
Apples and oranges are both fruit.
Both grow on trees.
Both are made into juice.
They're both foods.

5. When you contrast items, you look for their differences-
-The things that make them the different.
For example:
They are different colors.
They are grown in different climates and areas.
An apple has smooth skin, an orange does not.
The taste and texture are quite different.

6. spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
There are three main things to pay attention to as you write a comparison and contrast paper:
Purpose & Supporting Details
Organization & Structure
Transitions & Coherence
In addition, be sure to pay attention to the usual requirements for writing, such as
spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

7. Establishing a basis for comparison
The two things to be compared must have enough in common to justify the comparison.
In making comparisons, you should move beyond the obvious.
(i.e., people and bees)
When two things are very similar, it is the contrasts that may be worth writing about.

8. Searching points for discussion
Novel A
Novel B
Major characters
Minor characters
themes
Determine your emphasis on similarities, differences, or both.
Determine the major focus of your paper.
Make sure you treat the same or similar elements for each subject you will discuss:

9. Do not discuss entirely different elements for each subject.
Novel A
Novel B
Major Characters
Plot
Minor Characters
Author’s Life
Themes
symbolism

10. The Compare and Contrast Chart
are useful tools for gathering details about the items that you are comparing and contrasting.
Graphic organizers
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.
Venn Diagrams
help you think about where the various characteristics of the items being compared and contrasted fit.

11. Pre-writing Chart Price Mileage Insurance BMW Honda Civic
This type of graphic organizer works well to help you sort the data for your essay. The number of boxes will change depending on how many points of comparison/ contrast you will include in your paper. You can work with this grid to create the outline for your essay using one of the organizational patterns that will be discussed.

12. Venn Diagram
Alike
Most of you have probably used a Venn Diagram in the past. With this graphic organizer, you use the overlapping circle to indicate how the items are alike and the outside circles to show how they are different. This method works best when there are only two subjects.

13. Formulating a Thesis Statement
Identify:
The subjects to be compared and contrasted in your essay.
The point you will make about them.
Also indicate whether you will focus on similarities or differences, or balance the two.

14. Weak Thesis Statements
They are both somewhat alike and somewhat different.
I can see some similarities and some differences too.
Both of them involve (only a single similarity, no differences).

15. Better Thesis Pattern
Ralph and Jack have very different leadership styles and motivations which leads to the eventual chaos and anarchy on the island.
In this pattern the writer lets the reader know that the focus of the piece will be on comparing and contrasting the leadership styles and motivations of the two main characters in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Since the writer will introduce the author and the title in the background information to orient the reader, it is not necessary to restate them in the thesis statement.

16. Sample Thesis Statement for Honda/BMW Comparison/Contrast
In order to make a decision between the Honda Civic and the BMW, I used the following criteria: price of the vehicle, average mileage, and price of insurance.
This statement lets the reader know the specific points of comparison/contrast and how the information will be used.

17. Paragraph Organization--Block
Price
Mileage
Insurance
BMW
→→→
Honda
Civic
2nd Paragraph
For the Block Method, your second paragraph would include all of the details from the top of the chart for the BMW, following by all of the details from the bottom of the chart for the Honda. Your conclusion would provide some type of final analysis or evaluation based on the evidence presented in the body paragraphs.
3rd Paragraph

18. Paragraph Organization--BLOCK
Price
Mileage
Insurance
BMW
2nd Paragraph
3rd Paragraph
4th Paragraph
Honda
Civic
5th Paragraph
6th Paragraph
7th Paragraph
You may have too much information to put all of the details in one paragraph. This is another possibility for the BLOCK method.

19. Paragraph Organization--Point by Point
2nd Paragraph
3rd Paragraph
4th Paragraph
Price
Mileage
Insurance
BMW ↓
Honda
Civic
For the Point by Point Method, your second paragraph will include all of the details about the price of the car for both the BMW and the Honda Civic, your third paragraph will include the all the details about the mileage for both the BMW and the Honda Civic, the 4th paragraph will include the details about the insurance for both the BMW and the Honda Civic, and your conclusion will make some final analysis or evaluation about the cars based on the evidence provided in the body paragraphs.

20. Paragraph Organization—Point by Point
Price↓
Mileage
Insurance
BMW
2nd Paragraph
4th Paragraph
6th Paragraph
Honda
Civic
3rd Paragraph
5th Paragraph
7th Paragraph
Another way of organizing the paragraphs for Point by Point.

21. Outline - Block Method I. Introduction a) Attention Getter or Hook
b) Background Information
c) Thesis
II. BMW
a) Price
b) Mileage
c) Insurance
III. Honda Civic
a) Price
b) Mileage
c) Insurance
IV. Conclusion
a) Emphasize Major Ties
b) So What?
c) Evaluation
This method is also referred to as Subject by Subject or Whole to Whole. With this pattern (AB,AAA,BBB,AB A = Person or Place, Thing, Idea #1 and B = Person or Place, Thing, Idea # 2 ) you first discuss all of the details for one subject, in this case the BMW, and then all of the details for the second subject, the Honda Civic. The conclusion will reach some sort of final evaluation about the items you have chosen for your paper. If you were writing about cars, you might conclude your paper by making a selection based on the criteria. For example: Based on the excellent mileage, the low cost of insurance, and the price of the vehicle, the Honda Civic will definitely be my choice when I buy a new car.

22. Outline - Point by Point
I. Introduction
a) Attention Getter or Hook
b) Background Information
c) Thesis
II. Price
a) BMW
b) Honda
III. Mileage
IV. Insurance
a) BMW
b) Honda
IV. Conclusion
a) Emphasize Major Ties
b) So What?
c) Evaluation
In this pattern AB, AB, AB, AB you provide details about both your subjects in each paragraph. You should follow the same order in each paragraph as well. For example if you begin by discussing the BMW each subsequent paragraph should begin with the details for the BMW. Another pattern, also known as Modified Block (AB, SSS, DDD, AB) introduces the two persons or things in the first paragraph, then focuses on their similarities in the second paragraph, then focus on their differences in the third paragraph, and finally returns to summarize the comparison and contrast. Choose a pattern that fits your topic and the length of the paper and stick with it.

23. In comparison Although Nevertheless Yet Whereas In contrast
In comparison and contrast, tell a reader that the writer is changing from talking about one item to the other.
help make a paper smoother and more by showing the reader the between the ideas that are being presented.
transition words
Nevertheless
Yet
Likewise
Transitional words and phrases
coherent
connections
In comparison
On the other hand
Similarly
However

24. Transitions To Contrast To Compare -although also as -but -even though
in the same way
like
likewise
similarly
comparable
equally
in addition
To Contrast
-although
-but
-even though
-however
-on the other hand
-otherwise
-yet
-still
-conversely
-as opposed to
-different from
-whereas
These transitions words will help to guide your reader through your comparisons and contrasts.

25. Review Make sure you understand the purpose of the assignment
Gather evidence
Create a thesis statement
Choose an organizational pattern
Write an outline
Write a working draft
Revise as needed
Ask questions if you do not understand an assignment.
Complete some type of pre-writing BEFORE you begin your first draft. If the strategies reviewed on the Power Point do not work for you, choose some other method that does.
Gather enough supporting evidence to support your topic sentences. That evidence may be in the form of facts, statistics, examples, observations, quotations from literature etc..
Write a thesis statement and keep it in front of you on a big sheet of paper as you write. This strategy will help you to avoid including unnecessary detail or bird walking.
Write an outline. This does not have to be as formal as the samples given, but some sort of planning will help you to stay focused. As with all writing, you should continue to work through the writing process to prepare an essay for teacher evaluation. If you are not peer editing in class, ask another student or a parent to review the directions for the assignment and evaluate your draft.

26. Student Example: Comparison and Contrast Essay

31. WRITING EXERCISE: LOVE!
(Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
What significant characteristics do these two sculptures share? Do they share enough characteristics to establish a basis for comparison? Explain.

32. (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
In your journal, create a venn diagram to list the similarities and differences of these two works of art.

33. (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
What general statement could you make about these two sculptures? Do the points you listed on your venn diagram provide enough support for this general statement?

34. (Sculpture)
Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculpture)
Write a short comparison-contrast essay in your journal on the following:
How does each sculpture convey the idea of love? Which one do you believe conveys this idea more effectively? Why?

35. Additional Resources
See East versus West for a sample essay and teacher comments.