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. What is the Purpose?
To show the similarities between at least two things
and/or
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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Writing a Thesis Statement
Review your data
Decide to what extent you will stress the similarities between your subjects and to what extent you will stress their differences
Create a thesis statement that reflects that decision
Some teachers may ask for a specific thesis pattern and others may allow you to have some freedom in developing your thesis. Also, your ideas may not be completely balanced between comparison and contrast; you may have more similarities than differences or vice versa.

6. 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).

7. Better Thesis Pattern
While both the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists agreed that government was needed to establish order, the Federalists promoted a centralized federal authority and the Anti-federalists supported a loose confederation which favored states’ rights.
This pattern is more concise and directs the reader to the major similarity and the major difference. Your thesis does not need to be a list of the similarities and/or differences, but it should provide a point of departure for the reader.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Review Make sure you understand the purpose of the assignment
Complete pre-writing activity
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.

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