COMPARE CONTRAST ESSAYS



COMPARE CONTRAST PARAGRAPHS

English 9

Mrs. Woodliffe

Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different. A compare-and-contrast paragraph, then, analyzes two subjects by comparing them, contrasting them, or both.  We use comparison and contrast thinking when deciding which university to attend, which car to buy, or whether to drive a car or take a bus to work. The key to a good compare-and-contrast paragraph is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way.

The compare-and-contrast paragraph starts with a topic sentence that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. The topic sentence could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader. Take the following topic sentence as an example that leans more toward contrasting.

Topic Sentence: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny.

Here the topic sentence sets up the two subjects to be compared and contrasted (organic versus conventional vegetables), and it makes a claim about the results that might prove useful to the reader.

There are two classic organizational patterns of a comparison or contrast paragraph.  One is called block arrangement of ideas; the other is called point-by-point or alternating arrangement of ideas.  The organizational structure you choose depends on the nature of the topic, your purpose, and your audience. Suppose you are interested in showing the differences between vacationing in the mountains and vacationing at the beach.  You will then write a contrast paragraph. One way to arrange your material is to use the block arrangement which is to write about vacationing in the mountains in one half of the paragraph and vacationing at the beach in the other half next.  If you mention a particular point in the mountains half, you must mention the same point in the beach half, and in the same order.  Study the following outline, which shows this kind of organization.  The introductory sentence is followed by the mountains portion, the beach portion, then the conclusion.

|Block Arrangement |

|I. |Topic sentence in which you state your purpose which is to discuss the differences between vacationing in the |

| |mountains or at the beach |

|II. |Mountain |

| |A.  Climate |

| |B.  Types of Activities  |

| |C.  Location  |

|III. |Beach |

| |A.  Climate |

| |B.  Types of Activities  |

| |C.  Location  |

|IV. |Concluding Sentence |

A second way to organize this material is to discuss a particular point about vacationing in the mountains and then immediately to discuss the same point about vacationing at the beach.  This is called point-by-point or alternating arrangement.  An outline of this organization follows.

|Point-by-Point or Alternating Arrangement |

|I. |Topic sentence in which you state your purpose which is to discuss differences between vacationing in the mountains or |

| |at the beach |

|II. |First difference between mountains and beaches is climate |

| |A.  Mountains |

| |B.  Beach |

|III. |Second difference between mountains and beaches are types of activities |

| |A.  Mountains |

| |B.  Beach |

|IV. |Third difference between mountains and beaches is the location |

| |A.  Mountains |

| |B.  Beach |

|V. |Concluding sentence |

How to Begin:All you need do in writing a compare and contrast paragraph is take two subjects and show their similarities and their differences. Before you begin writing, brainstorm to find similarities and differences between your subjects.

|Subject |Similarities |Differences |

|Apples & Oranges |Both are tree fruits, grown commercially in |Oranges tropical, apples temperate |

| |large orchards | |

| |Apple juice and orange juice |Apple juice has no pulp. Orange juice has |

| | |pulp. |

| |Sauce |Pulp and peeling from oranges is used in |

| | |sauce. Applesauce contains only the pulp of |

| | |the pared apple. |

Use your topic sentence to introduce both subjects and present the points you intend to make.

Ex: Although apples and oranges are both fruits, they are each ripe with differences, some of which are shown in the way they are grown and processed.

Format the body of your compare and contrast paragraph in one of the two ways:

1. [pic][pic]You can compare and contrast different elements of each subject one by one. This is called the “point by point” method.

Although apples and oranges are both fruits, they are each ripe with differences, some of which are shown in the way they are grown and processed. First, apples and oranges are both tree fruits often grown commercially in large orchards. However, apples grow in every climate and oranges need tropical temperatures to produce fruit. In addition, although both fruits can be juiced, apples are pressed and only the juice is bottled while both pulp and juice is squeezed from oranges. Finally, while fruit sauce is made from both apples and oranges, usually applesauce comes from the pared and pureed apple while orange sauce may contain both the rind and the pulp of the orange. Although each is a commercially grown tree fruit, growing temperatures and differences in processing apples and oranges clearly makes a distinction between the two fruits.

2. You can use one half of the paragraph to discuss one subject and the second half of the paragraph to discuss the other and compare and contrast it to the first. This is called the block method.

Although apples and oranges are both fruits, they are each ripe with differences, some of which are shown in the way they are grown and processed. First, apples are a tree fruit that is often grown commercially in large orchards. As well as eaten from the tree, apples are also both pressed into apple juice or pureed and processed into applesauce. Apples are pressed for juice, and apple juice contains only the liquid pressed from the apple. Similarly, oranges are also a tree fruit, often grown commercially in large orchards. Like apples, they can be eaten from the tree, squeezed into juices or processed into orange sauce. While apples are pressed for juice, orange juice is squeezed from the orange. Another difference is that while apple juice contains only the liquid pressed from the apple, orange juice may also contain the pulp from the orange. Although each is a commercially grown tree fruit, growing temperatures and differences in processing apples and oranges clearly makes a distinction between the two fruits.

You may want to try a couple of different formats for your topic in order to choose which best suits your subject. In addition, using appropriate transitions between sentences is very important in writing the compare and contrast paragraph. Transitions help your paragraph flow smoothly from point to point yet keep your writing on topic.

|Cue Words |

|Similarities |Differences |

|• Is similar to |• On the other hand |

|• Both |• However |

|• Also |• But |

|• Too |• Although |

|• As well |• Unlike |

|• Like |• While |

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