COMPARING AND CONTRASTING

Ms. Fatema Khurshid

Instructions for the Comparison or Contrast Essay

Do I want this car … ?

… or do I want that

other car?

Do I want to visit Egypt on my next

vacation … ?

… or do I want to go to Las

Vegas?

Do I want to eat something

healthy… ?

… or do I want something

bad?

How to Write a Compare/Contrast Essay

How to Write a Compare/Contrast Essay

Compare and contrast essays are the another essay type in academic writing. These essays

will follow a specific question and are fairly easy to complete. There are several ways to write this

type of essay. The most important thing to remember is structure.

IntroductionIntroduction

Your introduction — like the five-paragraph-essay, should open generally (with a quotation, anecdote, generalization), and lead into the thesis statement.

ConclusionConclusion

The conclusion — like the introduction — should be a generalization of the thesis. This paragraph should express your certainty and absolute knowledge on the subject matter. You should reaffirm your thesis (essentially restate it in new words) and show how you've proven it.

Understand what comparison or contrast requires you to do.

Always choose two equal items—two cars, two vacations, two sports stars—not two unequal items, like a car and an octopus.Next, decide if you want to compare or contrast as your primary strategy. The essay should be 80/20 in favor of one strategy, not 50/50.Your job is to interest the reader. Choose points to discuss that are not immediately obvious.

Now let’s test your

understanding . . .

Now let’s test your

understanding . . .

A baby is like a vacuum cleaner.

WRONG!

Even though my little brother Fred is 20 years my junior, he and I have much in common.Yeah, baby!

My sister and I look alike, have common hobbies, and enjoy the same foods.

Boring!

Even though Venus and Serena Williams are both professional tennis stars, they differ in their opinions about men, movies, and music.

Excellent!

Make the comparison or contrast interesting.

Be sure that your essay has a purpose. Ask yourself this important question: Why would anyone want to read this comparison or contrast?Consider giving the essay a specific audience. Imagine the essay is a letter to a specific person.

Dear Mom and Dad,

My current car is a death trap! Do you want me to be the reason I-4 traffic is at a standstill? For this reason, I want you to consider helping me pay for my dream car, a 2011 Honda Accord …

Pick a pattern for your essay.

Pattern A is a typical 5-paragraph essay.The thesis statement will read like this:

Because of X, Y, and Z, Subject A is similar to [or different from] Subject B.

Each body paragraph will discuss both Subject A and Subject B.

Introduction

All about Point X

All about Point Y

All about Point Z

Conclusion

Pattern B will look a bit different.Pattern B has only 4 paragraphs.Alas, the essay must still be 500 words.The thesis statement should not include restrictions, like this:

Subject A is similar to [or different from] Subject B.

One body paragraph will discuss X, Y, and Z for Subject A; the other body paragraph will do the same for Subject B.

Introduction

All about Subject A

All about Subject B

Conclusion

If we follow the advice above …

Do we have two like things? How are they alike? Would it be better to compare or contrast?What is the purpose?What will make the essay interesting?Would Pattern A or Pattern B work the best?

Format the Pattern A outline correctly.

I.Point XA. Subject A

1.Detail 1

2.Detail 2

3.Detail 3

B. Subject B1.Detail 1

2.Detail 2

3.Detail 3

Roman numerals address the X, Y, and Z from the thesis statement.

Capital letter A is always for the first subject; capital letter B is always for the second subject.A detail for Subject A must correspond to a detail for Subject B.

Thesis statement: The two Sigourney Weaver movies, Aliens and Gorillas in the Mist, have three important points of comparison [or contrast]: X, Y, and Z.

I. Point XA. Gorillas in

the Mist1.

2.

3.

B. Aliens1.

2.

3.

II. Point YA.Gorillas

in the Mist1.

2.

3.

B.Aliens1.

2.

3.

III. Point ZA. Gorillas in

the Mist1.

2.

3.

B. Aliens1.

2.

3.

A Pattern B outline looks a little different:A Pattern B outline looks a little different:

I. Subject AA. First Point of C/C

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

B. Second Point of C/C

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

C. Third Point of C/C

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

II. Subject BA. First Point of C/C

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

B. Second Point of C/C

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

C. Third Point of C/C

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

Thesis Statement: Subject A is different from/similar to Subject B.

Pattern B Outline Topics:Expectation vs. Reality

Vacation

Class

Date

Car

Friend

Pet

Job

Computer

School

Scholarship

Church

Concert

Sports event

Membership

Decide the topic for your actual essay:

Your comparison/contrast essay will discuss the similarities/differences between the Disney version of Cinderella or Snow White and the Brothers Grimm or Anne Sexton version or the Vietnamese Cinderella.

Consider these points of comparison or contrast:Characters

Animals

Costume and setting

Violence

Parents and step-parents

Lessons

Reading and viewing

Remember that you need a purpose for the comparison /

contrast. So decide which fairytale version you would share with a specific child.

Remember that you need a purpose for the comparison /

contrast. So decide which fairytale version you would share with a specific child.

Create a works cited page:

Use MLA-style page numbering: your last name and the page number.The works cited page is the last page of the essay.

Title the page: Works Cited.

The entire page is double spaced [with no extra spacing between entries].

For each entry, all lines after the first are indented five spaces.

Punctuation and capitalization require your careful attention.

The list of entries is alphabetized.

Note the format:

Williams 4

Works Cited

The Greatest Movie Ever Made. Dir. John

Bowman. Funtime Studios, 2010. DVD.

Robertson, Zachary. “Wow Story.” The

Greatest Website Ever Made. Web. 19

Jully. 2011.

If you are using a movie, set up the entry like this:

The Title. [in italics]

Dir. Director’s First Name and Last. [Dir. stands for Directed by.]

Studio Name, Year of Release.Publication Medium.

The entry will look like this:

Title of Film. Dir. Director’s

First and Last Name. Studio

Name, Year of Release. DVD.

Your two movie options:

Title: Cinderella

Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Year: 1950

Title: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Director: David Hand

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Year: 1937

If you are using a document within a website, set up the entry like this:

Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Story or Poem.” [in quotation marks]

Title of Website. [in italics]

Publication Medium.Date accessed. [Day Month Year]

The entry will look like this:

Author’s Last Name, First Name.

“Title of Story or Poem.”

Website Name. Web. 11 Feb.

2011.

Your two author options:

Authors: Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

Title: “Cinderella” or “Little Snow White”

Website: National Geographic

Author: Anne Sexton

Title: “Cinderella” or “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

Website: Miami University or Poets.org

Tam and Cam:

Author: None – so skip it!

Title: “The Story of Tam and Cam”

Website: The Homepage of Professor D. L. Ashliman, University of Pittsburgh

Note these rules about names:

If you refer to the character, treat his/her name as your own and just capitalize.If you refer to the short story or poem, use quotation marks and capitalize all major words.If you refer to the movie, use italics and capitalize all major words.

Draft the introduction.

Remember that you are explaining which version of the story is appropriate for a specific child.Use the introduction to give your reader background on that child.Write 5 - 7 sentences that explain the child’s personality and/or situation.Have these sentences lead up to your thesis statement.

Add support with direct quotations.

First, introduce the source with a speaker tag.The Queen says, …

According to “Little Snow White,” …

Then use the exact words of the source in quotation marks.

You can make small changes with brackets like these: [ ]You can omit chunks of text with ellipses, three periods in a row where you have removed words in the middle or at the end.

Follow with an in-text citation [aka parenthetical reference]

If you have one or more authors, use the name(s) of the author(s) in parentheses: (Grimm and Grimm)

If you do not have an author, use the abbreviated title of the work in parentheses: (“The Story”)

Format the quotations like this:

According to _____ [story or poem’s title], “exact words” (In-text citation).

__________ says, “exact words” (In-text citation).

According to “Little Snow White,” our heroine “was as beautiful as the day, and more beautiful than the Queen herself” (Grimm and Grimm).

The queen says, “[B]ring me her heart … and I will salt and eat it” (Sexton).

First Draft Directions

To earn all of the points on your prewriting sheet, do the following:

Confirm that you have a correct heading at the top left.Give the essay a correct and interesting title.

Be sure that you have written 500+ words.

Be sure to work in at least three quotations that have in-text citations.

Your homework is to type/polish the draft for an in-class activity during the next class.

Prepare the final draft of the essay.

Be sure that you have MLA-style page numbering on every page.The works cited page should be the last page of the essay.Confirm that you have three quotations—correctly integrated and cited—from your print source.Know how many points each skill is worth on the evaluation sheet.Visit the Writing Center [5-155] for advice.Be sure to read and follow all of the format guidelines on your syllabus.Send the essay as an email attachment before you arrive to class!

The End.

Look, I don’t have time for this. I’m going to get

to work.