How to Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay?

The contrast and compare essays are used for examining multiple ideas and viewpoints. These types of essays are created in high school and middle school and provided to students and teachers for analytical writing and preparing them with more advanced types of academic writing.  The compare and contrast essays are very easy to compose and make use of a simple step-by-step approach. 

What is a Compare and contrast essay?

The compare and contrast essay is an essay that contains the points for comparison, between two different subjects. As the name suggests it showcases the subjects are similar in some aspects and also differ in other contexts. The essay structure includes a body paragraph that describes two different subjects and brings it all together in the conclusion. 

What is the purpose of a Contrast and Compare essay?

Contrast and compare essay writing allows the writer to juxtapose two different subjects in the same writing. This includes the thesis statement, topic sentence and descriptive details that should cover both topics. Contrast and compare writing also demands critical thinking from the writer. When writing a contrast and compare essay, descriptive writing is preferred as it helps in analyzing and examining the relationship between the subjects. A good comparison essay helps in providing information regarding e recent events, travel designation, political candidates and products. 

Steps for writing a compare and contrast essay

Like any other essay, the contras and compare essay should also have an organized structure that provides the important points regarding their body paragraphs. 

• Start with brainstorming using a Venn Diagram.: The best contrast and compare essays showcase a high level of analysis. Therefore it requires intense brainstorming from the writer before starting a contrast and compare essay. The Venn diagram is considered a great visual tool for brainstorming comparing and contrasting essay topics. The Venn Diagram consists of overlapping circles. The first circle consists of the characteristics of the first subject, and the second circle consists of the characteristics of the second circle. The overlapping area between the circles consists of the characteristics contained in both subjects.

• Creating a Thesis Statement: As you mapped the similarities and differences among the topics, you now have an idea regarding the relationship between the topics. The process will help in developing the thesis statement and the topic sentence. The thesis statement should function as a roadmap for the essay. 
• Creating an outline: After you have spent time regarding the data, the next step is creating an outline. A good quality contrast and compare essay makes use of the standard essay format, beginning from the introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and conclusion. Sticking to the outline is very important in preparing the essay. Outline helps in maintaining focus and helps in reducing the chances of distractions. 
• Preparing the introduction: A good introductory paragraph helps in setting the tone of the essay. Some of the best introduction chapters are with a hook statement that may include a bold rhetorical statement. After the hook statement, introduce the subjects that will be examined in the essay. The thesis statement of the essay is provided at the end of the introduction paragraph.
• Creating the body paragraph: Starting with the topic sentence that elaborates on an area of comparison, between the first and the second subject. For instance, the essay is about comparing two different nations and the paragraph is about the political structure of the nations, then the paragraph can begin with a description of the political process of both the countries. You can provide at least two sentences about the political situation of two countries that are similar and how they differ from each other. 
• Repeat the processes for the next paragraph: The comparison and contrast essay generally makes the subjects go through several points of comparison. Therefore it is important to write at least three paragraphs that compare the subjects from a variety of angles. Also, make use of transition words to link the different paragraphs in the essay.
• Write the conclusion: The best compare-and-contrast essays include a great conclusion. At this point you have proven your thesis, and how both the subjects are different and alike in some manner. The conclusion paragraph provides an opportunity for the writer to share their insights and reinstate the thesis statement of the overall essay. It is important to note that the conclusion paragraph should not contain any new information, rather the conclusion paragraph should be used to summarize the entire essay. 
• Proofread: Any essay is not complete without the proofreading process. It is important to ensure that each subject gets equal space in the essay. It is also important to ensure that the points are clear, regarding how subjects or topics are different or similar to each other. Also, proofreading helps in reducing the chances of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors that may be present in the essay. This helps in improving the overall clarity of the essay. 

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