Writing the Comparison

1
Writing theComparison ContrastEssay
2

• Choose one of the following essay topics
• Shopping at a mall and shopping online
• Your mother's or father's childhood and your own
• Two pets

3

• Write a list of at least 10 brainstormed ideas
  about your topic statement making sure to think
  of examples that are both similar (comparisons)
  and different (contrasts).

4

• For example, if the thesis were "My two
  grandfathers," you might brainstorm a list that
  looked like this
• both were born in the country
• both had false teeth
• one had three daughters and the other had three
  sons
• one was a farmer while the other was salesman
• both smoked cigars
• both came from big families
• one drove Chevy trucks and the other drove Ford
  trucks
• one was from out West while the other was from
  the South
• one loved to hunt while the other loved to fish
• one was big and muscular and the other was small
  and wiry

5

• Organize these ideas into at least three
  paragraph groups.

6

• For example, you can organize these ideas in this
  way
• Family life
• one had three daughters and the other had three
  sons
• both came from big families
• Things they liked
• both smoked cigars
• one drove Chevy trucks and the other drove Ford
  trucks
• one loved to hunt while the other loved to fish
• Background
• both were born in the country
• one was a farmer while the other was salesman
• one was from out West while the other was from
  the South
• Physical characteristics
• one was big and muscular and the other was small
  and wiry
• both had false teeth

7

• Choose an organization for your essay either by
  subject or by point.

8

• By Subject
• Introduction
• Grandpa 1
• Background
• Family life
• Physical characteristics
• Things he liked
• Grandpa 2
• Background
• Family life
• Physical characteristics
• Things he liked
• Conclusion

9

• By Point
• Introduction
• Background
• Grandpa 1
• Grandpa 2
• Family Life
• Grandpa 1
• Grandpa 2
• Physical characteristics
• Grandpa 1
• Grandpa 2
• Things they liked
• Grandpa 1
• Grandpa 2
• Conclusion

10

• Write three possible thesis statements for your
  organized list. Be sure each is a complete
  sentence, includes a controlling idea, is
  specific.

11

• Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if
  necessary) at least three specific details for
  your first paragraph group.
• Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if
  necessary) at least three specific details for
  your second paragraph group.
• Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if
  necessary) at least three specific details for
  your third paragraph group.
• Write a topic sentence and organize (and add, if
  necessary) at least three specific details for
  any other paragraph groups.

12

• Organize the thesis statement along with the
  topic sentences and events and details you have
  chosen for each paragraph into an outline or plan
  (as shown above in step 3).

13

• Choose at type of order (time, space, or order of
  importance) and revise the outline or plan to
  reflect the ordering.
• Write a first draft of the essay, paying
  particular attention to transitions in and
  between the paragraphs (use the examples from the
  boxes on page 120).
• After going back and rereading your first draft
  for organization and clarity, proofread for
  grammar and spelling errors.