Compare and Contrast Essays
For an essay that compares and contrasts a subject, a Venn Diagram is a useful way to begin your thinking.
To make a Venn Diagram:
- On a blank sheet of paper, draw two large circles allowing them to overlap creating a shared area in the middle.
- Think about your subject in terms of black, white, and gray. The colors black and white represent the characteristics that are completely different from each other, and gray represents the similarities.
- List the similarities in the center area (C) created by the two overlapping circles.
- List the different characteristics on either side (A and B).
Limit your comparison and/or contrast to subjects that can be adequately developed in a paragraph or essay.
Make sure that the subjects you are comparing and/or contrasting have some basic similarities or differences.
Decide why each point of comparison or contrast is important.
Decide what points of comparison or contrast are the most important or the most revealing.
Decide which of the patterns of comparison and contrast best fit your purpose:
- Subject by subject: This pattern discusses Subject A, then Subject B, then how the subjects compare and contrast.
- Point by point: This pattern discusses each point and how Subject A compares or contrasts with Subject B on that point.
Remember to use clear transitions to make clear to your reader when you are switching from one subject to another or from one point of comparison to another.
