53 2. Compare and Contrast

Your next essay is going to be a comparison/contrast of two connected items. Comparison means looking at similar ideas; contrast looks at differences.

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First of all, you need to think about what you want to compare/contrast (topic). Some popular topics are two best friends; two cars you’ve owned; two places you’ve lived; the differences (and similarities) between high school and college; two siblings; two parents; two favorite movies, TV shows or other forms of entertainment. The key to choosing a topic is the two items have to have some kind of connection. You might want to compare/contrast a hawk with an eagle, or a hawk with a pigeon (predator-prey) for instance, but why would you want to look at a hawk and a hummingbird, for instance. Except that they’re two birds, there isn’t a lot else in common. You might even look at an ostrich and a hummingbird, as the largest and smallest of birds, but a hummingbird and hawk don’t have even that kind of connection.

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There are three ways you can go about developing a comparison/contrast paper. I’ll briefly discuss them, but you need to think about which would be best for the topic you’ve chosen:

• Case Pattern (one side at a time). With this format, you begin the body of your essay with one of the two items you are writing about. You discuss that item thoroughly before moving on to the second item. When you get to the second item, you are finished with the first. You don’t need to repeat what you said in the first section of the essay. For example, let’s say you’re writing an essay on the similarities and differences between the American alligator and the Nile crocodile. You want to look at three aspects of the reptiles: habitat; feeding habits; breeding habits. With the case pattern, you would have a section solely dedicated to the alligator, perhaps with a paragraph each for habitat, feeding habits and breeding habits. Then you would have a section solely dedicated to the crocodile, again, focusing on those three sections. The key thing to remember here is to consistency. If you have three paragraphs in the alligator section, you should have three paragraphs in the crocodile section.

• Alternating pattern (point-by point). With this format, you will be going back and forth between the two items. The similarities and differences are much more obvious, since you are mixing the two items together instead of separating them as you did with the case pattern. For instance, with the alligator/crocodile essay, you would have three sections: one on habitat; one on feeding habits and one on breeding habits. Within the section on habitat, you would look at both the similarities and difference between where alligators and crocodiles live. They both like wet areas, but the alligator is much more inclined to a swampy environment, whereas the crocodile likes a more open area. Again, consistence would be important here. Each section should be about the same length. If you have a lot of information on habitat and feeding habits but only a brief section on breeding, the reader will assume you are not as familiar with that section. If you’re not, why include it?

• Opposing pattern (similarities vs. differences). With this format, you are emphasizing that two items have a balanced amount of similarities and differences. It only works if there is that balance. If you are writing about your two twin siblings, there are probably many more similarities than differences. You would be writing a lopsided paper. But if you were looking at your two best friends, there might be a fairly even balance: they’re your best friends because they probably have a lot in common, but they are two individuals who have been raised differently and think differently, perhaps. Our friends, the alligator and crocodile would work well, probably, in the opposing pattern. They are very similar in that they are large predator reptiles. But they have vast differences as well, including location and personality traits (crocodiles are much more aggressive and much more dangerous to humans, for instance).

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Here are outlines for the three essays just described:

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Case Pattern

Introduction (Including thesis statement)

A. Alligators

1. Habitat

2. Feeding habits

3. Breeding habits

B. Crocodiles

1. Habitat

2. Feeding habits

3. Breeding habits

Conclusion

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Alternating Pattern

Introduction

A. Habitat

1. Alligators

2. Crocodiles

B. Feeding habits

1. Alligators

2. Crocodiles

C. Breeding habits

1. Alligators

2. Crocodiles

Conclusion

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Opposing Patterns

Introduction

A. Similarities

1. Habitat likenesses

2. Feeding likenesses

3. Breeding likeness

B. Differences

1. Habitat differences

2. Feeding differences

3. Breeding differences

Conclusion

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Again, pick a topic you feel comfortable with- one you have a good, solid knowledge of and one you will enjoy writing about. Make sure your topic is narrow enough to deal with in an essay of three or so pages. You can’t write about the similarities and differences between World War I and World War II, for instance. You need an introduction and conclusion, again, remembering that introductions attract readers and express theses, and conclusions influence readers to continue thinking about your topic.

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Remember to include a rough draft. Try prewriting if you’re having any problems getting started. Talk to your classmates about possible topics if you like.