Brainstorming
The purpose of a comparison or contrast essay is the show how two different topics are either different or similar.
When brainstorming your ideas for a compare/contrast paper, it is useful to begin with a venn diagram to gather your thoughts (pictured below). The venn diagram helps you determine the key points of difference or similarity to focus on in your paper. In a compare and contrast essay you are going to want at least three key factors that you are going to focus on in your essay structure.
For instance : if you are writing a contrast essay on Canada and the United States your three points might be: government structure, culture, and the economy. Similarly if you were writing a comparison essay on New York City and Los Angeles your main points might be: economy, population, and entertainment.
Essay Structure
Thesis statements for comparison and contrast essays are typically structured to show what you will be talking about in your paper.
For instance, a thesis statement for a contrast essay might look like "Canada and the United States may appear similar due to geographic location, but they actually differ greatly through government structure, culture, and economy."
Similarly, a comparison thesis statement might look like: "While New York City and Los Angeles are on opposite sides of the country, they are similar in their economy, population, and entertainment industries."
Organizing a compare and contrast essay can be done by using the point-by-point structure.
| Comparison Essay | Contrast Essay |
|---|---|
|
Introduction Paragraph Includes your main points and your thesis statement |
Introduction Paragraph Includes your main points and your thesis statement |
|
Body Paragraph 1 Introduce your first point and discuss how the two topics are similar on that point. |
Body Paragraph 1 Introduce your first point and discuss how the two topics differ on that point. |
|
Body Paragraph 2 Introduce your second point and discuss how the two topics are similar on that point. |
Body Paragraph 2 Introduce your second point and discuss how the two topics differ on that point. |
|
Body Paragraph 3 Introduce your third point and discuss how the two topics differ on that point. |
Body Paragraph 3 Introduce your third point and discuss how the two topics differ on that point. |
|
Conclusion Paragraph Conclude essay by rewording the thesis statement and connecting back to all three body paragraphs |
Conclusion Paragraph Conclude essay by rewording the thesis statement and connecting back to all three body paragraphs |
IMAGE 1 (MLA)
Faith Ringgold. Street Story Quilt Part 1: The Accident. p. 1, https://jstor.org/stable/community.14273516.
IMAGE 2 (MLA)
