TOPIC INFORMATION:

To compare means to look at the similarities of certain features of items or

phenomena; to contrast means to look at the differences
 Items or phenomena in compare-contrast essays usually belong to the
same general class
o Eg. two historical events; two or more laws; two or more pieces
of literature; two or more people.
o Organsing the compare-contrast essay requires thought and
care.

Organising Pattern:

 if the essay is about similarities or differences only then it can be

organised in the same way as for an Argument essay.

However,

 if the essay is about both similarities and differences the essay can
be organised in one of two ways: i) Block pattern or ii) Point Chain
pattern.

Block pattern:-

 describes all the features or qualities of one of the subjects or items

being compared and contrasted;
 then compares and contrasts them with those of the second
subject/item;
 appropriate language signals will appear more in the second half of the
essay than in the first half.
 a transition paragraph links description of subject 1 (in the first half of
the essay) to the comparison and contrast second half of the essay.

Point by point pattern:-

 compares and contrasts the two subjects on a particular quality or

feature
 similarities are compared first followed by the differences
 each point of similarity or difference is discussed in a paragraph
 CC language signals are spread out in the paragraphs
 Some common CC language signals include:
 o A is like B in . . .
o Both A and B are . . .
o Unlike A, B is . . .
o B in contrast to A is . . .
o Some adjectives with ‘er’ and ‘est’ endings eg ‘larger’

Sample essays:

Have you read the sample essays in the CB?

Res 6.4 Block pattern CC essay

Res 6.5 Point by point CC essay