COMPARISON ESSAY

WHAT IS A COMPARISON
ESSAY

 A comparison essay attempts to point out

what is similar or different about two
subjects
 Colloquially called Compare and Contrast to
point out the two main parts: Similarities vs
Differences
ORGANIZING A COMPARISON ESSAY

 Point by Point method: choose common aspects to comment on

-> Point 1 -> How A and B are the same/different; Point 2 ->
How A and B are the same/different,etc…
 Block method: All differences -> All similarities (points are
arranged in the same order for both aspects)
 The keyword is PARALLEL (in other words, things are kept in
the same order)
USING A VENN DIAGRAM TO GET IDEAS: A VENN DIAGRAM
SHOWS THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN
TWO SUBJECTS
FOR EXAMPLE: TASK VS EXERCISE

 Task  Exercise
 Involves production  Involves recollection &
 Meant to APPLY learned recognition
knowledge  Meant to achieve understanding of
 Usually used as a chain of smaller knowledge
tasks  Can be standalone exercises
WHICH APPROACH SHOULD YOU USE?

 Depends on how many ideas you have

 If you know more similarities than differences and vice versa, or if the
common point feels “forced” (i.e when you don’t have concrete ideas about
the prices at McDonald so you pulled up random numbers) you should
consider the block method
 The block method allows the writer to get away with having more similarities
than differences (vice versa), especially if you are focusing on one side over
the other
 The point-by-point method presents a “cleaner” version of the essay with
defined points but requires more effort. When done right, a point-by-point
essay will be more organized and well-structured than a block essay.
TASK 1: FORM AN OUTLINE FOR ANY OF
THE FOLLOWING TOPICS (10 IN TOTAL)
EXERCISE 1: ANSWER QUESTIONS 1 TO 5 ON PAGE
104 AND 105 IN THE BOOK WITH YOUR FRIENDS
  Like the cause-effect thesis statement, you can also
write a general or specific thesis statement, but the
language used might be different
TASK 2: WRITE  A thesis about team sports
 General: This essay will discuss the similarities and
A THESIS differences between football and rugby
STATEMENT  More specific: While football and rugby shares many
FOR YOUR similar traits, there are defining differences between
them
CHOSEN TOPIC  Most specific: Although football and rugby are
similar in many ways such as their roots and the
instrument of play, they are vastly different in terms
of play rules, training focus, and their general
cultural impact
 By default, comparison and
contrast essays lean heavily
towards the use of connectors
and transitions to show the
relationship between ideas
 This kind of language is also
useful for describing charts, as
they are primarily all about
comparing different
components
EXERCISE 2: LOOK AT ACTIVITY 7
ON PAGE 109 - 110
 Choose the right connector for the situation
THIS GRAMMAR POINT CAN BE CONSIDERED THE
BREAD-AND-BUTTER OF COMPARISON ESSAYS, AS IT IS
THE EASIEST TO REMEMBER AND USE
PARALLEL STRUCTURES ARE USEFUL IN BOTH SPEAKING
AND WRITING IN GENERAL, AS IT ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE
YOUR SENTENCE “LEANER” AND MORE IMPACTFUL
GRADED ESSAY

 Continue with your chosen topic from task 1 and 2