CHAPTER 8

COMPARISON AND
CONTRAST ESSAY
Mrs. Elizabeth Coiman-Lopez, BAT,. MS.
HCC Fall 2019
 ◦ This is writing about ideas, people, or things similarities or
differences.
◦ When choosing a topic, make sure the two things you
COMPARE or CONTRAST have some elements in
common.
◦ Example: choose to compare two teachers, two movies,
two movies, two types of transportations, or two
computer programs.
◦ You do not want to compare or contrast the WEATHER in
Toronto with the NIGHTLIFE in Tokyo.
◦ You need to compare or contrast the weather in both cities
or the nightlife in both cities.
◦ You can also compare or contrast two medical professions
like nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
◦ You can also compare or contrast two team sports like
soccer and basketball.

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAY DEFINITION P. 148 2

 For example, in history class,
In academic writing,
you might compare or contrast to
comparison and contrast essays
leaders in order to show which
are often used to support a point
one was more successful at
or persuade the reader.
bringing about economic reform.

In an engineering class, you

In a literature class, you might
might compare and contrast
compare or contrast two short
solar energy with wind energy to
stories to show which one you
explain why one is more
liked better.
efficient than the other.

SHOWING THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES P. 149 3

TRANSITION WORD EXAMPLES IN A SENTENCE
ALIKE My parents and my husband’s parents are ALIKE in several ways.
AND…TOO Dublin has an international airport, AND London does, TOO.
AS…AS The Tower’s apartments are AS expensive AS the Park Lane’s.
BOTH…AND BOTH Egypt AND Kenya are in Africa.
LIKE The weather in Philadelphia is LIKE the weather in my hometown.
LIKEWISE Toyota makes fuel-efficient cars. LIKEWISE, Fiat makes fuel-efficient cars.
SIMILAR TO The menu at Gino’s is SIMILAR TO the menu at Frank’s.
SIMILARITY Martha has two children and works full-time. SIMILARLY, Leila is a working mother.
THE SAME My roommate and I like THE SAME kind of music.
THE SAME AS The altitude of Calcutta is THE SAME AS the altitude of Copenhagen.

TRANSITION WORDS THAT INDICATE COMPARISON ESSAY P. 149 4

TRANSITION WORD EXAMPLES IN A SENTENCE
ALTHOUGH ALTHOUGH the Sahara Desert has a dry climate, some crops can be grown there.
BUT The Sahara Desert has a cry climate, BUT the Amazon Rain Forest has a wet climate.
DIFFERENT FROM The climate in the Sahara Desert is very DIFFERENT FROM the climate in the Amazon
Rain Forest.
EVEN THOUGH EVEN THOUGH the Sahara Desert has a dry climate, some crops can be grown there.
HOWEVER The Sahara Desert has a dry climate. HOWEVER, the Amazon Rain Forest has a wet
climate.
IN CONTRAST The Sahara Desert has a dry climate. IN CONTRAST, the Amazon Rain forest has a wet
climate.
ON THE OTHER The Sahara Desert has a dry climate. ON THE OTHER HAND, the Amazon Rain Forest
HAND has a wet climate.
UNLIKE UNLIKE rain forest deserts get very little rain.
WHEREAS WHEREAS The Sahara Desert is dry, the Amazon Rain Forest is wet.
WHILE WHILE the Sahara Desert is dry, the Amazon Rain Forest is wet.

TRANSITION WORDS THAT INDICATE CONTRAST ESSAY P. 149 5

1. There are several differences / similarities between… And…
• There are several differences between high school and college.
• There are several similarities between high school and college.
2. … and… are similar / different in many ways.
• Thai food and Vietnamese food are similar in many ways.
• Thai food and Vietnamese food are different in many ways.
3. … is different from / similar to… In many ways.
• My father is different from his older brother in many ways.
• My father is similar to his older brother in many ways.
4. … and… have several / many things in common.
• My best friend and I have several things in common.
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistance have many things in common
5. A comparison between… and… reveals / shows / demonstrates…
• Comparison between jazz and rock ‘n’ roll reveals some surprising similarities.
• A comparison between jazz and rock ‘n’ roll demonstrates some surprising differences.
PRACTICE P. 150

THESIS STATEMENTS P. 150 6

1. BLOCK METHOD: 2. POINT-BY-POINT METHOD:
1. You describe all the similarities in the 1. In the point by point I method, you
first supporting paragraph and then all identify several important points to be
the differences in the second compared and contrasted.
supporting paragraph. 2. In the first supporting paragraph, you
2. In the block method, you describe all compare and contrast the two things
the similarities in the first supporting according to the first point.
paragraph. 3. In the second supporting
3. In the second supporting paragraph, paragraph, you compare and
describe all the differences. contrast the two things according
to the second point, and so on.

Most student writers find a block

method easier to master

PRACTICE P. 154

METHODS OF ORGANIZATION FOR COMPARISON AND CONTRAST P. 154 7

 1. BLOCK METHOD
INTRODUCTION: SUBJECT 1 SUBJECT 2
1. Provide background information about your topic.
2. Identify the two things been compared to or contrasted.
3. State the purpose for making the comparison or contrast.
4. Write thesis statement that states the focus of your essay.

BODY (supporting paragraphs):

2. In the first paragraph, discuss the similarities.
3. The next paragraph, discuss the differences.
CONCLUSION:
4. Real estate purpose for comparison and or contrasting in different words.
5. Summarize the main similarities and differences.
6. Make a conclusion.

BLOCK METHOD P. 154 8

 1. BLOCK METHOD
◦ Introduction Paragraph:
SUBJECT 1 SUBJECT 2
◦ Hook: ________________________________________
◦ Thesis:________________________________________

◦ Supporting Paragraph 1 – SIMILARITIES - SUBJECT 1 & 2

◦ Similarity #1:_________________________
◦ Similarity #2: _________________________
◦ Similarity #3: _________________________

◦ Supporting Paragraph 2 – DIFFERENCES - SUBJECT 1 & 2

◦ Difference #1__________________________
◦ Difference #2: _________________________
◦ Difference #3: _________________________

◦ Conclusion: _________________________________

BLOCK METHOD P. 154 9

 2. POINT-BY-POINT METHOD
INTRODUCTION:
1. Provide background information about your topic. SUBJECT 1 SUBJECT 2
2. Identify the two things been compared to or contrasted.
3. State the purpose for making the comparison or contrast.
4. Write thesis statement that states the focus of your essay.
BODY (supporting paragraphs):
1. In the first paragraph, compare and contrast the two subjects according
to the first point you identified.
2. In the second paragraph, compare and contrast the two subjects
according to the second point you identified.
3. Do the same thing in the third and subsequent paragraphs.
CONCLUSION:
4. Real estate purpose for comparison and or contrasting in different
words.
5. Summarize the main similarities and differences.
6. Make a conclusion. PRACTICE P. 158

POINT-BY-POINT METHOD P. 158 10

 2. POINT-BY-POINT METHOD
◦ Introduction Paragraph:
◦ Hook: ________________________________________
◦ Thesis:________________________________________ SUBJECT 1
◦ Supporting Paragraph 1 –Point of Comparison_#1____
◦ Subject 1:_________________________
◦ Subject 2: _________________________

◦ Supporting Paragraph 2 – Point of Comparison #2____

◦ Subject 1__________________________
◦ Subject 2: _________________________

◦ Supporting Paragraph 3 – Point of Comparison #3____

◦ Subject 1__________________________
◦ Subject 2: _________________________

◦ Conclusion: _________________________________

POINT-BY-POINT METHOD P. 158 11

 ◦ Compare and contrast two pieces of art or music.
◦ Compare and contrast communication in your generation and
communication in your grandparents’ generation.
◦ Compare and contrast two characters in a movie or book.
◦ Compare and contrast products that you have use such as two kinds of
shampoo, two different cell phones, or two pairs of sneakers.

ON YOUR OWN P. 161 12