Writing Comparison or Contrast Essays

A Comparison or Contrast essay is an essay in which you either compare something or contrast something. A comparison essay is an essay in which you emphasize the similarities, and a contrast essay is an essay in which you emphasize the differences. We use comparison and contrast thinking when deciding which university to attend, which smartphone to buy, or whether to vacation at home or abroad.

When comparing or contrasting something, writers have two classic organizational patterns from which to choose. One is called block arrangement of ideas; the other is called point-by-point or alternating arrangement of ideas. Suppose you are interested in showing the differences between vacationing in the mountains and vacationing at the beach. You will then write a contrast essay. One way to arrange your material is to use the block arrangement which is to write about vacationing in the mountains in one paragraph and vacationing at the beach in the next. If you mention a particular point in the mountains paragraph, you must mention the same point in the beach paragraph, and in the same order. The following outline shows this block organization. The first paragraph (the introduction) is followed by the mountains paragraph, then the beach paragraph, then the conclusion. The fully developed essay is just four paragraphs.

	Block Organization in Four Paragraphs
I.	Introduction: Get your reader's attention and state your purpose which is to discuss the differences between vacationing in the mountains or at the beach.
II.	Vacationing in the Mountains, (A) the climate, (B) the types of activities, and (C) the location.
III.	Vacation at the Beach, (A) the climate, (B) the types of activities, and (C) the location.
IV.	Conclusion: Summarize your ideas and leave the reader with a good impression.

 

A second way to organize this material is to discuss a particular point about vacationing in the mountains and then immediately to discuss the same point about vacationing at the beach. This is called point-by-point or alternating arrangement. An outline of this organization follows.

	Point-by-Point Organization in Five Paragraphs
I.	Introduction: Get your reader's attention and state your purpose which is to discuss three differences between vacationing in the mountains or vacationing at the beach which are the climate, the types of activities, and the location.
II.	The first difference between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains is the climate.
III.	The second difference between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains is the type of activities.
IV.	The third difference between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains is the location.
V.	Conclusion: Summarize your ideas and leave the reader with a good impression.

 

Application: Identification of Block or Point-By-Point in Two Essays

What follows are two short essays, one illustrating block and the other illustrating point-by-point organization. After reading the organizational schemes and seeing how they look in the tables above, it should be relatively simple identifying the organizational pattern in each of the following essays.

Vacationing in the Mountains or at the Beach

People are always looking forward to their vacation period. There are many options where to choose. I think that the two most common places people choose for taking a vacation are the mountains and the beaches. Both places offer a variety of fun activities. The beach offers activities that the mountain cannot offer and vice versa. The mountain and the beach are totally different. The purpose of this essay is to contrast the climate, types of activities and locations of beaches and mountains.

I'm going to discuss mountains first. The three aspects I'm going to discuss are climate, types of activities and location. Climate is always important in order to enjoy vacations. If a person dislikes cold weather, he or she might have a hard time in the mountains. The cold climate in the mountains is the first barrier to enjoying them, but the climate and the temperature of these zones also determine the types of activities they offer. Snow boarding, mountain climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and skiing are some activities people can enjoy when going to the mountains. There are many regions that have mountains where people can go and have a great vacation. Canada is a country located in North America and contains many mountain vacation sites where people can go and have fun.

I'm going to discuss the beach second. The three aspects I'm going to discuss are climate, types of activities and location. Warm climate is one of the most important features that the beach has. Sun and fun are two words that describe the beach. The temperature in those places is always hot. The sea and the warm climate determine the activities that are available at the beach. People can swim, play volleyball, play soccer, and ride water bikes. In most coastal sites, there are discos and restaurants where people can dance or party throughout the night. Mexico offers many amazing coastal sites to visit. Acapulco and Cancun are two of the most beautiful and famous beaches in the world.

It doesn't matter what place a person decides to choose. The fun is 100% guaranteed. People often choose one of these two options to spend their vacations. Depending on what the person likes is what he or she will choose. I like the beach better than the mountains, but sometimes it is better to take a risk and try a different place to enjoy. (399 words)

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Is the "Vacationing" essay above organized using block or point-by-point arrangement of details? First, note the essay is four paragraphs, (1) an introduction, (2) a paragraph about vacationing in the mountains, (3) a paragraph about vacationing at the beach, and (4) a conclusion. This is the block arrangement, the first block containing information about mountains and the second block containing information about the beach. The following essay contrasts eating fresh foods and canned foods. Is its organization block or point-by-point? How many paragraphs does it contain? How many "differences" between fresh foods and canned foods does the author discuss?

Consuming Fresh Foods Instead of Canned Foods

Eating is an activity that we as humans do at least two times a day. We live in a world where the variety of food is immense, and we are responsible for what we eat. We decide what we are about to eat and how it will affect our bodies. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the differences between eating fresh foods instead of canned foods. The three main differences are flavor, health benefits, and cost.

The most notable difference between these two kinds of foods is their flavor. Fresh foods have great flavor and taste because they keep all their natural conditions. Canned foods however, lack a lot of its flavor characteristics because there are some other chemical products added to the natural foods. It is logical that the fresh foods will have a greater taste and flavor when consumed just because of the time in which they have been prepared.

Comparing both types of foods we notice another difference. There is a health factor that affects both of them. Canned foods lose some of the original fresh food nutrients when stored, and also it has to be tinned with many conservatives and chemical factors that prolong the shelf life and apparent freshness of the food but could also become toxic if consumed too often.

Yet another difference between these two types of foods is the cost. Canned foods are much more expensive than fresh foods. Here the benefit of buying tinned foods is that they are easier to find, for example, in a supermarket instead of the market like the fresh foods, and they require less work to prepare than fresh foods, just open and serve.

Here are the main three differences between buying fresh foods and buying canned foods. As we can see it comes down to a personal choice, based on the time each person has, the money and the importance he/she gives to his/her nutrition and health. Therefore it is important that you consider your possibilities and choose the best types of foods for your convenience and lifestyle. (347 words)

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The "Foods" essay above is the "classic" five paragraph essay that all non-native speakers of English should learn to write. Its organization is the "classic" point-by-point, each point stated and developed in a single paragraph. The essay contains five paragraphs that contrast three differences between fresh and canned foods. The essay includes (1) an introduction, (2) the development of the first difference (flavor), (3) the development of the second difference (health benefits), (4) the development of the third difference (cost), and (5) a conclusion. In the true classic tradition, the three main differences in this contrast essay—flavor, health benefits, and cost—are stated both in the introduction and the conclusion as well. My own observation is this: US kids are taught to organize and write five paragraph essays like this from early childhood, but they rarely attain the degree of perfection of the essay above.

Which Would YOU Prefer, and Why?

For each of the following topics, what support could you imagine yourself making to support one side or the other?

A. Vacationing in Paris or taking a three-week trip down the Amazon.

B. Buying an Apple or a PC laptop.

What other topics would allow you to support your point of view?

Additional Points to Remember When Writing a Comparison or Contrast Essay

1. Know what organizational style you are using. Whether you use the block arrangement or point-by-point organization, you should be able to identify it. Being able to identify your organization will not only help you in the organization of your own writing, but it will also help your readers follow the points you make.

2. State your organization. Remember the "straight line of development" that was discussed in the introduction requires that you "tell your audience what you are going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them." An important objective in academic writing is clarity, and stating your organization puts your ideas front and center. Always err on the side of clarity!

3. Keep your audience in mind. After you finish writing, read your essay from the perspective of readers. How will they respond to your ideas? Will they understand what you have written? Will they agree with your main point? Even if they do not agree, will the support at least appear logical to them?

4. Say what you want to say. Why write unless you can support your own personal point of view in your own writing? It was said at the top of this page that we use comparison or contrast in nearly everything we do, so look for opportunities as a writer to use comparison or contrast to support a personal point of view, your own view!

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                                        Industrial Engineer or Administrator?

One of the most important decisions of your life is choosing a career. When you have two main options to study you can compare them in order to see the advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this essay is to examine the differences between being an Industrial Engineer and being an Administrator. These are two similar careers, but each of them offers you different opportunities as a student and as a professional. Three main aspects comparing these two careers are the job opportunities, the specific skills you acquire and the work areas.

One of the main aspects you should consider in selecting a career is the job opportunities. As an Industrial Engineer you have a very wide open field. You can work in many different areas. Industrial Engineers can work as administrators, manufacturers, and in departments such as human resources. As an Administrator you are more specialized, and the work field is more reduced. You can only work in departments such as human resources and economics but not in manufacturing or productivity departments.

Another very important differences the knowledge you acquire. As an Industrial Engineer you will obtain more objective and specialized reasoning abilities. You will have to study subjects such as Physics and Mathematics and other kinds of subjects such as Human Resources and Administration. As an Engineer you will obtain both a social and a mathematical perspective. As an Administrator you have subjects such as Finance and Private Rights. You will obtain a better social perspective, but not a very critical or specialized mathematical reasoning.

A third aspect to consider is what would you like to do after graduating. Both careers are good to be an entrepreneur. Engineers are able to work in the manufacturing process in order to offer good quality. Administrators are able to work checking the economic and material resources in order to produce. An Administrator is specialized in the financial aspects, and the Engineer is specialized in the productivity. It depends which area you like the most.

Definitely, both careers are great options. Both are needed in industry and business. It is very important to analyze if you are more into business or if you are more into manufacturing. Engineers use a very high level of critical thinking and analysis talking about productivity. Administrators use a very specialized reasoning talking about economics and resources. Both are similar, but they focus on different aspects within the enterprise. It is a matter of knowing yourself and finding out what kind of student and professional you want to be.

 

 

Sample compare-contrast essay, point-by-point pattern. Written as a review for food pages in a

newspaper or magazine, to be read by American consumers. By Courtney Lockwood.

A Closer Look at Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the 1800's, when Ruth Graves Wakefield introduced her new cookie creation in her

Massachusetts restaurant, Americans fell in love with the new taste sensation and returned again

and again to order a meal...and one of her Toll House Cookies for dessert. Since then,

Americans have had a love affair with chocolate chip cookies; they are the number one selling

cookie in the nation today. Unfortunately, what many Americans think of as a chocolate chip

cookie today is a dry, shelf-stable distant cousin to the soft, thick, home-baked cookie developed

by Miss Wakefield.

Two cookie companies, in particular, have enjoyed commercial success with their

packaged chocolate chip cookies, so our panel of food specialists conducted a taste test to see

how their cookies fared. We sampled dozens of “Chips Ahoy” and “Famous Amos” chocolate

chip cookies to see for ourselves which of these two modern versions of Ruth’s Toll House

Cookie could satisfy our taste buds. What we found is, while the two cookies have a very similar

appearance and texture, the “Famous Amos cookies had a richer, more buttery taste that our

panel preferred.

Both cookies were small and crisp and an even light brown. The Chips Ahoy cookie is

slightly larger – about two inches in diameter to the Famous Amos cookie’s one and one-half

inches – and is actually more attractive. The Chips Ahoy cookie is sprinkled with more

chocolate chips (it was topped with about 15 tiny chocolate chips while only three somewhat

larger chocolate chips were showing on the Famous Amos cookie) and has a “cleaner” and more

natural appearance with dark brown hills and light brown crevices that seem appropriate with a

baked product.

When the cookies are broken, the Chips Ahoy cookie breaks easily and seems crispy

compared to the small Famous Amos cookie that seemed dry and resistant to breaking. The larger

Chips Ahoy cookie broke cleanly while the Famous Amos cookie broke into multiple pieces and

crumbs.

We were all set to prefer the prettier Chips Ahoy product, and were surprised that taste

led us to the other product. The Chips Ahoy cookie had almost no taste; it was dry and crackerlike

with just a slight sweetness. The Famous Amos cookie seemed slightly sweeter and it had a

buttery, baked cookie taste – reminiscent of a graham cracker – that was missing in the other

brand. The Famous Amos chocolate chips seemed to have a stronger chocolate flavor; some of

us felt that the Chips Ahoy chocolate had a slightly grainy texture and coffee overtones.

On the whole, the Famous Amos cookie was preferred by nearly all our taste testers, and

many of us found that the little morsels were somewhat addictive. So, while neither cookie

comes close to the taste of a warm-from-the-oven homemade chocolate chip cookie, we found

that Famous Amos offers a tasty alternative, conveniently available on your supermarket shelf

Comparison and Contrast Essay: Block Method

There are two basic patterns writers use for comparison/contrast essays: the block method and the point-by-point method. In the block method, you describe all the similarities in the first body paragraph and then all the differences in the second body paragraph. The guideline below will help you remember what you need to do in each part of a comparison/contrast essay using the block method.

 

Introduction 1.      1.       Attract the reader’s attention. 2.      2.       Provide background information about your topic. 3.      3.       Identify the two things being compared and contrasted. 4.      4.       State the purpose for making the comparison and/or contrast. 5.      5.       State the thesis.

Body Paragraphs 1.      1.       In the first paragraph, discuss the similarities. 2.      2.       In the next paragraph, discuss the differences.

Conclusion 1.      1.       Paraphrase the thesis. 2.      2.       Summarize the main similarities and differences. 3.      3.       Paraphrase the importance of the topic.

 

Block Method Student Essay

 

Fighting the Battle against Drugs

 

The use of drugs has increased in recent years, according to numerous articles in medical journals. They threaten communities all over the world because of how affect the organs of the body and their functions. Crack and cocaine are two of these dangerous drugs. Thus, it is important for health care professionals to have knowledge about them in order to deal with any problems related to their use that patients may experience. While they may appear similar at first glance, in fact they have three major differences.

 

Crack and cocaine have three similar effects on the human body. Although crack is heat resistant and cocaine is destroyed by heat, both cause hypertension. Also, crack and cocaine bring about physiological and psychological damage, depending on pre-existing conditions and the extent of drug use. For example, hallucination, psychosis, paranoia and aggressive behavior may occur, and an overdose of either may cause cardiac collapse or convulsion. Finally, use of both drugs can lead to addiction.

 

Despite crack and cocaine’s similarities, they have three major differences. First, although crack and cocaine are derived from the coca plant, they differ in form. Crack has the form of flakes whereas cocaine is found in the form of powder, which can be dissolved. Furthermore, both crack and cocaine contain cocaine, but in various percentages: crack contains as much as 90 percent pure cocaine whereas cocaine contains from 15 to 25 percent pure cocaine. Another major difference is how they enter the body. For example, crack is smoked in a pipe or cigarette. It enters the body by the lungs into the bloodstream. Cocaine, on the other hand, is inhaled as a powder or is injected if dissolved. It enters the body via the nasal mucosa into the bloodstream or, if injected, directly via the bloodstream.

 

In conclusion, it can be seen that, while being alike in three ways, these two drugs differ in three ways. They affect the body in similar ways. Both can lead to physiological problems such as convulsions and psychological problems such as hallucinations.  Furthermore, their use may result in addiction. However, cocaine and crack differ in form, content of pure cocaine and method of entry into the body. Therefore, it is important that health care professionals know about these drugs.

 

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

The Writing Centre Department of English 1

Comparison

Emphasizes the similarities between two things, ideas, concepts, or points of view.




Contrast


Emphasizes the differences between two things, ideas, concepts, or points of view




How to Write a Comparison/Contrast Essay:


1. The two items should make sense to compare or contrast. For example, you might compare two baseball teams, but not a football team and a baseball team. As you select your topic, keep in mind that you won’t merely be describing the two things you’re writing about – you will be emphasizing the ways they are different or alike. For instance, how does a math teacher you have in college differ from one you had in high school? How is your job as a salesperson similar to a job you had as a receptionist last summer?

2. The introduction should give the reason for the comparison or contrast, for example to determine which is the more or less desirable of the two. The thesis statement should clearly present the two items to be compared or contrasted (the subject) and the criteria for the comparison or contrast (the main points).

*The main points must be grammatically parallel.



3. The main points must apply equally to both items. For example, if you are comparing typewriters to word processors, the categories of screen size or colour may not apply.

4. Organization of main points:

The Point-by-Point Method

(also called the slice or alternating method) compares the items one point at a time. The topic sentence focuses on the point being used as the basis of comparison rather than the item.

Comparison/Contrast Essays

 

In a comparison/contrast essay, you explain the similarities and the differences

between two items.

The other way to organize a comparison/contrast essay is to arrange all the similarities together in a block and all the differences together in a block. You could discuss either the similarities first or the differences first. You often insert a transition paragraph or transition sentence between the two blocks. The model essay comparing Japan and the United States uses block organization.

 

The number of paragraphs in each block depends on the topic. For some topics,

you may write about all the similarities in a single paragraph; for other topics, you

may need to discuss each similarity in a separate paragraph. The same is true for differences.

Of course, some topics may have one paragraph of similarities and several paragraphs of differences, or vice versa.

 

These are the important points.

 

1. Comparison/contrast is a common pattern for writing about similarities and

differences. It is used in all academic fields.

 

2. There are two common ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay.

 

• In point-by-point organization, you discuss each similarity and each difference in some other order-usually order of their importance without grouping them into blocks. In this type of organization, you may discuss a similarity and then a difference, and then a similarity and then a difference.

 

• In block organization, you first discuss all the similarities in a block and then all the differences in another block. (You may, of course, begin with the block of differences.)

 

3. Use comparison and contrast signal words to help your reader understand your points of comparison and contrast.

 

Example

 

Japan and the United States: Different but Alike.

            The culture of a place is an integral part of its society whether that place is a remote Indian village in Brazil or a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States because, at first glance, it seems so different. Everything that characterizes the United States – newness, racial heterogeneity (variety), vast territory, informality, and an ethic of individualism (belief in the value of the individual person over the group) - is absent in Japan. There, one finds an ancient and homogeneous (characterized by sameness, consistency) society, an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups, and a tradition of formal behaviour governing every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello. On the surface at least, U.S. and Japanese societies seem totally opposite.

            One obvious difference is the people. Japan is a homogenous society of one nationality and a few underrepresented minority groups, such as the ethnic Chinese and Koreans. All areas of government and society are controlled by the Japanese majority. In contrast, although the United States is a country with originally European roots, its liberal immigration policies have resulted in its becoming a heterogeneous society of many ethnicities – Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Latinos. All are represented in all areas of U.S. society, including business, education, and politics.

            Other areas of difference between Japan and the United States involve issues of group interaction and sense of space. Whereas people in the United States pride themselves on individualism and informality, Japanese value groups and formality. People in the United States admire and reward a person who rises above the crowd; in contrast, a Japanese proverb says, “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” In addition, while North Americans’ sense of size and scale developed out of the vastness of the continent, Japanese genius lies in the diminutive and miniature (very small). For example, the United States builds airplanes, while Japan produces transistors.

            In spite of these differences, these two apparently opposite cultures share several important experiences.

            Both, for example, have transplanted cultures. Each nation has a “mother” society – China for Japan and Great Britain for the United States – that has influenced the daughter in countless ways: in language, religion, art, literature, social customs, and ways of thinking. Japan, of course, has had more time than the United States to work out its unique interpretation of the older Chinese culture, but both countries reflect their cultural ancestry.

Both societies, moreover, have developed the art and commerce, of buying and selling, of advertising and mass producing, to the highest levels. Few sights are more reassuring to people from the United States than the tens of thousands of busy stores in Japan, especially the beautiful, well-stocked department stores. To U.S. eyes, they seem just like Macy’s or Neiman Marcus at home. In addition, both Japan and the United States are consumer societies. The people of both countries love to shop and are enthusiastic consumers of convenience products and fast food. Vending machines selling everything from fresh flowers to hot coffee are as popular in Japan as they are in the United States, and fast-food noodle shops are as common in Japan as McDonald’s restaurants are in the United States.

            A final similarity is that both Japanese and people in the United States have always emphasized the importance of work, and both are paying penalties for their commitment to it: increasing stress and weakening family bonds. People in the United States, especially those in business and in the professions, regularly put in twelve or more hours a day at their jobs, just as many Japanese executives do. Also, while the normal Japanese workweek is six days, many people in the United States who want to get ahead voluntarily work on Saturday and/or Sunday in addition to their five-day workweek.

            Japan and the United States: different, yet alike. Although the two societies differ in many areas such as racial heterogeneity versus racial homogeneity, individualism versus group cooperation, and informal versus formal forms of behaviour, they share more than one common experience. Furthermore, their differences probably contribute as much as their similarities toward the mutual interest the two countries have in each other. It will be interesting to see where this fascination leads in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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