Learning by Writing
The Assignment: Comparing and Contrasting
Write a paper in which you compare and contrast two items to enlighten readers about both subjects. The specific points of similarity and difference will be important, but you will go beyond them to draw a conclusion from your analysis. This conclusion, your thesis, needs to be more than “point A is different from point B” or “I prefer subject B to subject A.” You will need to explain why you have drawn your conclusion. You’ll also need to provide specific supporting evidence to explain your position and to convince your readers of its soundness. You may choose two people, two kinds of people, two places, two objects, two activities, or two ideas, but be sure to choose two you care about. You might write an impartial paper that distinctly portrays both subjects, or you might show why you favor one over the other.
These students found a clear reason for comparison and contrast:
An American student compared and contrasted her home life with that of her roommate, a student from Nigeria. Her goal was to deepen her understanding of Nigerian society and her own.
A student who was interested in history compared and contrasted civilian responses to the Vietnam War and the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, considering how popular attitudes about military service had changed.
Another writer compared and contrasted facilities at two city parks, making a case for a revised funding formula.
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Facing the Challenge Comparing and Contrasting
The major challenge that writers face when comparing and contrasting two subjects is to determine their purpose. Writers who skip this step run the risk of having readers ask, “So, what’s the point?” Suppose you develop brilliant points of similarity and difference between the films of Wes Anderson and those of Stanley Kubrick. Do you want to argue that one director is more skilled than the other? Or perhaps you want to show how they treat love or conflict differently in their films? Consider the following questions as you determine your primary purpose for comparing and contrasting:
Do you want to inform your readers about these two subjects in order to provide a better understanding of the two?
Do you want to persuade your readers that one of the two subjects is preferable to the other?
Ask what you want to demonstrate, discover, or prove before you begin to draft so you can write a more effective comparison-and-contrast essay.
Generating Ideas
For strategies for generating ideas, see Ch. 19.
Find Two Subjects. Pick subjects you can compare and contrast purposefully. An examination question may give them to you, ready-made: “Compare and contrast ancient Roman sculpture with that of the ancient Egyptians.” But suppose you have to find your subjects for yourself. You’ll need to choose things that have a sensible basis for comparison, a common element.
moon rocks + stars = no common element
Dallas + Atlanta = cities to consider settling in
Jimmy Fallon + Jimmy Kimmel = television talk-show personalities
Besides having a common element, the subjects should share enough to compare but differ enough to throw each other into sharp relief.
sports cars + racing cars = common element + telling differences
sports cars + oil tankers = limited common element + unpromising differences
Try generating a list or brainstorming. Recall what you’ve recently read, discussed, or spotted on the Web. Let your mind skitter around in search of pairs that go together, or play the game of free association, jotting down a word and whatever it brings to mind: Democrats? Republicans. New York? Los Angeles. Facebook? LinkedIn. Or try the following questions:
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DISCOVERY CHECKLIST
Do you know two people who are strikingly different in attitude or behavior (perhaps your parents or two brothers, two friends, two teachers)?
Can you think of two groups that are both alike and different (perhaps two teams, two clubs, two sets of relatives)?
Have you taken two courses that were quite different but both valuable?
Do you prefer one of two places where you have lived or visited?
Can you recall two events in your life that shared similar aspects but turned out to be quite different (perhaps two sporting events, two romances, two vacations, the births of two children, an event then and now)?
Can you compare and contrast two holidays or two family customs?
Are you familiar with two writers, two artists, or two musicians who seem to have similar goals but quite different accomplishments?
Once you have a list of pairs, put a star by those that seem promising. Ask yourself what similarities immediately come to mind. What differences? Can you jot down several of each? Are these striking, significant similarities and differences? If not, move on until you discover a workable pair.
Limit Your Scope.If you want to compare and contrast Japanese literature and American literature in 750 words, your task is probably impossible. But to cut down the size of your subject, you might compare and contrast, say, a haiku of Bashō about a snake with a short poem about a snake by Emily Dickinson. This topic you could cover in 750 words.
Develop Your Pair to Build Support. As you examine your two subjects, your goal is twofold. First, analyze each using a similar approach so you have a reasonable basis for comparison and contrast. Then find the details and examples that will support your points. Consider these sources of support:
For more on interviewing, see Ch. 6.
For advice on finding a few useful resources, go to section B in the Quick Research Guide. For more on using sources for support, see Ch. 12.
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Ask a reporter’s questions—5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why) and an H (how). |
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Using the same questions, interview someone present at each event, or read news or other accounts. |
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Interview someone behind the scenes; read or listen to contrasting views. |
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Browse online for Web sites or pages that supply different examples. |
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Look for articles reporting studies or government statistics. |
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Learning by Doing Making a Comparison-and-Contrast Table
Learning by Doing
Making a Comparison-and-Contrast Table
After deciding what to compare, write down what you know about subject A and then subject B. Next, divide a page or use your software to create a table with three columns (up and down) and at least half a dozen rows (across). Use the first row to label the columns:
| Categories | Subject A | Subject B |
Now read over your notes on subject A. When you spot related details, identify a logical category for them. Enter that category name in the left column of the second row. Then add related details for subject A in the middle column. Repeat this process, labeling more rows as categories and filling in corresponding details for subject A. (Draw more lines or use the menu to add new rows as needed.)
Next, review your notes on subject B. If some details fall into categories already listed in your table, add those details in the subject B column for each category. If new categories emerge, add them in new rows along with the subject B details. After you finish with your notes, round out the table—adding details to fill in empty cells, combining or adding categories. Select the most promising categories from your table as common features for logical comparison and contrast.
Planning, Drafting, and Developing
For more about informal outlines, see Organizing Your Ideas in Ch. 20.
As you start planning your paper, be prepared to cover both subjects in a similar fashion. Return to your table or make a scratch outline so that you can refine your points of comparison or contrast, consolidate supporting details, and spot gaps in your information. Remind yourself of your goal. What is it you want to show, argue, or find out?
For more on stating a thesis, see Stating and Using a Thesis in Ch. 20.
State Your Purpose in a Thesis.You need a reason to place two subjects side by side—a reason that you and your audience will find compelling and worthwhile. If you prefer one subject over the other, what reasons can you give for your preference? If you don’t have a preference, try instead to understand them more clearly, making a point about each or both. Comparing and contrasting need not be a meaningless exercise. Instead, think clearly and pointedly in order to explain an idea you care about.
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| TWO SUBJECTS | two teaching styles in required biology courses |
| REASON | to show why one style is better |
| WORKING THESIS | Although students learn a lot in both of the required introductory biology courses, one class teaches information and the other teaches how to be a good learner. |
Sometimes comparison and contrast is used in service of a thesis that makes an argument—an argument beyond why, say, subject 1 is better than subject 2. Notice the argument that Jacob Griffin makes in his thesis statement about karate and kung fu:
| GRIFFIN’S THESIS | The International Olympic Committee should consider which of these styles first deserves to be declared an official Olympic sport. |
Learning by Doing Reflecting on Comparison and Contrast
Learning by Doing
Reflecting on Comparison and Contrast
Consider the following and write a short reflection. What can be learned by comparing and contrasting? For what writing situations and disciplines would this be a helpful strategy? Can you think of any writing situations for which it would not be beneficial?
Select a Pattern to Help Your Audience. Besides understanding your purpose and thesis, readers also need to follow your supporting evidence—the clusters of details that reveal the nature of each subject you consider. They’re likely to expect you to follow one of two ways to organize a comparison-and-contrast essay. Both patterns present the same information, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
| OPPOSING PATTERN, SUBJECT BY SUBJECT | ALTERNATING PATTERN, POINT BY POINT |
| Subject A | Point 1 |
| Point 1 | Subject A |
| Point 2 | Subject B |
| Point 3 | |
| Point 2 | |
| Subject B | Subject A |
| Point 1 | Subject B |
| Point 2 | |
| Point 3 | Point 3 |
| Subject A | |
| Subject B |
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Use the Opposing Pattern of Organization.When you use the opposing pattern of subject by subject, you state all your observations about subject A and then do the same for subject B. In the following paragraph from Whole-Brain Thinking (New York: William Morrow, 1984), Jacquelyn Wonder and Priscilla Donovan use the opposing pattern of organization to explain the differences in the brains of females and males.
Subject A: Female brain
Point 1: Development
Point 2: Consequences
Shift to subject B: Male brain
Point 1: Development
Point 2: Consequences
At birth there are basic differences between male and female brains. The female cortex is more fully developed. The sound of the human voice elicits more left-brain activity in infant girls than in infant boys, accounting in part for the earlier development in females of language. Baby girls have larger connectors between the brain’s hemispheres and thus integrate information more skillfully. This flexibility bestows greater verbal and intuitive skills. Male infants lack this ready communication between the brain’s lobes; therefore, messages are routed and rerouted to the right brain, producing larger right hemispheres. The size advantage accounts for males having greater spatial and physical abilities and explains why they may become more highly lateralized and skilled in specific areas.
For a single paragraph or a short essay, the opposing pattern can effectively unify all the details about each subject. For a long essay or a complicated subject, it has a drawback: readers might find it difficult to remember all the separate information about subject A while reading about subject B.
For Griffin’s complete essay, see Learning from Other Writers. For more on outlines, see Organizing Your Ideas in Ch. 20.
Use the Alternating Pattern of Organization. There’s a better way to organize most long papers: the alternating pattern of point by point. Using this method you take up one point at a time, applying it first to one subject and then to the other. Jacob Griffin uses this pattern to lead the reader along clearly and carefully, looking at each subject before moving on to the next point.
| THESIS: | The International Olympic Committee should consider which of these styles first deserves to be declared an official Olympic sport. |
Similarities of styles
American popularity through movies
Karate
Kung fu
Variety within styles
Karate
Kung fu
Emphasis on internal values
Karate
Kung fu
Differences between styles
Age and origins
Karate
Kung fu
Techniques
Karate’s linear movement
Kung fu’s circular movement
Uniforms and weapons
Karate
Kung fu
For more on transitions, see Adding Cues and Connections in Ch. 21.
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Add Transitions.Once your essay is organized, you can bring cohesion to it through effective transitional words and phrases—on the other hand, in contrast, also, both, yet, although, finally, unlike. Your choice of wording will depend on the content, but keep it varied and smooth. Jarring, choppy transitions distract attention instead of contributing to a unified essay, each part working to support a meaningful thesis.
Learning by Doing Building Cohesion with Transitions
Learning by Doing
Building Cohesion with Transitions
Working on paper or in a file, add color highlights to mark each transitional expression already in your draft. Then check any passages without much highlighting to decide whether your audience will need more cues to see how your ideas connect. Next, check each spot where you switch from one subject or point to another to be sure that readers can easily make the shift. Finally, smooth out the wording of your transitions so that they are clear and helpful, not repetitious or mechanical. Test your changes on a reader by exchanging drafts with a classmate.
Revising and Editing
For more on revising and editing strategies, see Ch. 23.
Focus on Your Thesis.Reconsider your purpose when you review your draft. If your purpose is to illuminate two subjects impartially, ask whether you have given readers a balanced view. Obviously it would be unfair to set forth all the advantages of Oklahoma City and all the disadvantages of Honolulu and then conclude that Oklahoma City is superior on every count.
Of course, if you love Oklahoma City and can’t stand Honolulu, or vice versa, go ahead: don’t be balanced; take a stand. Even so, you will want to include the same points about each city and to admit, in all honesty, that Oklahoma City has its faults. One useful way to check for balance or thoroughness is to outline your draft and give the outline a critical look.
For general questions for a peer editor, see Re-viewing and Revising in Ch. 23.
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Peer Response Comparing and Contrasting
Peer Response
Comparing and Contrasting
You may want a classmate or friend to respond to your draft, suggesting how to present your two subjects more clearly. Ask your peer editor to answer questions like these about comparison and contrast:
How does the introduction motivate you to read the entire essay?
What is the point of the comparison and contrast of the two subjects? Is thesis stated in the essay, or is it implied?
Is the essay organized by the opposing pattern or by the alternating pattern? Is the pattern appropriate, or would the other one work better?
Are the same categories discussed for each item? If not, should they be?
Are there enough details for you to understand the comparison and contrast? Put a check where more details or examples would be useful.
If this paper were yours, what is the one thing you would be sure to work on before handing it in?
If classmates have made suggestions, perhaps about clearer wording to sharpen distinctions, use their ideas as you rework your thesis.
| WORKING THESIS | Although students learn a lot in both of the required introductory biology courses, one class teaches information and the other teaches how to be a good learner. |
| REVISED THESIS | Although students learn the basics of biology in both of the required introductory courses, one class teaches how to memorize information and the other teaches an invaluable lesson: how to be an active learner. |
THESIS CHECKLIST
Does thesis make clear the purpose of your comparison and contrast?
Can you see ways to sharpen the distinctions between the subjects that you are comparing or contrasting?
Could you make thesis more compelling based on details that you gathered while planning, drafting, or developing your essay?
Vary Your Wording.Make sure, as you go over your draft, that you have escaped a monotonous drone: A does this, B does that; A has these advantages, B has those. Comparison and contrast needn’t result in a paper as symmetrical as a pair of sneakers. Revising and editing give you a chance to add lively details, transitions, dashes of color, and especially variety:
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REVISION CHECKLIST
Does your introduction present your topic and main point clearly? Is it interesting enough to make a reader want to read the whole essay?
Is your reason for doing all the comparing and contrasting unmistakably clear? What do you want to demonstrate, argue for, or find out? Do you need to reexamine your goal?
Have you used the same categories for each item so that you treat them fairly? In discussing each feature, do you always look at the same thing?
Have you selected points of comparison and supporting details that will intrigue, enlighten, and persuade your audience?
What have you concluded about the two? Do you prefer one to the other? If so, is this preference (and your rationale for it) clear?
Does your draft look thin at any point for lack of evidence? If so, how might you develop your ideas?
Have you used the best arrangement, given your subjects and your point?
Are there any spots where you need to revise a boringly mechanical, monotonous style (“On one hand, . . . now on the other hand”)?
For more on editing and proofreading strategies, see Editing and Proofreading in Ch. 23.
After you have revised your comparison-and-contrast essay, edit and proofread it. Carefully check the grammar, word choice, punctuation, and mechanics—and then correct any problems you may find.
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For more help, find the relevant checklist sections in the Quick Editing Guide and Quick Format Guide.
EDITING CHECKLIST
A7Have you used the correct comparative forms (for two things) and superlative forms (for three or more) for adjectives and adverbs?
A1, A2Is your sentence structure correct? Have you avoided writing fragments, comma splices, or fused sentences?
B2Have you used parallel structure in your comparisons and contrasts? Are your sentences as balanced as your ideas?
C1Have you used commas correctly after introductory phrases and other transitions?