The support in comparison and contrast demonstrates your main point by showing how your subjects are the same or different. To find support, many people make a list with multiple columns — one for the points that will serve as the basis of the comparison or contrast and one for each of the subjects.
For example, one student wrote the following thesis statement, which indicates that his essay will focus on the differences between the ages of twenty and forty.
The ages of twenty and forty are both enjoyable, but they represent very different stages in life.
To support this thesis, the student needs to find several points of contrast between twenty and forty. He generates the following list.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWENTY AND FORTY
appearance
place in life
perspective
Then, for each point of comparison, the student lists some details that explain the differences.
| AGE TWENTY | AGE FORTY | |
| APPEARANCE |
smooth skin trendy haircut rounded features |
some wrinkles classic hairstyle well- |
| PLACE IN LIFE |
just starting out single, no children living at home |
established married with children own home |
| PERSPECTIVE |
self- choices to make uncertainty |
more thoughtful many choices made wisdom |