thesis template for compare and contrast essay

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis: A Formula to Success

Table of contents

1 What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay Thesis?
2 Tips for Writing a Good Compare and Contrast Thesis
3 Compare and Contrast Thesis Formula

The basis of a good compare and contrast paper is the thesis statement. For an essay to be effective, it should have a strong thesis that grabs the reader’s attention. If a paper doesn’t have one, or if it has one that’s no good, it probably won’t do well. To write an assignment of quality, understanding how to develop a compare and contrast thesis statement is key.

Before tackling the bulk of your work, you should focus on perfecting the thesis. This establishes the direction your work is going in. Approaching the thesis for compare and contrast essays from different angles helps writers produce one that’s worth reading.

If you’re wondering how to write a thesis for a compare and contrast essay, carry on reading this article. Learn more about this type of thesis for assignments and how you go about producing one. You’ll learn how to persuade the reader and tell them what your point of view is.

What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay Thesis?

So what is a compare and contrast thesis statement and what’s the purpose of one? It’s a brief summary of what your argument will be about. It introduces the reader to your argument and gives them a clear idea of what’s to come. Crafting one helps you develop the structure of a compare and contrast essay , as well as the outline. This is because it gets you thinking about your topics.

Condensing your whole work into a single summary can be challenging. However, doing so will help you expand your thoughts and come up with new ideas for the rest of your work.

Before coming up with the thesis statement for compare and contrast essay, ask yourself what your goal is. Simply put, it’s about finding and analysing the similarities and differences between two topics. Examples include:

The emotional responses of men vs. women
The MLA and APA citation styles

Writing about contrasting topics can be approached in two different ways. It’s important you understand each one before starting your work.

Tips for Writing a Good Compare and Contrast Thesis

Any type of college or university work should have a good-quality argument. If you’re wondering how to make a compare and contrast thesis statement good, there are several simple yet worthwhile things to do.

In this section, we’ll look at writing good thesis statements for compare and contrast essays. To produce one that’s well-written, you should know where your work is heading. This means having a thorough understanding of the topics you’ll be contrasting.

You’ll probably have to do a lot of research to understand your topics well enough to write about them. Gather information and evidence that you can use in your work. Once you know enough about them, you should see how they differ and how they’re similar. This should reveal the relationship between the topics and what similarities and differences there are.

Follow the tips for writing a good compare and contrast thesis ensure yours is of good quality.

Know what direction your piece of writing will head in. Understand your main argument and how you’ll conclude your work. If you’re struggling, create an outline and this should help you determine a route to go down.
Choose a topic that’s quite specific but still has enough content to meet the word count. If your topic is too broad, it’ll be harder to condense everything.
Include the most important comparisons and contrasts. Use an anchor chart to help determine what to include.
Use compare and contrast words to give your summary more flow and improve its readability.
Place the thesis statement of the compare and contrast essay at the end of the introduction. People reading your work should be able to easily identify it.
Choose your tone of voice carefully. Use language that’s to the point but also informative. Don’t put any words or phrases in that aren’t necessary and don’t contribute anything.

Use these tips to improve your thesis statement for comparison and contrast essays. Don’t just write it in a hurry; spend time on it because it’s an important part of your work. Come up with several versions and determine which one is likely to be the best to use.

Again, it’s best that you produce the thesis before tackling the rest of your comparison assignment. This is because it should help you determine where the argument is heading. It should also remind you of the key points you’ll be making throughout the work.

A compare and contrast essay thesis statement should be as long as necessary but, at the same time, as short as possible. Make it a few sentences in length. You should write what you need but not overdo it.

Compare and Contrast Thesis Formula

When composing a compare and contrast essay thesis, there’s a general formula you should stick to. Below is the formula in a single sentence. Further down are some examples.

“Although topics X and Y are similar because of A and B , topic X is (your argument) because of C and D. “

How exactly does this formula work? First, you’ll identify the topics you’ll be discussing. These are X and Y. Then, you’ll focus on some facts that they have in common. These are A and B – you can have more, but two should be enough.

Then, you’ll bring in your argument. You’ll then say that topic X wins the argument because of reasons C and D. Again, there can be more reasons, but you should keep it brief and have just two or possibly one.

Here are some examples:

Although medicine and chemistry are great degrees because of their job prospects and reputation, medicine is better for those who want to help people. This is because it involves direct contact with patients.
While Spanish and French are easy to learn and widely spoken, Spanish is better for those living in the USA. The reason is that the USA has many more Spanish speakers.
Although smartphones and tablets are great for mobile gaming, those who prefer a quality gaming experience prefer tablets. They cite the larger screens as the key reason why.

In each of the examples above, the topics X and Y are introduced early on. Then there are one or two things they have in common. Topic X is mentioned as fitting the argument. Finally, there’s an explanation for this that highlights a point topic X has that topic Y doesn’t.

Use our compare and contrast thesis template and improve your work with statements of quality. Getting your thesis statement for a compare and contrast paper is crucial if your work’s going to read well. Don’t forget to use our custom writing service if you’re stuck on drafting a thesis for compare and contrast papers and still need help. We have experienced essay, dissertation and even PowerPoint presentation writers available to help bring to ideal your assignment.

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5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)

A compare and contrast essay selects two or more items that are critically analyzed to demonstrate their differences and similarities. Here is a template for you that provides the general structure:

A range of example essays is presented below.

Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

#1 jean piaget vs lev vygotsky essay.

1480 Words | 5 Pages | 10 References

(Level: University Undergraduate)

Thesis Statement: “This essay will critically examine and compare the developmental theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, focusing on their differing views on cognitive development in children and their influence on educational psychology, through an exploration of key concepts such as the role of culture and environment, scaffolding, equilibration, and their overall implications for educational practices..”

#2 Democracy vs Authoritarianism Essay

Thesis Statement: “The thesis of this analysis is that, despite the efficiency and control offered by authoritarian regimes, democratic systems, with their emphasis on individual freedoms, participatory governance, and social welfare, present a more balanced and ethically sound approach to governance, better aligned with the ideals of a just and progressive society.”

#3 Apples vs Oranges Essay

1190 Words | 5 Pages | 0 References

(Level: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “While apples and oranges are both popular and nutritious fruits, they differ significantly in their taste profiles, nutritional benefits, cultural symbolism, and culinary applications.”

#4 Nature vs Nurture Essay

1525 Words | 5 Pages | 11 References

(Level: High School and College)

Thesis Statement: “The purpose of this essay is to examine and elucidate the complex and interconnected roles of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) in shaping human development across various domains such as physical traits, personality, behavior, intelligence, and abilities.”

#5 Dogs vs Cats Essay

1095 Words | 5 Pages | 7 Bibliographic Sources

(Level: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “This essay explores the distinctive characteristics, emotional connections, and lifestyle considerations associated with owning dogs and cats, aiming to illuminate the unique joys and benefits each pet brings to their human companions.”

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

I’ve recorded a full video for you on how to write a compare and contrast essay:

Get the Compare and Contrast Templates with AI Prompts Here

In the video, I outline the steps to writing your essay. Here they are explained below:

1. Essay Planning

First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you’re comparing.

I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:

Grab the Worksheet as Part of the Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack

2. Writing the Essay

Once you’ve completed the worksheet, you’re ready to start writing. Go systematically through each feature you are comparing and discuss the similarities and differences, then make an evaluative statement after showing your depth of knowledge:

Get the Rest of the Premium Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack (With AI Prompts) Here

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement

Compare and contrast thesis statements can either:

Remain neutral in an expository tone.
Prosecute an argument about which of the items you’re comparing is overall best.

To write an argumentative thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay, try this AI Prompts:

💡 AI Prompt to Generate Ideas I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that pass a reasonable judgement.

Ready to Write your Essay?

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Take action! Choose one of the following options to start writing your compare and contrast essay now:

Comparing and Contrasting

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.”

Introduction

In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them.

Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments

Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples:

Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression.
Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the causes, development, and outcomes of the wars.
Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major differences in their poetry?

Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others only for contrast, and others for both.

But it’s not always so easy to tell whether an assignment is asking you to include comparison/contrast. And in some cases, comparison/contrast is only part of the essay—you begin by comparing and/or contrasting two or more things and then use what you’ve learned to construct an argument or evaluation. Consider these examples, noticing the language that is used to ask for the comparison/contrast and whether the comparison/contrast is only one part of a larger assignment:

Choose a particular idea or theme, such as romantic love, death, or nature, and consider how it is treated in two Romantic poems.
How do the different authors we have studied so far define and describe oppression?
Compare Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression. What does each imply about women’s collusion in their own oppression? Which is more accurate?
In the texts we’ve studied, soldiers who served in different wars offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings both during and after the fighting. What commonalities are there in these accounts? What factors do you think are responsible for their differences?

You may want to check out our handout on understanding assignments for additional tips.

Using comparison/contrast for all kinds of writing projects

Sometimes you may want to use comparison/contrast techniques in your own pre-writing work to get ideas that you can later use for an argument, even if comparison/contrast isn’t an official requirement for the paper you’re writing. For example, if you wanted to argue that Frye’s account of oppression is better than both de Beauvoir’s and Bartky’s, comparing and contrasting the main arguments of those three authors might help you construct your evaluation—even though the topic may not have asked for comparison/contrast and the lists of similarities and differences you generate may not appear anywhere in the final draft of your paper.

Discovering similarities and differences

Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you’re considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesn’t overlap; in those areas, you can list the traits that make the things different. Here’s a very simple example, using two pizza places:

Venn diagram indicating that both Pepper's and Amante serve pizza with unusual ingredients at moderate prices, despite differences in location, wait times, and delivery options

To make a chart, figure out what criteria you want to focus on in comparing the items. Along the left side of the page, list each of the criteria. Across the top, list the names of the items. You should then have a box per item for each criterion; you can fill the boxes in and then survey what you’ve discovered.

Here’s an example, this time using three pizza places:

As you generate points of comparison, consider the purpose and content of the assignment and the focus of the class. What do you think the professor wants you to learn by doing this comparison/contrast? How does it fit with what you have been studying so far and with the other assignments in the course? Are there any clues about what to focus on in the assignment itself?

Here are some general questions about different types of things you might have to compare. These are by no means complete or definitive lists; they’re just here to give you some ideas—you can generate your own questions for these and other types of comparison. You may want to begin by using the questions reporters traditionally ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? If you’re talking about objects, you might also consider general properties like size, shape, color, sound, weight, taste, texture, smell, number, duration, and location.

Two historical periods or events

When did they occur—do you know the date(s) and duration? What happened or changed during each? Why are they significant?
What kinds of work did people do? What kinds of relationships did they have? What did they value?
What kinds of governments were there? Who were important people involved?
What caused events in these periods, and what consequences did they have later on?

Two ideas or theories

What are they about?
Did they originate at some particular time?
Who created them? Who uses or defends them?
What is the central focus, claim, or goal of each? What conclusions do they offer?
How are they applied to situations/people/things/etc.?
Which seems more plausible to you, and why? How broad is their scope?
What kind of evidence is usually offered for them?

Two pieces of writing or art

What are their titles? What do they describe or depict?
What is their tone or mood? What is their form?
Who created them? When were they created? Why do you think they were created as they were? What themes do they address?
Do you think one is of higher quality or greater merit than the other(s)—and if so, why?
For writing: what plot, characterization, setting, theme, tone, and type of narration are used?
Where are they from? How old are they? What is the gender, race, class, etc. of each?
What, if anything, are they known for? Do they have any relationship to each other?
What are they like? What did/do they do? What do they believe? Why are they interesting?
What stands out most about each of them?

Deciding what to focus on

By now you have probably generated a huge list of similarities and differences—congratulations! Next you must decide which of them are interesting, important, and relevant enough to be included in your paper. Ask yourself these questions:

What’s relevant to the assignment?
What’s relevant to the course?
What’s interesting and informative?
What matters to the argument you are going to make?
What’s basic or central (and needs to be mentioned even if obvious)?
Overall, what’s more important—the similarities or the differences?

Suppose that you are writing a paper comparing two novels. For most literature classes, the fact that they both use Caslon type (a kind of typeface, like the fonts you may use in your writing) is not going to be relevant, nor is the fact that one of them has a few illustrations and the other has none; literature classes are more likely to focus on subjects like characterization, plot, setting, the writer’s style and intentions, language, central themes, and so forth. However, if you were writing a paper for a class on typesetting or on how illustrations are used to enhance novels, the typeface and presence or absence of illustrations might be absolutely critical to include in your final paper.

Sometimes a particular point of comparison or contrast might be relevant but not terribly revealing or interesting. For example, if you are writing a paper about Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Coleridge’s “Frost at Midnight,” pointing out that they both have nature as a central theme is relevant (comparisons of poetry often talk about themes) but not terribly interesting; your class has probably already had many discussions about the Romantic poets’ fondness for nature. Talking about the different ways nature is depicted or the different aspects of nature that are emphasized might be more interesting and show a more sophisticated understanding of the poems.

Your thesis

The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so they don’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague reports of your general topic (for example, “This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in some ways and different in others,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference”) with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, “Pepper’s and Amante have similar prices and ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart.”

Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looking for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is “So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper’s and Amante are different in this way?” One might also wonder why the writer chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John’s, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here’s a revision of the thesis mentioned earlier:

Pepper’s and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper’s makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture.

You may find our handout on constructing thesis statements useful at this stage.

Organizing your paper

There are many different ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay. Here are two:

Subject-by-subject

Begin by saying everything you have to say about the first subject you are discussing, then move on and make all the points you want to make about the second subject (and after that, the third, and so on, if you’re comparing/contrasting more than two things). If the paper is short, you might be able to fit all of your points about each item into a single paragraph, but it’s more likely that you’d have several paragraphs per item. Using our pizza place comparison/contrast as an example, after the introduction, you might have a paragraph about the ingredients available at Pepper’s, a paragraph about its location, and a paragraph about its ambience. Then you’d have three similar paragraphs about Amante, followed by your conclusion.

The danger of this subject-by-subject organization is that your paper will simply be a list of points: a certain number of points (in my example, three) about one subject, then a certain number of points about another. This is usually not what college instructors are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those similarities or differences matter. Thus, if you use the subject-by-subject form, you will probably want to have a very strong, analytical thesis and at least one body paragraph that ties all of your different points together.

A subject-by-subject structure can be a logical choice if you are writing what is sometimes called a “lens” comparison, in which you use one subject or item (which isn’t really your main topic) to better understand another item (which is). For example, you might be asked to compare a poem you’ve already covered thoroughly in class with one you are reading on your own. It might make sense to give a brief summary of your main ideas about the first poem (this would be your first subject, the “lens”), and then spend most of your paper discussing how those points are similar to or different from your ideas about the second.

Point-by-point

Rather than addressing things one subject at a time, you may wish to talk about one point of comparison at a time. There are two main ways this might play out, depending on how much you have to say about each of the things you are comparing. If you have just a little, you might, in a single paragraph, discuss how a certain point of comparison/contrast relates to all the items you are discussing. For example, I might describe, in one paragraph, what the prices are like at both Pepper’s and Amante; in the next paragraph, I might compare the ingredients available; in a third, I might contrast the atmospheres of the two restaurants.

If I had a bit more to say about the items I was comparing/contrasting, I might devote a whole paragraph to how each point relates to each item. For example, I might have a whole paragraph about the clientele at Pepper’s, followed by a whole paragraph about the clientele at Amante; then I would move on and do two more paragraphs discussing my next point of comparison/contrast—like the ingredients available at each restaurant.

There are no hard and fast rules about organizing a comparison/contrast paper, of course. Just be sure that your reader can easily tell what’s going on! Be aware, too, of the placement of your different points. If you are writing a comparison/contrast in service of an argument, keep in mind that the last point you make is the one you are leaving your reader with. For example, if I am trying to argue that Amante is better than Pepper’s, I should end with a contrast that leaves Amante sounding good, rather than with a point of comparison that I have to admit makes Pepper’s look better. If you’ve decided that the differences between the items you’re comparing/contrasting are most important, you’ll want to end with the differences—and vice versa, if the similarities seem most important to you.

Our handout on organization can help you write good topic sentences and transitions and make sure that you have a good overall structure in place for your paper.

Cue words and other tips

To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you’ll want to be sure that your transitions and topic sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of the points you’ll be making and the organization you’ll be using, but you can help them out with some extra cues. The following words may be helpful to you in signaling your intentions:

like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on the one hand … on the other hand.

For example, you might have a topic sentence like one of these:

Compared to Pepper’s, Amante is quiet.
Like Amante, Pepper’s offers fresh garlic as a topping.
Despite their different locations (downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro), Pepper’s and Amante are both fairly easy to get to.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Generator

Generate a beautiful thesis in no time with our compare and contrast essay thesis generator.

Any academic paper in college will require a good thesis statement. Make sure you know how to write one using our free compare and contrast thesis statement generator.

🎓 How to Use the Tool
📝 Comparative Essay 101

✅ How to Write a Comparative Paper

🤓 Thesis Statement Examples

🔗 References

🎓 compare and contrast thesis statement generator: how to use it.

This tool provides you with a reliable template that you can use to write a topic sentence by filling in the required fields:

The conclusion of the topic,
The main argument for the conclusion,
The key counterargument against your conclusion.

You can generate a strong thesis statement for your essay in no time with us!

📝 What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay?

A paper of this genre aims to compare two or more things, ideas, or concepts. The comparison must be able to highlight the similarities while also pointing out the differences .

You may structure this essay using the alternating method (discussing one similar feature and then discussing the differences) or the block method (focusing on all the features of one thing and then doing the same for the other thing it is compared to).

Students have to write thesis statements for compare and contrast essays to demonstrate their critical thinking and analytical skills. You need a good hook for this type of essay to capture the reader's interest right from the start.

Step 1: Identify the Similarities and Differences

You can create a Venn diagram to be able to visualize the comparable qualities of the two subjects. This visual representation will make it easier to see where the two subjects overlap, and you can use that as an area of focus for comparing them in the essay. It is also important to pay attention to the features or aspects where they don’t overlap so you can determine their differences.

Take out the items you have listed in the diagram and form them into an outline. These ideas will serve as essay topic ideas, and you can compare that to the assignment brief.

For example, you are tasked to write a compare and contrast essay on two people.

You can focus your comparison on these questions:

What are they known for?
What do they do?
What relationship do they have?
What makes them interesting?
Do they identify with a particular race, gender, or group?

Step 2: Choose Your Focus

The steps above will help you to build the foundation for your compare and contrast essay. Choose a focus for the point of comparison for your subjects.

Make sure you choose an interesting angle for these subjects or ideas to expound on in your essay. Depending on the assignment brief provided by your instructor, you can narrow down your focus based on what is required for your paper or choose the angle that delivers maximum impact for your thesis statement.

When choosing your focus for the essay, think about its relevance to the course. Think about how you can make your paper interesting and informative. Is there anything of value you can get out of the comparison of the two items?

Step 3: Write Your Thesis Statement

Creating your thesis statement is the next step in writing your academic paper. The thesis statement is more important in the compare and contrast essay type than most other essay types.

You must succinctly identify the distinction between the two objects, people, or ideas compared. Your thesis statement must not be vague; instead, it should be detailed and specific.

If you are struggling with writing a thesis statement that is also an attention grabber , you can utilize a compare and contrast thesis statement generator.

Step 4: Organize Your Ideas

You can organize your ideas in the essay using 2 methods .

The first method is known as subject-by-subject , which is to focus on each subject at a time. You will begin by discussing the features of one subject and then move to the next. When using this method, avoid providing a boring list of features.

Another method is the point-by-point one. Instead of highlighting the features of each subject, you will identify the key points and discuss them one by one.

🤓 Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Examples

Writing a thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay can be tricky because it should create a focused argument. It should provide your readers with a roadmap of the key points discussed within the academic paper.

Does playing violent video games cause players to act violently?
What can harm your teeth?
Burger King and McDonald’s are both good, but they have several areas to improve on.
Burger King uses high-quality ingredients that make the price worth it for their burgers, while McDonald’s offers good value for money with their affordable menu.

As you can see from the both bad examples, they are lacking when it comes to providing specific details about each fast-food chain. Your instructor might require additional details to support your thesis statement.

You can simplify the process of writing the thesis statement using an automated tool like the compare and contrast thesis statement generator.

Thank you for reading this article! If you need more instruments to prepare and polish your assignment, check the collection we prepared .

❓ Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Generator FAQ

Updated: Dec 19th, 2023

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay - MasterClass
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If you need help to write a thesis for your paper, this page will give you plenty of resources to do that. You’ll find out about the essentials of thesis statement. There are also tips on how to write the statement properly. But most importantly, this page contains reviews and links to online thesis generators.

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10.7 Comparison and Contrast

Learning objectives.

Determine the purpose and structure of comparison and contrast in writing.
Explain organizational methods used when comparing and contrasting.
Understand how to write a compare-and-contrast essay.

The Purpose of Comparison and Contrast in Writing

Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different. A compare-and-contrast essay , then, analyzes two subjects by comparing them, contrasting them, or both.

The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison or contrast is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities. For example, if you wanted to focus on contrasting two subjects you would not pick apples and oranges; rather, you might choose to compare and contrast two types of oranges or two types of apples to highlight subtle differences. For example, Red Delicious apples are sweet, while Granny Smiths are tart and acidic. Drawing distinctions between elements in a similar category will increase the audience’s understanding of that category, which is the purpose of the compare-and-contrast essay.

Similarly, to focus on comparison, choose two subjects that seem at first to be unrelated. For a comparison essay, you likely would not choose two apples or two oranges because they share so many of the same properties already. Rather, you might try to compare how apples and oranges are quite similar. The more divergent the two subjects initially seem, the more interesting a comparison essay will be.

Writing at Work

Comparing and contrasting is also an evaluative tool. In order to make accurate evaluations about a given topic, you must first know the critical points of similarity and difference. Comparing and contrasting is a primary tool for many workplace assessments. You have likely compared and contrasted yourself to other colleagues. Employee advancements, pay raises, hiring, and firing are typically conducted using comparison and contrast. Comparison and contrast could be used to evaluate companies, departments, or individuals.

Brainstorm an essay that leans toward contrast. Choose one of the following three categories. Pick two examples from each. Then come up with one similarity and three differences between the examples.

Romantic comedies
Internet search engines
Cell phones

Brainstorm an essay that leans toward comparison. Choose one of the following three items. Then come up with one difference and three similarities.

Department stores and discount retail stores
Fast food chains and fine dining restaurants
Dogs and cats

The Structure of a Comparison and Contrast Essay

The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader. Take the following thesis as an example that leans more toward contrasting.

Thesis statement: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny.

Here the thesis sets up the two subjects to be compared and contrasted (organic versus conventional vegetables), and it makes a claim about the results that might prove useful to the reader.

You may organize compare-and-contrast essays in one of the following two ways:

According to the subjects themselves, discussing one then the other
According to individual points, discussing each subject in relation to each point

See Figure 10.1 “Comparison and Contrast Diagram” , which diagrams the ways to organize our organic versus conventional vegetables thesis.

Figure 10.1 Comparison and Contrast Diagram

The organizational structure you choose depends on the nature of the topic, your purpose, and your audience.

Given that compare-and-contrast essays analyze the relationship between two subjects, it is helpful to have some phrases on hand that will cue the reader to such analysis. See Table 10.3 “Phrases of Comparison and Contrast” for examples.

Table 10.3 Phrases of Comparison and Contrast

Create an outline for each of the items you chose in Note 10.72 “Exercise 1” and Note 10.73 “Exercise 2” . Use the point-by-point organizing strategy for one of them, and use the subject organizing strategy for the other.

Writing a Comparison and Contrast Essay

First choose whether you want to compare seemingly disparate subjects, contrast seemingly similar subjects, or compare and contrast subjects. Once you have decided on a topic, introduce it with an engaging opening paragraph. Your thesis should come at the end of the introduction, and it should establish the subjects you will compare, contrast, or both as well as state what can be learned from doing so.

The body of the essay can be organized in one of two ways: by subject or by individual points. The organizing strategy that you choose will depend on, as always, your audience and your purpose. You may also consider your particular approach to the subjects as well as the nature of the subjects themselves; some subjects might better lend themselves to one structure or the other. Make sure to use comparison and contrast phrases to cue the reader to the ways in which you are analyzing the relationship between the subjects.

After you finish analyzing the subjects, write a conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay and reinforces your thesis. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample compare-and-contrast essay.

Many business presentations are conducted using comparison and contrast. The organizing strategies—by subject or individual points—could also be used for organizing a presentation. Keep this in mind as a way of organizing your content the next time you or a colleague have to present something at work.

Choose one of the outlines you created in Note 10.75 “Exercise 3” , and write a full compare-and-contrast essay. Be sure to include an engaging introduction, a clear thesis, well-defined and detailed paragraphs, and a fitting conclusion that ties everything together.

Key Takeaways

A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both.
The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both, and it should state what is to be learned from doing so.

There are two main organizing strategies for compare-and-contrast essays.

Organize by the subjects themselves, one then the other.
Organize by individual points, in which you discuss each subject in relation to each point.
Use phrases of comparison or phrases of contrast to signal to readers how exactly the two subjects are being analyzed.

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Writing a Paper: Comparing & Contrasting

A compare and contrast paper discusses the similarities and differences between two or more topics. The paper should contain an introduction with a thesis statement, a body where the comparisons and contrasts are discussed, and a conclusion.

Address Both Similarities and Differences

Because this is a compare and contrast paper, both the similarities and differences should be discussed. This will require analysis on your part, as some topics will appear to be quite similar, and you will have to work to find the differing elements.

Make Sure You Have a Clear Thesis Statement

Just like any other essay, a compare and contrast essay needs a thesis statement. The thesis statement should not only tell your reader what you will do, but it should also address the purpose and importance of comparing and contrasting the material.

Use Clear Transitions

Transitions are important in compare and contrast essays, where you will be moving frequently between different topics or perspectives.

Examples of transitions and phrases for comparisons: as well, similar to, consistent with, likewise, too
Examples of transitions and phrases for contrasts: on the other hand, however, although, differs, conversely, rather than.

For more information, check out our transitions page.

Structure Your Paper

Consider how you will present the information. You could present all of the similarities first and then present all of the differences. Or you could go point by point and show the similarity and difference of one point, then the similarity and difference for another point, and so on.

Include Analysis

It is tempting to just provide summary for this type of paper, but analysis will show the importance of the comparisons and contrasts. For instance, if you are comparing two articles on the topic of the nursing shortage, help us understand what this will achieve. Did you find consensus between the articles that will support a certain action step for people in the field? Did you find discrepancies between the two that point to the need for further investigation?

Make Analogous Comparisons

When drawing comparisons or making contrasts, be sure you are dealing with similar aspects of each item. To use an old cliché, are you comparing apples to apples?

Example of poor comparisons: Kubista studied the effects of a later start time on high school students, but Cook used a mixed methods approach. (This example does not compare similar items. It is not a clear contrast because the sentence does not discuss the same element of the articles. It is like comparing apples to oranges.)
Example of analogous comparisons: Cook used a mixed methods approach, whereas Kubista used only quantitative methods. (Here, methods are clearly being compared, allowing the reader to understand the distinction.

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4.2: Comparison and Contrast Essays

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Kathryn Crowther et al.
Georgia Perimeter College via GALILEO Open Learning Materials

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Writing a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay

First, choose whether you want to compare seemingly disparate subjects, contrast seemingly similar subjects, or compare and contrast subjects. Once you have decided on a topic, introduce it with an engaging opening paragraph. Your thesis should come at the end of the introduction, and it should establish the subjects you will compare, contrast, or both as well as state what can be learned from doing so. Be sure to make an argument in your thesis; explain to the reader what’s at stake in analyzing the relationship between your stated subjects.

After you finish analyzing the subjects, write a conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay and reinforces your thesis. This conclusion is the “and so” statement for your essay, giving you the place to offer a judgment based on the examination you have just offered.

Sample Comparison-and-Contrast Essays

A South African Storm

By Allison Howard – Peace Corps Volunteer: South Africa (2003-2005)

It’s a Saturday afternoon in January in South Africa. When I begin the 45–minute walk to the shops for groceries, I can hear thunder cracking in the distance up the mountain in Mageobaskloof. But at 4 p.m. the sky is still light and bright and I am sure—famous last words—I will be fine without an umbrella.

Just the basics: eggs, bread, Diet Coke in a bag slung into the crook of my elbow. Halfway from town, two black South African women—domestic workers in the homes of white Afrikaner families—stop me with wide smiles. They know me; I’m the only white person in town who walks everywhere, as they do. They chatter quickly in northern Sotho: “Missus, you must go fast. Pula e tla na! The rain, it comes!” They like me, and it feels very important to me that they do.“Yebo, yebo, mma,” I say—Yes, it’s true—and I hurry along in flip-flops, quickening my pace, feeling good about our brief but neighborly conversation. These are Venda women.

My black South African friends tell me it’s easy to tell a Venda from a Shangaan from a Xhosa from a Pedi. “These ones from Venda, they have wide across the nose and high in the cheekbones,” they say. But I don’t see it; I’m years away from being able to distinguish the nuances of ethnicity. Today, I know these women are Vendas simply because of their clothing: bright stripes of green and yellow and black fabric tied at one shoulder and hanging quite like a sack around their bodies. They’ve already extended a kindness to me by speaking in northern Sotho. It’s not their language but they know I don’t speak a word of Afrikaans (though they don’t understand why; Afrikaans is the language of white people). They know I struggle with Sotho and they’re trying to help me learn. So they speak Sotho to me and they’re delighted and amused by my fumbling responses. And I am, quite simply, delighted by their delight.

The Venda ladies are right: the rain, it comes. Lightly at first, and by habit I begin trotting to hurry my way home. Just a little rain at first and there are plenty of us out in it. I can see others up ahead on the street and others still just leaving the shops to get back before the real rain begins.

The people who are walking along this swath of tar road are black. Black people don’t live in this neighborhood—or in my town at all, for the most part. They work and board here as domestic workers, nannies, gardeners. Their families live in black townships and rural villages—some just outside of my town; others far away, in places like Venda.

Today, we’re walking together in the rain, and I’m quickening my pace because—after all, it’s raining. That’s what you do in the rain. And even though it’s coming down noticeably harder, it’s 80 degrees and I’m not cold, I’m just wet. My hair is stuck to my forehead and my T-shirt is soaked … and I’m the only one running for cover. And I think: So what? It’s just water and in the middle of the January summer, it’s warm, refreshing water. Why run? Why do we run from the rain?

In my life back in the United States, I might run because I was carrying a leather handbag, or because I wore an outfit that shouldn’t get wet. I would run because rain dishevels and messes things up. Mostly though, we run because we just do; it’s a habit. I’ve done it a hundred times: running to my car or the subway station with a newspaper sheltering my head. I have never not quickened my pace in the rain until today.

It took all of my 27 years and a move to Africa, where I don’t have a leather handbag to shelter or a pretty outfit to protect. I’m wearing an old cotton skirt and a T-shirt, and I’m drenched, and I love it. I learn things here in the most ordinary circumstances. And I feel like a smarter, better woman today because I got groceries in the rain.

But on the long walk home, positively soaked and smiling like a fool, I notice a car pulling over and a man yelling in Afrikaans to get in, get in. I look in the direction I’ve come from and several meters behind me is a woman with a baby tied to her back and an elderly man carrying bags, leading a young boy by the hand. On the road ahead, a woman about my age carries a parcel wrapped in plastic, balanced precariously on her head. There are maybe 20 people walking with me in my reverie of rain and they are black. And the man in the car is white and he’s gesturing frantically for me to get in. Why me? Why not the others? Because I’m white and it’s about race. Everything is about race here.

This man in the car is trying to do something kind and neighborly. He wants to help me and his gesture is right, but his instincts are so wrong. How do you resent someone who is, for no benefit of his own, trying to help? But I do. I resent him and I resent the world he lives in that taught him such selective kindness. This whole event unravels in a few seconds’ time. He’s leaned over and opened the car door, urging me in … and I get in. And we speed past my fellow walkers and he drops me at my doorstep before I have time to think of anything besides giving him directions.

It feels like a mistake because I’m ashamed to think what the Venda women would have felt if he’d ignored them and they had watched me climb into that car. In some ways, the whole episode seems absurd. I’m not going to atone for 400 years of South African history by walking with black people in the rain. If I’d refused his ride, he wouldn’t have thought anything besides the fact that I was certifiably crazy. That’s the thing about being here: I’m not going to change anything. But I believe it matters in some infinitesimal way that people like the Venda women, and the dozens of people who may walk alongside me on any given day, know that I’m there. In black South African culture it is polite to greet every person you pass. That’s what they do, so I do it, too. On the occasional morning, someone might greet me as “sesi,” sister. I have to believe that matters; I know it matters to me.

I was disappointed in myself for getting into the car because I acted according to the same habit that makes us think rain an inconvenience. Just as we run from the rain, I hopped into that car because I’m supposed to. Conventionally, it makes sense. But convention compels us to do so many things that don’t make any sense at all. Convention misinforms our instincts. And in a larger sense, it is convention that propels Afrikaner culture anachronistically into the future. Ten years after the supposed end of apartheid, I’m living in a world of institutionalized racism. Convention becomes institution—and it’s oppressive and it’s unjust. I know that if I’m going to make it here for two more years, I need to walk in the rain. It’s a small, wasted gesture, but it’s an uncorrupted instinct that makes me feel human.

So much about living here feels like that fraction of a second when the Afrikaner man was appealing to my conventional sensibilities and the people on the street were appealing to my human instincts. It may feel unnatural to reject those sensibilities just as, at first, it feels unnatural to walk in the rain. But if I lose a hold on my instincts here, I’ll fail myself and I’ll fail to achieve those tiny things that matter so much. It’s simple and it’s small; and it’s everything. Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Indeed. Let it rain.

Comparing and Contrasting London and Washington, DC

Both Washington, DC, and London are capital cities of English-speaking countries, and yet they offer vastly different experiences to their residents and visitors. Comparing and contrasting the two cities based on their history, their culture, and their residents show how different and similar the two are.

Both cities are rich in world and national history, though they developed on very different time lines. London, for example, has a history that dates back over two thousand years. It was part of the Roman Empire and known by the similar name, Londinium. It was not only one of the northernmost points of the Roman Empire but also the epicenter of the British Empire where it held significant global influence from the early sixteenth century on through the early twentieth century. Washington, DC, on the other hand, has only formally existed since the late eighteenth century. Though Native Americans inhabited the land several thousand years earlier, and settlers inhabited the land as early as the sixteenth century, the city did not become the capital of the United States until the 1790s. From that point onward to today, however, Washington, DC, has increasingly maintained significant global influence. Even though both cities have different histories, they have both held, and continue to hold, significant social influence in the economic and cultural global spheres.

Both Washington, DC, and London offer a wide array of museums that harbor many of the world’s most prized treasures. While Washington, DC, has the National Gallery of Art and several other Smithsonian galleries, London’s art scene and galleries have a definite edge in this category. From the Tate Modern to the British National Gallery, London’s art ranks among the world’s best. This difference and advantage has much to do with London and Britain’s historical depth compared to that of the United States. London has a much richer past than Washington, DC, and consequently has a lot more material to pull from when arranging its collections. Both cities have thriving theater districts, but again, London wins this comparison, too, both in quantity and quality of theater choices. With regard to other cultural places like restaurants, pubs, and bars, both cities are very comparable. Both have a wide selection of expensive, elegant restaurants as well as a similar amount of global and national chains. While London may be better known for its pubs and taste in beer, DC offers a different bar-going experience. With clubs and pubs that tend to stay open later than their British counterparts, the DC night life tend to be less reserved overall.

Both cities also share and differ in cultural diversity and cost of living. Both cities share a very expensive cost of living—both in terms of housing and shopping. A downtown one-bedroom apartment in DC can easily cost $1,800 per month, and a similar “flat” in London may double that amount. These high costs create socioeconomic disparity among the residents. Although both cities’ residents are predominantly wealthy, both have a significantly large population of poor and homeless. Perhaps the most significant difference between the resident demographics is the racial makeup. Washington, DC, is a “minority majority” city, which means the majority of its citizens are races other than white. In 2009, according to the US Census, 55 percent of DC residents were classified as “Black or African American” and 35 percent of its residents were classified as “white.” London, by contrast, has very few minorities—in 2006, 70 percent of its population was “white,” while only 10 percent was “black.” The racial demographic differences between the cities is drastic.

Even though Washington, DC, and London are major capital cities of English-speaking countries in the Western world, they have many differences along with their similarities. They have vastly different histories, art cultures, and racial demographics, but they remain similar in their cost of living and socioeconomic disparity.

Sample Student Outline

In “Batman: A Hero for Any Time,” Jacob Gallman-Dreiling compares the traditional portrayal of the superhero Batman with the modern version. As you read, look for the comparison and contrast phrases that the author uses to help the reader understand the argument he is making. What kind of organizational structure does the essay follow?

Jacob Gallman-Dreiling

English 1101

16 March 2013

Thesis : Although the framework of the Batman story always remains the same, the character has been re-imagined over time to suit the changing expectations of a hero through his characterization as well as that of those who surround him, both friends and foes.

Bruce Wayne’s parents are murdered in front of him.
Bruce Wayne grows up to inherit his parents’ fortune.
Batman fights crime with the help of Commissioner Gordon and others.
Batman employs an arsenal of non-lethal weapons to aid him.
Characters could not use concealed weapons.
Stories required “morals.”
Stories could not use kidnapping or excessive violence.
Stories incorporated elements of science fiction.
Stories had limitations on the portrayal of female characters.
Batman’s suits often had ridiculous properties he conveniently prepared for the upcoming mission.
Batman is haunted by the death of his parents.
Batman has become a skilled detective and fighter.
Batman’s suit is more armor than spandex.
Batman is haunted by his mistakes.
Batman and Commissioner Gordon conspire to hide the truth about Harvey Dent from the people of Gotham.
Characters like Ace the Bat-Hound, Bat-Mice, and Batwoman were created to draw in children.
Issues were built around a villain-of-the-week.
Dick Grayson grows up and goes to college.
Batgirl is paralyzed by the Joker.
Joker is given several conflicting backstories explaining his psychosis.
Catwoman has changed from a harmless cat-burglar to a reformed prostitute.

Sample Student Essay

Batman: A Hero for Any Time

Few ideas in this world are as timeless as that of a superhero. The ancient Greeks had Odysseus and Hercules. The British have Sherlock Holmes and Allan Quatermain. The Americans developed the modern concept of the superhero with characters like Superman and Spider-Man and created elaborate stories for the origin of their powers, much like the Greeks used when creating their heroes. While the world of superheroes was originally a white man’s club, the creation of Wonder Woman ushered in a new era of diversity. Now men, women, people of color, even those of differing sexual orientations are represented among the ranks of those who fight against evil. Though teams of superheroes like the Justice League of America and the XMen have enduring popularity, few superheroes have captured the imagination like Batman. Created in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, a boy orphaned by violence grows to become the Caped Crusader, avenger of the fictional of Gotham. This comic book hero has spurred film, radio, and television adaptations, has spawned action figures and video games, and has maintained an uninterrupted comic book publication, something few other superhero titles can boast. Although the framework of the Batman story always remains the same, the character has been re-imagined over time to suit the changing expectations of a hero through his characterization as well as through the portrayal of those who surround him, both friends and foes.

The basic framework of the Batman story has stayed the same since his debut in May, 1939. At the age of eight, Bruce Wayne, the son of wealthy socialites, witnesses his parents’ murder at the hands of a desperate mugger and swears to avenge their deaths by waging war on all criminals. He grows up to inherit their fortune and the family company, using the money to fund charitable efforts and to reside in stately Wayne Manor. By night, he becomes Batman, ridding the Gotham City streets of menacing foes like the Joker, the Riddler, and Two-Face. He is aided in his fight by his sidekick Robin, Batgirl, and Commissioner Gordon, as well as his butler Alfred Pennyworth. His most enduring love interest is Selina Kyle, who is also known as the notorious cat-burglar, Catwoman. Batman eschews lethal weaponry such as guns, instead preferring to outwit his foes using his intellect to bring them to justice.

While the key details of Batman’s backstory have remained unchanged for almost seventy-five years, his characterization has changed to suit the ever-evolving expectations of a superhero. When the character debuted in the Silver Age of comics—the decades between 1950 and 1970—he was a sunny, pulpy character: he was billed as the “World’s Greatest Detective” and performed as such, while reflecting what is considered to be a more innocent time. His villains were grand, but he outsmarted them using his intelligence and science. The introduction of the Comics Code Authority in 1954 restricted not only the way that stories were presented but also the types of stories that could be presented. For instance, concealed weapons were forbidden, stories were required to have “morals,” and kidnapping and excessive violence were forbidden. As such, Batman’s stories began incorporating elements of science fiction. As the comics demonstrate, Batman famously repels aliens and an island of animatronic dinosaurs during this period. Also, female characters in the Batman stories of this time are poorly treated. The villain Catwoman had to be shelved due to regulations regarding women and violence, while the original Batwoman was brought on as a potential love interest to quiet the growing assertion of conservative culture warriors that Batman and Robin were, in fact, lovers. When this version of Batwoman was deemed unnecessary, she was written out. This period is also famous for Batman having “batsuits” with heretofore unseen special properties, such as fireproofing and thermal heating.

Modern portrayals of Batman show him as a deeply flawed, psychologically scarred hero. During the 1980s the Comics Code’s influence was waning, and writers like Frank Miller took advantage of this to tell brutal, psychological stories. Haunted by the murder of his parents, a modern Batman is dangerous and calculating. He has returned to his roots as a skilled detective and fighter, which has made him suspicious and paranoid. He is often depicted as having calculated how to defeat his allies, should the need arise, with contingency plans for everyone from Robin to Superman. Modern writers have a young Bruce Wayne train as a ninja before returning to Gotham to become Batman, so greater emphasis is placed on his stealth and fighting skills. The batsuit has reflected this change as well, shifting from a cloth/spandex suit to one that is very clearly body armor, built to withstand bullets and knives.

He is also haunted by his mistakes. After the death of Jason Todd, the second sidekick to go by the codename Robin, Batman spirals into anger and depression over not being able to prevent Jason’s death at the hands of the Joker. For the next decade, Jason’s murder haunts Batman alongside that of his parents as his greatest failure. He puts Jason’s costume on display in the Batcave as motivation. In the 2008 Christopher Nolan film The Dark Knight , Batman and Commissioner Gordon conspire to hide the truth of the popular District Attorney Harvey Dent’s descent into madness so that Gotham City will have a symbol of hope. While that decision is for the good of the city, it leads to Bruce Wayne’s reclusion and an eight year hiatus as Batman. Such dark, psychological stories would never have been allowed during the heyday of the Comics Code Authority.

Just as the portrayal of Batman has shifted to meet the current expectations of a superhero, so too have the depictions of the characters around him, both allies and enemies. During the Silver Age, Batman’s associates are, like Batman himself, light-hearted. Characters like Ace the Bat-Hound and the Bat-Mice were introduced to bring in more young readers, though these characters were rarely seen after 1964. Issues were built around a villain-of-the-week who is purely evil and has no outside motivation. These stories also tend to be episodic with no story arcs or even character arcs. The Joker is originally a calculating murderer, but his character becomes a gleeful trickster to comply with the Code.

As readers matured, the creative forces driving the various Batman outlets were able to tell more complex, meaningful stories. Thus, in modern portrayals, Batman’s associates deal with real, lasting consequences and changes. Beginning with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight comic series, Batman’s friends begin their trials. Dick Grayson, the original Robin, grows up and goes to college, being replaced by the ill-fated Jason Todd. He becomes a hero in his own right, going by the codename Nightwing and becoming the leader of the Teen Titans. In the seminal 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke , Batgirl is partially paralyzed by the Joker, who shoots her through her spine as part of an effort to drive her father, Commissioner Gordon, insane. This condition lasts until the DC-Universe-wide reboot in 2011, and she is now able to walk and has resumed the mantle of Batgirl. The Joker himself has been given many different backstories, all of them horrific. Filmmakers give a nod to the Joker’s varied backstories in the film The Dark Knight by having the Joker give conflicting accounts of how he received his trademark scars. Catwoman is originally just a bored housewife who turns to crime, but beginning in the 1980s her story retroactively changes to her being a prostitute who turns to burglary to buy freedom for herself and her sister. Once a staunch villain of Batman, this new version of the character is portrayed more as an antihero; though she is not necessarily an upstanding citizen, the new Catwoman will join forces with Batman to fight evil when it suits her. These stories appeal to an audience craving depth and substance to their characters, far different from the Pre-Vietnam War era Batman stories.

While the key details to the Batman story never change, the way the character has been presented has changed over time, as has the way his associated characters have been presented. It is perhaps this adaptability that has allowed Batman to flourish in popularity for almost seventy-five years, with no signs of that popularity waning. As the demographic for Batman’s stories matures, the power wielded by the Comics Code Authority has diminished, making darker, more meaningful stories possible. Previously one dimensional characters were given subtleties and nuances, much in the way modern film versions depict the heroes of old, from Odysseus to Sherlock Holmes. As society’s norms change, this change is reflected in the way films, stories, and comic books depict superheroes. With all the changes occurring in culture worldwide, who knows what the next generation’s Batman will be like?

External Links

“ Disability ” ( https://tinyurl.com/y99te6e2 ) by Nancy Mairs: In “Disability,” writer Nancy Mairs discusses the experience of being a disabled person in a world focused on the able-bodied. It seems to be titled “Hers” but it is the correct essay.

“ Friending, Ancient or Otherwise ” ( https://tinyurl.com/y85u8ae8 ) by Alex Wright: In “Friending, Ancient or Otherwise,” writer Alex Wright explores the evolution and purpose of friendship in the age of social media.

“ Sex, Lies and Conversation: Why Is It So Hard for Men and Women to Talk to Each Other ? ” ( https://tinyurl.com/y95dpehx ) by Deborah Tannen. In this essay, Tannen compares and contrasts conversation styles. You can view the essay here ( https://tinyurl.com/y9vnjqv8 ) also.

Contributors and Attributions

Adapted from Successful College Composition (Crowther et al.) . Sourced from LibreTexts , licensed under CC BY-NC-SA .

Adapted from Let's Get Writing (Browning, DeVries, Boylan, Kurtz and Burton) . Sourced from LibreTexts , licensed under CC BY-NC-SA .

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How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

Last Updated: May 12, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 29 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 3,102,480 times.

The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to analyze the differences and/or the similarities of two distinct subjects. A good compare/contrast essay doesn’t only point out how the subjects are similar or different (or even both!). It uses those points to make a meaningful argument about the subjects. While it can be a little intimidating to approach this type of essay at first, with a little work and practice, you can write a great compare-and-contrast essay!

Formulating Your Argument

Step 1 Pick two subjects that can be compared and contrasted.

You could pick two subjects that are in the same “category” but have differences that are significant in some way. For example, you could choose “homemade pizza vs. frozen grocery store pizza.”
You could pick two subjects that don’t appear to have anything in common but that have a surprising similarity. For example, you could choose to compare bats and whales. (One is tiny and flies, and the other is huge and swims, but they both use sonar to hunt.)
You could pick two subjects that might appear to be the same but are actually different. For example, you could choose "The Hunger Games movie vs. the book."

Step 2 Make sure that your subjects can be discussed in a meaningful way.

For example, ask yourself: What can we learn by thinking about “The Hunger Games” and “Battle Royale” together that we would miss out on if we thought about them separately?
It can be helpful to consider the “So what?” question when deciding whether your subjects have meaningful comparisons and contrasts to be made. If you say “The Hunger Games and Battle Royale are both similar and different,” and your friend asked you “So what?” what would your answer be? In other words, why bother putting these two things together?

A “Venn diagram” can often be helpful when brainstorming. This set of overlapping circles can help you visualize where your subjects are similar and where they differ. In the outer edges of the circle, you write what is different; in the overlapping middle area, you write what’s similar. [2] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
You can also just draw out a list of all of the qualities or characteristics of each subject. Once you’ve done that, start looking through the list for traits that both subjects share. Major points of difference are also good to note.

For example, if you are comparing and contrasting cats and dogs, you might notice that both are common household pets, fairly easy to adopt, and don’t usually have many special care needs. These are points of comparison (ways they are similar).
You might also note that cats are usually more independent than dogs, that dogs may not provoke allergies as much as cats do, and that cats don’t get as big as many dogs do. These are points of contrast (ways they are different).
These points of contrast can often be good places to start thinking about your thesis, or argument. Do these differences make one animal a superior type of pet? Or a better pet choice for a specific living situation (e.g., an apartment, a farm, etc.)?

Show readers why one subject is more desirable than the other. Example: "Cats are better pets than dogs because they require less maintenance, are more independent, and are more adaptable."
Help readers make a meaningful comparison between two subjects. Example: "New York City and San Francisco are both great cities for young professionals, but they differ in terms of their job opportunities, social environment, and living conditions."
Show readers how two subjects are similar and different. Example: "While both The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird explore the themes of loss of innocence and the deep bond between siblings, To Kill a Mockingbird is more concerned with racism while The Catcher in the Rye focuses on the prejudices of class."
In middle school and high school, the standard format for essays is often the “5-paragraph form,” with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. If your teacher recommends this form, go for it. However, you should be aware that especially in college, teachers and professors tend to want students to break out of this limited mode. Don’t get so locked into having “three main points” that you forget to fully explore your topic.

Organizing Your Essay

Subject by subject. This organization deals with all of the points about Topic A, then all of the points of Topic B. For example, you could discuss all your points about frozen pizza (in as many paragraphs as necessary), then all your points about homemade pizza. The strength of this form is that you don’t jump back and forth as much between topics, which can help your essay read more smoothly. It can also be helpful if you are using one subject as a “lens” through which to examine the other. The major disadvantage is that the comparisons and contrasts don’t really become evident until much further into the essay, and it can end up reading like a list of “points” rather than a cohesive essay. [4] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
Point by point. This type of organization switches back and forth between points. For example, you could first discuss the prices of frozen pizza vs. homemade pizza, then the quality of ingredients, then the convenience factor. The advantage of this form is that it’s very clear what you’re comparing and contrasting. The disadvantage is that you do switch back and forth between topics, so you need to make sure that you use transitions and signposts to lead your reader through your argument.
Compare then contrast. This organization presents all the comparisons first, then all the contrasts. It’s a pretty common way of organizing an essay, and it can be helpful if you really want to emphasize how your subjects are different. Putting the contrasts last places the emphasis on them. However, it can be more difficult for your readers to immediately see why these two subjects are being contrasted if all the similarities are first.

Introduction. This paragraph comes first and presents the basic information about the subjects to be compared and contrasted. It should present your thesis and the direction of your essay (i.e., what you will discuss and why your readers should care).
Body Paragraphs. These are the meat of your essay, where you provide the details and evidence that support your claims. Each different section or body paragraph should tackle a different division of proof. It should provide and analyze evidence in order to connect those proofs to your thesis and support your thesis. Many middle-school and high-school essays may only require three body paragraphs, but use as many as is necessary to fully convey your argument.
Acknowledgement of Competitive Arguments/Concession. This paragraph acknowledges that other counter-arguments exist, but discusses how those arguments are flawed or do not apply.
Conclusion. This paragraph summarizes the evidence presented. It will restate the thesis, but usually in a way that offers more information or sophistication than the introduction could. Remember: your audience now has all the information you gave them about why your argument is solid. They don’t need you to just reword your original thesis. Take it to the next level!

Step 3 Outline your body paragraphs based on subject-to-subject comparison.

Introduction: state your intent to discuss the differences between camping in the woods or on the beach.
Body Paragraph 1 (Woods): Climate/Weather
Body Paragraph 2 (Woods): Types of Activities and Facilities
Body Paragraph 3 (Beach): Climate/Weather
Body Paragraph 4 (Beach): Types of Activities and Facilities

Step 4 Outline your body paragraphs based on point-by-point comparison.

Introduction

Step 5 Outline your body paragraphs based on compare then contrast.

Body Paragraph 1: Similarity between woods and beaches (both are places with a wide variety of things to do)
Body Paragraph 2: First difference between woods and beaches (they have different climates)
Body Paragraph 3: Second difference between woods and beaches (there are more easily accessible woods than beaches in most parts of the country)
Body Paragraph 4: Emphasis on the superiority of the woods to the beach

Step 6 Organize your individual body paragraphs.

Topic sentence: This sentence introduces the main idea and subject of the paragraph. It can also provide a transition from the ideas in the previous paragraph.
Body: These sentences provide concrete evidence that support the topic sentence and main idea.
Conclusion: this sentence wraps up the ideas in the paragraph. It may also provide a link to the next paragraph’s ideas.

Putting It All Together

Step 1 Use your brainstorming ideas to fill in your outline.

If you are having trouble finding evidence to support your argument, go back to your original texts and try the brainstorming process again. It could be that your argument is evolving past where it started, which is good! You just need to go back and look for further evidence.

For example, in a body paragraph about the quality of ingredients in frozen vs. homemade pizza, you could close with an assertion like this: “Because you actively control the quality of the ingredients in pizza you make at home, it can be healthier for you than frozen pizza. It can also let you express your imagination. Pineapple and peanut butter pizza? Go for it! Pickles and parmesan? Do it! Using your own ingredients lets you have fun with your food.” This type of comment helps your reader understand why the ability to choose your own ingredients makes homemade pizza better.

Reading your essay aloud can also help you find problem spots. Often, when you’re writing you get so used to what you meant to say that you don’t read what you actually said.

Avoid bias. Don't use overly negative or defamatory language to show why a subject is unfavorable; use solid evidence to prove your points instead.
Avoid first-person pronouns unless told otherwise. In some cases, your teacher may encourage you to use “I” and “you” in your essay. However, if the assignment or your teacher doesn’t mention it, stick with third-person instead, like “one may see” or “people may enjoy.” This is common practice for formal academic essays.
Proofread! Spelling and punctuation errors happen to everyone, but not catching them can make you seem lazy. Go over your essay carefully, and ask a friend to help if you’re not confident in your own proofreading skills.

Sample Body Paragraphs

Step 1 Write a body paragraph for a point-by-point compare and contrast essay.

"When one is deciding whether to go to the beach or the woods, the type of activities that each location offers are an important point to consider. At the beach, one can enjoy the water by swimming, surfing, or even building a sandcastle with a moat that will fill with water. When one is in the woods, one may be able to go fishing or swimming in a nearby lake, or one may not be near water at all. At the beach, one can keep one's kids entertained by burying them in sand or kicking around a soccer ball; if one is in the woods, one can entertain one's kids by showing them different plans or animals. Both the beach and the woods offer a variety of activities for adults and kids alike."

Step 2 Write a body paragraph for a subject-by-subject compare and contrast essay.

"The beach has a wonderful climate, many activities, and great facilities for any visitor's everyday use. If a person goes to the beach during the right day or time of year, he or she can enjoy warm, yet refreshing water, a cool breeze, and a relatively hot climate. At the beach, one can go swimming, sunbathe, or build sandcastles. There are also great facilities at the beach, such as a changing room, umbrellas, and conveniently-located restaurants and changing facilities. The climate, activities, and facilities are important points to consider when deciding between the beach and the woods."

Sample Essay Outline

thesis template for compare and contrast essay

Community Q&A

Collect your sources. Mark page numbers in books, authors, titles, dates, or other applicable information. This will help you cite your sources later on in the writing process. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2
Don't rush through your writing. If you have a deadline, start early. If you rush, the writing won't not be as good as it could be. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Use reputable sources. While Wikipedia may be an easy way to start off, try to go to more specific websites afterwards. Many schools refuse to accept Wikipedia as a valid source of information, and prefer sources with more expertise and credibility. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

If you have external sources, make sure you always cite them. Otherwise, you may be guilty of plagiarism. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/comparing-and-contrasting/
↑ http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/compcontrast/

About This Article

To write a compare and contrast essay, try organizing your essay so you're comparing and contrasting one aspect of your subjects in each paragraph. Or, if you don't want to jump back and forth between subjects, structure your essay so the first half is about one subject and the second half is about the other. You could also write your essay so the first few paragraphs introduce all of the comparisons and the last few paragraphs introduce all of the contrasts, which can help emphasize your subjects' differences and similarities. To learn how to choose subjects to compare and come up with a thesis statement, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
How to Write an Essay Outline: Full Guide With Examples

Compare and contrast essay outline toolkit.

How to write an outline for an Compare and contrast essay

Once you are done with these steps, this is what your structure will look like

Introduction.

Introduce the significance of ancient Greek and Roman architecture in shaping Western architectural traditions
Provide a brief overview of the key features of both architectural styles

While both ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles have made significant contributions to the field, they exhibit distinct differences in terms of design, purpose, and cultural influences.

Architectural Design and Characteristics

Discuss the architectural design principles of ancient Greek buildings, including columns, symmetry, and proportions.
Analyze the distinctive features of Roman architecture, such as the use of arches, domes, and concrete
Compare and contrast the design elements of Greek and Roman structures.

Architectural Purpose and Function

Explore the primary purposes of ancient Greek architecture, including temples, theaters, and public buildings
Examine the diverse functions of Roman architecture, encompassing aqueducts, arenas, and public baths.
Compare and contrast the intended functions and uses of Greek and Roman architectural achievements.

Cultural Influences and Symbolism

Investigate the cultural influences that shaped Greek architectural styles, including religion, philosophy, and mythology.
Analyze the cultural influences on Roman architecture, such as engineering prowess and imperialism.
Reiterate the thesis statement, emphasizing the distinct differences between ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles
Summarize the key points presented in the essay.

This is what your outline will look like

Firstly, the essay will discuss the architectural design and characteristics of both by analyzing the distinctive features and comparing and contrasting design elements of both structures. Secondly, the essay will shed light on the respective purposes and diverse functions of both architectures and compare and contrast them. Lastly, the essay will investigate the cultural influences and symbolism of each style, by stating its religion, philosophy, and mythology.

How to write an outline for an Compare and Contrast essay

1. identify the topic.

The first crucial step in crafting an effective outline for your compare and contrast essay is to clearly identify and define the topic you will be exploring. This initial stage is essential for providing your readers with a clear understanding of what to expect in your essay.

If you are writing an essay on historical architectural styles, your topic can be “A Comparison of Ancient Greek and Roman Architectural Styles”

2. Define the objective

Once you have your topic in mind, the next step is to define the objective of your essay. In a compare and contrast essay, the objective is to examine the nuanced differences or perhaps discover unexpected similarities between the two subjects of comparison.

If your objective is to provide a comparison of both architectural styles, you can state, “The aim of the essay is to examine the similarities and differences in Greek and Roman architectural styles.”

3. Craft the thesis

The thesis statement is the core element of your outline, serving as the central argument that will drive your essay. In a compare and contrast essay, the thesis statement introduces readers to the outcome of your comparison and the significance of the contrast.

Continuing the example, your thesis statement for the topic could be, “While both ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles have made significant contributions to the field, they exhibit distinct differences in terms of design, purpose, and cultural influences..""

4. Main points

Now, let's structure your outline by outlining the key components. A compare and contrast essay can follow either a block structure or a point-by-point structure, both of which have distinct advantages depending on your chosen topics.

The main points for your essay could be

5. Sub-points

After introducing the main points, the next step is to provide in-depth elaboration on each of these points, backed by relevant examples and evidence. In this section, you will explicitly outline the specific aspects you plan to discuss and specify the examples that will reinforce your arguments.

Examine the emotional appeals used in the speech to evoke empathy and solidarity among the audience
Reflect on how the rainforest's biodiversity impacted your perspective

All will be explained with examples and backed with statistical data.

6. Evidence and citations

In any academic essay, citing sources and providing proper attribution is essential. Make sure to clearly outline the sources from which you will be citing information, quotes, and data that support your arguments.

You can cite historical papers that define each style, also you can also mention research papers that define the characteristics of certain designs.

7. Introduction and hook

Your introduction is your chance to captivate the reader's attention and spark their interest in your essay. A well-crafted hook can be an unexpected fact, a dispelled misconception, or a surprising statistic that piques the reader's curiosity.

You can start the introduction with an unexpected fact to create a hook like “Did you know the Dome of Pantheon in Rome is still the world's largest unsupported concrete dome”. Then continue to introduce both architectural styles and provide an overview of their features.

8. Conclusion

After you have stated your key points, it's time to conclude your essay. You should conclude the compare and contrast essay with a paragraph stating the points discussed and also sharing your opinion so your readers can have something to think about after they finish reading.

In the conclusion, you will Reiterate the thesis statement, emphasizing the distinct differences between ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles, and then summarize key points you made in the essay.

9. Transitions

Transition words play a crucial role in ensuring the seamless flow of your writing, facilitating smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and topics. Comparison and contrast transitions are generally used to show a similarity or difference in these types of essays.

In your compare and contrast essay, you can use words like “even so”, “conversely”, etc. to transition from one concept, idea, or sentence to another.

10. Refine and review

Finally, before you begin writing your essay, take a moment to revisit and review your outline. Ensure that it maintains logical coherence and comprehensiveness. Make any necessary revisions to ensure that each point flows logically, and all the required information is included while avoiding the addition of unnecessary points.

Finally, during the review, you will need to ensure that each point flows logically and you have included all the necessary information and didn’t add any extra points.

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34 Compelling Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Topics cover education, technology, pop culture, sports, animals, and more.

Do your writers need some inspiration? If you’re teaching students to write a compare and contrast essay, a strong example is an invaluable tool. This round-up of our favorite compare and contrast essays covers a range of topics and grade levels, so no matter your students’ interests or ages, you’ll always have a helpful example to share. You’ll find links to full essays about education, technology, pop culture, sports, animals, and more. (Need compare-and-contrast essay topic ideas? Check out our big list of compare and contrast essay topics! )

What is a compare and contrast essay?

Education and parenting essays
Technology essays
Pop culture essays
Historical and political essays
Sports essays
Lifestyle essays
Healthcare essays
Animal essays

When choosing a compare and contrast essay example to include on this list, we considered the structure. A strong compare and contrast essay begins with an introductory paragraph that includes background context and a strong thesis. Next, the body includes paragraphs that explore the similarities and differences. Finally, a concluding paragraph restates the thesis, draws any necessary inferences, and asks any remaining questions.

A compare and contrast essay example can be an opinion piece comparing two things and making a conclusion about which is better. For example, “Is Tom Brady really the GOAT?” It can also help consumers decide which product is better suited to them. Should you keep your subscription to Hulu or Netflix? Should you stick with Apple or explore Android? Here’s our list of compare and contrast essay samples categorized by subject.

Education and Parenting Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Private school vs. public school.

Sample lines: “Deciding whether to send a child to public or private school can be a tough choice for parents. … Data on whether public or private education is better can be challenging to find and difficult to understand, and the cost of private school can be daunting. … According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, public schools still attract far more students than private schools, with 50.7 million students attending public school as of 2018. Private school enrollment in the fall of 2017 was 5.7 million students, a number that is down from 6 million in 1999.”

Read the full essay: Private School vs. Public School at U.S. News and World Report

Homeschool vs. Public School: How Home Schooling Will Change Public Education

Sample lines: “Home schooling, not a present threat to public education, is nonetheless one of the forces that will change it. If the high estimates of the number of children in home schools (1.2 million) is correct, then the home-schooling universe is larger than the New York City public school system and roughly the size of the Los Angeles and Chicago public school systems combined. … Critics charge that three things are wrong with home schooling: harm to students academically; harm to society by producing students who are ill-prepared to function as democratic citizens and participants in a modern economy; and harm to public education, making it more difficult for other parents to educate their children. … It is time to ask whether home schooling, charters, and vouchers should be considered parts of a broad repertoire of methods that we as a society use to educate our children.”

Read the full essay: Homeschool vs. Public School: How Home Schooling Will Change Public Education at Brookings

Which parenting style is right for you?

Sample lines: “The three main types of parenting are on a type of ‘sliding scale’ of parenting, with permissive parenting as the least strict type of parenting. Permissive parenting typically has very few rules, while authoritarian parenting is thought of as a very strict, rule-driven type of parenting.”

Read the full essay: What Is Authoritative Parenting? at Healthline

Masked Education? The Benefits and Burdens of Wearing Face Masks in Schools During the Pandemic

Sample lines: “Face masks can prevent the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2. … However, covering the lower half of the face reduces the ability to communicate. Positive emotions become less recognizable, and negative emotions are amplified. Emotional mimicry, contagion, and emotionality in general are reduced and (thereby) bonding between teachers and learners, group cohesion, and learning—of which emotions are a major driver. The benefits and burdens of face masks in schools should be seriously considered and made obvious and clear to teachers and students.”

Read the full essay: Masked Education? The Benefits and Burdens of Wearing Face Masks in Schools During the Pandemic at National Library of Medicine

To Ban or Not: What Should We Really Make of Book Bans?

Sample lines: “In recent years, book bans have soared in schools, reaching an all-time high in fall 2022. … The challenge of balancing parent concerns about ‘age appropriateness’ against the imperative of preparing students to be informed citizens is still on the minds of many educators today. … Such curricular decision-making should be left to the professionals, argues English/language arts instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky. ‘Examining texts for their appropriateness is not a job that noneducators are trained to do,’ she wrote last year, as the national debate over censorship resurged with the news that a Tennessee district banned the graphic novel Maus just days before Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

Read the full essay: To Ban or Not: What Should We Really Make of Book Bans? at Education Week

Technology Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Netflix vs. hulu 2023: which is the best streaming service.

Sample lines: “Netflix fans will point to its high-quality originals, including The Witcher , Stranger Things , Emily in Paris , Ozark , and more, as well as a wide variety of documentaries like Cheer , The Last Dance , My Octopus Teacher , and many others. It also boasts a much larger subscription base, with more than 222 million subscribers compared to Hulu’s 44 million. Hulu, on the other hand, offers a variety of extras such as HBO and Showtime—content that’s unavailable on Netflix. Its price tag is also cheaper than the competition, with its $7/mo. starting price, which is a bit more palatable than Netflix’s $10/mo. starting price.”

Read the full essay: Netflix vs. Hulu 2023: Which is the best streaming service? at TV Guide

Kindle vs. Hardcover: Which is easier on the eyes?

Sample lines: “In the past, we would have to drag around heavy books if we were really into reading. Now, we can have all of those books, and many more, stored in one handy little device that can easily be stuffed into a backpack, purse, etc. … Many of us still prefer to hold an actual book in our hands. … But, whether you use a Kindle or prefer hardcover books or paperbacks, the main thing is that you enjoy reading. A story in a book or on a Kindle device can open up new worlds, take you to fantasy worlds, educate you, entertain you, and so much more.”

Read the full essay: Kindle vs. Hardcover: Which is easier on the eyes? at Books in a Flash

iPhone vs. Android: Which is better for you?

Sample lines: “The iPhone vs. Android comparison is a never-ending debate on which one is best. It will likely never have a real winner, but we’re going to try and help you to find your personal pick all the same. iOS 17 and Android 14—the latest versions of the two operating systems—both offer smooth and user-friendly experiences, and several similar or identical features. But there are still important differences to be aware of. … Owning an iPhone is a simpler, more convenient experience. There’s less to think about. … Android-device ownership is a bit harder. … Yet it’s simultaneously more freeing, because it offers more choice.”

Read the full essay: iPhone vs. Android: Which is better for you? at Tom’s Guide

Cutting the cord: Is streaming or cable better for you?

Sample lines: “Cord-cutting has become a popular trend in recent years, thanks to the rise of streaming services. For those unfamiliar, cord cutting is the process of canceling your cable subscription and instead, relying on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu to watch your favorite shows and movies. The primary difference is that you can select your streaming services à la carte while cable locks you in on a set number of channels through bundles. So, the big question is: should you cut the cord?”

Read the full essay: Cutting the cord: Is streaming or cable better for you? at BroadbandNow

PS5 vs. Nintendo Switch

Sample lines: “The crux of the comparison comes down to portability versus power. Being able to migrate fully fledged Nintendo games from a big screen to a portable device is a huge asset—and one that consumers have taken to, especially given the Nintendo Switch’s meteoric sales figures. … It is worth noting that many of the biggest franchises like Call of Duty, Madden, modern Resident Evil titles, newer Final Fantasy games, Grand Theft Auto, and open-world Ubisoft adventures like Assassin’s Creed will usually skip Nintendo Switch due to its lack of power. The inability to play these popular games practically guarantees that a consumer will pick up a modern system, while using the Switch as a secondary device.”

Read the full essay: PS5 vs. Nintendo Switch at Digital Trends

What is the difference between Facebook and Instagram?

Sample lines: “Have you ever wondered what is the difference between Facebook and Instagram? Instagram and Facebook are by far the most popular social media channels used by digital marketers. Not to mention that they’re also the biggest platforms used by internet users worldwide. So, today we’ll look into the differences and similarities between these two platforms to help you figure out which one is the best fit for your business.”

Read the full essay: What is the difference between Facebook and Instagram? at SocialBee

Digital vs. Analog Watches—What’s the Difference?

Sample lines: “In short, digital watches use an LCD or LED screen to display the time. Whereas, an analog watch features three hands to denote the hour, minutes, and seconds. With the advancement in watch technology and research, both analog and digital watches have received significant improvements over the years. Especially in terms of design, endurance, and accompanying features. … At the end of the day, whether you go analog or digital, it’s a personal preference to make based on your style, needs, functions, and budget.”

Read the full essay: Digital vs. Analog Watches—What’s the Difference? at Watch Ranker

AI Art vs. Human Art: A Side-by-Side Analysis

Sample lines: “Art has always been a reflection of human creativity, emotion, and cultural expression. However, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), a new form of artistic creation has emerged, blurring the lines between what is created by human hands and what is generated by algorithms. … Despite the excitement surrounding AI Art, it also raises complex ethical, legal, and artistic questions that have sparked debates about the definition of art, the role of the artist, and the future of art production. … Regardless of whether AI Art is considered ‘true’ art, it is crucial to embrace and explore the vast possibilities and potential it brings to the table. The transformative influence of AI art on the art world is still unfolding, and only time will reveal its true extent.”

Read the full essay: AI Art vs. Human Art: A Side-by-Side Analysis at Raul Lara

Pop Culture Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Christina aguilera vs. britney spears.

Sample lines: “Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera was the Coke vs. Pepsi of 1999 — no, really, Christina repped Coke and Britney shilled for Pepsi. The two teen idols released debut albums seven months apart before the turn of the century, with Britney’s becoming a standard-bearer for bubblegum pop and Aguilera’s taking an R&B bent to show off her range. … It’s clear that Spears and Aguilera took extremely divergent paths following their simultaneous breakout successes.”

Read the full essay: Christina Aguilera vs. Britney Spears at The Ringer

Harry Styles vs. Ed Sheeran

Sample lines: “The world heard our fantasies and delivered us two titans simultaneously—we have been blessed with Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles. Our cup runneth over; our bounty is immeasurable. More remarkable still is the fact that both have released albums almost at the same time: Ed’s third, Divide , was released in March and broke the record for one-day Spotify streams, while Harry’s frenziedly anticipated debut solo, called Harry Styles , was released yesterday.”

Read the full essay: Harry Styles versus Ed Sheeran at Belfast Telegraph

The Grinch: Three Versions Compared

Sample lines: “Based on the original story of the same name, this movie takes a completely different direction by choosing to break away from the cartoony form that Seuss had established by filming the movie in a live-action form. Whoville is preparing for Christmas while the Grinch looks down upon their celebrations in disgust. Like the previous film, The Grinch hatches a plan to ruin Christmas for the Who’s. … Like in the original Grinch, he disguises himself as Santa Claus, and makes his dog, Max, into a reindeer. He then takes all of the presents from the children and households. … Cole’s favorite is the 2000 edition, while Alex has only seen the original. Tell us which one is your favorite.”

Read the full essay: The Grinch: Three Versions Compared at Wooster School

Historical and Political Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Malcolm x vs. martin luther king jr.: comparison between two great leaders’ ideologies .

Sample lines: “Although they were fighting for civil rights at the same time, their ideology and way of fighting were completely distinctive. This can be for a plethora of reasons: background, upbringing, the system of thought, and vision. But keep in mind, they devoted their whole life to the same prospect. … Through boycotts and marches, [King] hoped to end racial segregation. He felt that the abolition of segregation would improve the likelihood of integration. Malcolm X, on the other hand, spearheaded a movement for black empowerment.”

Read the full essay: Malcolm X vs. Martin Luther King Jr.: Comparison Between Two Great Leaders’ Ideologies at Melaninful

Contrast Between Obama and Trump Has Become Clear

Sample lines: “The contrast is even clearer when we look to the future. Trump promises more tax cuts, more military spending, more deficits and deeper cuts in programs for the vulnerable. He plans to nominate a coal lobbyist to head the Environmental Protection Agency. … Obama says America must move forward, and he praises progressive Democrats for advocating Medicare for all. … With Obama and then Trump, Americans have elected two diametrically opposed leaders leading into two very different directions.”

Read the full essay: Contrast Between Obama and Trump Has Become Clear at Chicago Sun-Times

Sports Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Lebron james vs. kobe bryant: a complete comparison.

Sample lines: “LeBron James has achieved so much in his career that he is seen by many as the greatest of all time, or at least the only player worthy of being mentioned in the GOAT conversation next to Michael Jordan. Bridging the gap between Jordan and LeBron though was Kobe Bryant, who often gets left out of comparisons and GOAT conversations. … Should his name be mentioned more though? Can he compare to LeBron or is The King too far past The Black Mamba in historical rankings already?”

Read the full essay: LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant: A Complete Comparison at Sportskeeda

NFL: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning Rivalry Comparison

Sample lines: “Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were largely considered the best quarterbacks in the NFL for the majority of the time they spent in the league together, with the icons having many head-to-head clashes in the regular season and on the AFC side of the NFL Playoffs. Manning was the leader of the Indianapolis Colts of the AFC South. … Brady spent his career as the QB of the AFC East’s New England Patriots, before taking his talents to Tampa Bay. … The reality is that winning is the most important aspect of any career, and Brady won more head-to-head matchups than Manning did.”

Read the full essay: NFL: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning Rivalry Comparison at Sportskeeda

The Greatest NBA Franchise Ever: Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers?

Sample lines: “The Celtics are universally considered as the greatest franchise in NBA history. But if you take a close look at the numbers, there isn’t really too much separation between them and their arch-rival Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, you can even make a good argument for the Lakers. … In 72 seasons played, the Boston Celtics have won a total of 3,314 games and lost 2,305 or a .590 winning mark. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers have won 3,284 of 5,507 total games played or a slightly better winning record of .596. … But while the Lakers have the better winning percentage, the Celtics have the advantage over them in head-to-head competition.”

Read the full essay: The Greatest NBA Franchise Ever: Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers? at Sport One

Is Soccer Better Than Football?

Sample lines: “Is soccer better than football? Soccer and football lovers have numerous reasons to support their sport of choice. Both keep the players physically fit and help to bring people together for an exciting cause. However, soccer has drawn more numbers globally due to its popularity in more countries.”

Read the full essay: Is Soccer Better Than Football? at Sports Brief

Lifestyle Choices Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Mobile home vs. tiny house: similarities, differences, pros & cons.

Sample lines: “Choosing the tiny home lifestyle enables you to spend more time with those you love. The small living space ensures quality bonding time rather than hiding away in a room or behind a computer screen. … You’ll be able to connect closer to nature and find yourself able to travel the country at any given moment. On the other hand, we have the mobile home. … They are built on a chassis with transportation in mind. … They are not built to be moved on a constant basis. … While moving the home again *is* possible, it may cost you several thousand dollars.”

Read the full essay: Mobile Home vs. Tiny House: Similarities, Differences, Pros & Cons at US Mobile Home Pros

Whole Foods vs. Walmart: The Story of Two Grocery Stores

Sample lines: “It is clear that both stores have very different stories and aims when it comes to their customers. Whole Foods looks to provide organic, healthy, exotic, and niche products for an audience with a very particular taste. … Walmart, on the other hand, looks to provide the best deals, every possible product, and every big brand for a broader audience. … Moreover, they look to make buying affordable and accessible, and focus on the capitalist nature of buying.”

Read the full essay: Whole Foods vs. Walmart: The Story of Two Grocery Stores at The Archaeology of Us

Artificial Grass vs. Turf: The Real Differences Revealed

Sample lines: “The key difference between artificial grass and turf is their intended use. Artificial turf is largely intended to be used for sports, so it is shorter and tougher. On the other hand, artificial grass is generally longer, softer and more suited to landscaping purposes. Most homeowners would opt for artificial grass as a replacement for a lawn, for example. Some people actually prefer playing sports on artificial grass, too … artificial grass is often softer and more bouncy, giving it a feel similar to playing on a grassy lawn. … At the end of the day, which one you will choose will depend on your specific household and needs.”

Read the full essay: Artificial Grass vs. Turf: The Real Differences Revealed at Almost Grass

Minimalism vs. Maximalism: Differences, Similarities, and Use Cases

Sample lines: “Maximalists love shopping, especially finding unique pieces. They see it as a hobby—even a skill—and a way to express their personality. Minimalists don’t like shopping and see it as a waste of time and money. They’d instead use those resources to create memorable experiences. Maximalists desire one-of-a-kind possessions. Minimalists are happy with duplicates—for example, personal uniforms. … Minimalism and maximalism are about being intentional with your life and belongings. It’s about making choices based on what’s important to you.”

Read the full essay: Minimalism vs. Maximalism: Differences, Similarities, and Use Cases at Minimalist Vegan

Vegetarian vs. Meat Eating: Is It Better To Be a Vegetarian?

Sample lines: “You’ve heard buzz over the years that following a vegetarian diet is better for your health, and you’ve probably read a few magazine articles featuring a celeb or two who swore off meat and animal products and ‘magically’ lost weight. So does ditching meat automatically equal weight loss? Will it really help you live longer and be healthier overall? … Vegetarians appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than meat eaters. Vegetarians also tend to have a lower body mass index, lower overall cancer rates and lower risk of chronic disease. But if your vegetarian co-worker is noshing greasy veggie burgers and fries every day for lunch, is he likely to be healthier than you, who always orders the grilled salmon? Definitely not!”

Read the full essay: Vegetarian vs. Meat Eating: Is It Better To Be a Vegetarian? at WebMD

Healthcare Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Similarities and differences between the health systems in australia & usa.

Sample lines: “Australia and the United States are two very different countries. They are far away from each other, have contrasting fauna and flora, differ immensely by population, and have vastly different healthcare systems. The United States has a population of 331 million people, compared to Australia’s population of 25.5 million people.”

Read the full essay: Similarities and Differences Between the Health Systems in Australia & USA at Georgia State University

Universal Healthcare in the United States of America: A Healthy Debate

Sample lines: “Disadvantages of universal healthcare include significant upfront costs and logistical challenges. On the other hand, universal healthcare may lead to a healthier populace, and thus, in the long-term, help to mitigate the economic costs of an unhealthy nation. In particular, substantial health disparities exist in the United States, with low socio-economic status segments of the population subject to decreased access to quality healthcare and increased risk of non-communicable chronic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes, among other determinants of poor health.”

Read the full essay: Universal Healthcare in the United States of America: A Healthy Debate at National Library of Medicine

Pros and Cons of Physician Aid in Dying

Sample lines: “Physician aid in dying is a controversial subject raising issues central to the role of physicians. … The two most common arguments in favor of legalizing AID are respect for patient autonomy and relief of suffering. A third, related, argument is that AID is a safe medical practice, requiring a health care professional. … Although opponents of AID offer many arguments ranging from pragmatic to philosophical, we focus here on concerns that the expansion of AID might cause additional, unintended harm through suicide contagion, slippery slope, and the deaths of patients suffering from depression.”

Read the full essay: Pros and Cons of Physician Aid in Dying at National Library of Medicine

Animals Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Compare and contrast paragraph—dogs and cats.

Sample lines: “Researchers have found that dogs have about twice the number of neurons in their cerebral cortexes than what cats have. Specifically, dogs had around 530 million neurons, whereas the domestic cat only had 250 million neurons. Moreover, dogs can be trained to learn and respond to our commands, but although your cat understands your name, and anticipates your every move, he/she may choose to ignore you.”

Read the full essay: Compare and Contrast Paragraph—Dogs and Cats at Proofwriting Guru via YouTube

Giddyup! The Differences Between Horses and Dogs

Sample lines: “Horses are prey animals with a deep herding instinct. They are highly sensitive to their environment, hyper aware, and ready to take flight if needed. Just like dogs, some horses are more confident than others, but just like dogs, all need a confident handler to teach them what to do. Some horses are highly reactive and can be spooked by the smallest things, as are dogs. … Another distinction between horses and dogs … was that while dogs have been domesticated , horses have been tamed. … Both species have influenced our culture more than any other species on the planet.”

Read the full essay: Giddyup! The Differences Between Horses and Dogs at Positively Victoria Stilwell

Exotic, Domesticated, and Wild Pets

Sample lines: “Although the words ‘exotic’ and ‘wild’ are frequently used interchangeably, many people do not fully understand how these categories differ when it comes to pets. ‘A wild animal is an indigenous, non-domesticated animal, meaning that it is native to the country where you are located,’ Blue-McLendon explained. ‘For Texans, white-tailed deer, pronghorn sheep, raccoons, skunks, and bighorn sheep are wild animals … an exotic animal is one that is wild but is from a different continent than where you live.’ For example, a hedgehog in Texas would be considered an exotic animal, but in the hedgehog’s native country, it would be considered wildlife.”

Read the full essay: Exotic, Domesticated, and Wild Pets at Texas A&M University

Should Zoos Be Banned? Pros & Cons of Zoos

Sample lines: “The pros and cons of zoos often come from two very different points of view. From a legal standard, animals are often treated as property. That means they have less rights than humans, so a zoo seems like a positive place to maintain a high quality of life. For others, the forced enclosure of any animal feels like an unethical decision. … Zoos provide a protected environment for endangered animals, and also help in raising awareness and funding for wildlife initiatives and research projects. … Zoos are key for research. Being able to observe and study animals is crucial if we want to contribute to help them and repair the ecosystems. … Zoos are a typical form of family entertainment, but associating leisure and fun with the contemplation of animals in captivity can send the wrong signals to our children.”

Read the full essay: Should Zoos Be Banned? Pros & Cons of Zoos at EcoCation

Do you have a favorite compare and contrast essay example? Come share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, if you liked these compare and contrast essay examples check out intriguing compare and contrast essay topics for kids and teens ..

A good compare and contrast essay example, like the ones here, explores the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.

First day of school vs. the last day of school.

80 Intriguing Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for Kids and Teens

Android vs. iPhone? Capitalism vs. communism? Hot dog vs. taco? Continue Reading

Free Compare and Contrast Thesis Generator

If you’re struggling with writing the thesis statement for your compare and contrast essay, you’ve come to the right place! Our compare and contrast thesis generator is here to help you out. Using it will take just a few seconds!

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🖥️ How to Use our Generator
⚖️ Thesis Writing Steps
✅ Strong Thesis Checklist
📑 Good & Bad Examples

🔍 References

🖥️ how to use our compare and contrast thesis generator.

Type the main subjects of your paper into the field.
Choose whether the subjects are similar, different, or both.
Add the arguments regarding similarities and differences.
Click the button.
Enjoy the result!

⚖️ Compare and Contrast Thesis Writing Steps

A thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay is the last sentence of your paper's introduction. It sums up your essay and introduces the reader to all the main points of comparison.

The picture shows the steps to writing a compare and contrast thesis statement.

To create a solid thesis statement, you should do the following:

Make sure you are familiar with the topic . Try not to choose something too broad or narrow. You should be able to provide enough arguments to support your point.
Create a chart or a Venn diagram if needed. It will help you organize the similarities and differences between your subjects. You can create it yourself or use a template.
Try to include the most significant points of comparison in your thesis statement. You may refer to your chart to choose them.
Remember to use linking words . To make a smooth transition to the thesis, you can use words such as "compared to," "in contrast," etc.
Ensure your thesis statement is connected to the topic sentences. The thesis wraps up your essay's introduction. Then, the body paragraphs should cover the arguments you've introduced. So, make sure the topic sentences are connected to your main claim.

✅ Strong Compare and Contrast Thesis: Checklist

After you finish writing, answer these questions to ensure you have a strong thesis statement:

It's not enough to reword the prompt question or state the obvious facts. A solid thesis statement should also include a point to argue, so make sure it has one.

If you're analyzing what two objects have in common and how they are different, make sure your thesis should include arguments from both sides. If you're writing only about similarities or differences, it's enough to mention just one side.

Make sure to include the points that will actually be in your paper, and don't create any additional arguments just for your thesis.

Avoid including too many details or any irrelevant information. You have only one sentence to sum up your essay, so there is no need for lengthy explanations. By the way, if you use our tool, you can be sure your thesis will be strong and perfectly concise!

The picture shows the qualities of a strong compare and contrast thesis statement.

📑 Compare and Contrast Thesis: Good & Bad Examples

Check out the examples we’ve gathered to help you understand what a compare and contrast thesis should be like:

And here are some examples of how not to write a compare and contrast thesis statement:

We hope you enjoyed reading our article! Try out our compare and contrast thesis generator to take your essay writing to the next level! You're also welcome to use our other thesis statement generators .

❓ Compare and Contrast Thesis Generator FAQ

❓ how to write a compare and contrast thesis statement.

A compare and contrast thesis statement should summarize your essay's main points. Think of the most important differences and similarities covered in your paper and combine them into a single sentence in the introductory paragraph.

❓ How to write a thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay?

To write a thesis for a compare and contrast essay, you need to develop a topic for your paper. Come up with the main idea and provide enough arguments to support it. Then, select the most significant points and put them into a single sentence.

❓ How to write a good thesis for a compare and contrast essay?

To write a solid thesis statement, you should first choose the most significant points from your essay and combine them into a single sentence. Remember that your thesis should express an opinion and not just state facts.

❓ What is a good thesis statement for compare and contrast essay?

A good thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay should be solid and specific. To write one, summarize the arguments from your paper without too many details. Instead, try including only the most significant points. Make sure to state an opinion, too!

The Comparative Essay: University of Toronto
Comparing and Contrasting: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue University
Beef Up Critical Thinking and Writing Skills: Comparison Essays

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10 Good Examples Of Thesis Statements For A Compare And Contrast Essay

If you’ve been set this type of paper, you’ll need to know how to handle each part of its construction; and one of those parts is getting your thesis statement right!

It should come after the introduction and is usually just one sentence in the first paragraph of your first chapter. So, for something so short, it could be overlooked as not being as important as other parts of the paper. Well, don’t overlook it! In that short thesis statement should be contained your intention for the whole paper- so make sure you get it right! Don't hesitate to use this essay website in case something is not clear to you.

A thesis statement should interpret the significance of the subject to be discussed. Simply, it informs the reader of the expectations they can have for the rest of the essay; it is the argument for the forthcoming thesis.

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Here are 10 good examples:

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream contrasts the fairies and the mortals’ perception of, and boundaries of, reality, which is furthered by the play within a play.
Although Egyptian and South American pyramids differed greatly in many respects, as with their exterior and interior construction techniques, they also had many striking similarities; most obviously, they were made by two geographically different peoples who had no contact with one another according to official history.
There are an incredible amount of similarities between the stories of the movies Dances With Wolves and Avatar, with plenty of reason to think this is not accidental.
When comparing and contrasting the Republicans and Democrats, it seems as though they have so much more in common than not.
With Richard Dawkins and others promoting atheism these days, there are many atheists who have uncanny similarities with Christian preachers.
Seeing as Judaism, Christianity and Islam all stem from the same Abrahamic religion, and therefore they all technically worship the same god, are there enough differences between them to keep them opposed?
How exactly does Milton’s Paradise Lost differ to Genesis of the Bible, and due to many factors (such as having a single author) does Milton’s work actually contain more wisdom than the other?
With quantum physics discovering what many would claim as old mystical truths, let’s examine just how many similarities can be seen in the spiritual and scientific worlds.
Manet’s Olympia painting obviously has many similarities to the Titian’s original (the Venus of Urbino) and there are plenty of apparent contrasts in its artistic perception, but what of the public’s perception to such paintings at different points in time?
With so many obelisks placed in major cities around the world, are there enough similarities in their placement to give weight to ancient ley line theories?

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How to Build Your Compare and Contrast Essay? Structure and Examples

A compare and contrast essay examines the topics for discussion from multiple points of view. Usually, high schoolers and college students have to submit these essays to their tutors for the evaluation of their analytical thinking skills. Also, these essays are the best way to prepare students for the advanced forms of academic writing.

Such papers become relatively easy to write when you follow a step-by-step approach and research your topic well enough. Wherever confused, you can get help from online essay writers , your tutor or peers. They can help you with crafting your homework and, hence, improve your grades.

This article explores in detail the tips for a compare and contrast essay structure and provides you with examples of successful papers. Let’s define this essay type first, and after that, we shall move towards the writing guidelines.

What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay?

As per the definition by Walden University, a compare and contrast essay highlight the differences and similarities between two or more perspectives. The essay consists of an introduction, a thesis statement, a main body where the contrast is made and then a conclusion. In such papers, students are expected to discuss both the similarities and differences of the topic under consideration.

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay?

As this is a compare and contrast paper, it goes without saying that you will discuss both the similarities and dissimilarities of the topic. It requires you to analyse your title in detail and demonstrate your critical thinking skills. Here are the tips and structure guidelines for you to follow when writing a compare and contrast essay:

1. Start by Brainstorming the Topic

The best comparison essays demonstrate a high level of analysis to the readers and that means you will have to brainstorm your topic well before you start the writing process. Usually, students use a Venn diagram to brainstorm their ideas. They draw overlapping circles in a Venn diagram and mention the characteristics of each subject in each circle. The overlapping part of the circle shows the similarities of the subjects and the side parts show the differences of both.

Drawing a Venn diagram makes it easy for students to keep track of different points in their minds. Here is an image from Lib Guides which can help you understand the concept in further detail:

2. Craft a Thesis Statement

Once you have mapped out the differences and similarities between your topics, you will start to understand the relationship between the subjects you are comparing. This, in turn, helps you craft a strong thesis statement that functions as a road map for your essay. A compare and contrast essay thesis statement should be clear, i.e., it should not only tell the readers about what you will do but also address the importance and purpose of comparing and contrasting the material.

Your statement should clearly identify the topic that is being discussed and include the central points of your essay. When crafting this section, ensure that you keep your audience in mind.

3. Make an Outline

After you are done curating the data for your work, you will move from the prewriting stage to crafting the compare and contrast essay outline. A good outline follows the format of a standard essay and has the following three parts:

Introductory paragraphs
Body paragraphs

Keep in mind that you will have to follow the same format for the rest of your paper, so make a flexible outline. An outline is exactly what distinguishes a focused essay from a mediocre one. After that, you move towards writing the compare and contrast essay introduction. For success, you should work on making the topic sentence of your introduction interesting for the readers. It would be better to add a hook to it to engage the attention of readers.

4. Structure Your Paper

The structure of a compare and contrast essay measures its success. Consider how you will present the information in your papers. It will be best if you choose to present all the similarities first and then move towards discussing the differences between both subjects. Choose if you will go with the block method or the point-by-point method (we have discussed both of them in detail later in this article).

Here is a structure template for your work from the Helpful Professor, and you can use it to organise your essay:

In the introduction section, you should introduce your topic in detail to the readers and include the research background. In the main body, you state the central similarities and main differences of both subjects. In the conclusion section, you provide the readers with a summary of your comparison and contrast. You should ensure that you have not added any new or vague information in the conclusion of your work. Just keep it simple for you to write and for the readers to understand.

5. Use Clear Transitions

When you write an essay on the comparison of two different topics, amply use the transition phrases and sentences to shift between the alternating methods of discussion. Transitions are really important for compare and contrast essays as they help you move between different perspectives and topics smoothly.

Some of the transitions that you can use in your papers for the comparison of two subjects are the following:

Consistent with, and more

Here is another bunch of transitions that you can use to show the contrast between different kinds of ideas in your essays:

On the other hand
Rather than, and more

However, you should ensure that you are not stuffing your papers with unnecessary or too many transitions because they make it exhausting for the readers to logically understand your papers. Just make sure that your ideas and arguments are expressed in a clear way and that they make complete sense to the readers.

6. Make the Comparisons

When making the contrasts between the two subjects, be sure that you are dealing with the similar qualities of each item. Check if the approaches you are comparing have something in common in them or not. Also, you should if they can be appropriately compared to each other. For instance, you can only compare the qualitative features of one subject with the qualitative traits of the other. And the same goes for the quantitative elements of both subjects.

If you are facing trouble with finding the right arguments for your work, feel free to acquire reliable essay writing services online to craft your paper. Their writers have a penchant for crafting excellent comparison essays to meet the needs of students.

7. Include the Analysis

When writing your compare and contrast essay, it may be very tempting for you to just provide the readers with the summary of your essay but not act on it. The analysis of your work focuses on the importance of contrasts and comparisons. For example, if you are writing an essay on the increasing shortage of nurses in the field of medicine and healthcare, you should help your readers understand the importance of your comparison and research work.

Also, highlight the results of your work i.e., tell the audience if there are some noticeable findings and discrepancies which need further investigation by the relevant authorities. It increases the worth and value of your research work.

8. Proofread Your Essay

When you are done writing the compare and contrast essay conclusion and the paper is finished, it is time for you to revise, edit and proofread it. Take your time to relax and you feel fresh mentally; you should come back to the papers for a final review. Your essay will not be complete until you have done a careful proofreading check. Ensure that each subject gets equal space in your document.

Of course, you will have to check for punctuation and spelling mistakes and look for overall clarity in your papers. You can also acquire the help of expert editors and proof-readers online to refine your work and improve its quality.

What Is the Structure of a Compare and Contrast Paragraph?

You can use two methods to structure the paragraphs of a compare and contrast essay. As per the EAP Foundation, you can either use a block structure or discuss the arguments point-by-point.

For the block method, you give all the information about one part of the essay first and then move towards providing the information about the second part.
In a point-by-point structure, you will discuss the main arguments in the form of tips and points.

What Are the Two Main Structures for Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay?

San Jose State University specifies a format for students to follow when working on the structure of their compare and contrast essay outline. The structures we have mentioned in the above section are to be followed when outlining your work, i.e., it will either be the block approach or the point-by-point approach.

Here is an example of how you can plan your argument in the block approach:

Now, here is an example of how you can follow the compare and contrast essay format when doing the point-by-point discussion:

What Are the Main Features of a Compare Contrast Essay?

By now, you must have an idea of how to craft a successful comparison and contrast homework in the best way. According to the instructions of Kellogg Community College, the main features of compare and contrast essays are listed below:

In such an essay, you focus on the characteristics of the objects being compared.
You will have to enlist the defining features of the objects you are comparing.
Such essays need the students to organise their ideas per the format specified by their teachers.
You will have to use multiple comparisons and phrases of contrast to let the readers know how the two objects are being analysed.

Here are some of the phrases of comparison and contrast that you can use to make your points more impactful for the readers of your work:

Good Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

At this point, it might be a good idea to research the top topics for such essays in 2024. Be sure to choose a topic that you can justify to both sides. Simply focusing on one side of comparison or contrast will not solve any of your problems. Some of the good compare and contrast essay ideas are listed here:

Whether the chemical drugs should be used or not?
What is the difference between allopathic and homoeopathic medications?
Should plastic surgery be done or not?
Which ones are better: iOS or Android phones?
Should economics be taken as a compulsory subject or not?
Is studying at home better than studying in school?
What is preferable: late night workout or early morning workout?
Provide a comparison of the life in college versus the life in high school.

Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

It is really beneficial for college students to review a couple of comparisons and contrasts essays before choosing the perfect one for them. We have chosen this example from Helpful Professor, which you can use as a perfect compare and contrast essay template:

Bottom Line

In a nutshell, during the compare and contrast essay writing process, you must identify and explore at least 3 or more key points to discuss. Ensure that you show the differences and similarities between these points to your readers and develop a strong thesis. We have already discussed the best ways to organise your thoughts and write such essays in the above sections.

Before the submission, review your essays in great detail and make sure that you have communicated your ideas in a clear manner to your audience. Also, there must be no grammatical, structural, thematic or contextual mistakes in your papers. If you feel that you need personalised help with your papers, you can always buy essay online from professional service providers. With their years of experience, they are the best people to assist you in crafting remarkable essays.

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Exploring Strong Compare and Contrast Thesis Examples
To understand how to write a strong thesis statement, we can look at a simple compare and contrast essay topic: comparing apples and oranges. People frequently discuss comparing apples and oranges, and the point of that statement is that apples and oranges are two completely different types of fruit. Your essay could focus on why the fruits are ...
How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement
The Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement: Prework. If you're going to write a strong thesis, you'll want to make sure you know your approach before going in. Here are some pro tips to help you get started. Pro tip #1: Pick topics that interest you. It's way easier to write about something you like or care about.
13 Compare and Contrast Thesis Examples to Inspire You
With these points in mind, let's take a look at 13 compare and contrast thesis statement examples to get you started with your essay. I've included a broad topic for each thesis statement and divided the lists into general comparisons and literary comparisons. I've also linked each of the topics to a related example essay for extra ...
How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis: A Formula to Success
Compare and Contrast Thesis Formula. When composing a compare and contrast essay thesis, there's a general formula you should stick to. Below is the formula in a single sentence. Further down are some examples. "Although topics X and Y are similar because of A and B, topic X is (your argument) because of C and D. ".
5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)
Here they are explained below: 1. Essay Planning. First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you're comparing. I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:
Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay
Making effective comparisons. As the name suggests, comparing and contrasting is about identifying both similarities and differences. You might focus on contrasting quite different subjects or comparing subjects with a lot in common—but there must be some grounds for comparison in the first place. For example, you might contrast French ...
Comparing and Contrasting
Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you're considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common.
Compare & Contrast Thesis Statements
The compare and contrast essay thesis is no different. First, it should name the two subjects that will be compared and contrasted in the essay. Second, it should make an assertion or declaration ...
How to Write a Compare & Contrast Essay
Follow these essential steps to write an effective compare and contrast essay: Choose what two subjects to compare and contrast. Brainstorm similarities and differences between the two subjects. Develop a thesis statement and write an introduction. Write an analysis, using the block method or the point-by-point method.
7.4: Comparison and Contrast
The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. ... See Chapter 15 "Readings: Examples of Essays" to read a sample compare-and-contrast essay. Writing at Work.
Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Generator
Step 3: Write Your Thesis Statement. Creating your thesis statement is the next step in writing your academic paper. The thesis statement is more important in the compare and contrast essay type than most other essay types. You must succinctly identify the distinction between the two objects, people, or ideas compared.
10.7 Comparison and Contrast
The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. ... See Chapter 15 "Readings: Examples of Essays" to read a sample compare-and-contrast essay. Writing at Work.
4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay
Construct an outline for a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay; Write a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay; Use a variety of vocabulary and language structures that express compare & contrast essay relationships; Example Thesis: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they ...
PDF Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template A. Introduction a. Introduction to the broad topic b. Specific topic c. Thesis statement B. Body Paragraphs a. Body paragraph #1—First aspect that's similar or different ... Summary of main points—Restate thesis while synthesizing information from body paragraphs b. Evaluate the similarities ...
Academic Guides: Writing a Paper: Comparing & Contrasting
Use Clear Transitions. Transitions are important in compare and contrast essays, where you will be moving frequently between different topics or perspectives. Examples of transitions and phrases for comparisons: as well, similar to, consistent with, likewise, too. Examples of transitions and phrases for contrasts: on the other hand, however ...
4.2: Comparison and Contrast Essays
Writing a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay. First, choose whether you want to compare seemingly disparate subjects, contrast seemingly similar subjects, or compare and contrast subjects. Once you have decided on a topic, introduce it with an engaging opening paragraph. ... Outline. Thesis: Although the framework of the Batman story always remains ...
PDF COMPARE AND CONTRAST
COMPARE AND CONTRAST The Writing Centre Department of English 6 Topics for Writing: Choose one of the essay topics below, and write a comparison or contrast essay. For the four remaining topics, write a thesis statement for each. 1. Compare or contrast two musical styles, such as classical and contemporary reggae. 2.
Compare & Contrast Essay
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline. The point-by-point method uses a standard five-paragraph essay structure: Introduction (contains the attention-getter, preview of main points, and thesis) Body ...
How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay (with Pictures)
4. Outline your body paragraphs based on point-by-point comparison. This is the more common method used in the comparison and contrast essay. [6] You can write a paragraph about each characteristic of both locations, comparing the locations in the same paragraph.
How to write an outline for a compare and contrast essay
This section of your outline is dedicated to crafting the central argument, known as the thesis statement, for your essay. thesis statement of a compare and contrast essay introduces the reader to the result of the comparison and the significance of the contrast: Continuing the example, your thesis statement for the topic could be, "While both ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles ...
34 Compelling Compare and Contrast Essay Examples
Next, the body includes paragraphs that explore the similarities and differences. Finally, a concluding paragraph restates the thesis, draws any necessary inferences, and asks any remaining questions. A compare and contrast essay example can be an opinion piece comparing two things and making a conclusion about which is better. For example ...
Free Compare and Contrast Thesis Generator
A thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay is the last sentence of your paper's introduction. It sums up your essay and introduces the reader to all the main points of comparison. To create a solid thesis statement, you should do the following: Make sure you are familiar with the topic. Try not to choose something too broad or narrow.
Tips on Comparison Essay Writing
How a Comparison Essay Differs from Other Types of Essays A comparison essay stands out from other types of essays by its unique focus on analyzing the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. Unlike narrative essays, which tell a story, or descriptive essays, which paint a picture with words, a comparison essay requires ...
10 Examples Of Compare & Contrast Essay Thesis Statements
We can write your thesis for you! Order now! Here are 10 good examples: Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream contrasts the fairies and the mortals' perception of, and boundaries of, reality, which is furthered by the play within a play. Although Egyptian and South American pyramids differed greatly in many respects, as with their ...
How to Build Your Compare and Contrast Essay? Structure and Examples
A compare and contrast essay examines the topics for discussion from multiple points of view. Usually, high schoolers and college students have to submit these essays to their tutors for the evaluation of their analytical thinking skills. Also, these essays are the best way to prepare students for the advanced forms of academic writing.

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How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

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Comparing and Contrasting

Introduction

Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments

Using comparison/contrast for all kinds of writing projects

Discovering similarities and differences

Two historical periods or events

Two ideas or theories

Two pieces of writing or art

Deciding what to focus on

Your thesis

Organizing your paper

Subject-by-subject

Point-by-point

Cue words and other tips

Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Generator

✅ How to Write a Comparative Paper

🔗 References

📝 What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay?

Step 1: Identify the Similarities and Differences

Step 2: Choose Your Focus

Step 3: Write Your Thesis Statement

Step 4: Organize Your Ideas

🤓 Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Examples

❓ Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement Generator FAQ

10.7 Comparison and Contrast

The Purpose of Comparison and Contrast in Writing

Writing at Work

The Structure of a Comparison and Contrast Essay

Writing a Comparison and Contrast Essay

Key Takeaways

Writing a Paper: Comparing & Contrasting

Address Both Similarities and Differences

Make Sure You Have a Clear Thesis Statement

Use Clear Transitions

Structure Your Paper

Include Analysis

Make Analogous Comparisons

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4.2: Comparison and Contrast Essays

Writing a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay

Sample Comparison-and-Contrast Essays

Sample Student Outline

Sample Student Essay

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How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

Formulating Your Argument

Organizing Your Essay

Putting It All Together

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Sample Essay Outline

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