How To Write A Compare And Contrast Essay In A Proper Way

In a compare and contrast essay, you find the similarities and differences of two subjects and talk about them. This is an extremely interesting type of essay that requires thorough research and helps you enhance your knowledge and that of your audience. As with everything else in life, there is always a proper way to write a compare and contrast essay; you just have to follow a few simple rules.

1. Know your subjects

In order to start preparing to write a great piece that will interest people, you first need two subjects that are very similar but also have enough differences that you can write about. For instance, it is great to compare two types of cars but it is very difficult to find common ground between a donkey and a car. Draw up a list of subjects and start thinking about which are interesting to you. Scribble down relevant facts about the most interesting ones and soon you will narrow down your list to your final subjects.

2. Thesis statement

With the topics in hand, you now have the ability to get organized. Come up with a thesis statement about your two subjects. Make it an interesting sentence that will grab the reader’s attention. This statement will be presented in the first introductory paragraph so it needs to have the ability to not only say something about the subjects but also make them worth caring about.

3. Research

Thoroughly research your two subjects. Find out their similarities and their differences. Note them down in separate columns. Pinpoint the most important similarities and the most important differences. Rank them in order of importance. This is important because the most relevant ones will be presented first to the reader when writing the essay.

4. The Outline

Armed with a thesis statement and research, you can now move on to creating an outline. This is an extremely important step. Think of an outline as a map. Your essay will go where the map tells it to go. Thinking of it this way makes it clear that the map should be incredibly accurate. You are basically planning exactly what the essay will say before you actually start writing it. For every section of the piece you are writing, which will include the Introduction, the Body and the Conclusion, start with a main heading. Then write down subheadings with subdivisions for examples, anecdotes and evidence.

5. Start Writing

Now that you have an outline, you should start writing. Make sure the introduction gives some background about the objects as well as the thesis statement. The body should include similarities first and then differences. Use one paragraph for one aspect of the subjects. Use plenty of evidence in support of your arguments. In the conclusion, wrap up all your arguments concisely.

Good luck!