Tips for Compare-Contrast Essay
20 02 2008
It is vivid that you will have to compare and contrast something in compare-contrast essay. To compare means looking for similar things in two objects. To contrast is vice versa – you have to find dissimilarities.
The most important thing about compare-contrast essay is its topic. You should choose carefully the things that you are going to compare and contrast. You cannot choose something that is completely unrelated to each other. For, instance there is no point in choosing Shakespeare and an airplane for compare-contrast essay. You will not find anything similar in these two topics.
First thing you should do is generate as many general ideas about your topic as you can. For example you can make a table for yourself where you will write down all similar and dissimilar sides of the objects.

After you have a clear idea of similarities and dissimilarities, you should do the next:
- Decide whether there is something valuable, interesting or important about differences and similarities that you have defined.
- Think if there is something new about your chosen objects that you have found out.
- Think about the features that make these two objects unique and significant.
- Take into consideration that you are welcome to state good and bad features of the objects. However, you should not fall into temptation to give your preference to one of these objects. Certainly you should give your viewpoint but it is better to do it in the form of estimation. Let the reader of your compare-contrast essay to decide which object is worth to pay attention.
- There is one big mistake that you can make in your essay. Do not turn your work into mere stating of facts. It is a bad idea to state all the similarities of the objects first and then all the differences.
Actually, compare –contrast essay is very useful and interesting kind of work. It allows you to understand thing better and know everything about their strong and weak sides.





