Writing A Standout Compare & Contrast Essay

December 26, 2022 Martha Simons

by Martha Simons

I’m Martha Simons, a 36-year-old woman from the lovely state of Arkansas in the United States. I have a Master of Philosophy degree, which demonstrates my profound devotion to investigating and comprehending diverse intellectual interests. I have a desire for information and a passion for critical thinking. Read More

Table of Contents

Writing an essay is hard, writing a good essay is an uphill task full of uncertainty. In schools and colleges, students are only exposed to writing certain types of essays, namely narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and expository. The expository essays have different types, based on the contents, structure, and scope. It is normal that students only get to learn the most basic type of expository essay during the early stages of their learning.

Compare and contrast essays are a part of the expository essay family. It is a research-intensive, objective-based essay that requires in-depth knowledge of both the subject and writing to ace the essay.

In this blog, we aim to cover the definition of compare and contrast essay, the purpose behind writing one, and how to compose a riveting essay. Then, we will top it off with some practical tips to ease up the process for you.

Compare And Contrast Essay 101

In a nutshell, a compare and contrast essay is a type of expository essay where two or more things are studied in depth to bring out their similarities and differences for the readers. This is especially useful when the subjects under consideration are normally taken interchangeably in academic discourse.

There are many similarities between compare and contrast essays and other types, but they are different in the key areas. The essays try to highlight the distinguishing characteristics and traits of the subjects to ensure that the main premise of the essay is justified.

The structure of these essays is the same as that of a typical expository essay. The opening introduces the subject, provides some context, and then leads to the thesis statement. The main body deals with the meat and bones of the essay, such as the main postulates of differences and similarities. The conclusion sums up the discussion.

Purpose of Writing A Compare & Contrast Essay

Essays are often defined by the purpose they serve for the sake of their existence. When it comes to compare and contrast essays, they are written to dispel confusion for the readers regarding certain things. In most cases, the subjects in compare and contrast essays are often confused with one another. The writer in this instance aims to diffuse the confusion by highlighting both the similarities and differences using well-researched paragraphs and passages. As expository essays, there is no need to take a stance and then prove it through references. Writers only need to convey factual information based on scientific findings.

How To Write A Compelling Compare And Contrast Essay

After learning the definition and purpose of writing a compare and contrast essay, it is time to learn how to compose an excellent one. Many students make the mistake of takings sides in these essays. As we have mentioned above, it is a type of expository essay where a writer is entrusted to only state the facts and figures regarding the matter. This one important fact will help students ace their essays in schools and colleges. Keeping that premise in mind, let’s go through the steps to learn the process of writing.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is the foremost step in writing a solid essay. It allows students to take a look at different possibilities concerning the subject under consideration. By highlighting the similarities and differences in subjects through a simple diagram, students will be more able to picture the final iteration of their effort. They should also research and arrive at the best topics and titles because these will decide the direction and ultimate face of their essays.

Preparation

After brainstorming, it is time to bring some order and symmetry to your essay. The best essays are written after getting a structure and map of the destination. To do that, writers need to prepare and prime the essay through outlining. It will help in marking milestones along the way and improve the time for researching. The best way to go through preparation is to research and outline at the same time.

Drafting

When the pre-writing phase is complete, it is time to get to the writing part. In the drafting step, the writer needs to use the research and outline to start composing the essay. Again, the emphasis should be on the objectivity and facts of the data. The subjects are to be treated with references, logic, and citations from credible sources. There is no need to lend opinions and personal takes as it will be against the nature of the compare and contrast essays.

Improvements

Initial drafting is only good to get started, not to conclude an essay. When students are done with drafting, it is best to take some time off if they have some on their hands. Then, they should approach the essay with a fresh perspective and improve the text. Many times, there will be errors and inconsistencies that they might not have expected. This phase will help them in identifying and rectifying those issues without missing a beat.

Proofreading

Once the improvements are done, proofreading takes the helm. Proofreading is different from improvements as the latter is only concerned with what is already written on the paper and not the in-depth correction and betterment of the text. Students can use online tools and software to speed up this phase, such as Grammarly. Also, it is necessary to double-check the sources to ensure that everything is right on the dollar.

Peer Reviews

If you ask any professional about the steps involved in writing an essay, anyone will never include the point of peer reviews. In reality, it is a great way to get a new pair of eyes on your essay and get what others think about the quality. Peer reviews are not strictly about peers. If students have siblings and parents who are well-educated, they can get their essays reviewed by them and see where they stand.

Practical Tips For Writing Compare & Contrast Essays

Many students find it hard to get on writing, even after learning each step of the process. This is natural and understandable as there is an innate need to know more about a process or a thing before getting started. In this light, we will cover some practical tips and hacks for students to better understand the big picture and cover the bases for the process.

Always Pick Related Topics

Compare and contrast essays are written on the premise that there is already some confusion among two or more related things. If one chooses a topic where there is no seeming connection between the subjects, it is hard to write a compare-and-contrast essay. When students are assigned with choosing a topic, they should go for the one that has some confusion or connection between the subjects. Otherwise, it will become harder, nearly impossible, for the writers to do justice to the matter.

Aim For Clear Prose

When students are explaining something in writing, it is necessary to make the prose clear and understandable. This is truer when students are writing compare-and-contrast essays. It is because the similarities and differences between different things can only be illuminated when they are clearly defined and segregated. Clear prose will not only the readers to get to the heart of the matter easily but will also help the writer in hitting the mark without much heavy lifting.

Connect The Dots For Readers

There is a clear assumption in writing essays – the readers do not know anything about the subject. When this assumption is kept in mind while writing, writers can add more and better value to their essays. This is more applicable to compare and contrast essays than anything else. So, while writing one, students should make sure that everything is well-defined and explained to the readers. A good compare and contrast essay should dispel confusion, not add to it.

Subjects Should “Contrast”

Many students make the mistake of comparing two similar things in the compare and contrast essay. This is opposite to the spirit and idea of writing such an essay. Whenever you pick up the task, you need to ensure that the subjects under consideration have a clear distinction. It is understandable if it is not visible enough for general readers because this is what you can highlight through your discourse. Otherwise, if things are similar and resemble much to each other, there is no point in building a whole essay around it.

F.A.Q

What is the best way to write a thesis statement for a comparative essay?

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eWe have highlighted the whole process of developing a thesis statement for a comparative essay in this blog. In short, you need to highlight the main idea in a simple and succinct sentence or a short paragraph. u003c/spanu003e

Does a comparative essay need a thesis?

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eEvery essay needs a thesis statement. It is a summary of the main premise or stance of the writer, packed in a bold and brief sentence. No essay is complete with this and it should be written with care.u003c/spanu003e

How do you start a comparative thesis?

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eThe best way to start a comparative thesis is to introduce the problem first and then provide the background in the body. A thesis statement should be bold and brief without being over the top in its contents.u003c/spanu003eu003cbr /u003eu003cbr /u003eu003cbr style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022 /u003e

Does a thesis statement need to be a single sentence?

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eIt is not necessary to have a thesis statement in a single sentence. If an essay is lengthy, it is possible to stretch the thesis statement into a short paragraph. But it should be focused and directed toward the main premise.u003c/spanu003e

What is an example of the thesis statement?

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eStudents can understand the nature and scope of a thesis statement by going through the essays written by professional writers. They are necessary for novice writers to understand the dynamics and mechanics of thesis statements.u003c/spanu003eu003cbr /u003eu003cbr /u003eu003cbr style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022 /u003e

What makes a good comparison thesis statement?

u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eThe following are the characteristics of a good comparison thesis statement:u003c/spanu003eu003cbr /u003eu003culu003eu003cbr /u003e tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eIt should be focused and to the pointu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003eu003cbr /u003e tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eIt can be a compact form of the whole essayu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003eu003cbr /u003e tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eIt should be placed in the introduction – ideally in the closing linesu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003eu003cbr /u003e tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eExpository, comparative, essays can be opened with a thesis statementu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003eu003cbr /u003eu003c/ulu003e

Summing Up The Discussion

The process of writing a solid compare-and-contrast essay is hard. There are many moving parts and those who get to the part of writing without researching and learning the craft first end up frustrated and halfway through the process. This resource has touched all the bases for the students who want to learn and master the craft of compare and contrast essays. For those who are not up for the challenge, Write My Essay is a great source to get custom, submission-ready compare and contrast essays. We offer competitive pricing and a money-back guarantee on all our products and commitments. Place your order now and enjoy the first-order discount!

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