How to write a Comparative Essay

• What Is A Comparative Essay
• Why It Is Important To Know How To Write A Comparative Essay
• Comparative Essay Structure & Format
• How To Write Body Paragraphs
• How To Write A Conclusion For A Comparative Essay
• Tips For A Great Comparative Essay
• Choosing A Topic For Comparison Essay
• Short Example Of A Comparative Essay
• Common Mistakes To Avoid While Writing Comparative Essay

What Is a Comparative Essay?

It is a type of essay where the writer compares two or more items critically. Two subjects are compared with the same relation in terms of differences as well as similarities. You can be asked to compare:

• Two similar or different figures
• Two similar or different events
• Two different stances on an issue
• Two different or similar texts
• Similar or different theories

This essay’s central purpose is to highlight the differences and similarities between these two items systematically. Other than this, the audience gets excellent clarity about the subject. Besides, the advantages and disadvantages between two things can be analyzed effectively.

Why It Is Important to Know How to Write a Comparative Essay 

The main reason to attempt this type of essay is to expound the differences and likeliness between the two items precisely. A good comparative essay will leave the audience with a lot more clearness regarding the properties and natures of the things analyzed. It is quite a powerful tool for picking a side or making a choice in contention. Writing this essay will allow you to research the two alternatives to make the well-calculated and viable decision as much as possible.

If you are a student, you will encounter many situations where you will be required to write essays. A comparative essay is the most common yet most evaluative and informative type of essay out there. Learning how to write a comparative essay can help you polish your writing and critical thinking skills and prepare you to write crucial documents later, like your thesis. Another alternate you can use professionals who can write your essay for cheap.

Comparative Essay Structure & Format

Different essays require different types of formatting. However, the structure of a comparative essay is not a particular case since it has to be sorted out so that readers can effectively trail the comparisons made. There are two common approaches to this – a block structure or a chain structure. In the former, all the similarities between two things and their differences are bundled up in one section. However, in the latter type of structure, writers go through contrasting and common things in a sequential manner. No matter which type of structure you choose for your comparative essay, you need to follow it consistently throughout the essay to ensure a streamlined look and feel. Irrespective of that, we will go through the process of structuring, writing, and editing a comparative essay.

How to Write an Outline 

An outline is necessary to organize your train of thought and the content you have managed to find by research. You do not want to miss out on crucial points, so it is better to jot down these in your outline than the research time to utilize later. This outline will help you stay on track while writing by serving as a constant reminder about the direction you should be working towards. You will write coherently without losing the central idea. Like any other essay, the comparative essay format must have an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

How to Start A Comparative Essay?

This section is a warmup for the readers. It is primarily about giving the audience an overview of the content you will be covering next; exactly what is it about. Your introduction has to be straightforward and basic. It also should have a proposition statement that should feature why you chose this topic without overlooking a precise conclusion.

How to start a comparative essay? Start with a confident tone. Avoid writing statements like “Bit I believe” or “I could be wrong but”. Try replacing these with “in this paper, I will”, “The purpose of this essay is to”. The aim of your essay should be easily depicted through this paragraph. Your introduction should contain a thesis statement that will clearly state your topic and your stance regarding it. These two-three sentences should conclude your introductory paragraph.

How to Write Body Paragraphs?

Before you start writing this part, determine whether the differences are more significant in number than the similarities or vice versa. These types of essays rely mainly on factual analysis. You can go about writing in two ways. You can either use the block method or the point-by-point method. The first method requires you to present all information about the first subject. It concludes one block. You have to repeat the same for the second subject.

In contrast, the point-by-point method lists each difference and similarity simultaneously of both subjects. You should consider the requirements of your assignment. From the beginning, define both the subjects individually. Perform preliminary research first and utilize the critical points gathered in the comparative essay outline. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that will acquaint the reader with what you will cover in that part. Treat each paragraph as a mini-essay on its own. There has to be an introduction, a body explaining the sentence, and finally, a conclusive sentence. The number of paragraphs or arguments made depends on the word count requirement. However, make sure you write at least three main ideas in your body paragraphs.

How to Write a Conclusion for a Comparative Essay?

A comparative essay conclusion is the last one in your essay. It serves the purpose of reinstating the central points of your essay as well as your thesis statement. All of the sentences you write here should connect back to your introduction. Ensure you do not introduce any new point in this paragraph and refrain from including your inclinations. Also, do not repeat any points here as it can throw the focus off the main points made in the body of the essay. You can also include suggestions here. Wrap it up using your analysis.

Tips for a Great Comparative Essay 

Few comparative essay ideas and tips for writing effectively are listed below:

• Ensure that you select appropriate items for comparison
• Choose a topic that has your interest, or you have prior knowledge about
• Try to give roughly equal weight to both subjects
• Choose successful and effective parameters for comparison
• You can use models and tools to enhance the understanding of your essay
• Stick to the hierarchical arrangement you decided at the beginning
• Edit and proofread before submitting your essay
• Do not shy away from looking for help if it is needed

Choosing a Topic for Comparison Essay

You can find a myriad of choices to write your essay on. However, here are a few comparative essay topics you can use:

• A comparison of events leading up to World War I and World War II
• An analysis of GDP figures between the U.S and U.K.
• Comparison between sociology theories: for example, Conflict theory and Functionalist’s theory
• A comparative essay on two models of cellphones, for example. Samsung and Apple
• A difference in writing styles of two poets

Short Example of a Comparative Essay 

Here is a comparative essay example:

Organic vs. Non-organic Foods

The demand for organic foods has increased tremendously over the last two decades. Consumers now are spending a great deal of money on these kinds of food compared to their expense on inorganic foods. The expense increased by more than 10% in the last two years alone. Even though most people still consume inorganic food, the trend is changing and will increase awareness.

This increase can be explained due to the increased awareness among people about the food’s beneficial properties like being safer and tastier. By definition, organic means have grown naturally without any artificial chemical or treatment. Whereas inorganic foods, processes like genetic modification such as antibiotics and hormones are used. Organically raised animals have not been given any growth hormones or fed animal byproducts. It eliminates the chances of severe diseases like mad cow disease. Animals grown organically are provided access to outdoor with open spaces to move around. It keeps them healthy. Organic food is also richer in particular nutrients. For example, the meat and milk of animals raised via organic farming have a lot more Omega-3 fatty acids than the animals raised by conventional methods.

Other than this, organic foods pose less of a risk to the environment than inorganic food. Organic farming is responsible for less pollution. More water is conserved, and soil erosion is reduced. Organic farmers release different nutrients into the soil to make it healthy; This includes manure, compost, and minerals. It is vital for biodiversity. In contrast, inorganic farming leaves soil infertile and wastes a lot more energy. Synthetic pesticides are used,

Researchers have found some similarities in the nutritional contents between non-organic and organic foods. However, scientists argue this to be untrue, as revealed by the significant change in antioxidants, which are safer for both the people living nearby and the wildlife. If the physical aspects are considered, there is a vast difference between organic and inorganic foods. Organic products will always be inconsistent and variable in sizes, weight, and shape. At the same time, their non-organic counterparts will majorly be similar in appearance.  It is because of the different treatments being done during the growth phase. Non-organic food undergoes minimal or no food processing, whereas non-organic food goes through treatments that subject them to artificially processed substances for growth enhancement. People refrain from shifting to organic food because they believe that naturally grown food is not as aesthetically pleasing or presentable as the inorganic one, which is debatable. Moreover, it can be a little more costly to invest in this healthy lifestyle.

To conclude, there are more differences between organic and inorganic foods than you would think. The world is getting to know more about them, and a significant shift is noticeable, especially in the last few current years. Consuming organic food has a few setbacks, but they can be outweighed by the combined benefits it has to offer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Writing Comparative Essay 

• Make sure you have outlined before you start writing so that you do not lose focus halfway through.
• Always proofread. You can use editing software and programs like Grammarly to remove mistakes
• Never lift text from a source. Plagiarism is not an option
• Only use authentic sources and use multiple of them to make your essay more credible
• Do not forget to consider the timeframe you are comparing both the items in.
• Do not give your own opinion. Use factual analysis to establish points

Q&A

Here are brief answers to the frequently asked questions:

  How do you start a comparative essay?

Make your comparative essay introduction by including a hook. It is an attention-grabbing sentence used in the first part of your introduction. It can be created using one of the beginning points highlighted below:

• A brilliant and fascinating anecdote: A brief story containing symbolic or moral beliefs can give your essay a poetic and powerful start. Make sure it is relevant to your topic.
• A thought-provoking question will engage the readers and encourage them to read on to find the answer.
• A challenging quotation: An appropriate quotation can set the mood for your reader, nudging them in the direction of your stance
• A touch of humor. Reading can be boring for some people. Making it a little humoristic can help the readers stay glued to your hard work till the end.

What are comparison essay examples?

How to write a comparative essay? Some great examples include American vs. British accents, the difference between Ph.D. and Master’s degree, Traditional education vs. remote learning.

How do you write a body paragraph for a comparative essay?

An effective way to construct your paragraphs is using the PEE method. It means point, example/evidence, and evaluation. Establish a point and then back it up using an example that should be referenced. Finally, analyze this example and align it with your thesis statement.

How do you write a comparison essay between two articles?

Writing a comparative essay can become a piece of cake if you learn from the guidelines above. Although if you are facing any trouble, avail of our service WriteMyEsay and get yourself top-notch quality content in no time.

{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How do you start a comparative essay?”,”acceptedAnswer”:[{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Make your comparative essay introduction by including a hook. It is an attention-grabbing sentence used in the first part of your introduction. It can be created using one of the beginning points highlighted below:\nA brilliant and fascinating anecdote: A brief story containing symbolic or moral beliefs can give your essay a poetic and powerful start. Make sure it is relevant to your topic.\nA thought-provoking question will engage the readers and encourage them to read on to find the answer.\nA challenging quotation: An appropriate quotation can set the mood for your reader, nudging them in the direction of your stance\nA touch of humor. Reading can be boring for some people. Making it a little humoristic can help the readers stay glued to your hard work till the end. \nWhat are comparison essay examples?\n How to write a comparative essay? Some great examples include American vs. British accents, the difference between Ph.D. and Master’s degree, Traditional education vs. remote learning. \n”}]},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How do you write a body paragraph for a comparative essay?”,”acceptedAnswer”:[{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”An effective way to construct your paragraphs is using the PEE method. It means point, example/evidence, and evaluation. Establish a point and then back it up using an example that should be referenced. Finally, analyze this example and align it with your thesis statement.”}]},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How do you write a comparison essay between two articles?”,”acceptedAnswer”:[{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Writing a comparative essay can become a piece of cake if you learn from the guidelines above. Although if you are facing any trouble, avail of our service WriteMyEsay and get yourself top-notch quality content in no time.”}]}]}