Developing Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Ability

What is involved in compare and contrast essay writing?

To put it simply, compare and contrast essay writing involves taking two elements and discussing their similarities and differences. The compare and contrast essay format provides a way for students to demonstrate their ability to understand and expand on ideas. Although it seems simplistic, the compare and contrast essay format actually encourages critical thinking. At times, two different ideas may appear to have no similarities at all. However, further analysis may reveal similarities that are not immediately obvious. On the other hand, ideas that seem to be completely interrelated may have stark differences.

What are some examples of compare and contrast essay topics?

The list of compare and contrast essay topics is virtually limitless. The only thing to keep in mind is that compare and contrast essay topics must address elements, concepts, events, people, etc. that make sense together. Here are some ideas that will help the writer develop the compare and contrast essay outline:
  • Helicopter parenting vs. Parenting through benign neglect
  • Childhood friendships vs. Adult relationships
  • Relationships established online vs. Relationships developed in person
  • Eating for personal satisfaction vs. Eating for nutritional value
  • Grade school lesson plans based on enrichment vs. Lesson plans based on test scores
  • Sex education programs that focus on abstinence vs. Sex education programs that focus on responsibility
  • School uniforms vs. Freedom of expression via casual dressing
  • Direct democracy vs. Republican democracy
  • Laissez-faire capitalism vs. Regulated capitalism
  • Impressionism vs. Neo-classicism
The usage of the Venn diagram is probably the method used in organizing this type of essay because it results in a clear compare and contrast essay format. Even though the Venn diagram is something that many people associate with elementary school, the fact is that it is an ideal way to find similarities and differences between two or more things. The similarities and differences can influence the compare and contrast essay outline. In turn, the compare and contrast essay outline is the backbone of the final compare and contrast essay production process.Each comparison and contrast paragraph should demonstrate a single point about the items being compared and/or contrasted. This means that each body comparison and contrast paragraph needs to focus on a singular point. The effective comparison and contrast paragraph generally follows the writing standard of a main idea (point of comparison or contrast) supported by supporting data.

The end result of a comparison and contrast essay should be a deeper understanding of a topic. A compare and contrast essay on the subject of capitalism and socialism, for example, should build a greater understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of each. The reader may not walk away with the conclusion the author intends; however, this is the point of the compare/contrast essay. The goal is to foster understanding, not to declare one idea’s superiority over another.

It is perfectly natural for students to struggle with writing a compare and contrast essay. These essays are frequently assigned in late high school but become more common and entail far more complex topics at the university level. Particularly, when a topic is of little interest, students tend to avoid and procrastinate. If this sounds like you, contact BestEssayWriting.org and discover how reasonably priced our fully original and customized essays, produced by qualified academicians, are.