What to know about compare and contrast essay format for college

Compare and contrast essays are among the most commonly written assignments by High school and college students in Science and Arts streams. You should reveal their similarities while stating comparative state and should write the differences while putting the contrasting section.

How to pick your topic?

• The topic demonstrate your art of expression easily assisting you score excellent grades. So, focus on this aspect.
• Apart from this, when you choose the topic, the chosen subject should be comparable. Furthermore, you should not think very hard to cite out similarities or differences. Comparisons between two writers, two places, two wars, two characters, two perspectives, etc are a good way to choose such topics.
• Think for its appropriate structure. It is also called as an ‘essay outline’ which takes the form of introduction, body part and conclusion. In this, the flow of writing should be such that one paragraph gives rise to another creating a direct connection. Such essays can be either written by making point by point comparison or by making the comparison subject by subject.
• While making point by point comparison, you should write minimal 5 paragraphs. Here you will write the similarities and the differences in the body part after introducing the topic. In introduction, state your thesis statement. In the conclusion you will write the summary restating the thesis.
• On the other hand while making subject by subject comparison, you will categorize the body of comparison. Here the first section will be dedicated to the first subject while the second section will be for second subject. After writing the introduction, you will discuss the first subject in the first paragraph and then the second subject in the second paragraph. Finally, in conclusion, you will summarize after restating your thesis.

Introduction is highly important. You can create good impression via your art of expressions. Grab the audience in following ways-

• While providing the historical view of the topic.
• Starting with a little anecdote
• Introducing surprising elements
• Revealing picture of a celebrity
• Using a good phrase

In the body part:

• Provide supporting details
• Use good transitions
• Use appropriate words of comparison like – similar to, similarly, likewise , by analogy, as well, both, in the same way etc.
• For contrast, use terms like however, nevertheless, while, although, regardless, on the other hand, despite of etc.

Conclusion is as important as an introduction. Here, you should close the issue keeping your approach crisp and clear. Summarize your similarities and differences.

Finalize your work and revise. Check your spelling and grammar and the organization of content.