UNIT 2 ESSAY WRITING - COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

WHAT IS A COMPARISON ESSAY?

In a comparison essay, you compare things. The subjects of this kind of essay are two
ideas that are related in some way. You can focus on the similarities between the two things, on
the differences, or on both the similarities and the differences. Your goal is to show your readers
how these subjects are similar or different, what their strengths and weaknesses are, or what their
advantages and disadvantages are.
Like other essays, the comparison essay has an introductory paragraph that contains
a hook and a thesis statement, three or four body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.

PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION

There are two basic ways to organize a comparison essay, the block method and the point-by-
point method.
Block Method
With the block method, you present one subject and all its points of comparison before you do
the same for the second subject. With this organization, you discuss each subject completely
without interruption.
Here is an example of the organization of a comparison essay about the social behavior of
Russians and Americans.

Introduction paragraph 1 hook, thesis

paragraphs 2-3 Russian social behavior
- at parties
Body - in school
- at home
paragraphs 4-5 American social behavior
- at parties
- in school
- at home
Conclusion Paragraph 6 restated thesis, opinion

Source: Keith S. Folse. A. Muchmore-Vokoun & E. Vestri Solomon Alice Oshima & Ann Hogue

Point-by-Point Method
With the point-by-point method, you present both subjects under one point of comparison before
moving on to the next point. Here is an example of the topic of the social behavior of Russians
and Americans, organized with the point-by-point method.

Introduction paragraph 1 hook, thesis

paragraph 2 at parties
• Russian social behavior t
Body • American social behavior
paragraph 3 in school
• Russian social behavior t
• American social behavior
 paragraph 4 at home
• Russian social behavior
• American social behavior

Conclusion Paragraph 5 restated thesis, opinion

With both the point-by-point and the block method, the writer sometimes ends with an. opinion
as to which of the two subjects is preferable.
* WRITER'S NOTE: Parallel Organization of Supporting Information
In the block method example, notice that the supporting information in paragraphs 2 and
3 includes patties, school, and home. The supporting informaiion in paragraphs 4 and 5 also
includes these three topics. In the point-by-point method example, the supporting information
includes parties, school, and home, but information about each society is presented under each
idea before going on to the next.
These repeated structures are called parallel organisation. No matter which overall
method of organisation you choose, parallel organization is required of your information in all
comparison essays.

CHOOSING A METHOD OF ORGANIZATION

How do you know which method of organization is better for your comparison essay?
Consider the following inlounation about each method.
Block method:
• You develop each subject completely, without interruption.
Point-by-point method:
• Both subjects are presented in each paragraph, so readers go back and forth berween the two
subjects.
• The parallel points of comparison may be easier to see.
As you decide which method to use, consider your subjects (how complex are they?), your
readers (which method will make it easier for them to follow these particular subjects?), and your
writing style (which method are you more comfortable with?).

EXAMPLE COMPARISON ESSAY .

. A good way to learn how to write a comparison essay is to study an example.

Activity 1: study an example comparison essay

Read and study the following comparison essay. Work with a

partner to answer the questions before and after the essay. These
questions will help you understand the content and the orga-
nization of the essay.
In this essay, the writer compares some features of Brazil and the
United States.
1. What do you know about the different cultural groups that live
in Brazil and the United States?
2. What does the word individualism mean?
 NOT AS DIFFERENT AS YOU THINK

1. All countries in the world are unique. They are different from one another in location, size,
culture, government, climate, and lifestyles. However, many countries share similarities.
Some may think that because Brazil and the United States are in different hemispheres, these two
nations have nothing, in common. On the contrary, they share many similarities.
2.One important similarity is their size. Both Brazil and the United States are large countries.
Brazil covers almost half of the South American continent. Few Brazilians can say that they have
traveled extensively within its borders. Because of Brazil's large size, its weather varries greatly
from one area to another. Like Brazil, the United States takes up a significant portion of its
continent (North America), so most Americans have visited only a few of the fifty states. In
addition, the United Slates has a wide range of climate. While the Northeast is experiencing
snowstorms, cities like Miami, Florida, can have temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Another similarity between Brazil and the United Slales is the diversity of ethnic groups.
Brazil was colonized by Europeans, and its culture has been greatly influenced by this fact.
However, the identity of the Brazilian people is not solely a product of Western civilization.
Brazil is a “melting pot' of many ethnic groups that immigrated there and mixed with the native
people. The United States also has a diversity of ethnic groups representing the early colonists
from northern Europe as well as groups from Africa, the Mediterranean, Asia and South
America. The mixture of cultures and customs has worked to form ethnically rich cultures in
both countries.
4. Finally, individualism is an important value for both Brazilians and Americans. Brazil works
hard to defend the concept of freedom of choice. Citizens believe that they have the right to do
and be whatever they desire as long as they don’t hurt others. Individualism and freedom of
choice also exist in the United States, where freedom is perhaps the highest value of the people.
Some may believe that the desire for individual expression is divisive and can make a country
weak. However, the ability of people to be whatever they want makes both countries strong.
5.Although Brazil and the United States are unique countries, there are remarkable similarities in
their size, ethnic groups, and personal values. Some people tend to believe that their culture and
country are without equal. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that people as a whole have
more in common than they generally think they do.

3. What subjects does the writer compare in this essay?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What method of organization does the writer use, point-by-point or block?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5.What is the hook for this essay? Write it here.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Underline the thesis statement, is the thesis restated in the conclusion (paragraph 5)? If yes,
underline that sentence in the conclusion.
7. Supporting sentences: In paragraph 2, the author writes about the ways in which size affects
Brazil and the United States. List that information here.
The Effects of Size
Brazil United States
1. ______________________ 1. ______________________
2. ______________________ 2. ______________________
3. ______________________ 3. ______________________
8. Reread the concluding paragraph of "Not As Different As You Think." Does the writer offer a
suggestion, an opinion, or a prediction? Circle che appropriate phrase in bold and write the
sentence from the essay.
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Activity 2: Outlining Practice

Below is a specific outline (or "Not As Different As You Think." (for a review of specific out-
lines) Some of the information IS missing. Reread the essay beginning and complete the outline.
Title: _______________________________________________________
I. Introduction (paragraph 1)
A. Hook: All countries in the wodd are unique
B. Connecting information: Different location, size, culture
C. Thesis statement: _______________________________________________________
II. Body
A. Paragraph 2 (similar to 1) topic sentence: ____________________________
 1. Brazil’s characteristics
a. Size: _________________________________________
b. Travel: few Brazilians have traveled extensively in their country
c. Climate: _____________________
2. __________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________
b. Travel: ______________________________________
c. Climate: the weather can be extremely different from the north the
south.
B. Paragraph 3 (similarity 2) topic sentence: Another similarity is the diversity of ethnic groups
1. Brazil
a. ___________________________________________________
b. Other ethnic groups
c. __________________________________________________
2. U.S
a. Europe
b. Africa
c. the Mediterranean
d. _____________________________________________________
e. ___________________________________________
C. Paragraph 4 (similarity 3) topic sentence: ____________________________________
1. Brazilians'belief in freedom: _______________________
2.____________________________________________
III. Conclusion (paragrnph 5)
A. Restated thesis: ______________________________________________________
B. Opinion: Nevertheless, it is important to remember that people as a whole have more
in common than they generally think they do.

IDENTIFYING GOOD SUBJECTS

Below are pairs of potential subjects FOR a comparison essay. Write "yes" on the line under the
pairs that would be good subject and explain briefly what could be compared. Write "'no" next
to the subject that would not be good choices and change one or both of them into more suitable
subjects. The first two have been done for you as example.
1. living in houses / living in apartment
Yes. Compare costs, privacy, space___________________________________________
2. international travel/ 747 airplanes
No. Change ‘747 airplanes’ to ‘domestic travel’________________________________
3. high school / college
_______________________________________________________________________
4. The weather in Nha Trang / tourist attractions in Nha Trang
_______________________________________________________________________
5. wild animals/animals in a zoo
_______________________________________________________________________
6. computers/computer keyboards
_______________________________________________________________________
7. public schools/ private schools
_______________________________________________________________________
8. living in a city / living at the countryside
_______________________________________________________________________
9. living in a house / living in an apartment
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Chinese food / Vietnamese food
_______________________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE FOCUS
COMPARISON-CONTRAST STRUCTURE WORDS AND PHRASES
AS you read the following modal essay, look for words and phrases that show similarities and
differences.
Model Essay
Gender Differences
The "battle of the sexes" started with Adam and Eve, and it will probably continue
forever. The opinion that men are superior to women has long been accepted in many cultures,
but the feminist movement is trying to change this view. Feminises claim that boys and girls are
exactly equal at birth but become unequal because of the way they are treated by society.
However, recent research contradicts the view that males and females are innately alike.
Without a doubt, societal influences both inside and outside the family cause many
differences to develop. Inside the family, boys learn to be men by watching and copying their
fathers, and girls learn to be women by watching and copying their mothers. Outside the family,
boys who play with dolls after a certain age receive disapproval, as do girls who continue to play
with Ninja Turdes (although the pressure may not be quite as strong on girls).
However, not all differences are caused by societal influences. Some are due to
differences in the physiology of the brain. For example, more men than women are left-handed,
which means that the right side of men's brains are dominant because the right side of the brain
controls the left side of the body. Right-brain people generally have better reasoning abilities,
whereas left-brain people generally have better verbal skills.

In fact, girls are better at language than boys. For both men and women, the language
center is on the left side of the brain. However, girls not only begin speaking earlier than boys,
but they also speak more clearly and develop larger vocabularies. In contrast, more boys than
girls stutter and have trouble learning to read. Boys' difficulty with language may be the result of
their right-brain dominance.

In addition, men and women have different spatial abilities. For example, men are better at
turning three-dimensional objects in their heads. That's why they can read maps more easily than
women. Women often have to turn a map around in order to know which direction to go whereas
men can do it in their heads. On the other hand, women excel at other spatial tasks such as
remembering the location of objects in a random pattern. That's why women are better than men
at finding misplaced car keys and eyeglasses.

While it is clear that some differences are rooted in the physiology of the brain, it is
equally clear that other differences are not. For example, boys and girls are equal in math ability
until about seventh grade. Then girls start to fall behind, perhaps because math teachers
encourage boys more. Furthermore, there are many exceptions to these general patterns. Just as
some women are good at abstract algebra, some men become skilled poets and public speakers.

Although continuing research will yield further information about gender differences, it
will never resolve the battle between the sexes. However, it should help the next time he gets lost
in the family car while following her map-reading directions, and the next time she has to look
for his misplaced car keys.

QUESTIONS ON THE MODEL

1. What is the thesis statement? Double underline it.
2. Does this essay discuss mostly similarities, mostly differences, or both similarities and
differences?
3 . What is the topic of each body paragraph?

COMPARISON STRUCTURE WORDS AND PHRASES

Sentence Conjunctions Others Paired Conjunctions

Connectors Coordinating Subordinating
similarly and . . . (too) as just like both . . . and
likewise just as the same not only . .but also
also alike
too similar to
the same as
the same (. . . as)
equal
equally

Let's study each group of comparison structure words and phrases. (You may want to review the
section on transition signals.)
• Sentence connectors connect two independent clauses. All sentence connectors may be used
with a period and a comma berween the independent clauses.
Tokyo is the financial heart of japan. Similarly, New York is the center of banking and finance in
the United States.

• Some sentence connectors may also be used with a semicolon and a comma between the
independent clauses.
Tokyo is the financial heart of Japan; likewise, New York is the center of banking and finance in
the United States:
• The word also is generally not used with a semicolon. Also may appear in other positions in
the second independent clause.
Tokyo is a major financial center. New York is an important center of banking and finance also.
Tokyo is the financial heart of japan. NewYork is also an important center of banking and
finance.
• The word too is usually placed at the end of the second independent clause, it is often used
together with the coordinating conjunction and.
Tokyo is a center of style and fashion. NewYork is, too. Tokyo is a center of style and fashion, and
NewYork is, too.
• The subordinating conjunction just as begins a dependent clause.

Tokyo is crowded and noisy just as NewYork is. Tokyo has traffic problems just as NewYork does.

Notice the difference in usage between just as and just like in the "Others" list in the chart. Just
as is a subordinating conjunction and is followed by a subject and a verb. Just like is a
preposition and is followed by a noun or noun phrase. '
Tokyo is crowded and noisy just as New York is. Tokyo is crowded and noisy just like NewYork.
• Other comparison structure words and phrases are used to show compar isons within sentences.
The part of speech each comparison word or phrase is given in parenthesis.

Tokyo's traffic is similar to New York's, (prepositions)

The streets in downtown Tokyo and New York City are alike. (adjective)
The subway system in New York Cicy is the same as the one in Tokyo. (noun + preposition)
The shopping areas are the same. (noun phrase)
The exclusive shops in Tokyo display the same fashions as the exclusive shop in New York, (noun
+ preposition)

Tokyo and New York City are equally crowded, (adverb)

Tokyo and New York City have equal traffic problems.(adjective)

PRACTICE 1: Comparison words-Circle all of the words that show similarities in the model
essay
PRACTICE 2: Paired Conjunctions- Complete the following sentences. Be sure to follow the
rule of parallelism.
1.Both in Tokyo and in New York city, museums display many famous masterpieces.

1. Both overcrowded subways and _________________ are problems in Tokyo and New
York City.

3. You can buy designer clothes not only in boutiques but

also_______________.
4. New Yorkers and Tokyoites not only can see a movie but also ______________
at any time.
5. In the summer, the weather in Tokyo and in New York is both hot and
____________________
6. The Ginza and Fifth Avenue shopping districts have both fine jewelers and
________________
PRACTICE 3: Comparison Structure Words and Phrases
Write a new sentence comparing the two sentences in each of the following pairs, using the given
comparison structure words. Punctuate correctly.
1. Advertising brings the public information about a product or a service. It is used to sell an idea
or an event.(similarly)
Advertising brings the public information about a product; similarly, it is used to sell an
idea or an event.
2. Advertisements influence a person's choice of food and other daily necessities. They
influence a person's choice of vacation spots and restaurants, (not only ... but also)
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3. Advertising influences people's spending habits. It raises their standard of living, (both . . .
and)
__________________________________________________________________
4. Advertising creates a desire for better clothing. Advertising creates a desire for a more
attractive personal appearance, (not only .. . but also)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Newspapers and magazines are largely supported by advertising. Radio and television are
largely supported by advertising, (just as)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 4: Sentence of Comparison

Write sentences of comparison using the given information
1. The Spanish language/ the Italian language /in grammar and vocabulary (similar to)
The Spanish language is similar to the Italian language in grammar and vocabulary.
2. Learning to speak English/learning to write English/important (both . . . and)
________________________________________________________________________
3. School sports are enjoyed/by male students/by female students (alike)

_______________________________________________________________________
4. A high school student who is continuing on to college/a high school student who is not going
on to college/graduation requirements. (the same as)

_______________________________________________________________________
5. Books at a private university/books at a public college/cost (the same as)

_______________________________________________________________________

Contrast Now that you have learned to use comparison structure words and
Structure phrases to show how two things are the same, in this section you
Words and will learn to use contrast structure words and phrases to show how
two things are different. These words and phrases connect the two
Phrases
parts of a contrast between two items, places, persons, and so on.
The following table gives a partial list of the most common words
and phrases that are used to show differences.
 CONTRAST STRUCTURE WORDS AND PHRASES
Sentence Conjunctions
Connector Coordinating Subordinating Others
Coordinating
on the other hand but although different from
even though unlike
in contrast
yet while
however whereas

Now let's study each group of contrast structure words and phrases.
• Remember that sentence connectors connect two independent clauses. Contrast
sentence connectors may be used with either a period and a comma or a
semicolon and a comma between the independent clauses:

Men exel at math. In contrast, women are better at language.

Men excel at math; on the other hand, women are better at language.

• The two coordinating conjunctions in the chart have slightly different uses
1. Use but when the information in the second clause is in complete contrast to the
information in the first clause
Men listen primarily with their right ear, but women listen with both ears.
2. Use yet when the information in the second clause is unexpected or surprising.
The language center is in the left side of the brain in both sexes; yet women have
stronger language skills than men.
NOTE: You can use but in place of yet.
The language center is in the left side of the brain in both sexes, but women have
stronger language skills than men.

• Subordinating conjunctions begin a dependent clause. There are differences in

meaning and comma use between the two pairs of contrast subordinators in the
chart.
1. Use although/ even though when the result in the independent clause is an
unexpected surprise because of the information given in the dependent clause.
Even though I took the driving test three times, I couldn't pass it. I couldn't pass
the driving test although I took it three times.

2. Use while/ where as when the information in the first clause is in strong
contrast (direct opposition) to the information in the second clause.
Some people like to exercise indoors, while others prefer to exercise outdoors.
Where as some people like to exercise indoors, others prefer to exercise outdoors.
Notice that a comma is placed after the independent clause before while or where
as to show contrast (direct opposition). This is an exception to the usual rule.

• The two other contrast structure words in the "Others" list are
 prepositions and are used as follows: . .
Men's spatial abilities are different from women's (spatial abilities).
Men are different from women in their spatial skills.
Women's spatial abilities are unlike men's (spatial abilities).
Unlike men women use both ears to listen.

PRACTICE : A. Complete the following sentences. Punctuate correctly

1. I love to go camping, but my sister doesn't.
2. Betty has gained ten pounds yet __________________________________________________
3. She should exercise although ____________________________________________________
4. Living on an island is different from________________________________
5. Climbing mountains is great exercise. On the other hand
________________________________________________________________________
B. Work with a partner. Take turns saying and writing sentences showing differences
between men and women. Use the contrast structure words in parentheses.
1. (on the other hand) ___________________________________________________________
2. (while) ____________________________________________________________________
3. (whereas)
___________________________________________________________________