When asked to write a compare and contrast essay, you should be knowledgeable about the topic you will be writing about. There are different compare and contrast topics that you can write about. However, you should be well-informed about the topic before doing your comparisons and contrasts. Success in writing this kind of essay depends on how well you understand the given topic. Therefore, it will be good for you to read through enough material to prepare for this kind of assignment.
Introduce the topic to your readers. Let them know what you will be writing about. Compare and contrast topics have different dynamics. Therefore, your success in writing them depends on your ability to highlight key similarities and differences of two things. In most cases, these two objectives and/or ideas are not easy to differentiate or have some competing functions or features. As the writer, it is your work to demystify the situation and make it clear to your readers.
Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay
This type of assignment requires you to choose a topic of interest with all the facts and information. You will need every bit of information to do a thorough comparison and contrast. Here are important points to remember when writing this type of essay:
Topic introduction. This is very important. Don’t jump into doing an analysis of the items and bringing out their similarities and differences. It will be a lot helpful for you to introduce the topic to your readers before doing anything else. Pick a thesis statement for your essay as well. This statement gives direction to your essay and at this point, the audience can tell your feel about the essay.
Write the essay body. Your body of paragraphs carries important information about the essay. This is where you can comfortably highlight and discuss the comparisons and differences around your chosen topic. Always remember to present factual information to your readers in a way that they can understand. Make it simple for them to see what you are talking about.
Write a conclusion. Why do you think the comparisons and contrasts were important? Did you succeed in making it clear for your audience to understand your topic of discussion? If so, summarize the key points and restate your thesis statement showing how you succeeded in doing the writing.
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Samples
Here are typical examples of compare and contrast essays that you can write about.
- Video games versus Physical sports
- Roles of men and women in society
- Boarding schools vs day-schools
- The United States vs Canada
- Fruits vs Vegetables
- Men and Women Scholars
- Socrates vs Plato
- Ancient Greece vs Ancient Egypt
- World War I vs World War II
- Traditional Communication vs Tech-based communication
Bottom Line
The information provided here is to help you understand what a compare and contrast essay is all about. Most importantly, there are sample topics to help you get a practical feel of what it is about. Remember to study the two sides well before doing these contrasts and comparisons.