Compare & contrast essay is a type of essay that talks about the differences and similarities between two or more things. It is a good essay to write when most people take two things as the same and do not respect the differences between them. However, do you know how to write this essay? As guessed, you require assistance in the form of writing guidelines. Well, there is no need to worry because, in today’s post, we will discuss this essay in detail and also outline its writing guidelines. So, let’s start the discussion by defining it first.
What is a compare & contrast essay?
Simply put, a compare-and-contrast essay is an essay that points out the differences and similarities between two subjects. It shows in what ways those subjects are similar to each other and in what ways they are different. The essay structure of this essay is similar to others. It includes an introduction section, which explains the overall subjects, the body paragraphs, and a concluding statement to end the essay. Some example topics of this essay are as follows:
- Capitalism vs. Communism
- Indoor sports or outdoor sports
- Working as a freelancer vs. working as an employee etc.
Most important steps to writing a good compare & contrast essay
A compare-and-contrast essay is about highlighting the similarities and differences that exist between two subjects. However, to highlight those separates and unites effectively, you must have an idea of the steps involved in writing this essay. Keeping this in mind, we have prepared a guide for you. Hence, a brief description of all the steps is as follows:
1. Choose your subjects
When writing a compare & contrast essay, it is important to choose your subjects. The reason is that it is the subjects that you discuss. When choosing the subjects, make sure that both are different but relate to a common field of study. For example, when your compare and contrast indoor and outdoor sports, it makes sense. It does not make any sense to compare an artist with a politician. So, choose your subjects wisely.
2. Brainstorm the similarities and differences
After choosing the subjects to compare and contrast, the next step is brainstorming the similarities and differences. In order to do this, make two lists: one of the similarities and another of the differences. First, brainstorm the similarities between the subjects and fill the list with whatever comes to your mind. After that, put the differences into the second list. It is a very important step to perform.
3. Research the subjects rigorously
After brainstorming, you get an initial idea of what will come in your essay. Do not make the mistake of writing the essay after brainstorming. The reason is that the ideas collected during brainstorming require more refinement. To refine those similarities and differences, research the subjects rigorously. Make extensive use of Google and gather authentic information. This information will also serve as shreds of evidence as you write the essay.
4. Create an outline of your essay
Writing a compare & contrast essay without creating an outline is unwise. It is because sometimes the information is too much that you lose track of the essay structure and write things in an unstructured way. An outline helps you to remain on track and talks about the things which you have already listed in the outline. Also, a well-created outline explains to you when to discuss a piece of particular information in the essay and where.
5. Start writing the essay
After the creation of the outline, it is time to start writing the essay. Begin your essay with an introduction of both the chosen subjects. You must define them and the critical things associated with them. After the introduction, craft the body paragraphs. Fill the body paragraphs with similarities and differences between the subjects. In the end, conclude the essay well. However, if you feel like you cannot craft the essay this way, you can buy essay online from credible essay writing services.
6. Edit and proofread the essay
Lastly, when you have completed writing the compare & contrast essay, it is time to edit and proofread it. Editing and proofreading are two important stages in writing an essay, where you look for grammatical, spelling, and contextual mistakes in your essay. In fact, you try to free your essay from different kinds of errors and make it ready to submit. Hence, do not forget to edit and proofread properly.
Conclusion
Conclusively, we have discussed the top 6 steps involved in writing a compare & contrast essay. By following these steps, you can create a very good essay highlighting the similarities and differences between the subjects. Hence, follow all the steps mentioned above and write your essay after creating an outline.
