The first thing you should know about compare and contrast essay is that it can be a really nice experience for those who have never written such type of academic paper before. Moreover, this task isn’t as complicated as it seems from the very beginning since you just need to follow some simple steps to cope with it.
Today we are going to reveal these steps so even if you don’t have any idea how to write a compare and contrast essay – keep on reading!
What is a compare and contrast essay?
Before going any further, let’s figure out what a compare and contrast essay is all about because it will help us understand whether we can cope with writing such academic papers or not. It means that your next step would be reading brief information which is presented below.
A compare and contrast essay is all about sharing your ideas on at least two topics that are very similar yet different in some ways. The main objective of this type of academic paper is to show whether these two subjects are alike or not, how they’re similar and different, what the major similarities and differences between them are, etc. So if you want to write a great paper – make sure you read our tips given below!
What should be done to cope with writing a compare and contrast essay?
As it was already mentioned above, firstly you need to gather some knowledge on both of the chosen topics which will be analyzed later on. It means that before you start writing anything at all from scratch) read everything you can discover about your chosen matter.
Having read all this information you should know what the basic similarities and differences between these two topics are so it would be a great advantage for you to write such a paper successfully. As soon as you’ve figured out what the major similarities and differences between your chosen topics are, it’s time to move further and start having fun with writing!
The best way to write a compare and contrast essay is to create an outline that will help you organize all of the ideas in a proper manner. At least it’ll make everything look much neater and more structured which can definitely give you some benefits when it comes to coping with such academic papers.
What next?
Now we’re at the point when we need to share our secrets on how to write a compare and contrast essay. As it was already mentioned above, the best way to cope with such type of academic paper is creating an outline (if you can’t handle even this task we recommend you to read some tips about it).
So, what should be done next?
This part of our guide will reveal all secrets concerning writing:
- An introductory paragraph for your compare and contrast essay;
- Body paragraphs which include several sentences for each of chosen topics;
- A conclusion that includes brief summarization.
You also need to take into account that an efficient introduction doesn’t mean that you should forget about all requirements concerning formatting style. At least you’re expected to use just one citation style when writing such a type of academic paper.
What are the requirements concerning formatting style?
Keep in mind that formal requirements must be followed when writing a compare and contrast essay. This type of academic paper is created according to MLA or APA formatting style which means you should use only one citation style throughout your entire work.
How to cope with an introduction for your compare and contrast essay?
As soon as you already know what the major similarities and differences between your chosen topics are, it’s time to create an introduction part of your paper. You should write this section very carefully because it’ll determine whether you’re going to write a good paper at all!
If you’re not sure how to write a successful introduction just follow our recommendations presented below:
- Remember that word limit plays a crucial role in writing a good compare and contrast essay. Thus, you should always give yourself a word count that must be followed.
- Your introduction should attract your reader’s attention to the main idea of this type of academic paper;
- Make sure that your introduction contains several sentences which will highlight both of chosen topics;
- It’s better to avoid using any reference sources while creating an introductory part for such types of academic papers.
How can you cope with body paragraphs?
Body paragraphs are responsible for elaborating all the ideas concerning what the major similarities and differences between selected topics consist in. This is why it’s very important to write these sections carefully otherwise, you’re going to fail to impress your readers!
What mistakes do students make while writing body paragraphs for compare and contrast essays?
Students often make the following mistakes:
- Paragraphs that contain no useful information or ideas;
- Highlighting major similarities and differences between topics but without giving any detailed explanation.
What should you do to avoid such mistakes?
There are several tips that can help you write efficient body paragraphs for your compare and contrast essay :
- Make sure that each of these sections consists from 4 to 5 sentences at least;
- Don’t forget about including a transitional sentence before mentioning both of chosen topics in order to create a smooth transition from the previous paragraph to this section. This way, it’ll be much easier for readers to identify commonalities and differences between the two subjects being discussed right now;
- Each sentence should focus only on one idea or similarity/difference;
- Remember that it’s much easier to argue for something than against. Thus, you should always try to find at least one advantage and disadvantage for each of chosen subjects;
- Don’t use personal experience because this type of academic paper is not an autobiography!
How many body paragraphs are expected?
You can choose any number of body paragraphs which depend on the volume of information concerning main similarities/ differences between your chosen topics. At least each section must consist of 4 sentences (but if you think that this number isn’t enough just add another paragraph). This means that at least there should be 4 paragraphs in total.
What about the conclusion for compare and contrast essay?
- It’s better to use a conclusion in order to remind your reader of the major similarities and differences you have already mentioned in your previous paragraphs;
- Don’t forget about providing answers to questions which were put in introduction. If such questions exist, this means that they must be answered at the end!
What else should you remember concerning writing conclusions?
Here are some other tips:
- Don’t include any new information or facts because it won’t be counted as proper academic content;
- Your conclusion shouldn’t consist of more than 1 paragraph and every section should contain only 1 idea/ sentence;
- Make sure that all references used within compare and contrast essay correctly reflect cited facts and ideas. Otherwise, you’ll get a negative mark for plagiarism.
How to cope with a conclusion for a compare and contrast essay?
It’s a good idea to check your conclusion before submitting your work. You can ask a friend or teacher who will be able to show you possible improvements. Also, make sure that every sentence within this section is relevant and belongs to major ideas/ differences mentioned previously in order to avoid any misunderstandings! If you want more tips on writing conclusions for such types of academic papers, feel free to read through other articles concerning this particular topic.
You should use all the information from this article when writing compare and contrast essay as it’ll help you cope with such an assignment successfully! Follow our advices and don’t forget that providing is an obligatory part of academic paper writing!