How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay,You Don’t Know How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay? Why Is It Hard?
WebOct 12, · When you’re wondering how to how to begin a compare and contrast essay, you’re not even close to starting the introduction. The pre-writing stages matter more WebA paper focusing on similarly aged forest stands in Maine and the Catskills will be set up differently from one comparing a new forest stand in the White Mountains with an old WebAug 19, · A comparison essay compares and contrasts two things. That is, it points out the similarities and differences (mostly focusing on the differences) of ... read more
Why these particular fruits? Why not pears and bananas? The rationale behind your choice, the grounds for comparison , lets your reader know why your choice is deliberate and meaningful, not random. For instance, in a paper asking how the "discourse of domesticity" has been used in the abortion debate, the grounds for comparison are obvious; the issue has two conflicting sides, pro-choice and pro-life. In a paper comparing the effects of acid rain on two forest sites, your choice of sites is less obvious. A paper focusing on similarly aged forest stands in Maine and the Catskills will be set up differently from one comparing a new forest stand in the White Mountains with an old forest in the same region.
You need to indicate the reasoning behind your choice. The grounds for comparison anticipates the comparative nature of your thesis. As in any argumentative paper, your thesis statement will convey the gist of your argument, which necessarily follows from your frame of reference. But in a compare-and-contrast, the thesis depends on how the two things you've chosen to compare actually relate to one another. Do they extend, corroborate, complicate, contradict, correct, or debate one another? In the most common compare-and-contrast paper—one focusing on differences—you can indicate the precise relationship between A and B by using the word "whereas" in your thesis:. Whereas Camus perceives ideology as secondary to the need to address a specific historical moment of colonialism, Fanon perceives a revolutionary ideology as the impetus to reshape Algeria's history in a direction toward independence.
Whether your paper focuses primarily on difference or similarity, you need to make the relationship between A and B clear in your thesis. This relationship is at the heart of any compare-and-contrast paper. Organizational Scheme. Your introduction will include your frame of reference, grounds for comparison, and thesis. There are two basic ways to organize the body of your paper. If you think that B extends A, you'll probably use a text-by-text scheme; if you see A and B engaged in debate, a point-by-point scheme will draw attention to the conflict. Be aware, however, that the point-by- point scheme can come off as a ping-pong game. You can avoid this effect by grouping more than one point together, thereby cutting down on the number of times you alternate from A to B.
But no matter which organizational scheme you choose, you need not give equal time to similarities and differences. In fact, your paper will be more interesting if you get to the heart of your argument as quickly as possible. Thus, a paper on two evolutionary theorists' different interpretations of specific archaeological findings might have as few as two or three sentences in the introduction on similarities and at most a paragraph or two to set up the contrast between the theorists' positions. The rest of the paper, whether organized text- by-text or point-by-point, will treat the two theorists' differences.
You can organize a classic compare-and-contrast paper either text-by-text or point-by-point. But in a "lens" comparison, in which you spend significantly less time on A the lens than on B the focal text , you almost always organize text-by-text. That's because A and B are not strictly comparable: A is merely a tool for helping you discover whether or not B's nature is actually what expectations have led you to believe it is. Linking of A and B. All argumentative papers require you to link each point in the argument back to the thesis.
Without such links, your reader will be unable to see how new sections logically and systematically advance your argument. In a compare-and contrast, you also need to make links between A and B in the body of your essay if you want your paper to hold together. Give adequate explanation and specific examples to support each idea. The first paragraph introduces the topic, captures the reader's attention, and provides a definite summary of the essay. It may be wise to end the first paragraph with a thesis statement that summarizes the main points of difference or similarity. For example, "Submarines and warships differ not only in construction, but in their style of weapons and method of attack.
Each middle paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of that paragraph ex. An opening sentence like this that uses a metaphor or simile not only summarizes the paragraph but captures the reader's attention, making him want to read on. Avoid a topic sentence that is too dull and too broad ex. The structure of the comparison essay may vary. You may use simultaneous comparison structure in which the two things are compared together, feature by feature, point by point. For example, "The electric light bulb lasts 80 hours, while the gas lamp lasts only 20 hours. Consider how perfectly Harding met the requirements for president.
Wilson was a visionary who liked to identify himself with "forward-looking men"; Harding was as old-fashioned as those wooden Indians which used to stand in front of cigar stores, "a flower of the period before safety razors. Wilson was cold. Harding was an affable small-town man, at ease with "folks"; he was an ideal companion to play poker with all Saturday night. Wilson had always been difficult of access; Harding was accessible to the last degree. Don't use simultaneous structure all the way through the essay, however. It becomes monotonous. Use it sparingly. For most of the essay, use parallel order structure.
In parallel order structure you compare the two things separately but take up the same points in the same order. For example, you may spend half a paragraph on "thing A" and the other half of the paragraph on the corresponding characteristics of "thing B. Or say everything there is to say about the electric bulb lamp its physical characteristics, history of development and operation , followed by everything there is to say about the gas lamp. For the sake of variety you may switch to simultaneous comparison at one point in the essay, and then switch back to parallel order structure for the rest of the essay.
In fact, there are many ways to structure a comparison essay; use whichever organization works best for your particular paper. Here are a few sample organizational methods. electric lamp and "B" stands for "thing B" ex. gas lamp. Each number 1,2,3, etc. stands for a different aspect of that thing ex. physical characteristics, operation, history of development. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
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A compare and contrast essay explains how two or more subjects are similar and different to one another. How do you start writing it? Your professors usually assign definition or argumentative essays. You might be wondering: why is it so important to know how to write the introduction paragraph for compare and contrast essay? The intro sets the tone of the overall paper. It tells the reader your professor what this content will be about. It also includes the thesis statement, which defines the direction your arguments will go towards. The comparative analysis format requires careful selection and combination of information. That skill should be visible right from the introduction. If you know how to write a synthesis essay , this will be easy for you.
The pre-writing stages matter more than most students realize. Before you start writing the paper, you need to have a plan. Students usually find it impossible to complete a 5-paragraph essay in a day. The research process takes time. Take the instructions your professor gave you. What subjects are you going to compare and contrast? What do you know about them? Write down all ideas before you start the research. Go through authoritative resources you can use. You can rely on Google Scholar to find them. How long should this essay be? When it comes to compare and contrast essays, you can choose between the block method and point by point method.
This section will introduce the reader into the two subjects and the thesis statement. Asking a question also works. Wrap up the introduction with a concise thesis statement. Ideally, the thesis statement should be an overview of the essay. Once you have the introduction, it will be easy to proceed. If you find the assignment overwhelming, you can hire XpertWriters. com for help. Your email address will not be published. Skip to content. Why Is It Hard? Step 1: Organization Before you start writing the paper, you need to have a plan. Brainstorming Take the instructions your professor gave you. Preliminary Research How do these subjects compare?
Are there any opposing opinions? The Outline How long should this essay be? The block method is useful for shorter essays. With this approach, you write all information about the first subject in the first half of the paper. Then, you write all information about the second subject in the second block of the paper. This method gives you an essay that looks more like a summary. The point by point method is more complex, but more effective as well. Here, you compare the two subjects point by point. With this, you make it easy for the reader to understand the similarities and differences between the two subjects. How Do You Start a Compare and Contrast Essay? With an Introduction! You can start by introducing an interesting fact about each of your subjects.
Time to Learn How to Write an Essay Outline. How to Write a Reaction Paper. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. We use cookies to make sure you have the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies.
How To Write An Introduction For a Comparative Essay,Recent Posts
WebAug 19, · A comparison essay compares and contrasts two things. That is, it points out the similarities and differences (mostly focusing on the differences) of WebOct 12, · When you’re wondering how to how to begin a compare and contrast essay, you’re not even close to starting the introduction. The pre-writing stages matter more WebA paper focusing on similarly aged forest stands in Maine and the Catskills will be set up differently from one comparing a new forest stand in the White Mountains with an old ... read more
Group classes. You need to indicate the reasoning behind your choice. If you find the assignment overwhelming, you can hire XpertWriters. Do you know how to write an expository essay? Having to sit down and write a paper whether it be your college thesis or a five paragraph essay for an elementary level English course can be an intimidating and stressful if not overwhelming experience. Consider how perfectly Harding met the requirements for president.
Their relationship is what the n. Go through authoritative resources you can use. Transitional Words and Phrases. Many people are comparison essay introduction aware of the universal strategies and tactics that can be used to improve their writing at every stage in the process. CopyrightKerry Walk, for the Writing Center at Harvard University. Our writing lessons for beginners are the perfect place to start, comparison essay introduction.
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