Writer's Guidelines: Comparison and Contrast

1. Purpose: During the exploration of your topic, define your purpose clearly.
•Decide whether you are writing a work that is primarily comparison, primarily contrast, or balanced.
•Determine whether you main purpose is to inform or to persuade.
2. Points

•Indicate your points of comparison or contrast, perhaps by listing.
•Eliminate irrelevant points.
3. Patterns

Select the subject-by-subject or the point -by-point pattern after considering your topic and planned treatment. The point-by point pattern is usually preferred in essays. Only in long papers is there likely to be a mixture of patterns.

Compose an outline reflecting the pattern you select.

Use this basic outline for the subject-by-subject pattern:

I. Subject X
A. Point 1
B. Point 2


II. Subject Y
A. Point 1
B. Point 2


Use this basic outline for the point-by-point pattern:


I. Point 1
A. Subject X
B. Subject Y


II. Point 2
A. Subject X
B. Subject Y

4. Presentation

Give each point more or less equal treatment. Attention to each part of the outline will usually ensure balanced development.

Use transitional words and phrases to indicate comparison and contrast and to establish coherence.

Use a carefully stated topic sentence for a paragraph and a clear thesis for an essay. Each developmental paragraph should have a topic sentence broad enough to embrace its content.

Source: Brandon, Lee. Brandon, Kelly. Paragraphs and Essays