...How to Write a Compare/Contrast Essay Compare and contrast essays are the other big essay types in academic writing. These essays will follow a specific question and are fairly easy to complete. There are several ways to write this type of essay. The most important thing to remember is structure. Many wonderful essays fall victim to the woes of bad structure, making any ingenuity to fall by the wayside. Go over the rules on how to write a general essay, and then structure your compare/contrast essay in one of the following two formats: 1. Introduction 2. Your introduction — like the five-paragraph-essay, should open generally (with a quotation, anecdote, generalization), and lead into the thesis statement. 3. Topic 1 4. This next portion of your essay (which may consist of one paragraph or several) should cover only the first topic of the comparison and contrast. Compare/Contrast essays take two topics and illustrate how they are similar and dissimilar. Do not mention topic 2 in this first portion. 5. Topic 2 6. This next portion of your essay (which may also consist of one or more paragraphs) should cover the second of the two topics. Do not discuss Topic 1 in this section. Since you have already gone into great detail about it, you may allude to Topic 1 briefly; however, do not analyze Topic 1 in this section. This portion of the paper is to discuss Topic 2 in great detail. 7. Topics 1 and 2 Together 8. Now that you have analyzed both Topic 1 and Topic 2 independently...
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...J E C T I V E S 10 1. Identify the purpose and structure of narrative writing. 2. Recognize how to write a narrative essay. Rhetorical modes simply mean the ways in which we can effectively communicate through language. This chapter covers nine common rhetorical modes. As you read about these nine modes, keep in mind that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his or her purpose for writing. Sometimes writers incorporate a variety of modes in one essay. In covering the nine rhetorical modes, this chapter also emphasizes these as a set of tools that will allow you greater flexibility and effectiveness in communicating with your audience and expressing your ideas. rhetorical modes The ways in which we effectively communicate through language. 1.1 The Purpose of Narrative Writing Narration means the art of storytelling, and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. In addition, a narrative can be factual or fictional. A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit. However, the big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer’s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount events as they...
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...WRITING 5 Comparison/Contrast * Use the chart we discussed in class to brainstorm ideas for an essay using comparison/ contrast organization. You have two choices: * Write an essay that compares and/or contrasts certain aspects of culture in the United States and in your native country. Limit your discussion to the aspects of everyday life listed in the chart (or one you discuss with me). Write from your own experience as an observer of life. * Alternatively, you can compare your native country today to the way it was in your parents or grandparents time. Also, if there is a recent event in your or your parents’ lifetime that revolutionized life in your country, you can compare life before and after the event. You can also write about difference and similarities in rural and urban life in your county. (Don’t’ write about government or politics.) * If you choose the first option, choose one category from the chart to write about. Name the category in the thesis statement. Then divide that category into 3 subtopics. (It is possible to combine categories from the chart in your subtopics, but be sure the three subcategories are closely related. They must both belong to the topic of the thesis statement.) * In other words, the thesis can’t say that there are three differences between country X and the United States. Name the category of differences such as three differences in how people raise children, or three differences in how elders are treated...
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... |Tips | |Rhetorical mode |Explain when or why each |Explain what organizational method works |Provide two tips for writing in | | |rhetorical mode is used. |best with each rhetorical mode. |each rhetorical mode. | |Narration | | | | | |Narration is used to tell/retell|We feel that when you are narrating a |Be sure you know whether your | | |stories, and can be used at any |story to anyone it is best to place your |narration is factual or fictional| | |time. (Between friends, |ideas in chronological order. That way | | | |colleagues, family.) |the details of the story are in place and| | | | |you are able to fuse them together |Keep details you want to convey | | | |easier, and able to keep the flow of the |in chronological order | | | |story running smoothly. Also being sure | | | |...
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...Britain) • texts (e.g., Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth) • events (e.g., the Great Depression and the global financial crisis of 2008–9) Although the assignment may say “compare,” the assumption is that you will consider both the similarities and differences; in other words, you will compare and contrast. Make sure you know the basis for comparison The assignment sheet may say exactly what you need to compare, or it may ask you to come up with a basis for comparison yourself. • Provided by the question: The question may ask that you consider the gradual loss of morals by major characters in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The basis for comparison will be the loss of morals by central figures in each text. • Developed by you: The question may simply ask that you compare the two novels. If so, you will need to develop a basis for comparison, that is, a theme, concern, or device common to both works from which you can draw similarities and differences. Develop a list of similarities and differences Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them. For example, you might decide that in Life of Pi, Pi simultaneously experiences a gradual loss of morals as his chances of survival are put more and more at risk, whereas in Animal Farm, Napoleon always possessed questionable morals which become further corrupted as...
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...Compare and Contrast Essay [pic][pic] Language – Writing The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to examine two things of interest and tell the reader about the similarities and differences between them. There are many different formats for writing a compare and contrast essay. For the purpose of this assignment, we will focus on the most common format called the Feature by Feature Format, where we compare and contrast (similarities and differences) between two subjects (i.e. Singapore versus Trinidad, etc.) on three different features about the subjects (i.e. geography, people, and food, etc.) Basic Structure: |1st Paragraph – Introduction | |General Topic Sentence(s) – catch the reader’s attention | |Brief background information about the two subjects | |THESIS STATEMENT | |Brief overview of the three features you are comparing and contrasting | |2nd Paragraph –Personality Inventory ...
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...Michelle Terashima January 27, 2014 Descriptive versus Narrative This essay is to compare-contrast a narrative and descriptive essay The essays I chose were, “Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told...
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...Descriptive versus Narrative This essay is to compare-contrast a narrative and descriptive essay The essays I chose were, “Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible...
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...Comparison/Contrast Essay English 8—T. Manns Parcells Middle School Grosse Pointe Woods, MI www.gpschools.org Comparison=Similarity Contrast=Difference Comparisons are discussions in which one identifies the similarities between two (or more) ideas or things; Contrasts, on the other hand, are discussions in which one indicates differences between two (or more) ideas or things. A very important part of writing this kind of an essay is the creative use of TRANSITIONS. There is no ONE way to write a Comparison/Contrast essay as it depends on Topic choice and the direction of the Thesis Statement. For this reason, you will be presented with a “MENU” of options. In addition, you will need to determine how you will organize your paper as there are two approaches: Point-by-Point or the Block Method. Organization Point-by-Point Method: Compares items one point at a time. The Topic Sentence in each Body Paragraph focuses on the point being used as the basis of comparison rather than the item. Block Method: Presents ALL relevant features for the first subject, then ALL relevant features for the second subject. If you were writing a Comparison/Contrast of college and high school you might focus on three points: * Cost of attending high school and college * Workload in high school and college * Social aspects of high school and college Point-by-Point Method Block Method Introduction and ThesisItems to be compared, reason...
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...Descriptive versus Narrative This essay is to compare-contrast a narrative and descriptive essay The essays I chose were, “Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible...
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...comparative written style. However, this is achievable if you adopt a systematic approach to ordering and writing your responses. It does, however, demand considerable practice prior to the final examination. What is the Examiner looking for in a response to the Poetry? The exam is designed to test your ability to do the following things: Can you respond to the poems critically, in detail, and sensitively using textual evidence? Can Can you explore language, structure and form contribute to the meaning of texts? Can Can you compare the ways that ideas, themes and relationships are presented in the poems by selecting Can pertinent details from the texts? In other words you need to: Write a detailed and nuanced comparison of the poems considering how the language and form contribute to the overall meaning of the poems, and the relationships, themes and ideas that the poets are trying to present to the audience. What is the Examiner looking for in an A* response to the Poetry? An A*...
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...First & Last Name First & Last Name English 101/Section # Date Essay #2 The Committer vs. the Non-Committer There are many types of men in the world, and each type displays a variety of distinguishable characteristics. Women should become aware of these characteristics before considering a prospective mate. The smallest of personal details, from where and how they met (including the first date), the way he walks and talks, the clothes he wears, the career choice he's made, the vacation spots he frequents, or the automobile he drives can offer valuable, meaningful, insightful clues to whether or not a man will ever settle down with anyone. There are two main types of men in the world: the committer and the non-committer. The committer is serious about finding the right woman. He asks friends and relatives for introductions. He is usually open to blind dates and avoids the bar scene when looking for a quality woman. On the first date, he is polite and will not bring up the subject of money at the restaurant. He takes her to places where they can talk one-on-one. The non-committer is just looking for a woman. There is no room in his life for the woman. He, on the other hand, loves the bar scene. He usually finds a million excuses why he can't find the right woman and uses such excuses to explain why he is still unattached. On a date, he orders trendy food such as sushi to impress his date, and he monopolizes the conversation. He may even take her to places where...
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...1 Overview of How to Write an Essay Writing essays is a major element of your education at the university level. Effective writing gives you the ability to express your ideas, theories, arguments, and projects clearly. The skills you acquire at the university level through writing essays will be aimed at practical business applications that you will be able to use in the workplace. The following information provides a succinct overview of the elements you need to know to begin writing an essay. It will help you on your writing journey. Types of Essays Narrative A narrative essay is a story told by a narrator. Generally, a narrative discusses the personal experience of the author (the first person point of view), but it can also be written about things that happen to others (third person point of view). A narrative typically involves characters, a setting, specific and vivid details, and a series of events that can include current incidents, flashbacks, or dialogue. Cause and Effect A cause and effect essay explores why events, actions, or conditions occur (cause) and examines the results of those events, actions, or conditions (effect). For example, a cause could be purchasing a new expensive home. The effect might be fewer family vacations, more time spent on upkeep, or less time with family because of extra work hours to pay for the home. Comparison and Contrast A comparison and contrast essay shows the relationship between two or more elements. The items can be compared...
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...Coherence in Essay Writing Skills for unity, coherence and development of a paragraph are not only applicable to writing an individual body paragraph when we write an essay, but can also help with handling the relations between body paragraphs. Unity Paragraph unity refers to the harmony between the topic sentence and supporting sentences in a paragraph. If we want to achieve such unity, the first thing we do is to decide on a topic sentence. When we write a single paragraph composition, the topic sentence is usually very broad because the paragraph may be dealing with many things which need a broad topic sentence to cover them all. However, when we write an essay of several paragraphs, the topic sentence for each body paragraph should be fairly specific because each body paragraph deals with only one of the many things stated in the thesis sentence. Take, for example, one of our familiar subjects, describing one’s hometown. If we are assigned to write one paragraph, we can begin with such a broad topic sentence as “My hometown is an unforgettable place,” and then proceed with describing the things that make it unforgettable, for instance, its beautiful landscape, its hospitable people, and its impressive modern industry. However, if we are to write an essay on the same subject, a statement like “My hometown is an unforgettable place” will become the thesis statement, while the things that make it unforgettable will be discussed in body paragraphs, perhaps one...
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...Coherence in Essay Writing Skills for unity, coherence and development of a paragraph are not only applicable to writing an individual body paragraph when we write an essay, but can also help with handling the relations between body paragraphs. Unity Paragraph unity refers to the harmony between the topic sentence and supporting sentences in a paragraph. If we want to achieve such unity, the first thing we do is to decide on a topic sentence. When we write a single paragraph composition, the topic sentence is usually very broad because the paragraph may be dealing with many things which need a broad topic sentence to cover them all. However, when we write an essay of several paragraphs, the topic sentence for each body paragraph should be fairly specific because each body paragraph deals with only one of the many things stated in the thesis sentence. Take, for example, one of our familiar subjects, describing one’s hometown. If we are assigned to write one paragraph, we can begin with such a broad topic sentence as “My hometown is an unforgettable place,” and then proceed with describing the things that make it unforgettable, for instance, its beautiful landscape, its hospitable people, and its impressive modern industry. However, if we are to write an essay on the same subject, a statement like “My hometown is an unforgettable place” will become the thesis statement, while the things that make it unforgettable will be discussed in body paragraphs, perhaps one...
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