What does Compare and Contrast Essay Mean? Definition and Tips

When students are asked to compare and contrast a certain object or event, it means that they need to conduct a deep analysis of two matters and to find all the things, which make them similar or different.

Such a task requires attention to details, ability to analyze huge volumes of information and a skill to notice links between issues, which don’t seem to relate. That is why students often find it difficult to write a comparison and contrast essay, postponing the assignment and risking their grades.

The first thing you need to remember is that the sources you use should be relevant and modern, not older than five years. Such sources can include books, textbooks, scientific journals, documentaries, academic magazines, reports and newspapers.

If you want to make your essay flawless, try to avoid such mistakes as absence of proofreading and editing, plagiarism, using too much generalities and basing your arguments on unreliable sources.

In addition, to learn how to write a compare and contrast essay we offer you to get familiar with the following tips:

Analyze the given texts or subjects thoroughly before getting started. If you need to analyze an event, a book or any other issue, devote enough time to reading it carefully. This will help you to understand the matter and make up your mind on the subject. Don’t forget to make notes in the process, which is a great beginning for a strong essay;
Make lists. Any time you process an article, a book or any other text, take a separate piece of paper and make lists of all the things, which analyzed objects have in common or different. Such lists will keep you organized and you will always have ideas of what to write about, savings lots of energy and time. In addition, such a useful tool will keep your essay structured;
Always create an outline. You need to have a clear understanding of what you are going to write about. A regular length of your essay will be around 5-6 paragraphs, including introduction, main paragraphs and conclusion. In the first section introduce the topic to your audience, then explain how analyzed matters differ or are alike, and make conclusion on the topic, summarizing all the obtained results;
Concentrate on the most important features, not trying to cover all the differences and similarities. Run through your lists over again and range everything you have written down according to relevance and importance. Pick several items and concentrate on them, as too many details will bore the reader. Make sure all the chosen elements interlink with the main topic and explain the key question;
Remain as detailed, as possible. You need to remember that such an essay is all about presenting your point of view and backing it with reliable sources and information. That is why it is very important to fill your text with details, numbers, pictures, statistics and other relevant elements;
Proofread and edit your work. Once you are done with your argumentation and your conclusions are written, take some time to relax and then give your essay a fresh look. Check it line by line to make sure that every word and phrase is relevant and readable, contains no typos and has no grammar or lexical errors. You can also read your paper aloud, ask someone to do it for you or use online software, which detects and even fixes imperfections;
Follow required formatting style. Always ask your professor for specific recommendations on the formatting. This may greatly influence the general look of your essay, especially the list of references. If there are no requirements, you can choose one the most common fonts (like Times New Roman) in a 12 pt size, double-space your text and make 1’ margins on all of the sides.

Your final score depends not only on the information you provide but also on the format, style and personal touch, so try to pay maximum attention even to the slightest detail.

Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

When completing a comparison essay, many students face such difficulties as lack of knowledge on the subject, not knowing how to structure their work properly or simply not being able to choose a good topic.

That is why thousands of students across the world prefer comparing and contrasting their objects based on other scholar’s works.

It shouldn’t be considered a fraud and you can use such samples as a pattern for your own essay.With its help, you can create a correct structure and argumentation, following examples of successful students.