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How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essays


There are different types of essay including a compare-and-contrast one that determines the main features of different subjects. However, the process of writing it includes several important steps if the writer has a goal to finish it successfully. It is important to follow general rules about the organization, content, and formatting; however, there are features that only this type of essay has. Writing essay involves not only analyzing subjects, but it also involves creating an argumentative idea that can be supported with evidence; therefore it is significant to follow many rules that can be useful for writing this type of essay and that’s why so many students struggle with writing essays.

It is essential to follow eight main steps in order to write a successful compare-and-contrast essay. Firstly, it is important to choose the subject of the paper. These subjects should be different but they should belong to the same category. For instance, it would be effective to compare and contrast men and women. If the writer decides to analyze the features of famous people, these people should belong to the same historical period and profession.

The next significant step while writing this type of essay is to determine likeness and difference between the subjects. One of the most useful methods for determining them is creating a Venn diagram. It can facilitate the process of creating the main argument of the essay because it helps to analyze the features of two subjects in the same categories. However, determining the main features is not the most essential idea of such an essay. A qualitative essay is the one that highlights essential idea based on the likeness and differences.

Therefore, the next step for writing a qualitative essay is creating the main argument of the paper. The fourth step is essential for the structure of the paper. There are few methods for structuring such type of essay. First of all, it is possible to create one paragraph that provides the reader with all details about the first subject, and the second paragraph can provide the reader with all details about the second subject. However, numerous writers prefer creating more paragraphs with the purpose to compare two subjects point by point. For instance, the first body paragraph might compare the physical state of both genders, while the second one can be based on the features in the emotional state of them. All writers can make their own decisions about the most suitable structure of the paper for them.

Usually, the structure of the essay includes three body paragraphs, but it is more suitable to create two or four body paragraphs for this type of paper, so it would create the balance to both subjects. Therefore, the next step for writing a successful essay is creating a draft of the future paper where the writer would be able to organize the order of the ideas. Also, it is important to support the idea with the help of evidence, For example, it is possible to do it with the help of personal experience. The writer can give an example of how the dog greets him at home, while cats do not do it. Also, if the writer compares the poetry of two poets, it is possible to highlight the quotes from their poems.

Anyways, every argument should be supported with the evidence. The seventh essential step is adding transitional words in the essay. The compare-and-contrast essay should be filled with such words as “likewise”, “both”, “whereas”. Such words can facilitate the process of analyzing for the understanding of readers. The last significant step in the process of writing a qualitative essay is revising the whole paper. Once the writer finished the writing, it is essential to check the paper several times with the purpose to fix the grammar and punctuation errors. Also, it is the last chance for the writer to add another idea or argument or change the structure of the paper. If the writer follows all eight steps listed above, the possibility of writing a successful compare-and-contrast essay increases.

Writing a qualitative essay is a difficult process, but it is possible to facilitate it with the help of eight steps. Following these steps is an effective way to avoid mistakes when it comes to writing this type of essay. The most common mistakes in writing a compare-and-contrast essay include the comparison of subjects from different categories, the lack of supportive evidence and the main argument based on the similarities and differences of subjects, the imbalance of organizational structure, and the existence of grammar or punctuation errors. These mistakes can be avoided if the author of the essay writes it carefully; therefore following the rules listed above is one of the most effective ways to reach this goal. Also, the writers of this type of essay should focus on the search of these papers written by other writers.

Analyzing other paper is an excellent method to memorize the mistakes of other people and avoid them in the future. Writing a qualitative essay requires specific skills and focus of the person; that is why it is essential to work on these aspects.


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