comparison essay examples

comparison essay examples

Exploring the Art of Comparison: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Comparison Essays

1. Introduction to Comparison Essays

Comparison essays can be a highly rewarding venture for readers and writers alike. These types of essays are a carefully concerted collection of opinions and analyses, which establish varying points of view for a topic. The resulting essay serves to provide readers with a comprehensive explanation of the topic and a range of thoughts on each analysis. When determining itself as one of the latter essays, one must be sure to take great care in collecting accurate information and well-done comparisons.

A good comparison essay consists of two essays pertaining to the same topic; the first essay is usually several or more pages in length and presents the basic structure of the other components. The second essay generally follows the same arrangement as the first and is used to analyze the information in light of another critic’s opinions. The writer must be concerned with developing evidence to illustrate the topics of comparison throughout the essay and reinforces a thesis or overall relevance for the comparisons in the introduction. The writer examines each topic at a time, constantly interchanging between the two topics to reinforce the comparative overall stance of the essay. A conclusion is furnished, offering concluding comments on the topic as a whole.

Comparison essays have always been of interest because they aim to discern the varying sides of a topic within one essay for readers. The analysis and critical thinking that goes into these essays have proven to strengthen composition writers by challenging them to incorporate myriad thoughts and perceptions into a well-written analysis. During a set of comparisons within an essay, writers generate a well-thought argument for their thesis and resulting opinions. These writers often research their topics, as well as other opinions on the matter, very extensively in order to assert accurate facts. Over time, writers have debated the topic and reasons for such differences in their collected research, often furthering a base of learned arguments.

2. Key Elements of a Comparison Essay

A comparison essay critically dissects two or more subjects, concepts, or possibilities in detail. These are the core building blocks of your comparison essay. While there may be other components included at the discretion of your professor, these elements are critically important and should never be intentionally omitted.

Working out who or what you will compare can be a relatively straightforward assignment. Professors will sometimes allow students free reign to investigate whatever topic interests them the most, so long as the comparison of their choice is informative and well researched. However, picking two subjects that have some sort of relationship or linkage to one another usually results in a more engaging paper. It’s generally more logical to compare two musical artists and their repertoires than it is to examine a single artist and an entirely different topic. The subjects can be tangible, such as a pair of movies or television shows, or theoretical such as several educational or ideological theories. So long as the components have potential synergy, the comparisons will be compelling.

A comparison essay’s thesis could be as simple as demonstrating that Subject A is better than Subject B in some specific way. If, for example, the subject of comparison is pop legends Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake, the thesis could be that Jackson’s influence is more profound. Of course, the essay can also delve into ways in which Timberlake has positively contributed to pop culture or improved upon Jackson’s work, but the thesis will be concise and to the point.

In a comparison essay, the body paragraphs are utilized to support the end goal. After establishing the thesis statement, the body section of the paper must include specific details about both subjects being compared. It’s possible that the first paragraph will focus exclusively on clothing preferences of each pop star, citing specific performances or occasions at which the two men wore unusual or unforgettable outfits. The second paragraph could compare the two entrants’ style preferences, while possibly noting that Jackson had both an artistic and commercial performance advantage with his stand-out style. This connection can also help the next section transition naturally to a comparison of the artistry itself. Each paragraph, then, should tackle head-to-head comparisons on the road to achieving the thesis.

Finally, the conclusion restates the thesis as you sum up the comparisons, typically citing which side of the argument has been most to the point. While some professors may have additional objections depending on the topic or assignment, these fundamental pieces are absolutely necessary. Without them, students are working without a roadmap and will likely find themselves straying off the ideal course.

3. Structuring Your Comparison Essay

There are numerous ways to structure a comparison essay. The overall organizational patterns and methods will ultimately depend on the focus and argument of the essay. However, at the heart of every great comparison essay exists a framework, a plan, a structure to which the writer must adhere. This kind of structural tentpole can give your essay purpose and direction. While small, this can bolster your sense of purpose and give depth and complexity to the reading and meaning of your evidence. Taken together, this will make your comparison much more incisive and delivered with a greater immediacy of effect. Keep in mind that the two concepts you’re juxtaposing are of the same order of significance, but the interplay of their relations can be the focus of your argument.

One of the most frequently used structures, as demonstrated by our example essay earlier, is to alternate between the point-by-point and subject-by-subject structures. With the point-by-point structure, you alternate back and forth between the two subjects, while the subject-by-subject structure allows you to discuss one subject at a time. The former allows for clearer coherence; the latter may come across to more readers as clearer and more persuasive in terms of straightforwardness, though the “bouncing” does provide a very valuable unsung kind of flow. You might find it valuable to alternate notes of comparison from one to the other in your body paragraphs to very clearly demonstrate the interrelation and the way one brand could clearly benefit from the other.

4. Effective Techniques for Comparing and Contrasting

Once the subjects have been chosen, determining a main argument and critical points, the writer’s attention should be directed toward effective techniques of comparison and contrast. One technique is to help the readers ignore similarities and focus entirely on the differences and vice versa. When the main focus lies in a subject’s similarities, the writer needs to remember that two subjects are often alike in only one way, and in comparing or contrasting the subjects, too much emphasis on similarities is often misleading and results in an essay that overlooks the authorities of the subjects. Another wise strategy is to highlight the differences between two subjects with considerable reliance on comparative language.

A good, solid, concrete, and specific foundation is needed to develop a comparison essay that will work well. Writers use visual aids, particularly Venn or overlapping circles, to help them distinguish differences and similarities. The closer the circles are to each other, the closer the two subjects are. Organizational strategies that writers can use include the Block Method, which helps the writers focus on either the similarities or the differences, and the Point by Point Method, which calls for double-sided discussion and therefore, according to Copeland and Ericson, is rare in student demonstrations. Organizing the essay carefully and following strictly the chosen organizational pattern are absolutely necessary steps in the development and refinement of the comparison essay.

5. Concluding Your Comparison Essay

Your conclusion also needs to be a comparison. Just as in your introduction, where you worked with a hook and compelling thesis, your conclusion must recreate your thesis, briefly address the rationale (the divisions and the shared similarities/differences) and your conclusion. Your final paragraph might leave your readers with some final thoughts, bringing the issue back into a contemporary context, explaining the significance of your insights, or pushing your readers to think the issue through further.

Sample Conclusion Although they are both vehicles, motorcycles and Chevrolets are clearly separated by important features. While both types of transportation are still primarily used for travel, with major differences, the scooter focus on economy and the motorcycle on power, not only in size and capacity, but in raison d’être. Unlike the two-wheeled giggle machines, power is not why we are given the machine. Again, the Honda Metropolitan is the antithesis of the motorcycle, but it is not so definitional to the Vespa. Using the scooter as a medium, entry point to comparison reinforces values and putting a motorcycle up against those items adds depth and verification to riders’ love for the two-wheeled lifestyle. The fact that the love is because the moving vehicle feels good (the motorcycle) as opposed to is inexpensive (Metro) is the ratified truth and aim.