Comparative essays call for a comparison between two things.
You may be asked to "discuss", by putting the case for and against
something, or you may be asked to "compare" different views,
events, people or things. As with other paragraphs (essays) you
need you to be extremely clear about the purpose of the piece. The
crucial element is to answer the question in an order that makes
most sense to a reader. Although there are guidelines for
constructing certain paragraph and essay types, there are no set
formulas.
Steps
- Analyze the question carefully. Do your research to make
sure that you have a complete understanding of both things being
compared. You will benefit from the research when you come to write
your essay and can easily compare similar aspects.
- Write the introduction. Start with a general point which
establishes the similarity between the two subjects then move to
the specific (exact) focus of the essay. The reader must
understand which points you will be examining and which
points you will not be examining within the comparison. At
the end of the introduction, declare your preference or describe
the significance of the two subjects.
- Organize the sequence of paragraphs in the main body of your
essay. Once you have defined the comparison and the basis of
the argument you must determine the structure of your essay. It can
be any of the following, but not a combination:
- Method 1 You can discuss each half of the comparison in
every paragraph. For example, begin with a paragraph comparing the
two situations; each paragraph thereafter should compare a single
aspect of both situations until you have completed comparing all
the various points. The advantage of this structure is it
continually keeps the comparison in the mind of the reader, as well
as forces you to pay equal attention to each side of the
argument.
For example: Lemons & Apples
Para 1 Color of Lemons/Color of Apples
Para 2 Vitamins found in Lemons/Vitamins found in Apples
Para 3 Health benefits of Lemons/Health benefits of Apples
And so on
- Method 2 You can alternate between the two subjects
paragraph by paragraph. That is, the first paragraph of the main
body of your essay begins with one side of the argument. The next
paragraph deals with the other, and so on. You keep repeating this
process looking at another point in the comparison until you reach
your conclusion. This method allows you to discuss points in
greater detail, but be sure to keep alternating and ensure you
continue discussing similar aspects of each argument.
For example: Lemons & Apples
Para 1 Color of Lemons
Para 2 Color of Apples
Para 3 Vitamins found in Lemons
Para 4 Vitamins found in Apples
Para 5 Health benefits of Lemons
Para 6 Health benefits of Apples
And so on
- Method 3 In the first half of the main body of the
essay, you can argue one side of the comparison throughout as many
paragraphs as you wish. When you have finished with that side of
the comparison, switch and discuss the other side of the
comparison. This method is by far the most dangerous, as your
comparison can become one sided, without giving equal time to both.
The other problem with this is that you may discuss different
features in the second half than you did in the first half. If this
occurs, the comparison falls apart as you are not comparing the
same features of the two arguments.
For example: Lemons & Apples
Para 1 Color of Lemons
Para 2 Vitamins found in Lemons
Para 3 Health benefits of Lemons
Para 4 Color of Apples
Para 5 Vitamins found in Apples
Para 6 Health benefits of Apples
And so on
- Prepare the conclusion. The conclusion should give a
brief, general summary of the most important similarities and
differences. It should end with a personal statement, an opinion
and the "So What" – what's important about both things being
compared. It should leave the reader feeling that all the different
threads of the essay have been drawn together in a cohesive way;
they have learnt something - and they must be certain this is the
end – not look around for missing pages. When you have two
radically different topics, it sometimes helps to point out one
similarity they have before concluding. (i.e "Although _______ and
_________ don't seem to have anything in common, in actuality, they
both ________.)
- Revise your writing. If time is not an issue, the best
way to revise your work is to leave it for a day. Go out, have
something to eat or drink, have fun - forget about the
paragraph/essay until tomorrow. Once you settle down to revise,
remember that the two most important things to do when revising are
to find problems and to fix them. These should be done separately
(i.e., go through and find all the problems you can without
correcting them). Although it is tempting to do them at the same
time, it is smarter to do them one by one – this ensures you have
checked everything, and ultimately makes the job more efficient and
quicker. Sound simple? Maybe... Essential? – definitely! If
possible, find a friend to look over the essay, as he or she may
find problems that you missed.
Tips
- First and foremost - make sure that you have answered the
question.
- The key principle to remember in a comparative paragraph or
essay is that you must clarify precisely what you are
comparing and keep that comparison alive throughout the essay.
- Make sure you have a great topic sentence. Get the reader
interested; make the reader want to read on.
- Make sure not to repeat yourself.
- Ensure that all points are addressed.
Warnings
- One of the most common faults of a poor comparative essay is
that the comparison is not "balanced". That is, when the essay
focuses predominantly on one of the two issues, and gives less
importance to the other.
- Beware of the "Frying Pan Conclusion", in which you simply
recount everything that was said in the main body of the essay.
While your conclusion should include a simple summary of your
argument, it should also emphatically state the point in a new and
convincing way, one which the reader will remember clearly. And if
you can see a way forward from a problem or dilemma, include that
as well.
- Avoid, at all costs, the conclusion that the two subjects are
"similar, yet different." This commonly found conclusion weakens
any comparative essay.
