Writing a compare and contrast paper – five tips to do it perfectly
Writing a compare and contrast essay is tricky. Read on for five tips to help you to get it right – and find out why you need to avoid plagiarism.
Writing an essay is a brilliant way of testing a student’s critical thinking and problem-solving ability. Today professors bank on the quality of the article produced by the student to create an understanding of their academic abilities.
This is why you will see professors testing students by giving them the task of writing different types of essays to enhance their language proficiency and writing ability.
Hence, going by the trend, you will increase the use of compare-and-contrast essays, allowing the students to understand both sides of the coin.
This brings us to the topic of compare-and-contrast essays, which is basically an evaluation of similarities and differences between two different subjects. It can be about two books, events, or two films.
It is written to analyze two different things and how they are amicable to each other. It can be tricky for a beginner to write a flawless compare and contrast essay. So, to help you, we will share some tips to craft a beautiful article for readers to enjoy.
Tips to write a compare and contrast essay
Generally, there are ways to structure a compare and contrast essay. They are:
- Point by point: This is the process where you explain the similarities and differences side by side.
- Block Structure: This is the process of explaining similarities and differences in different block way structures.
Here are some tips for writing compare and contrast essays.
Tip 1: Choose your subjects
Before you start writing a compare and contrast essay, you must choose subjects wisely and ensure they belong to the same category, as it is an important part of writing an essay.
It is wise, therefore to choose a topic you know well. This way, you can create lasting impressions on the professors and also on the readers. Remember, it is something readers will notice about your essay.
Tip 2: Look for similarities and differences
After choosing the topic, you must look for differences and similarities to include in your essay. To do this, you need to brainstorm ideas, which will help you find characteristics in the article.
You can also create a Venn diagram, where you can put all the ideas or maybe the similar and dissimilar characters you are looking to include in the easy. You can also add overlapping characteristics to form a different opinion.
Tip 3: Developing a thesis statement
After mapping out the similarities and dissimilarities between the two subjects, you need to find out how the subjects correlate with each and their presence’s impact. This will help you to form a thesis statement.
Topic sentences are important to guide a reader through your article and give them a hint of what you include in the essay. A thesis statement is also important because it is a line you must discuss in the essay. In the conclusion, you must give your opinions.
Tip 4: Compare and contrast essay structure
This is the most significant part of composing and sorting your information into an orderly manner. You must map out how you want to present your essay to the audience. Here are a few steps you take to make the essay presentable.
Write a good introduction
The key feature of any essay is how you present the topic to the audience. To increase the readability of your essay, you need to use a good hook sentence that aligns with your theme. After that, you need to outline the structure of your essay and the points you want to include.
Finally, you must conclude the introduction with a thesis statement, setting the tone for your essay. Ensure that the statement addresses both aspects of the essay.
Compelling body full of facts and figures
After the introduction, you need to discuss the thesis statement, where you can discuss the comparison and contrast in two separate headings. This will help the reader to understand. Further, you should stick to facts and figures and look to add statistics, as it will increase the validity and credibility of the essay.
Clearly state all the points for both comparison and contrast so that you can present them in a better way. And lastly, you should look out for figures of speech like similes, metaphors, and oxymorons, as it will enhance the quality of your text and give the reader a good impression.
Conclusion
This is the part where you make a closing statement about the topic and summarise the points you explained in the essay. You can also give your opinions on the matter to demonstrate your understanding. Most professors want students to express their knowledge. In addition, you can also provide suggestions or recommendations for further study and exploration, if relevant.
Tip 5: Source of information
To make an essay look impressive and be more readable, you need to search for credible sources to increase its quality. For this reason, it is wise to choose a source other than Wikipedia or a basic blog for reliable information, as these are not considered credible sources in the academic field.
Instead, you should opt for places like government websites, news articles, peer-reviewed articles, and journals which use data gathered from primary research. This way, there is a high chance of getting more marks with credible sources.
You can look for use sources like Google Scholar and JSTOR to gather reliable information about the topic.
If you still need clarification about where to find credible sources, then you can visit the website of Fresh Essays, an essay writing service for college and school students. These people are well-equipped to write high-quality essays, which will help you to gain good grades.
Plagiarism is a big issue
Plagiarism is a significant issue in the academic world. No academic institutions will endorse or pass a plagiarised essay, so take are to research and write your work thoroughly, ensure it is unique and cite your work properly.
Remember, with proper citations and a well-research, uniquely written essay you will make the best possible impression, which is key as you progress from school to college to university.
