Do I want this car … ?

… or do I want that

other car?

Do I want to visit Egypt on my next vacation

… ?

… or do I want to go to Las

Vegas?

Do I want to eat something

healthy… ?

… or do I want something

bad?

What is a comparison and contrast essay?

Comparison: point out the similarities between two different things.

Contrast: point out the differences between two similar things.

So; In a compare and contrast essay,

you should write either the similarities or the differences between two things.

You should define your purpose before you start writing;

Are you going to compare?Are you going to contrast?

Topic: Deciding which airline to flyPurpose: To convince the readers to just

choose the least expensive one because airlines are basically the same.

Is it a comparison or contrast?Comparison

Topic: Deciding which airline to fly

Purpose: To explain how your choice will make the difference between a good trip and a bad one

Is it a comparison or contrast?Contrast

I. Introduction (Hook, Background Info, Thesis Statement)

II. First point A. Explanation of how this point relates to the first item B. Explanation of how this point relates to the second item

III. Second point A. Explanation of how this point relates to the first item B. Explanation of how this point relates to the second item

IV. Third point A. Explanation of how this point relates to the first item B. Explanation of how this point relates to the second item

V. Conclusion(Transition, Restatement, Summary, Closure)

Introduction

*Begin with a broad, general statement of your topic *Narrow it down to your thesis statement.

*Broad general statements ease the reader into your thesis statement by providing a background for it. ( key words; different, differ, difference, unlike, similarity, similar, alike, same)

Look at the following example!

For women shopping can be a pleasant and fun experience, especially when they see a sale on an item that they have wanted to buy. I think it is a little different for men because some men find it boring, and they hate to walk through a crowded mall. Females are very indecisive when it comes to shopping because they can't make up their minds about what they want to get. Males know what they want and pick only that item up. Ladies can take hours getting one item while men can get five items in 20 minutes or less. Women spend a lot more money than men when they shop because they want everything they see. Men and women are so different when shopping is concerned.

BODY*Thesis statements are extremely important because they will organize and outline the ideas for your BODY PARAGRAPHS. *The three parallel structures will serve as the basis for your three paragraphs in the body. *This way, the first item of the parallel structure will be the topic in the first paragraph, *The second item will be the topic in the second paragraph, *and the third item will be the topic in the third and the last paragraph of the body. *In any given essay writing, once you write an effective thesis statement, the body of the paragraph will fall into place automatically... In the thesis statement you plan the order and sequence of your essay. For example;

transitions for the body paragraph;

The (first) notable difference/ similarity is….

To give another difference/ similarity, + sentence

Yet another difference/ similarity is ……. Comparing….., we notice another

difference/ similarity which is …

1st Body

The first thing which makes the men and the women in terms of shopping is that women are indecisive while shopping, and men aren't. A women can go into a store with every intention on getting one item, but she sees all the cute things lying around the store saying "buy me." For that reason, she feels compelled to buy other items within the store. That is why a woman can be very indecisive. When a man says that he is going to get one thing from the store, it's a guarantee that he will come home with that one item because things don't scream out at him, "buy me".

2nd Body

Besides thier way of decide, a female can take a lot longer time to shop than a male does. For some reasons, a lady has to look at everything which she finds appealing to the eye. I know when I go shopping for a pair of jeans, I end up with a shirt and a cute pair of shoes to match. Normally to buy something may take 20 minutes, but it may become 2 hours for women. A man just doesn't seem to notice things as a woman. Or maybe it is because a man just doesn't care. In any case, when a male says he will be back in 20 minutes from shopping, he will be back in 20 minutes or less.

3rd Body

The last but not the least difference is that a female normally spends more money than a male. Most females want everything to be name brand regardless of the cost of the item. A male doesn't care too much if it has Nike or Adidas logo on it or not. All he cares about is whether or not it does the job. On the other hand, one thing I have noticed about a man is his tools. He will spend a lot of money on name brand tools.

CONCLUSION

*A concluding paragraph is your chance to remind the reader of your thesis. *Also, the conclusion brings the paper to a natural and graceful end, sometimes leaving the reader with a final thought on the subject. For example,

Language for comparing

Example: The dog, like the cat, is a household pet.

Language for coNTRASTING

Example: The dog, unlike the cat, is dependent on its master.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Being able to compare and contrast Comparatives and superlatives are one common way to do this.

**Comparatives are used to compare two things:Leopards are faster than tigers.**Superlatives are used to compare one thing against a group of

others: The leopard is the largest of the four big cats.

Transitions

The Middle East produces high levels of oil; however, Japan produces none.

The USA produces large amounts of natural gas. In contrast, South Korea produces none.

European countries make great use of solar power. On the other hand, most Asian countries us this method of power generation very little

Conjunctions

The Middle East produces high levels of oil, whereas / while Japan produces none.

Whereas / While the Middle East produces high levels of oil, Japan produces none.

Although the Middle East produced 100 tons oil, Japan produced none.

Not only Israel but also Turkey has an important role in the Middle East.

Neither France nor Israel wants Turkey to join EU.

Both Turkey and the USA want to set up a peaceful atmosphere.

OTHER STRUCTURES

Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy production than developed countries.

Solar power accounts for far less of the total energy production than gas or coal does.

Hydropower is not as efficient as wind power. Like Japan, South Korea does not produce any natural gas. The Middle East produces twice as much oil as Europe. Western countries consume three times more oil than the

Middle East. Russia consumes slightly more oil than Germany. The UAE produced the same amount of oil as Saudi Arabia.