Writing The Compare Contrast Essay

However, teaching students to compare and contrast topics within their writing is an important skill.Scaffolding student writing can minimize the frustration of students, save valuable time, and help your students become better writers.Sometimes teachers get stuck thinking that their students have to write a full blown compare and contrast essay (including all of the steps of the writing process) every time they write. Students don’t have to write an entire essay every time you want them to practice comparing and contrasting within their writing – students can practice this skill just by writing a paragraph, or even a sentence! This scaffolding not only provides students with a model for how to compare and contrast in their writing, but it also improves their own writing.

However, teaching students to compare and contrast topics within their writing is an important skill.Scaffolding student writing can minimize the frustration of students, save valuable time, and help your students become better writers.Sometimes teachers get stuck thinking that their students have to write a full blown compare and contrast essay (including all of the steps of the writing process) every time they write. Students don’t have to write an entire essay every time you want them to practice comparing and contrasting within their writing – students can practice this skill just by writing a paragraph, or even a sentence! This scaffolding not only provides students with a model for how to compare and contrast in their writing, but it also improves their own writing.

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Less effective qualities: not nice place, cool hangouts.)2. (Example:” beach community” detail for one topic and “big city” detail for the other = environment or setting as a category.) List the categories in the box above. Then choose one option (point by point or block method) to structure your essay. Add more ideas and details for each category as you think of them.2/09CLRC Writing Center Compare and Contrast Essay Structure: Block Method In the Block Method, each paragraph addresses ONE TOPIC ONLY from your pair of topics and includesthe SHARED ASPECTS you have chosen to Compare to topic 2.

Circle the most important qualities in each list and match at least three opposites from one circle to another.________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ After completing steps 1-3, list the three categories or aspects that both items share: 1. Use the following chart to organize yourideas for your essay.

For a blank chart to organize your own essay, use the Compare/Contrast Essay Worksheet2/09CLRC Writing Center Writing a Compare/Contrast Essay The following example contains an element of the author’s opinion, but not all compare/contrast assignments allow for that.

Always check your assignment sheet and ask your instructor for clarificaion about including your opinion.

• Detail: Require more safety and protective • Summary of main points measures • Evaluation and/or possible future developments Transition Sentence • Significance of topic to author: When considering adopting a • Summary of main points • Evaluation and/or possible future developments pet, a prospective owner must consider the lifestyle, finances, • Significance of topic to author: When considering and household accommodations that the pet would require.

Owners who neglect to compare these aspects will often not adopting a pet, a prospective owner must consider care for their pet in a safe manner.

Aspect 1 – Lifestyle • Detail: Food and health care are usually less • Detail: Pack animals shoudn’t be left alone expensive • Detail: Harder to get care when away Need more living • Detail: Less likely to cause property damage space Topic 2 - Aspect 2: Dogs Aspect 2 – Cost • Detail: Food is more expensive • Detail: Food is more expensive • Detail: Over-breeding causes some health • Detail: Over-breeding causes some health problems Aspect 3 – House accommodations problems • Detail: Often need yard and fence Transition Sentence • Detail: Require more safety and protective measures Transition Sentence Topic Sentence - Aspect 3 Optional: develop a paragraph to evaluate the comparison made Cats need few special house accommodation.

in the essay: Last summer, I was considering adopting a pet, so I Topic 1 - Aspect 3: Cats visited the SPCA to gather more information about cats and dogs.

the lifestyle, finances, and household accommodations that the pet would require.

Owners who neglect to compare these aspects will often not care for their pet in a safe manner.2/09CLRC Writing Center Brainstorming for a Compare/Contrast Essay1. List attributes or qualities of that topic in the circle, placing any shared qualities in the overlapping section. (Example:details of living in SB might include high cost of living, beach community, good schools, etc. Review the lists and identify three categories or aspects that describe these details. Use the chart on the next page to organize your paragraphs as indicated.