8.3: Structuring a Comparison and Contrast Essay
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- 223086
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The body of the essay can be organized in one of two ways: by subject or by individual points. The organizing strategy that you choose will depend on, as always, your audience and your purpose. You may also want to consider that the subjects themselves may lend themselves more readily to one or the other approach.
In a point-by-point comparison/contrast essay, the discussion would address both items for each criterion before moving on to the next one. Using the car/truck example above, the paper would first discuss the price of cars and trucks, then gas consumption, and so on. Using the point-by-point approach to organizing your paper would address each criterion before moving on to the next one, and the order you address your subjects will remain the same for each criterion. The benefit to organizing a paper in this way could be to highlight the differences between the two items by placing them in proximity to one another. This strategy also helps your reader to see that you’ve treated the two items equally, using the same criteria.
The second approach, subject-by-subject (or block) organization, discusses each subject, using all criteria, prior to moving on to the second subject. The subject-by-subject organizational strategy enables you to create a full picture of one item before proceeding to the next, though you will want to note that all criteria are still addressed (remember: what you do for one subject, you must do for the other). This approach could be especially beneficial if you were comparing two places and wanted to create a full description of each: describing the smells and sounds and sights of each place, one at a time, would have a greater impact than would separating the smells from the sounds and the sights.
Here are two outlines that show the organization of each type of essay:
Point-by-Point Organization
I. Introduction
A. Subject topic: Cars vs. Trucks
B. Thesis: Which would be the better family vehicle?
C. Introduce criteria
1. Fuel economy
2. Passengers
3. Storage space
II. Fuel economy
A. Cars
B. Trucks
III. Passengers
A. Cars
B. Trucks
IV. Storage space
A. Cars
B. Trucks
V. Conclusion
A. Review your comparisons
B. Address the question posed by the thesis—which is better in this particular case?
Subject-by-Subject Organization
I. Introduction
A. Subject topic: Cars vs Trucks
B. Thesis: Which would be the better family vehicle?
C. Introduce criteria
1. Fuel economy
2. Passengers
3. Storage space
II. Cars
A. Fuel economy
B. Passengers
C. Storage space
III. Trucks
A. Fuel economy
B. Passengers
C. Storage space
IV. Conclusion
A. Review your comparison
B. Address the question posed by the thesis—which is better in this particular case?
(Notice that the introduction and conclusion are largely the same in both styles; it’s really only the body of the essay that changes.)