Compare and contrast essay structure

Basically a compare and contrast essay has the standard structure which includes:

• Title

• Introduction (in the introduction the writer provides the reader with generalized information on the two or more subjects he will be analyzing further. At the end of the introduction the writer makes a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence in which the writer states the point of view he wants and will prove in the body of the essay referring the analyzed subjects).

• Body  (the body structure may have several variants depending on how the writer wants to arrange his compare and contrast arguments in the text and it also depends of the amount of traits the writer will chose to analyze. Once the traits are chosen, they should be compared and contrasted in each of the analyzed subjects).

• Conclusion (The conclusion provides a brief summary of the issues analyzed in the body and it may highlight the arguments which are needed by the writer to prove his point of view. In order words, the conclusion has to prove the thesis statement which is declared in the last sentence of the introduction. In such a way the compare and contrast essay becomes complete).

The main difference from other types of essays lies in the body structure of the compare and contrast essay. There may be two major formats of compare and contrast essay structure based on the body structures of the essays.

Compare and contrast essay outline

Outline 1

Introduction

Body

• -Subject #1

• -Subject#2

• - Comparison and contrast of #1 & #2

Conclusion

 

Format#1

Introduction (as it is generalized information on the subjects it may start with a quote, continue with basic information of what will be analyzed and end with a thesis statement).

Body

• • Subject #1 (here the writer analyzes the first subject of the comparison and contrast. Here the writer reveals ONLY the first subject. May consist out of several paragraphs depending on how many traits the writer chooses to compare and contrast).

  • Subject #2 (here the writer independently analyzes the second subject of the comparison and contrast ONLY. May consist out of several paragraphs depending on how many traits the writer chooses to compare and contrast).

  • Comparison and contrast of #1 & #2 (it is the section in which the writer analyzes the topics together making an emphasis on the traits has chosen to prove his point on view declared in the thesis statement. May also consist out of several paragraphs depending on how many traits the writer chooses to compare and contrast).

Conclusion (provides the reader with the writer’s profound understanding of the issues he analyzes. The thesis statement needs to be proven and restated).

Outline 2

Introduction

Body

•  

  • Subject 1 and 2 similarity #1

  • Subject 1 and 2 similarity #2, etc.

  • Subject 1 and 2 difference #1

  • Subject 1 and 2 difference #2, etc.

Conclusion

Format#2

 

Introduction (as it is generalized information on the subjects it may start with a quote, continue with basic information of what will be analyzed and end with a thesis statement).

Body

•  
  • Subject 1 and 2 similarity #1 (here the writer compares the first and the second topic to find it’s the similarities they have).
  • Subject 1 and 2 similarity #2, etc. (the amount of comparisons of the two subjects are restricted only by the imagination of the writer).
  • Subject 1 and 2 difference #1 ( in this section the writer contrasts the first and the second subjects to find the differences between them)
  • Subject 1 and 2 difference #2, etc. (the amount of contrasts in the compare and contrast essay is limited to the quantity of arguments chosen by the writer).

Conclusion (provides the reader with the writer’s profound understanding of the issues he analyzes in the paragraphs above. The writer restates the thesis statement appealing the arguments in his work).