Page 436 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Comparison-Contrast

2 Write effective comparison-contrast

essays.

One of the most effective ways of describing an unfamiliar situation or

object is by comparing or contrasting it with something familiar. When

you make a comparison, you show how two things are similar. If a

friend asks you about a class you are taking, you may describe it by

comparing it to a class that the two of you have taken together. When

you contrast two things, you show how they are different. If you are
asked on a political science exam to discuss the legislative and

judicial branches of the government, you may find yourself contrasting

the ways each branch shapes the country’s laws. In an English class,

you may find yourself using both comparison and contrast to show

how two writers develop similar themes in different ways. Used alone

or used together, comparison and contrast are useful tools for any
writer.

Comparison-contrast techniques are useful in answering questions

such as those that follow.