Compare and Contrast Essay

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

Compare and Contrast essay topics are among the most common assignments for both school and college students. They are mainly aimed at developing critical thinking as well as formatting skills. On the one hand, such term papers are very easy for understanding. On the other hand, students are free to choose from a wide range of topics that can be rather interesting and fun to explore.

Compare and Contrast essay topics are among the most common assignments for both school and college students. They are mainly aimed at developing critical thinking as well as formatting skills. On the one hand, such term papers are very easy for understanding. On the other hand, students are free to choose from a wide range of topics that can be rather interesting and fun to explore.

How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay

The main idea of compare and contrast essay topics is certainly to mention differences between two objects. However, the main aim is to stress similarities. For this reason, the first and foremost step is choosing the subject you are truly interested in. If you are keen on cars, choose two brands for comparison. Those who prefer watching movies can pick two favorite actors for the essay. And so on.

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics and Examples

  1. Jazz vs. Classical Music
  2. Biology vs. Chemistry
  3. Renaissance Art vs. Baroque Art
  4. Monarchy vs. Presidency
  5. Diesel vs. Petroleum
  6. Socialism vs. Capitalism
  7. Mammals vs. Reptiles
  8. North vs. South Pole
  9. Baseball vs. Cricket
  10. Dried Fruit vs. Fresh
  11. Antique vs. New
  12. Books vs. Movies
  13. Facebook vs. Twitter
  14. Coffee vs. Tea
  15. Boys vs. Girls
  16. Poetry vs. Prose
  17. Summer vs. Winter
  18. Newton vs. Einstein
  19. Motorcycle vs. Bicycle
  20. American Idol vs. The Voice

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline and Format

The main goal of your essay is to compare and contrast two aspects at the same time. The most common outline includes the following points:

  1. Introduction
  2. Aspect One
    – Subject #1 (details)
    – Subject #2 (details)
  3. Aspect two
    – Subject #1 (details)
    – Subject #2 (details)
  4. Conclusion

Connectors That Show Comparison (Similarities)

  • In additon
  • Correspondingly
  • Compared to
  • Similarly
  • Just as
  • As well as
  • Likewise
  • Same as
  • At the same time

Connectors That Show Contrast (Differences)

  • However ƒ
  • On the contrary ƒ
  • On the other hand
  • Even though
  • In contrast ƒ
  • Although
  • Unlike ƒ
  • Conversely ƒ
  • Meanwhile