SuperKookabura170
Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast essay. You…
Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast essay. You are free to select your own topic, or you may use one of the sample topics listed below. However, you should choose a topic that you have some personal knowledge of so that you have sufficient points of comparison or contrast to discuss in your essay. Avoid choosing subjects that require extensive outside research that require citation (you will learn how to properly cite in a later unit). Consider subjects and points that fall under “common knowledge”: information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up. You will need to compare or contrast two or three primary points about the two subjects you choose to write about, resulting in an essay with either four or six body paragraphs, an introductory paragraph, and a conclusion. The writing for this assignment should be informative and objective, avoiding the first-person voice or any personal details that may inform bias or personal opinion.
Compare or contrast two cities you’ve visited or that you’ve lived in
Compare or contrast two sources of news
Compare or contrast two singers in different music genres
Compare or contrast two historical figures
Compare or contrast two artists (e.g. two painters or two photographers)
Compare or contrast two television series
Compare or contrast two types of technologies (for example, two smartphone brands or two gaming consoles)
Remember that the two subjects you choose should have a meaningful connection so that you can draw comparisons or contrasts between the two.
After you’ve drafted your essay, answer the following questions about your writing. Include answers to all of the questions below your essay.
1. Did you use the point-by-point or block method to organize your body paragraphs? What made you decide to organize your essay in this way
2. In what ways did writing a comparison/contrast essay differ from the Narrative essay you wrote in Touchstone 1?
3. Remember that the writing process is a recursive process, and your first draft of an essay is rarely your last. What part of the draft did you struggle with
C. Comparison/Contrast Guidelines
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until your draft meets all of the guidelines.
Elements of a Comparison/Contrast Essay
? Are there significant points of comparison or contrast between the two subjects you have selected?
? Do you make clear comparisons or contrasts between the two subjects within the body paragraphs of the essay?
? Are the body paragraphs organized either by point or by subject?
? Have you used transitional words or phrases to indicate points being compared or contrasted?
? Does the essay have a clear and consistent focus of comparing and contrasting two subjects?
? Does the essay maintain an informative/objective tone throughout to avoid persuading the reader or arguing a point about the subjects compared?
? Does the essay rely on personal knowledge and/or common knowledge (information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up)?
