Essay Outline Form For Point By Point Comparison Contrast: Fill & Download for Free

Simply put, it is an essay evaluating the similarities and differences between two subjects. These subjects will be in the same category, but different. You might compare and contrast two different kinds of pets, or two novels from the same historical time period.Maybe you’re thinking that writing an essay about just one subject is hard enough! Where do you even begin with a coherent essay about two topics?No worries. Here is a step-by-step guide to writing a great compare and contrast essay.1. Choose your subject(s). Remember that your two subjects must be different, but still in the same ballpark, to create a meaningful compare-and-contrast essay. For example, if you want to write about two different historical figures, it makes sense to choose two great artists rather than an artist and a politician.Examples:Modigliani and PicassoMozart and SalieriVegetarians and meat eatersHumanities-minded and Mathematically-mindedExtroverts and IntrovertsFatalist and VoluntarismOrthodox and CatholicismDemocracy and TotalitiesGeneration Y and Generation Z2. Brainstorm similarities and differences. Make two lists: one list of similarities, and another of differences. If you are a visual person, a Venn diagram can facilitate this process. Simply create two overlapping circles, one for each of the topics that you are comparing. Traits that differ are noted separately, within those that they share are written in the overlapping space. This is a helpful visual aid, because it organizes similarities and differences clearly. All you have to do is glance at your Venn diagram to get a sense of the things that you could write about. If you prefer to focus on one subject at a time, jot your lists down on a blank sheet of paper and flip it over to the other side for the other subject. Remember to keep characteristics of the different subjects somewhat parallel. This will make it easier to structure a good argument.3. Hone in on your main argument. A good compare-and-contrast essay goes beyond a simple listing of similarities and differences to make a meaningful statement about a larger topic. When you look at the lists you’ve made, what strikes you as significant? What do these similarities and differences say about the topic? That will be your main argument.4. Decide on your organizational structure. There are many possibilities for structuring a compare-and-contrast essay. You could write about one subject in detail, and then switch to the other.Let’s say you are comparing and contrasting women and men. You could write two paragraphs about qualities that are common to women (they tend to be more compassionate, they are good multitaskers) along with some that they share with men (they are capable of sacrificing self for the good of others.) Then you would focus on men in the next section. (Men usually have superior physical strength and technical skills).You can also go point by point throughout the essay. In this case, your first body paragraph might state: “While men may not always show compassion for the problems of others, they are usually more likely to actually do something to fix these problems.” You could also on similarities first, and then differences. In this case, your first body paragraph(s) might read: “The male and female brain are alike and both men and women perform better when they feel appreciated and valued.” Choose a structure that makes sense for your argument.5. Write an outline. Craft an outline that fits the structure you have chosen. Traditionally, an essay consists of an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Consider including four body paragraphs instead to give balance to your two subjects.6. Fill in supporting evidence. As you begin to write your essay, back up your assertions with evidence from research, reading, or personal experience. If you are comparing and contrasting cats and dogs, use personal anecdotes about friends and their pets to bolster your arguments. (“My roommate’s dog always greets him when he comes home each day, but my cat never does.”) If you are writing about similarities and differences between the poetry of Shakespeare and Keats, include plenty of quotes from their poems to support your statements. With any information that you include, be sure to explain why it matters in the context of your larger argument.7. Craft your essay with strong transitional words. Transitional words give your essay a nice flow from one statement to the next. When comparing, use words like “both,” “likewise” and “similarly.” Words such as “nonetheless,” “on the other hand,” and “whereas” are ideal for forming a contrast.8. Proofread and revise carefully. Once you have finished, read your essay several times to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Make use of spell check and grammar check tools in your word processing program. If possible, get a friend to cast a fresh pair of eyes on it to find mistakes you might have missed.Follow these steps, and you will be well on your way to writing a compare-and-contrast essay that cannot fail to impress your reading audience.

Work with the writing center at your school. Get help with the concepts of thesis statement and types of organization: narrative, descriptive, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, classification, process analysis, definition, and so forth.Find examples of each type of essay online and read them. Many colleges and homeschool sites have examples. You can even read the free examples on sites like Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Paper, and Book Report, but don’t turn in one of those papers. You’ll get caught. Make an outline of the main points. Good essays will be easy to outline, poor ones, not so much.Practice writing. The basic form of an essay is an introduction, three support paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should have about five to seven sentences. Just getting a feel for how long that is, aiming at 500 or 1000 words will be good practice.An introduction has a “hook” sentence to grab the reader’s attention, the first sentence in the paragraph. It has some background information which sets up the thesis, which is one sentence that states the point you are making in the essay. Often there is a sentence that includes a list of the points to support your thesis.From there, you write the next paragraph, until you have covered your points with your supporting details.Finally, you write a conclusion, which explains why your thesis is significant and makes a prediction, a warning, a recommendation or a call to action for the reader to do something.

Throughout your career as a student you'll have to write several kinds of essays. One of these is the compare and contrast essay. Literature students, for instance, must write compare and contrast essays on two specific works of literature -- in this case, poetry. Such essays analyze the similarities and differences between two literary works to encourage critical thinking.Step 1Choose an idea or theme to focus the essay on, such as love, nature or death.Literary movements have certain characteristics that make it easy to pinpoint two poems with similar ideas or themes. For example, compare Miguel Hernandez's and Pablu Neruda's accounts of love.Step 2Make a Venn diagram by drawing two overlapping circles -- one for each poemby the two authors. Write the similarities in the overlapping section of the circle, such as similarities in form, technique or ideas. In the individual spaces of the two circles write characteristics independent of each other. When making the diagram, consider what each poem is about. Are they part of the same literary movement? What is the focus of each poem? What is the author's tone? Is the poem broad or narrow in scope?Step 3Work on the thesis of your essay. Your thesis will organize the thoughts swirling in your head so your essay has direction for not only the reader but also for you. Consider the expectations of the essay. For instance, why are you writing this paper on these poems? Why should people care? To this end, consider the content of your class. Your thesis should not merely announce the comparison to the two poems butalso your method of doing so.Step 4Organize your paper either subject-by-subject or point-by-point. The former involves discussing all the characteristics, ideas and themes of the first and second poems in full. The latter discusses one point of a particular poem and transitions into a similar or contrasting point of the second poem back and forth.Step 5Outline the essay according to the format you are using. Write the main pointof each paragraph followed by a list of subpoints to emphasize or exemplify your main point.Step 6Write the introduction of the essay. Move from the general (poetry) to thespecific (the poems). Your first two sentences should tell the reader the "what" and "why" of the essay. Include your thesis near the end of the paragraph but before the transition into the body.Step 7Draft each body paragraph according to your outline. Start each paragraphwith a topic sentence telling the reader the main point you are discussing. Use examples from the poems to make your points stronger. Use transitional phrases to help the reader comprehend the flow of ideas. Some transitional devices include: like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, compared to, likewise, again, on the contrary, however, although, yet and conversely.Step 8Conclude the essay with a brief summary of the main idea or ideas. Make a conclusion based on the two poems' similarities and differences. End with a restatement of the thesis and a final thought on the essay that leaves readers thinking long after they finish reading.