THE PURPOSE
Contrary to
what one may think, the purpose of a comparison and contrast essay is not to
compare and contrast two things. The purpose is expressed in the thesis
statement as the reason for comparing and contrasting two entities; comparison
and contrast is the method employed to make a choice or prove a point. The rule of
thumb: every essay of this type needs to include a reason for comparison. One
doesn’t decide one sunny day to spend the morning comparing Greece and Italy or
team sports and individual sports; one needs to have a clear mandate for doing
so. Comparing the said countries as tourist resorts however would make sense.
Similarly, comparing the two categories of sports to determine which is more
beneficial also makes sense.
THE PLAN
The introduction
The
introduction of a comparison and contrast essay introduces the issue and the
entities to be compared. It also clearly indicates the reason for comparison
and the writers approach to the topic. If the purpose of the essay is to make
choice, this choice can be indicated in the thesis statement along with the
approach – a comparison. Let us consider our first example of an introduction
where the reason for comparison is proving the superiority of professional
armies. Thus while the resulting essay becomes argumentative, the support
provided and the approach are dominated by comparative structures
Professional armies
versus conscripts
Unfortunately, war or
the fighting, killing or enslaving of our own species is a basic human
activity; one that we don’t seem to be able to avoid despite our claims to
superiority. War means weapons and the trained manpower to use them and so far
so good. Yet while in every other human endeavor trained experts are actually
employed to do the job efficiently and quickly, in the case of war, every male
and sometimes female citizen are roped in to fill the ranks of the army. This
ill- trained rabble is no match for a properly schooled and trained
professional army; if a job needs doing it, it should be done properly. A quick
comparison of the attributes, skills and limitations of professional and
private armies will soon show that the former should leave their place to the
latter.
The reason
for comparison is not always to make a choice; it could be many other things.
Consider the following introduction where the purpose is to prove that two
concepts are not synonymous but completely different concepts. The writer is at
pains to point out that solitude and loneliness are not the same and that while
the first is a positive state the latter is not. What should logically follow
this introduction is a comparison of the two states of being with the
conclusion being an “I told you so” kind of paragraph. You may say that there
are argumentative elements sneaking into this introduction too but this is not
a problem. Most essays are argumentative to some extent and this is fine.
Solitude versus
loneliness
Humans are by nature
social animals reveling in each other’s companionship, support, help, love and
friendship. They live together in close knit family groups, work together in
crowded offices and socialize together in each other’s homes, clubs,
restaurants, cafes and the like. As a species, they thrive in each other’s
company and suffer, according to some, when denied access to the warmth and
camaraderie of the group. Loneliness, or solitude, it is claimed paves the way
for depression. This, however, is far from being the case as solitude and
loneliness are completely different states of being: the former is to be
desired the latter not as a quick examination of the two states will reveal.
The development
The
development of a comparison and contrast type essay consists of individual
paragraphs wherein the two choices or points of view or entities are compared
and contrasted in terms of one criterion. Each paragraph has a clear topic
sentence stating this point and care should be taken to order the paragraphs so
as to provide transition. Here is an example of the introduction and development
to an essay comparing and contrasting public schools and state schools:
COMPARISON / CONTRAST
ESSAY: PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Receiving a good
education is paramount in modern society with the ever increasing competition.
The race to receive the best possible education starts early when parents try
and select the best possible school. They have two general choices: private
teaching establishments and public ones. Their choice depends on their personal
circumstances and desires. They make their final decision by comparing the two
establishments. Private schools and public schools may be compared in terms of
various practical considerations, opportunities they provide and the kind of
socialization they provide.
There are vast
differences between these two types of establishment in terms of practical
considerations such as location,
building and price. Most of the best private schools are in prime locations in the city
with good views. Some are on the outskirts surrounded by forests or nature.
Public schools, on the other hand, are located within each catchment area, on
busy streets often with no garden or decent playing field. The buildings of the
private schools are attractive and well designed; some are listed: St Joseph
for example. Many of the public schools are ugly and remind one of communist
Russia or East Germany. Naturally you pay for what you get and private schools
cost a fortune whereas public schools are free. Factors such as location,
building and price are not the only differences however.
There are
differences between private and public schools in terms of opportunities as
well. Money brings smaller classes, which means more opportunities for
individual students. The classes are bright, modern and airy in private schools
and the desks are very comfortable. The same cannot be said for public schools
where classes are crowded, desks are uncomfortable and one to one contact with
the teacher is limited. As for the quality of teaching, the best teachers
often, though not always, go where the money is. The same is true for labs,
clubs, playing fields and contact with foreign schools since socialization is
considered part of education in private schools. All this is a luxury in a
state school in a developing country. To sum up, funding provides private
schools with vast opportunities.
Public schools and
private schools differ greatly in terms of the kind of social learning they
provide. Private schools are home to the privileged and as such, promote a
certain kind of life style. Skiing trips abroad, designer labels, all the
latest gadgets, cars as soon as they can get a license; in short, consumerism
characterizes these establishments. Public schools are attended by middle class
and working class students for whom the above life style is only possible in
American movies. The glaring differences that characterize the kind of social
experience promoted by these two types of teaching establishment also mean
social learning and the adoption of personal preferences which will continue
into adulthood.
If you
notice there is a reason for the order of the paragraphs and there is a topic
sentence at the beginning of each where the point of comparison is clearly
stated.
The conclusion
The concluding
paragraph of a comparison and contrast essay depends to a large extent on the
reason for comparison. If the reason is a choice and the fact this choice is
logical and makes sense has been proved through comparison in the development,
the conclusion is a restatement for instance. If such is not the case as in the
essay we just examined above a conclusion such as the one below might fit the
bill:
To sum up, public
schools are often starved of funds, which impacts the service they provide. The
generously funded private schools provide a much better learning experience but
at a cost: familiarization with and a liking for a more privileged life style.
The selection depends on parents’ means and preferences.
Before we
end this section, let us examine two complete essays in the first of which corner
shops and supermarkets are compared for the purpose of highlighting the
continuing competition and the reasons thereof, and in the second of which two
houses are compared for the purpose of making a choice .
CORNER SHOPS VERSUS
SUPERMARKETS
In the modern world,
especially in urban settings, people purchase many of the products they need.
In the past, stores were smaller family businesses where either groceries or
fruit and veg were sold. However, lately big supermarket chains like Migros,
Macro, Tesco and Carrefour have started to replace them. The familiar corner
shops are still present but they are fighting a losing battle against the big
corporations. Comparing and contrasting these two options would shed light on
the reasons for the competition. These two types of establishment may be
compared in terms of practicality and atmosphere.
There are various
practical considerations that distinguish supermarkets from corner shops the
first of which is working hours. In the modern world where many people have
full time jobs, shopping has to be done outside hours; after 18:00 for instance
or at weekends. This is a definite plus for supermarkets which employ a lot of
workers for the minimum wage and can afford to do this. In contrast, the corner
shop, which is often run by a family, cannot; people have to eat and sleep. The
second practical advantage is variety: people living on the fast lane have no
time to go from one shop to another; they want to find everything they need
together in one place. This is where supermarkets come in. The third practical
advantage is prices: supermarkets can afford to charge less for products than
corner shops; a definite plus. However, nothing in life is this simple; corner
shops are still around and there is a reason for this.
There are various differences
in terms of atmosphere that distinguish corner shops from supermarkets. The main factor is the feel of the location:
a supermarket is large and impersonal and a corner shop is warm and cozy. In
the supermarket, no one gives you the time of day; for instance, I always thank
the cashier at Shock but she has never responded or even looked at me. A corner
shop is often run by a local family who are also neighbors; locals get to know
them very well and their kids play together. People end up caring about them
and vice versa. This means that the local shop owner will chat to customers and
show concern; he will go out of his way to be helpful. All this brings loyalty.
It is this familiarity that gives corner shops their staying power.
To sum up, shopping at
a corner shop and at a supermarket are very different experiences. Both venues
have their places in society but the familiar corner shops will probably be
elbowed out of the market in the future as internet shopping takes over leading
to the loss of a valuable shopping experience.
Now let us
examine a comparison and contrast essay where the purpose is to make a choice:
COMPARISON CONTRAST
ESSAY: CHOOSING A HOUSE
(Students are given a worksheet with the
photographs of two radically different houses. Information concerning the
houses is also provided. They are then told that a couple with two teenage
children and two cars need a house and told to decide which one they should
buy. They are told they have got to do this by comparing the two houses)
Mr. and Mrs. Jones are looking for a house in Smalltown where they have
both found new jobs. They have two children of school age and can afford to pay
350.000 pounds. They have two cars. The local estate agent in Smalltown , Grab
and Grab, have sent Mr. and Mrs. Jones information about two houses. One of
them is a modern house and the other is an old house. On looking at them,
it is clear that the old house would be a much better choice.
Regarding accommodation, the family has two children so the house
should have three bedrooms at least. While the old house has three bedrooms,
one single and two double, the modern house has two double bedrooms. But the
two houses are similar to each other in that they have two reception rooms. But
there is one important difference: there is a large open fireplace in one of
the reception rooms of the old house. The new house’s kitchen is well equipped;
however, the old house’s kitchen is attractively large; with some
modernization, it will be more useful and beautiful than the other one. The new
house has a double garage which can house their cars but the old house has a
huge garden and they can park there.
As regards location, both the old and the new house are near the town
center. However, the old one is a bit farther: it is 30 minutes on foot and 10
minutes by bus. One can’t really say that that is too far; they have two cars
or they can walk. The old house is on the edge of Mary Ann’s Wood and is
approached by a private road, which must be very attractive. On the other hand,
the new house is in a residential area. It is also in very good nick unlike the
old house which needs some repairs. There is one similarity between the
houses: they both have gardens. While the new house has a front garden, the old
house has front and rear gardens as well as an orchard. Also it is surrounded
by woodland so it is a peaceful place far from the hustle and bustle of the
town.
As for price, the old house is 320.000 pounds whereas the new one is
350.000. If the family chooses the old house they will have to pay 30.000
pounds more; money they could use for renovation. There is another important
difference between the houses though: the old house is freehold which means it
will be theirs for keeps whereas the new one is leasehold. This makes the old
house a better buy financially as well. Therefore, they should go ahead
and buy the old house without wasting another minute. (Written by: İrem Güngör)
