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Writing Assignment 3 – The Compare/Contrast Essay
Assignment Guide: The Compare/Contrast Essay
Assignment Prompt
For this assignment, you will be writing a compare/contrast essay–an exploratory piece of writing in which you attempt to show readers how two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two: both similar and different. Whether you focus exclusively on comparing, exclusively on contrasting, or a mix of both, is totally up to you. However, regardless of which approach you decide to take, you will want to include a strong thesis/claim statement, at least three effective supporting points, and a streamlined point-by-point organizational strategy.
Assignment-Specific Requirements:
Length: This assignment should be at least 750 words.
Thesis: Underline your thesis statement or the main claim of your essay.
Sources Needed: Two reliable and credible sources are required for this assignment. Be sure to use MLA guidelines for all in-text and Works Cited citations.
While we encourage you to acquire sources from Gale’s Opposing Viewpoints, you may access credible, scholarly sources from other resources. Tertiary sources, such as online encyclopedias, dictionaries and Wikipedia, are not scholarly sources, and should not be cited within your work; however, they may offer helpful foundational information as you develop your understanding of an issue. (For more information, please review Berkley University’s resource on scholarly and popular sources: “Evaluating Resources.”)
Page Formatting: See Appendix C – Formatting and Submitting Your Work
MLA Requirements: See Formatting your Essay: MLA 8th Edition
Rhetorical Mode
Compare/contrast essays are both creative and analytical in nature. They are typically more formal than a personal narrative in the sense that they are written from a third-person perspective, where a writer is not injecting their own opinion directly using “I” or “me” language.
To prove points–compare/contrast essays rely on researched evidence, and not personal opinion or experience, per se. When you choose two topics, you will have numerous options for comparing and contrasting them–much more than you can actually use in a single paper. Therefore, you will need to decide what elements are worth comparing and contrasting, and why. This is the seek and discover part of the essay, but also the creative part. For example, another writer may choose the same two topics as you, but their essay may rest entirely on thesis and supporting points. When you limit your supporting points to those points you think you can prove most effectively, you are maximizing your creative and analytical writing abilities.
Rhetorical Considerations
Purpose:
Remember that this is an exploratory paper: The piece of writing should show readers, through the inclusion of careful detail and specifics, and strong supporting points, how your two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two: similar and different.
Audience:
The compare/contrast essay is written for someone else–either a single reader or a community of readers. When choosing the points you want to use to show readers that your topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two, you should keep this audience in mind, making sure that you are choosing the most effective points possible to show how your two topics are similar or different.
In this instance, you are writing to show readers that your two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two (similar and different). Keep this audience in mind by emphasizing the compare/contrast claims throughout the essay.
Form:
This is a formal writing project, written in third-person, relying on strong organizational strategies, integrating researched evidence, and following MLA formatting guidelines.
Six Features of a Compare and Contrast Essay
Compare/Contrast Thesis: Contains a strong and succinct thesis/claim statement that outlines whether the two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two, and at least three supporting points that can boost that claim. A sample compare/contrast thesis might look like this:
Although curriculum A and curriculum B are similar in their student success goals, they are very different when it comes to their structure, topics, and scoring.
Transitions: Utilizes transitional words and phrases that help the audience (or reader) move more easily from idea to idea, sentence to sentence, and paragraph to paragraph.
*Note–transitions do not only occur in topic sentences but throughout the essay. When you are moving from one idea to the next, whether between two sentences or between two paragraphs, you will want to include language that can help bridge your ideas (and sentences/paragraphs). Some examples might be “in addition to,” “next.”
Compare/Contrast Signals: In addition to more typical transitional words and phrases, this essay should also include compare/contrast specific signals, emphasizing for readers how and why your topics are alike or different. Here are some example:
similar: in addition, by comparison, similarly
different: however, in contrast, differing from
Point-by-Point Organizational Strategy: The essay should follow the point-by-point approach to showcase the use of transitions, synthesize your own supporting points with researched evidence, and build a fully developed essay with an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. For this kind of organization, you will create a topic sentence for each body paragraph that outlines a compare/contrast point regarding both topics and use the body paragraph to show readers how your two topics are similar, different, or similar and different.
Reliable and Credible Sources: The essay should integrate at least two reliable and credible sources (also known as “scholarly sources”) to help prove the compare/contrast claims to readers and to boost or substantiate the supporting points that you have created for your two topics.
Proofreading and Revising: As with any writing project, the final draft of this essay should be carefully reviewed for clarity and correctness. This includes checking word choice, sentence structure, organization, transitions/coherence, and MLA formatting.
Choosing a Topic for Your Compare/Contrast Essay
Selecting the right topic is an important step in ensuring your success in writing a Compare/Contrast essay. You’ll want to choose a topic that has the following features:
Of interest to you
Relevant
Current
Debatable
Well-researched
Narrow in scope
Academic or “scholarly” in nature
Topics to avoid, as they are either too complex to compare and/or contrast in a single essay, or not considered appropriate for an academic or scholarly argument, are as follows:
For/against . . .
The death penalty
Euthanasia or self-assisted death
Abortion
The (il)legalization of drugs (e.g. marijuana)
Religion or religious readings (e.g. existence of a higher order/being, or life after death)
Gun rights/rules
Global warming
Please do not select one of the above topics, as your essay may be returned without grading, and you will be asked to rewrite it.
Need assignment ideas?
Take a look at this valuable resource from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center: Topic Ideas:
Here’s rubic:
Grading Guide: The Compare/Contrast Essay
ENG 101 Rubric: Compare/Contrast Essay
Points
0-1
Points
2
Points
3
Points
4
Points
5
Introduction
25%
Hook
Background
Context
Consideration of audience
Thesis statement & at least 3 Supporting Points
Limited introduction paragraph that accomplishes none of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement. An undeveloped introduction paragraph that accomplishes few of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement. Moderately developed introduction paragraph that accomplishes some of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement.
Well-developed introduction paragraph that accomplishes all but one of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement.
Exemplary introduction paragraph that accomplishes each of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs
25%
Follows the topic-by-topic approach
Uses compare and contrast signals
Includes clear transitions
The essay does not follow the topic-by-topic organizational approach. The essay lacks compare/contrast signals. Transitional phrases are lacking or ineffective. The essay does not follow the topic-by-topic organizational approach. Little to no attention is paid to compare/contrast signals. Transitional phrases are attempted but ineffective. The essay attempts the topic-by-topic approach, but it is ineffective. Some attention is paid to compare/contrast signals. Some attention is paid to transitional phrases, but further attention is required. The essay may/may not attempt a topic-by-topic approach. Effort is made to include compare/contrast signals. Transitional phrases are attempted and mostly successful. The essay succeeds with a topic-by-topic approach. Compare/contrast signals are strong and appropriate. Transitional phrases are present throughout the essay and effectively used.
Sources Used
8.75%
Count only—not integration or formatting
The writer references no scholarly sources within the essay. N/A The writer references at least 1 scholarly source within the essay. N/A
The writer references 2 scholarly sources within the essay.
Conclusion
15%
Includes a reminder of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points
Makes a direct attempt to engage the audience
Does not introduce new ideas/claims
The conclusion paragraph does not remind readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. There is no attempt to engage the audience one final time. New ideas/claims are present and therefore underdeveloped. The conclusion paragraph does not remind readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. Little to no attempt is made to engage the audience one final time. New ideas/claims are present and therefore underdeveloped. The conclusion paragraph attempts to remind readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points, though improvement is possible. Some attempt is made to engage the audience one final time. New ideas/claims may be present and therefore underdeveloped. The conclusion paragraph reminds readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. An attempt is made to engage the audience one final time, though some improvement is possible. New ideas/claims are not presented.
The conclusion paragraph thoughtfully reminds readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. A final attempt at audience engagement is attempted. No new ideas/claims are presented.
Language and Style
8.75%
Sentence Structure (Grammar)
Word Choice/Vocabulary
(Redundancy, repetition, awkwardness)
The writer has given very little or no apparent consideration to language and style. Word choice is sloppy and/or incorrect. The writer’s use of language and style diminishes the nature and strength of the essay. Writer’s language/style choices make the essay less cohesive and/or difficult to understand. The writer’s use of language and style, at times, deters from his/her/their overall argument. The writer’s word choice and style sometimes detracts from the overall message. The writer’s use of language and style helps convey the author’s point(s). The writer almost always uses language and style as a tool to enhance the essay. The writer’s use of language and style accentuates the nature of the essay. Writer wields language and style as a tool to enhance the essay.
Punctuation, Capitalization
8.75%
Comma errors, comma splices, apostrophe errors, capitalization errors, semicolon errors, colon errors, typos/misspellings
Contains more than 6 different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical or similar errors may be repeated throughout.
The errors help to significantly deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Contains many (more than 4) different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical or similar errors are repeated throughout.
The errors deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Contains more than 3 different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical or similar errors may be repeated throughout.
At times, the errors deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Contains 1-2 types of punctuation/capitalization errors, which may be repeated throughout the essay.
The errors do not deter from the writer’s overall argument, but they serve as a distraction.
Contains either no punctuation/capitalization errors, or no more than 2 different errors with no repetition, and/or the errors do not deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Format
8.75%
Heading
1” Margins
Double-Spaced
Thesis is underlined
750 word count must be met for grading
MLA formatting for in-text citations and Words cited
Grading Guide: The Compare/Contrast Essay
ENG 101 Rubric: Compare/Contrast Essay
Points
0-1
Points
2
Points
3
Points
4
Points
5
Introduction
25%
Hook
Background
Context
Consideration of audience
Thesis statement & at least 3 Supporting Points
Limited introduction paragraph that accomplishes none of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement. An undeveloped introduction paragraph that accomplishes few of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement. Moderately developed introduction paragraph that accomplishes some of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement.
Well-developed introduction paragraph that accomplishes all but one of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement.
Exemplary introduction paragraph that accomplishes each of the following: effectively hooks the reader, clearly defines and/or describes the topics, offers necessary background and contextual information, shows excellent awareness of the audience, and delivers a strong thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs
25%
Follows the topic-by-topic approach
Uses compare and contrast signals
Includes clear transitions
The essay does not follow the topic-by-topic organizational approach. The essay lacks compare/contrast signals. Transitional phrases are lacking or ineffective. The essay does not follow the topic-by-topic organizational approach. Little to no attention is paid to compare/contrast signals. Transitional phrases are attempted but ineffective. The essay attempts the topic-by-topic approach, but it is ineffective. Some attention is paid to compare/contrast signals. Some attention is paid to transitional phrases, but further attention is required. The essay may/may not attempt a topic-by-topic approach. Effort is made to include compare/contrast signals. Transitional phrases are attempted and mostly successful. The essay succeeds with a topic-by-topic approach. Compare/contrast signals are strong and appropriate. Transitional phrases are present throughout the essay and effectively used.
Sources Used
8.75%
Count only—not integration or formatting
The writer references no scholarly sources within the essay. N/A The writer references at least 1 scholarly source within the essay. N/A
The writer references 2 scholarly sources within the essay.
Conclusion
15%
Includes a reminder of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points
Makes a direct attempt to engage the audience
Does not introduce new ideas/claims
The conclusion paragraph does not remind readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. There is no attempt to engage the audience one final time. New ideas/claims are present and therefore underdeveloped. The conclusion paragraph does not remind readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. Little to no attempt is made to engage the audience one final time. New ideas/claims are present and therefore underdeveloped. The conclusion paragraph attempts to remind readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points, though improvement is possible. Some attempt is made to engage the audience one final time. New ideas/claims may be present and therefore underdeveloped. The conclusion paragraph reminds readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. An attempt is made to engage the audience one final time, though some improvement is possible. New ideas/claims are not presented.
The conclusion paragraph thoughtfully reminds readers of the compare/contrast thesis and supporting points. A final attempt at audience engagement is attempted. No new ideas/claims are presented.
Language and Style
8.75%
Sentence Structure (Grammar)
Word Choice/Vocabulary
(Redundancy, repetition, awkwardness)
The writer has given very little or no apparent consideration to language and style. Word choice is sloppy and/or incorrect. The writer’s use of language and style diminishes the nature and strength of the essay. Writer’s language/style choices make the essay less cohesive and/or difficult to understand. The writer’s use of language and style, at times, deters from his/her/their overall argument. The writer’s word choice and style sometimes detracts from the overall message. The writer’s use of language and style helps convey the author’s point(s). The writer almost always uses language and style as a tool to enhance the essay. The writer’s use of language and style accentuates the nature of the essay. Writer wields language and style as a tool to enhance the essay.
Punctuation, Capitalization
8.75%
Comma errors, comma splices, apostrophe errors, capitalization errors, semicolon errors, colon errors, typos/misspellings
Contains more than 6 different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical or similar errors may be repeated throughout.
The errors help to significantly deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Contains many (more than 4) different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical or similar errors are repeated throughout.
The errors deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Contains more than 3 different punctuation/capitalization errors.
The identical or similar errors may be repeated throughout.
At times, the errors deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Contains 1-2 types of punctuation/capitalization errors, which may be repeated throughout the essay.
The errors do not deter from the writer’s overall argument, but they serve as a distraction.
Contains either no punctuation/capitalization errors, or no more than 2 different errors with no repetition, and/or the errors do not deter from the writer’s overall argument.
Format
8.75%
Heading
1” Margins
Double-Spaced
Thesis is underlined
750 word count must be met for grading
MLA formatting for in-text citations and Works Cited
Doesn’t meet formatting and/or word count requirements, and as a result, the writing is difficult to read or unreadable.
MLA formatting is not attempted at all or is
MORE DETAILS:
Last Name 1
First Name Last Name
English Composition 1
Compare and Contrast Essay
28 April 2020 [SS1]
Public School vs. Homeschool
Having children brings many difficult challenges and decisions to any parent’s life, from deciding whether to breast feed or formula feed in the beginning stages of their life to determining if one form of discipline is better than the other.[SS2] One of the biggest decisions a parent will make is deciding how a child will learn. Essentially, parents have two choices— public school or homeschool—and each of those environments has a variety of learning methods available. For example, public school students can also incorporate distance learning, and homeschool students might join a cohort of other homeschool students. In either instance, students have plenty of opportunities to receive quality educations. Although, each learning platform differs in peer interactions, curriculum, and safety.[SS3]
First, students in public school or homeschool will experience different types of peer interactions.[SS4] In public school, students are in a big class size, sometimes, not always, with over thirty children to one teacher. Bigger class sizes may mean less individual learning time but more interaction with kids their age; making social connections and learning how to communicate, students learn valuable lessons. Though,[SS5] they may also experience peer pressure. Children in public school are sometimes so caught up in what their peers think of them or trying to fit in to certain cliques that their grades may suffer. They might hang out with the wrong crowd and be introduced to drugs, alcohol, or bullying, but they can also learn how to say no to these risks and build their confidence around peers. Whereas with homeschooling,[SS6] students may only share a class with siblings, which can limit peer interactions; although, a cohort of homeschool children could present some of these socializing opportunities, potentially to less often and to a lesser degree. To offer homeschool students more interactions with peers outside of their homeschool environment, parents or instructors can implement field trips and social gatherings, both of which can help raise awareness for others that public school students benefit from. Yes, more peer interactions for homeschool students can open the door to the same peer pressures of students in public schools, but overall, homeschool students likely have less social opportunities than their public school counterparts. Therefore, either learning environment has plenty of social and peer interaction opportunities; one—homeschool—is simply more conscious in integrating these experiences into the learning environment.[SS7]
Another area parents might think about is the curriculum that their child will follow, which varies across both learning environments. For example, public school teachers must follow state standards when it comes to their curriculum. Sometimes they may move rather quickly to cover everything that will be on standardized state tests, which determine what the average student knows and also brings attention to the high and low performers so each child can get the help he or she needs or be able to advance in certain subjects (“Pros & Cons of Standardized Tests”).[SS8] Because the curriculum is mostly full and must align with state mandates, it has very little room for other students or those that cannot be taught in a public school forum, such as religious studies. If parents want their children to participate in religious studies, homeschool is a suitable choice because the curriculum is much more flexible. In addition, many homeschool students do not have to participate in statewide standardized testing, which can offer further curriculum flexibility (“Assessment & Intervention”). Therefore, parents who homeschool have more flexibility when it comes to what their children learn. As a result, students are often receiving well-rounded education curriculum-wise in either a public school or homeschool; it is simply learning based on state requirements or parental preferences.
Finally, a major deciding factor for parents is the different safety considerations between public school or homeschool. School shootings are very real and concerning. It might be the sole reason a parent decides to homeschool. With the number of school shootings increasing in just the last ten years, parents have every right to be concerned. According to Christina Walker, CNN’s school safety expert,[SS9] “114 people were killed and 242 injured at public K-12 schools between 2009 and 2018.” School shootings are not the only safety concerns parents have when it comes to public school. Another example would be bullying. These are two valid reasons both students and parents might fear public school. However, safety concerns are not just present in physical capacities. In other words, while school shootings would not pose concern for homeschool students, bullying can occur by way of cyber bullying. In fact, 35% of children have experienced cyber threats, and over 42% have been bullied while online (“Cyber Bullying”). Safety raises a lot of concern with a parent when it comes to their children, and so they must consider both sides carefully.
In conclusion, both public school and homeschool are great options for children to get their education, and while they have similarities, differences such as environment, curriculum, and safety are important considerations. Parents who want full control over their child’s education should consider homeschool, while parents who prefer their children experience more peer interaction should select public school. As the nature of a learning environment continues to change and evolve, presenting parents and students with more and more learning platforms, students may find that there are scenarios where they can get the best of both worlds.[SS10]
Works Cited[SS11]
“Assessment & Intervention.” Coalition for Responsible Home Education, responsiblehomeschooling.org/current-policy/assessment-intervention. Accessed 27 Apr. 2020.
“Cyber Bullying: Statistics and Tips.” I-SAFE INC., 3 Mar. 2004 auth.isafe.org/outreach/media/media_cyber_bullying. Accessed 27 Apr. 2020.
“Pros & Cons of Standardized Tests.” Gradepowerlearning, 2017, gradepowerlearning.com/pros-cons-tests. Accessed 27 Apr. 2020.
Walker, Christina “10 Years. 180 School Shootings. 356 Victims.” CNN, 6 June 2019, www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/07/us/ten-years-of-shootings-trnd/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2020.
SS1 Correctly formatted MLA header (Last Name and page number in the upper righthand corner) and heading.
SS2 Attention-grabbing opening sentence.
SS3 These statement that outlines the three contrasts that will appear in the body paragraphs.
SS4 Topic sentence for the point-by-point method.
SS5 A transition term between different ideas.
SS6 Transition into the part of the paragraph that contrasts the other educational environment (homeschool) with the subtopic for this paragraph (peer interactions).
SS7 Synthesizing concluding sentence.
SS8 MLA parenthetical citation.
SS9 MLA signal phrase that also includes the author’s credibility because this is the first time the author appears in the paper.
SS10 Conclusion that summarizes and synthesizes the findings in the body paragraphs.
SS11 MLA-formatted Works Cited page.
Step-By-Step Checklist: Ready, Set, Write!
Step by Step Checklist: Crafting the Compare/Contrast Essay
Begin by brainstorming two topics that might be effectively compared, contrasted, or compared and contrasted.
Once you have settled on your two topics, start to plot out your points of comparison and/or contrast using graphic organizational strategies like a Venn diagram or a compare and contrast table. You can also just create a simple list of these points, if you prefer.
Once you have a robust list of compare and contrast points, you will need to narrow the focus to a select few. Often, three points work well for this paper. You can certainly choose more, but do not choose less than three supporting points, or you may not achieve full development and support of your claims.
Next, create a specific and straightforward explicit thesis/claim statement. The reader should have no confusion about your purpose (to compare, to contrast, or to compare and contrast) or the supporting points that you will be using to prove the similarities and differences between your topics.
Then, start outlining your point-by-point organizational strategy.
As you work to organize your own ideas, you should also begin to carefully collect source material or evidence. While you need to include at least two reliable and credible sources with this essay, your original insight and analysis is still the most important part of this essay. The research should be a complement to your ideas, not the central focus.
Don’t forget to continue to focus on your compare/contrast language and analysis. Readers should never wonder what you are trying to demonstrate with this essay.
Be sure to use third-person perspective throughout the entire essay.
When it comes to your conclusion, remember to remind readers of your thesis and all of your supporting points in this final paragraph, but don’t repeat the thesis verbatim. Instead, summarize all that has come before in the essay, using different language. Be sure to avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion, as this could confuse readers (and these ideas can’t become fully developed or supported).
Proofread your essay by correcting any errors in spelling, usage, mechanics, style/language, grammar, and sentence structure. Double-check that you are using MLA formatting.
Doesn’t meet formatting and/or word count requirements, and as a result, the writing is difficult to read or unreadable.
MLA formatting is not attempted at all or is
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