Planning a compare/contrast essay
The compare/contrast essay, in which you are asked to discuss the similarities and differences between two related subjects (two literary works, two economic systems, two political systems, two psychological theories) is commonly assigned in most college and university courses. There are two ways of organising a compare/contrast essay: the common traits method or the similarities/differences method.
The common traits method is the best method to use if you are writing primarily an informative essay. If you are writing an essay comparing London and Paris, for example, you might decide to highlight the people, the climate, and the architecture in which case your plan might look like this:
| Comparing and Contrasting London and Paris | |||
| Thesis: In various interesting ways, the people, the climate, and architecture of Paris and London are similar to and different from each other. | |||
| I | People | ||
| A | London | ||
| reserved | |||
| polite | |||
| friendly in pubs | |||
| B | Paris | ||
| can seem rude | |||
| fun-loving | |||
| pride in personal appearance | |||
| II | Climate | ||
| A | London | ||
| rain | |||
| four seasons | |||
| B | Paris | ||
| rain | |||
| seasons-Paris in the springtime | |||
| III | Architecture | ||
| A | London | ||
| royal residences | |||
| churches and cathedrals | |||
| government buildings | |||
| B | Paris | ||
| museums | |||
| churches and cathedrals | |||
| contemporary buildings | |||
| Conclusion: Both Paris and London deserve their reputations as first-class residential and tourist cities. |
The similarities/differences method is the best one to use if your compare/contrast essay has a persuasive edge to it; that is, if your purpose is to suggest that one of the two items you are comparing and contrasting is superior to the other.
Suppose, for example, you were comparing and contrasting the whole-language method and the phonics method of teaching reading to young children, and you wanted to suggest that the whole-language method was superior. Your plan might look like this:
| Two Methods of Teaching Children to Read | ||
| Thesis: Educators are divided over how to teach children how to read, though the weight of the evidence now favour’s the whole-language method. | ||
| I | Similarities | |
| A | Both methods have the same aim | |
| B | Both methods are validated by research | |
| C | Most teachers use both methods, at some point | |
| II | Differences | |
| A | Children enjoy the whole language method more | |
| B | Teachers enjoy teaching the whole language method more | |
| C | The whole-language method is more authentic | |
| D | The whole-language method teaches not only reading but also values and attitudes. | |
| Conclusion: While both methods of teaching reading are effective, the whole-language method offers additional benefits the phonics method does not. |
Planning a persuasive essay
In Chapter One, you learned that informative and persuasive essays are the two rhetorical modes in which most academic essays are written. The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince your reader that your opinion on an issue is valid.
Planning a persuasive essay is similar to planning an informative essay. In an informative essay, you present details, facts, anecdotes, and examples to support your main ideas. In a persuasive essay, you present arguments in support of your main ideas—arguments supported by facts, details, and examples.
There is, however, one key difference in planning a persuasive essay. A persuasive essay advances an argument; there are two sides, at least, to an argument; and you must acknowledge and refute the argument that opposes the one you are advancing. To refute means to point out weaknesses in an argument and