Compare and Contrast

Write a 3-4 page (approximately 700-1000 words) comparison/contrast essay in the informative mode. In addition, you must answer the “Think About Your Writing” questions, described below, beneath your essay.

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.