Or, if you are examining a person, like a president, pick another president for comparison or contrast. For instance, if you are examining an idea (political or philosophical) examine the opposite of that idea. After that, choose a parallel pattern of organization and effective transitions to set your paper above the merely average.įocus on things that can obviously be compared or contrasted.
In fact, their individual characteristics determine whether the subjects are useable. You may choose to focus exclusively on comparing, exclusively on contrasting, or on both-or your instructor may direct you to do one or both.įirst, pick useable subjects and list their characteristics. A compare and contrast essay examines two or more topics (objects, people, or ideas, for example), comparing their similarities and contrasting their differences.