Curious to learn how to write a comparative essay? First, read this overview of comparative essays. Throughout your educational career, you have to write a paper and how to write a comparative essay in which you compare and contrast things. Examples – texts, theories, ancient figures, scientific processes, and so on. “Classic” compare-and-contrast papers, in which you weigh A and B equally, perhaps about similar things which have crucial differences (pesticides with special effects on the environment) or similar things which have essential differences. But turn out to have unexpected commonalities (politicians with massively different world views who voice unexpectedly similar views on sexual harassment).
You use A as a lens through which to view B, in the lens”\ (or “keyhole”) comparison, in which you weigh A much less heavily than B. Just as searching through a pair of glasses changes the way you see an object, using A as a framework for understanding B changes the way you notice B. Lens comparisons are beneficial for illuminating, critiquing, or challenging the stableness of a thing that, before the analysis, seemed flawlessly understood. Often, lens comparisons take time into account: earlier texts, events, or historic figures may also light up later ones, and vice versa.
Facing a daunting listing of seemingly unrelated similarities and differences? You could sense confusion about how to write a comparative essay that is not only a mechanical workout in which you first state all of the features that A and B have in common. After which state all of the approaches in which A and B are different. Predictably, the thesis of this type of paper is generally an assertion that A and B are very similar but not so similar after all.
Contents
What is a Comparative Essay – Quick Definition
You must simply know what is a comparative essay before you get to know how to write a comparative essay. A comparative essay is a composition of many paragraphs that try and give an explanation for how subjects are either similar or distinctive. These essays are particularly about comparing and contrasting various elements of the topics in question. In this context, to evaluate is to identify the similarities between the Comparative Essay Topics while to contrast is to describe their variations.
They aren’t limited to specific topics. They are able to cover almost every topic in the world so long as the subjects have some relation. Comparative means the only aimed to measure or decide topics based on their similarities and differences each other. Therefore, a comparative essay is an essay that generally needs the writer to compare topics that have some relation in terms of similarities and differences. The Comparative Essay Topics would possibly have some close relation or can be very special when it comes to how to write a comparative essay.
To write an excellent compare-and-contrast paper, you should take your raw data—the similarities and differences you have observed. Turn them cohere right into a thoughtful and meaningful argument. Writing a comparison generally requires that you assess the similarities and differences among or more theories, procedures, or processes. You give an explanation to your reader of what insights may be received from the comparison. Decide whether one aspect is better than another according to established criteria if you’re new to how to write a comparative essay.
How To Write A Comparative Essay – Steps To Follow
Before beginning to write an essay, it’s far very essential first to understand how to write a comparative essay and what it is about. First of all, you ought to recognize what is a comparative essay. You would possibly write an essay full of suitable ideas. However, fail to answer the question of how to write a comparative essay. Hence, we recommend first studying the prompt at length highlighting the key phrases to identify the exact need. Most comparative essay questions generally have the phrase “compare and contrast” or simply “similarities and differences”.
1. Identify the basis of comparison
Given the question, you need to develop the basis of comparison. Usually, the question gives the basis for comparison. However, there are instances in which the writer needs to expand the same.
- For a comparison essay example, a question may also ask you to compare capitalism and communism. This is a question with a clear goal therefore you don’t have to go the extra mile.
- Another reason can be to evaluate any political ideologies. This is a general question and you need to figure out the numerous political ideologies. After that, identify any that you can compare. Such times require the writer to expand the basis of comparison by themselves.
2. Develop the content of the essay
This step includes figuring out what’s going to feature in your essay. It includes figuring out the similarities and differences of the items in comparison. You need to expand a listing of approaches in which the topics are the same and how they’re distinctive. This listing will allow you to expand the preliminary plan of how to write a comparative essay.
The listing should be very well evaluated in the order that best the primary points of comparison are taken into consideration for the essay. The focus must be particularly on the points which might be associated. And those which can be of much less importance should be canceled.
3. Come up with a Thesis
To create an essay there should be a clear thesis statement that guides the writer. This doesn’t matter whether or not the basis of comparison is given by the question or has been identified by the author. In order to provide you with the thesis statement, you need to first look at the list containing the numerous elements of comparison. After which decide whether the topics tend to be more similar or they may be pretty different.
Based on this judgment, you can develop an easy comparative essay thesis statement. This thesis statement must be a mirrored image of how the subjects share similarities and the way they’re different. In complex cases, the essay statement has to highlight both the similarities of the topics while not forgetting their differences.
4. Develop the essay structure
For those who don’t know how to write a comparative essay. Essays have special structures. A comparative essay is therefore not an exception. Because it should be prepared in such a manner that the comparisons made in the essay may be effortlessly accompanied by the reader. The following are the primary techniques by which a comparative essay may be structured.
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Alternating Method
Within this approach, completely treat the thing of comparison in a single paragraph. What this indicates is that a complete paragraph is utilized in explaining in detail one item of comparison in relation to the primary subject. This will then be followed by every other paragraph that still explicitly explains the same thing however now it offers the second subject.
This is to mention that the primary and 2nd paragraph explains the same thing of comparison. However, offers with the primary and 2nd situation respectively. This, therefore, means the 1/3 and fourth paragraphs may be handling every other aspect. But for the first and 2nd subject respectively. This series goes on until the end of the essay if you still don’t know how to write a comparative essay.
Advantages
- Gives extra information about the item in comparison making it easy to deal with special topics
- Produces a properly analyzed and integrated paper
When to use this method
- Cases in which we need a unique comparison
- When the points of contrast aren’t related
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Mixed paragraphs method
Here one paragraph is dedicated to explaining the way the topics compare based on one issue. This way you start by dealing with the primary situation after which finish by tackling the second one.
Advantages
- gives the subjects equal weights in terms of contrast
- the reader gets to identify the comparison element easily
When to use this method
- When handling a long comparative essay
- Or when handling complex topics that need close attention
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Block Method
This is quite the very best approach though very risky. The fundamental principle right here is to divide the essay into parts. The first component is dedicated to one subject and the second part is dedicated to the other situation. This way that subject one and all of the items of comparison concerned are defined in the first part. Then the second part handles the best situation.
However, you must be eager to know how to write a comparative essay. Make sure that the order of the first part is exactly followed in the 2nd part to permit for smooth following and relation.
When to use this method
- When handling a brief essay
- Or when handling easy topics
- Cases in which there’s no clear relation among items of comparison of subject one and subject
- When you need to build the ideas for the situation from those highlighted for subject one
- When handling many topics
Note: As mentioned in advance, this is a completely risky approach. Because you will view it as one-sided. Additionally, it poses a challenge to the reader in the procedure of referring to the subjects when getting how to write a comparative essay.
Best Practices/Tips
We have now arrived at the end of this guide. And also you must have a much better concept of what makes a comparative essay a success. Additionally, how to write a comparative essay. It can be beneficial to now summarize some of the primary points which have been addressed here. Let’s address 4 principal points about how to write a comparative essay.
1. Ensure that you select suitable items for comparison
The items to be able to be compared for your comparative essay have to be carefully selected. The items need to have a few shared features and be in the same “class” of items. However, they need to additionally have large differences too which you are trying to call attention to. If the items are too comparable, then there might be no point in the contrast. However, if they may be too different, that also can make the contrast meaningless.
2. Select powerful parameters of comparison
Your comparative essay should not evaluate whatever and the entirety of your items. Rather, the parameters need to be in particular selected to highlight specific, salient similarities and differences. In order to decide what parameters might be effective, you need to ask yourself how to write a comparative essay. And why you’re writing your comparative essay. Also, what kind of insights do you wish to produce about the items being compared?
3. Use tools and styles in a powerful manner
The Venn diagram is one tool that may be very beneficial in conceptualizing your comparative essay, specifically in case you are a more visual type of learner. Tables, rubrics, and descriptions will even work to help ensure that you are creating a strong backbone of logic and systematic reasoning in how to write a comparative essay. These and different tools may also even help you rethink your preliminary choices of items and parameters. In case you realize that big insights are not being produced.
4. Choose an organizational layout, and stay with it
There are primary approaches wherein to shaping an effective comparative essay, that has been defined above. You can devote one segment to similarities and one segment to differences; or, you could devote a segment to each of the parameters of comparison. This 2nd alternative is generally more powerful, specifically in case you are new to comparative essays. But both ways, it’s far essential that you stick with your selected comparative essay outline and do not jump around and confuse the reader.
Seek help in case you want it
If you’re still unsure about how to write a comparative essay successfully, then we are here to assist. Our essay writing services have many tools like this one available for numerous kinds of essays. We are right here for you, and when you have any further questions on how to write a comparative essay, then for writing my essay, you definitely should feel free to reach out to us.
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