English 1301: Compare/Contrast Essay

Developing Strong Body Paragraphs

Start with a Clear Topic Sentence

Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that identifies the point of comparison.

The topic sentence should tell readers what aspect of the two subjects the paragraph will examine without immediately getting into detailed information about Subject A or Subject B.

For example:

One important difference between the two schools is the amount of independence they expect from their students.

This establishes the comparison point—student independence. The sentences that follow can then explain how that point applies to each school.

Avoid:

At Westfield High School, students have to ask permission to leave class.

Better:

The two schools differ significantly in the amount of independence they give their students.

The first sentence jumps immediately into Subject A. The second establishes the comparison point that will control the entire paragraph.

Develop Your Ideas

Don’t simply assign a characteristic to a person, place, organization, experience, or other subject and move on. Show readers what you mean.

If you describe a person as highly competitive, for example, explain how that competitiveness appears in the person’s behavior. You might describe something the person did, said, or repeatedly demonstrated in a particular situation.

The same principle applies to other kinds of subjects. If you say that one school provides more academic support than another, explain what that support looks like. You might discuss tutoring, access to instructors, advising, study resources, or a specific experience that illustrates your point.

Think:

Claim → Explanation → Specific Example or Illustration

Specific development makes your comparison convincing and helps readers understand exactly what you mean..

Give Both Subjects Enough Attention

A comparison works only when readers have enough information about both subjects.

Within each comparison point, aim for reasonably balanced development. You do not need exactly the same number of sentences about Subject A and Subject B, but avoid discussing one subject extensively and barely mentioning the other.

For example, five detailed sentences about Subject A followed by two brief sentences about Subject B will usually make the comparison feel unbalanced.

Equal weight does not mean identical length. It means sufficient development of both subjects.

Keep the Same Point of Comparison in Focus

Once you establish the point of comparison in your topic sentence, stay with it.

If the paragraph is about the subjects’ approaches to conflict, don’t suddenly move into their family backgrounds, career goals, or personalities unless that information directly helps explain their approaches to conflict.

Interesting information does not automatically belong in a paragraph.

A useful question to ask while drafting is:

Does this detail help me develop the comparison point named in my topic sentence?

If not, it may belong somewhere else—or may not belong in the essay at all.

Compare—Don’t Just Describe Twice

A body paragraph should not feel like two unrelated descriptions that happen to share a paragraph:

Subject A does this. [Long description.] Subject B does this. [Long description.]

Instead, the information about both subjects should contribute to one comparison you are developing.

After explaining Subject A, use your discussion of Subject B to help readers see the relationship between them. Are they similar? Different? Similar in one respect but surprisingly different in another? Does the contrast reveal something that would be less obvious if you considered either subject alone?

This is where comparison becomes analysis rather than simply description.

Evaluate After Discussing Both Subjects

Your more developed evaluation or commentary should generally come after you have sufficiently discussed both Subject A and Subject B.

Some interpretation may naturally appear while you discuss each subject, and that’s fine. However, avoid scattering the main evaluation randomly throughout the paragraph.

A clearer pattern is:

Subject A → Subject B → Evaluation/Commentary

Once readers understand both subjects, step back and explain what the comparison reveals.

You might consider:

Why does this similarity or difference matter? What does it help us understand? What larger observation can we make because we have considered these subjects together?

Explain Your Examples

Including an example is not always enough. After providing an example, explain how it supports the point you are making.

Don’t assume readers will automatically make the connection you have in mind.

So you get:

Make a point → Provide an example → Explain what the example demonstrates

That principle is useful far beyond this assignment, too.

Use Transitions to Guide Your Reader

Format Your Paragraphs Correctly

Indent the first line of every body paragraph at least ½ but preferably 1” from the left margin.

Do not add extra spaces manually between paragraphs or leave body paragraphs flush with the left margin. In most word-processing programs, pressing the Tab key once at the beginning of the paragraph will create an appropriate first-line indent.

A Final Thought on Paragraph Length vs. Development