Compare-contrast thesis statements

1. Compare-contrast
More examples

2. RECOGNIZING COMPARISON/CONTRAST IN
ASSIGNMENTS
Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast,
similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see
that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are
a few hypothetical examples:
• Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of
oppression.
• Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the
causes, development, and outcomes of the wars.
• Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major
differences in their poetry?
• Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others
only for contrast, and others for both.

3. Establishing comparison and
contrast

7. Points named or not named?
• Comparison Only: Points Not Named
The Road Runner XL and the Speed Demon 280 are alike in
several ways.
• Contrast Only: Points Not Named
The Road Runner XL and the Speed Demon 280 have some
very important differences.
• Comparison and Contrast: Points Not Named
A comparison of the Road Runner and the Speed Demon
280 reveals several similarities but also a great number of
differences.
• Contrast Only: Points Named
The Road Runner XL and the Speed Demon 280 are
different in terms of cost of maintenance, performance, and
comfort.

8. Compare-contrast sentence combination (1)
My hometown and my college town have several things in
common. First, both are small rural communities. For example, my
hometown, Gridlock, has a population of only about 10,000
people. Similarly, my college town, Subnormal, consists of about
11,000 local residents. This population swells to 15,000 people when
the college students are attending classes. A second way in which
these two towns are similar is that they are both located in rural
areas. Gridlock is surrounded by many acres of farmland which is
devoted mainly to growing corn and soybeans. In the same
way, Subnormal lies in the center of farmland which is used to raise
hogs and cattle. Thirdly, these towns are similar in that they
contain college campuses. Gridlock, for example, is home to Neutron
College, which is famous for its Agricultural Economics program as
well as for its annual Corn-Watching Festival. Likewise, the town of
Subnormal boasts the beautiful campus of Quark College, which is
well known for its Agricultural Engineering department and also for its
yearly Hog-Calling Contest.

9. Compare-contrast sentence combination (1)
Even though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states
of the U.S., they are strikingly different in many ways. For
example, the physical size of each state is different. Arizona is
large, having an area of 114,000 square miles, whereas Rhode
Island is only about a tenth the size, having an area of only
1,214 square miles. Another difference is in the size of the
population of each state. Arizona has about four million people
living in it, but Rhode Island has less than one million. The two
states also differ in the kinds of natural environments that
each has. For example, Arizona is a very dry state, consisting
of large desert areas that do not receive much rainfall every
year. However, Rhode Island is located in a temperate zone
and receives an average of 44 inches of rain per year. In
addition, while Arizona is a landlocked state and thus has no
seashore, Rhode Island lies on the Atlantic Ocean and does
have a significant coastline.

10. Again: contrast clauses
• Introduction:
You use contrast clauses when you want
to make two statements, one of which
contrasts with the other or makes it appear
unexpected or surprising. Some contrast
clauses – called concessive clauses – are
introduced by conjunctions such
as although, even though or while.

11. • Although Mrs. Sims had lived in Hong
Kong all her life, she knew very little
Cantonese.
•
While the number of families with
access to the Internet and cable
television has risen sharply in the past
decade, what tends to be overlooked is
that a significant proportion of
households are unable to afford the fees
for these services.

12. You can also use despite or in spite
of to make a contrast. These are
followed by either a noun phrase or
an ‘ing’ form.
• Despite working hard, Kelvin failed
the examination.
• In spite of his hard work, Kelvin
failed the examination.

13. • The word yet has many meanings. One of
these is a similar meaning to but, although
it expresses more surprise about
something unexpected. It can come
between adjectives, adverbs or clauses.
For example:
• He was poor yet generous.
He worked slowly yet effectively.
He loved animals, yet he hated snakes.