4 essential elements of a compare & contrast essay.

1. Robert Wilks
CRWE
ITESO
Essential Elements of a Compare / Contrast
Essay

2. 4 key
elements to
include in
your compare
& contrast
essay
Purpose
Thesis
sentence
Symmetrical
structure
Language
for similarity
and
difference

3. The “Purpose”
Why are you making this comparison and contrast?
Why is this significant or interesting?
• “Christianity and Islam are prominent world religions whose cultural
tensions have filled headlines in recent decades, meriting a
comparison of their similarities and differences.”
• “Although they bear some superficial similarities, the differences
between the two powerful Greek cities Athens and Sparta are clear.”
• “Despite bearing some minor similarities, the differences between
soccer greats Pele and Ronaldinho are pronounced.”

4. The “Thesis” Sentence
Encapsulates the entire essay.
Usually found at the end of the introduction paragraph.
States the things being compared and the points of comparison.
• “The cities of Queretaro and Mérida will be compared in terms of
historic architecture, economy, and transportation system.”
• “This essay will compare the planets Neptune and Pluto by their
process of formation, mineral content and composition of their
atmospheres.”
• “Coffee and tea will be compared and contrasted in terms of their
origins, processing and cultural associations.”

5. Symmetrical Structure:
2 Items and 3 Points of Comparison
Block
• Item A
• Point 1
• Point 2
• Point 3
• Item B
• Point 1
• Point 2
• Point 3
Point-by-Point
• Point of comparison 1
• A
• B
• Point of comparison 2
• A
• B
• Point of comparison 3
• A
• B

6. Symmetrical Structure:
2 Items and 3 Points of Comparison
Block
• Cats
• personality
• feeding
• health concerns
• Dogs
• personality
• feeding
• health concerns
Point-by-Point
• Personality
• cats
• dogs
• Feeding
• cats
• dogs
• Health Concerns
• Cats
• Dogs

7. Language
Similarity
• also
• as
• as well as
• both
• in the same manner
• in the same way
• like
• likewise
• same
• similar
• similarly
• the same as
• too
Difference
• although
• but
• differ
• even though
• in contrast
• instead
• nevertheless
• on the contrary
• on the other hand
• unlike
• while
• yet

8. Our CRWE Assignment
We are striving for quality, not quantity.
If you can write a well-constructed 5-paragraph
essay, you can write a well-constructed 10-page
essay. It’s only a matter of development.