A compare and contrast essay examines the differences between two things. This type of essay has many applications. It may be used by journalists who want to compare the programs available in two colleges, or someone who is comparing the differences between two political candidates.

A compare and contrast essay may bring out the best in two subject areas. It may also be used to highlight areas for improvement. For example, by comparing the systems of public transportation used in two cities, you may show where improvements may bring a better standard of living to the inhabitants of one community.

Creating Content for your Compare and Contrast Essay

Your essay may be read by people who use the information in it to make policy decisions. As such, it is important for your content to be current. If you are writing about transportation in two different areas, use current data to support your comparison. Your content should have facts that are relevant to your readers and will answer questions that they have. 

Legitimateessaywriting recommends you to always try to understand your audience since this will help you to create content that applies to them.

Select an Interesting Argument

Many people enjoy reading essays because they gain new information. Comparison, in particular, tends to intrigue some people because it is almost like a confrontation. It brings a mild sense of drama to your written work.

This is why choosing a good topic is so important to the creation of an outstanding essay. You want to select a topic with strong support from readers. Usually, you cannot go wrong by selecting a topic that has already captured a great deal of public attention.

If you write about a topic like jobs, which compares one method of reimbursement with another, that will immediately attract interest. A topic like that affects a large section of society. Even if you are only writing an essay as part of a course, a topic like that will prove interesting to your professor.

Develop your Argument

Once you have stated your argument, develop it with facts about each subject. For example, if you are claiming that a particular type of water treatment is more effective than another, you will have to present facts on each side that prove that.

Your facts could be related to the level of cloudiness in samples of water taken from each area. You could also refer to tests showing that one area had more bacteria in their water than another. A compare and contrast essay always uses comparison to support an argument in this way.

Never just present facts in your essay. Make it easy for the reader to connect each comparison to the case you are making. Decide on the data that you will need to contrast two situations from early in the planning stage so that all of the facts are available when you are ready to write.

Decide on a Structure

Your essay runs the risk of being difficult for readers to appreciate if it is not organized. There are many ways of organizing a compare and contrast essay but the most popular involves a focus on each point.

The point method allows your reader to carefully analyze the data that you present for each point in your argument. For example, if you state that Pixar is a better studio than Disney, your first point may be that they use better scenery in their movies. To support this, you would compare the artwork done on scenery in several movies from both studios.

Always ensure that you try to appear fairly balanced in your argument. If you are comparing Disney and Pixar, don't just choose one movie from Pixar and three from Disney. Ensure that you use one from each or four from each, so your analysis is fair.

Arrive at your Conclusion

After presenting your points and the facts that support them, you can arrive at your conclusion. This step is essential since you demonstrate to your reader that the case has been made. By comparing and contrasting your subjects, you have successfully made your argument.

Your professor and other readers can agree with your conclusion because they have seen each point made for themselves. Some will also check each fact because they know that facts are not always what they seem. Ensure that you rely on unbiased sources for your essay.