On Comparison/Contrast Papers

Dr. Richardson; Union University

A common problem students face when writing comparison/contrast papers is how to organize them.  Most often, students want to approach the paper with a “block” organizational format as opposed to a “point by point” organizational format.  For example, let’s say that you were going to write a paper comparing and contrasting Union University with the University of Tennessee-Martin.  Most students want to do this:

I. Intro.

II. Everything I know about Union University.

III. Everything I know about UT-Martin.

IV. Conclusion.

I think this organizational format is appealing to many students because it’s easier than any other. You only have to think about one thing at a time. But is that really fulfilling the purpose of a comparison/contrast paper, the point of which is to discuss more than one thing at a time? While it is possible to write a good paper with this organizational format, what usually happens is that this 4-page paper breaks down into two 2-page mini-papers—one on Union, the other on UT-Martin. The paper may have a general topic (e.g., “choosing a college”), but a unified topic is not the only ingredient for a good comparison/contrast paper. In a poorly written paper, the points of comparison and contrast are never really put “head to head” for the reader, and often the student won’t address the same issues about both schools. For example, the student might talk about the religious atmosphere at Union but won’t address religious matters at all for UT-Martin. And when students write comparison/contrast papers about literature, often this “block” organizational format predisposes students to write excessive plot summary with little or no critical analysis.

Perhaps a better approach is a “point by point” organizational structure in which you single out some points you wish to address about both subjects and proceed from there, truly putting the two subjects “head to head.”  Let’s use our Union and UT-Martin example from above:

I. Intro: Present the comparison/contrast of Union University and UT-Martin using an argumentative thesis.

II. Point of comparison 1: Courses.

                A. Course offerings at UT-Martin.

                B. Course offerings at Union.

III. Point of comparison 2: Social Life.

                A. Social life at UT-Martin.

                B. Social life at Union.

IV. Point of comparison 3: Religion on campus.

                A. Religion at UT-Martin.

                B. Religion at Union.

V. Point of comparison 4: Cost.

                A. Cost at UT-Martin.

                B. Cost at Union.

VI. Conclusion.

This structure is a bit more challenging and really requires you to use good inter-paragraph transitions to elegantly balance the paper, but this structure is the more rewarding one if done well.  Keep in mind that there is no rule stating that you have to address a given point in a single paragraph.  You might need two paragraphs to discuss course offerings at Union and UT-Martin, while for other points in the essay you can manage a discussion of both schools in a single paragraph.  Finally, keep in mind this admonition for argumentative comparison/contrast essays:

• A good comparison/contrast essay has a persuasive and focused thesis.  Don’t simply write “X and Y are similar in many respects, yet they show important differences in many ways.”  If X and Y weren’t different, there would be no “contrast” in the “comparison/contrast” essay!  This kind of thesis merely restates the topic.  Provide a “so-what” for your comparison/contrast.  What’s the larger point of the comparison?  Why are you bothering to write this paper, other than, “It’s due tomorrow”?