Ch. 9:  Doing Comparison-Contrast Papers and Essays

9A. Use alternating or point-by-point structure, NOT block or subject-by-subject structure. In comparison-contrast essays, apprentice writers in English 1101 and 1102 should avoid the all-x, all-y format (x and y being the items compared). To use the terminology of some composition handbooks, you should prefer alternating structure or point-by-point rather than block structure or subject-by-subject. Look up comparison and contrast paragraphs, essays, and organization in the composition handbook.

        "Block structure" or "subject-by-subject" organization has several disadvantages and dangers in comparison-contrast essays or essay examination answers, to which apprentice writers succumb, producing very faulty work.

9B. Wastefulness of block or subject-by-subject structure First, block structure is wasteful. After discussion of the several points of x (x1, x2, x3, x4, and x5), when you finally get to y, you have to repeat your x ideas or points because your reader, by this time, won't remember them clearly. So you might as well eliminate this repetition by discussing them x1-y1, and so on, in the first place.

9C. Don't merely juxtapose (as in block or subject-by-subject structure); analytically compare and contrast Second, many apprentice student writers end up merely juxtaposing the two items for comparison or contrast, that is, merely setting them side by side, rather than actively and explicitly analyzing points of similarity or dissimilarity. Putting x1 and y1 immediately next to each other will encourage the writer to explicitly bring out what is comparable or contrasting for each point.

9D. Don't jumble points in comparison (as can happen in block or subject-by-subject structure) Third, many apprentice student writers jumble points or order of presentation, and thus cloud comparison or contrast. They discuss x1, x2, x3, x4, and then y3, y1, y4, and y2.

9E. Don't introduce points in one item not compared or contrasted to the other item (as can happen in block or subject-by-subject structure) Fourth, and even worse, apprentice writers, when using block structure, carelessly introduce (on either the x side or y side or both) points not compared at all. They discuss x1, x2, x3, x4, and then y1, y3, y5, and y6--y5 and y6 ha8ng no counterparts, at all, to points on the x side. Comparison and contrast have now become illogical or incomplete or both.

9F. How to use alternating or point-by-point structure(9F.1) Don't dwell too long on one side of the comparison and contrast Thus, instead of using block structure or the all-x, all-y format, it is advsable for all but very able and experienced writers to use alternating structure, to compare and contrast each side (x, y) point for point, not letting the spread increase beyond three to five sentences before returning to and purposefully comparing the second side on that point. (9F.2) Some comparisons and contrasts (not every single one, of course) should be encompassed in single sentences. (9F.3) Vary length of comparison and contrast, within certain limits Comparison and contrast should be varied: some in single sentences, some in one sentence against the preceding or following sentence, and some spread over a couple of sentences--not letting the spread increase beyond the limit indicated in 9F.1. (9F.4) Analytically compare and contrast; don't merely juxtapose Do not merely juxtapose x and y on any particular point, letting the comparison or contrast remain implicit; your job is to make such comparison or contrast (or both) thoughtfully explicit.

9G. What to do in the overall topic sentence as well as body paragraph topic sentences of comparison and contrast essays Both the overall topic sentence of the essay, as well as the topic sentence of most paragraphs after the first should cover--and compare, or contrast--both x and y on some general point to be discussed in the remainder of the paragraph. Grammatically, the kinds of sentences ideally suited to comparing and contrasting two things are the compound sentence and the complex sentence (study or review remarks on these kinds of sentences in your composition handbook). Each of these is built or structured, on its basic level, for handling or weighing two things: main clause - main clause; subordinate clause - main clause. Usually the complex sentence ("Although . . . ," "While . . . ,") is more precise, since rarely will the two items be identically weighted on any particular point or in any particular aspect. That is, x will be somewhat more of such-and-such than y, or y will be somewhat more of such-and-such than x. Further, hardly any two things--x and y--are completely or wholly either alike (comparison) or different (contrast). Hence, x and y will have both likeness and difference, though one of these will be more pronounced, again usually requiring the complex sentence to formulate the comparison-contrast. Thus, the subordination of your complex sentence will indicate this slight or moderate or great imbalance in the comparison or contrast. Usually both the overall topic sentence of the essay and topic sentences of paragraphs after the first should make use of this sort of grammatical structure, as well as single-sentence comparisons or contrasts scattered in various paragraphs.

9H. Don't neglect the issue of organization in comparison and contrast And, finally, in a scratch (or formal) outline, you need to ponder what order to put your points of comparison or contrast (or both) in. Why do you discuss x1y1 first, x2y2 second, and so on? Have you supplied transitions and transitional words and phrases that link x2y2 with x1y1, and so on, so that your reader can follow the logic of your arrangement? Study what the composition handbook has to say about organization and transition (look these up in the table of contents and index of the composition handbook).

9J. In comparison and contrast essays, as well as all other essays, most students need to use many more transitional words and phrases. Look up the entry for (common) transitional words/phrases in the index of the composition handbook, as well as all other entries for "transitions" or "transitional" in the index.