Some assignments use wordsâlike compare, contrast, similarities, and differencesâthat 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 Fryeâs and Bartkyâs 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.
But itâs not always so easy to tell whether an assignment is asking you to include comparison/contrast. And in some cases, comparison/contrast is only part of the essayâyou begin by comparing and/or contrasting two or more things and then use what youâve learned to construct an argument or evaluation. Consider these examples, noticing the language that is used to ask for the comparison/contrast and whether the comparison/contrast is only one part of a larger assignment:
Choose a particular idea or theme, such as romantic love, death, or nature, and consider how it is treated in two Romantic poems.
How do the different authors we have studied so far define and describe oppression?
Compare Fryeâs and Bartkyâs accounts of oppression. What does each imply about womenâs collusion in their own oppression? Which is more accurate?
In the texts weâve studied, soldiers who served in different wars offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings both during and after the fighting. What commonalities are there in these accounts? What factors do you think are responsible for their differences?
Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item youâre considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesnât overlap; in those areas, you can list the traits that make the things different. Hereâs a very simple example, using two pizza places:
Explanation: Hope this helps