What are some tips on writing a good compare and contrast paragraph?

Answer 1

When you write a compare and contrast essay, you are going to be talking about how things are alike and how things are different. Here are some good tips to get you started.

• Start by making a list with two columns: "Similarities" and "Differences." Just write down everything you find out about the two things - don't worry about putting this into any order yet - and make yourself a place to start.
• Take this list and put the items into any sort of order you want - you can use physical description and go from top to bottom, or you can use time and go from beginning to end, or anything you want to do to make some kind of order out of your list.
• Now make each similarity and difference into a sentence and start your essay! This will be your list of topic sentences. Remember to start a new paragraph whenever you change the subject. Check your spelling and grammar, too.
• After each topic sentence, explain how these things are similarities and differences.

Here is a short example of a compare and contrast essay:

WikiAnswers and Video Games: WikiAnswers is a lot like a video game. You can spend hours and hours on this website, having fun, just like you can with a video game. You can learn lots of new thinigs on WikiAnswers, like you can with many video games. WikiAnswers needs your interaction to work, just like a video game does. Also, you need a computer screen to see WikiAnswers, just like you need a computer or television screen to see a video game. WikiAnswers is different from a video game because it is totally up to you what you do on the website and what things you leave here. A video game has a set plot that you have to follow when you play. WikiAnswers lets you ask questions that will be answered by other people, and you can ask anything. A video game might let you ask some questions, but they are usually very limited and have to fit into the game story line. WikiAnswers is also an online website, and most video games are ones that are on your computer or game system, although there are many online video games available. WikiAnswers has supervisors who are online to help you out almost every minute of the day, and video games almost never have anyone on when you play. In conclusion, WikiAnswers is a fun website that can be compared to a video game in many ways.

Here is another example"

Although apples and Oranges are both edible fruit they are very different to each other........

In this sentence it compares two things to each other. So basically you compare two things and talk about the different characteristics like

• Colour (Apples red, Oranges orange)
• Skin (Apples smooth, Oranges bumpy)
• How it tastes etc.