Three Organizational Methods.

In order to plan a comparison/contrast essay, it is important to list the points that you will use to compare or contrast.

When you write a comparison/contrast essay, you can choose one of three organizational methods.

1. Comparison only. If there are many more similarities than differences, you might decide to do a comparison essay and mainly point out the similarities of the two subjects.

2. Contrast only. If there are many more differences than similarities, you might decide to do a contrast essay and primarily focus on the differences between the two subjects.

3. Comparison/contrast essay. If the number of similarities and differences is about the same, you might find that an essay discussing both similarities and differences is appropriate.

There are two ways to organize comparison and contrast in writing: in chunks ( целиком ) ( whole-by-whole ) and in sequence ( part by part ).

In chunking, each object of the comparison is presented separately; comparison discussion is organized around each separate item or thing being compared. For example, a chunked comparison of two motorcycles would first detail all features of the first and then consider all features of the second. Schematically, a chunked comparison looks simple enough. It focuses on each item as a separate entity. This strategy requires that a writer organize all the points of comparison before starting to write.

In sequencing, the items are compared point by point; discussion is organized around characteristics of the items being compared. Detailed comparison or contrast is more effective in the part-by-part structure. For example, a sequenced comparison of two motorcycles would analyze the motorcycles feature by feature. Sequenced comparison is closer to the way people think about similarities and differences in things. It is possible to take up each point of comparison as it comes. A successful comparison always has three qualities: a valid basis for comparison, a limited focus, and information that will catch a reader’s attention.

One special form of comparison is the analogy, in which one part of the comparison is used simply to explain the other. Scientists have always made good use of analogy in both their thinking and their writing. Analogies almost always use very familiar objects for comparison trying to explain something new and unfamiliar. Writers often offer analogies to make their descriptions and explanations more vivid and entertaining.

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