What is a one-sentence summary of the following article?
There are several ways to organize a compare-and-contrast essay. Which one you choose depends on what works best for your ideas. Remember, you can change your organization later if you decide it isn't working. Subject by subject. This organization deals with all of the points about Topic A, then all of the points of Topic B. For example, you could discuss all your points about frozen pizza (in as many paragraphs as necessary), then all your points about homemade pizza. The strength of this form is that you don't jump back and forth as much between topics, which can help your essay read more smoothly. It can also be helpful if you are using one subject as a "lens" through which to examine the other. The major disadvantage is that the comparisons and contrasts don't really become evident until much further into the essay, and it can end up reading like a list of "points" rather than a cohesive essay. Point by point. This type of organization switches back and forth between points. For example, you could first discuss the prices of frozen pizza vs. homemade pizza, then the quality of ingredients, then the convenience factor. The advantage of this form is that it's very clear what you're comparing and contrasting. The disadvantage is that you do switch back and forth between topics, so you need to make sure that you use transitions and signposts to lead your reader through your argument. Compare then contrast. This organization presents all the comparisons first, then all the contrasts. It's a pretty common way of organizing an essay, and it can be helpful if you really want to emphasize how your subjects are different. Putting the contrasts last places the emphasis on them. However, it can be more difficult for your readers to immediately see why these two subjects are being contrasted if all the similarities are first. Outlining your essay will help you work out the main organizational structure and will give you a template to follow as you develop your ideas. No matter how you decided to organize your essay, you will still need to have the following types of paragraphs: Introduction. This paragraph comes first and presents the basic information about the subjects to be compared and contrasted. It should present your thesis and the direction of your essay (i.e., what you will discuss and why your readers should care). Body Paragraphs. These are the meat of your essay, where you provide the details and evidence that support your claims. Each different section or body paragraph should tackle a different division of proof. It should provide and analyze evidence in order to connect those proofs to your thesis and support your thesis. Many middle-school and high-school essays may only require three body paragraphs, but use as many as is necessary to fully convey your argument. Acknowledgement of Competitive Arguments/Concession. This paragraph acknowledges that other counter-arguments exist, but discusses how those arguments are flawed or do not apply. Conclusion. This paragraph summarizes the evidence presented. It will restate the thesis, but usually in a way that offers more information or sophistication than the introduction could. Remember: your audience now has all the information you gave them about why your argument is solid. They don't need you to just reword your original thesis. Take it to the next level! Let's say you're working with the following statement: "When deciding between whether to go camping in the woods or spend a day at the beach, one should consider the following points: the weather, the types of activities each location offers, and the facilities at each location." A subject-by-subject comparison would deal first with the woods, and then with the beach. This method of organization can be unwieldy, so if you choose it, be sure not to let your paragraphs become page-long lists of points about each subject. You can still have a paragraph per point about each subject; you'll just put all the paragraphs about each subject together. A subject-to-subject body paragraph outline could look like this: Introduction: state your intent to discuss the differences between camping in the woods or on the beach. Body Paragraph 1 (Woods): Climate/Weather Body Paragraph 2 (Woods): Types of Activities and Facilities Body Paragraph 3 (Beach): Climate/Weather Body Paragraph 4 (Beach): Types of Activities and Facilities Conclusion This is the more common method used in the comparison and contrast essay. You can write a paragraph about each characteristic of both locations, comparing the locations in the same paragraph. For example, in this case, you could write one paragraph describing the weather in both the woods and the beach, one paragraph describing the activities in each location, and a third describing the facilities in both. Here's how the essay could look: Introduction Body Paragraph 1: Discuss first difference between woods and beaches: climate/weather. Woods Beach Body Paragraph 2: Discuss second difference between woods and beaches: types of activities. Woods Beach Body Paragraph 3: Discuss third difference between woods and beaches: available facilities. Woods Beach Conclusion This type of organization works best for when you want to emphasize the contrasts between your subjects. First, you discuss how your subjects are similar. Then, you end with how they're different (and, usually, how one is superior). Here's how your essay could look with this organization: Introduction Body Paragraph 1: Similarity between woods and beaches (both are places with a wide variety of things to do) Body Paragraph 2: First difference between woods and beaches (they have different climates) Body Paragraph 3: Second difference between woods and beaches (there are more easily accessible woods than beaches in most parts of the country) Body Paragraph 4: Emphasis on the superiority of the woods to the beach Conclusion Once you've chosen an organizational method for your body paragraphs, you'll need to have an internal organization for the body paragraphs themselves. Each of your body paragraphs will need to have the three following elements: Topic sentence: This sentence introduces the main idea and subject of the paragraph. It can also provide a transition from the ideas in the previous paragraph. Body: These sentences provide concrete evidence that support the topic sentence and main idea. Conclusion: this sentence wraps up the ideas in the paragraph. It may also provide a link to the next paragraph's ideas.
Decide on a structure. Outline your essay. Outline your body paragraphs based on subject-to-subject comparison. Outline your body paragraphs based on point-by-point comparison. Outline your body paragraphs based on compare then contrast. Organize your individual body paragraphs.