ACADEMIC WRITING I

April 18, 2014

Today• compare/contrast writing

Compare/Contrast WritingIn comparison/contrast writing, we explain the differences and/or similarities between two subjects.

(That is part of it, anyway)

- The ‘subjects’ can be most anything. (transportation systems, governments, kinds of ice cream).

Compare/Contrast Writing

This is a very common type of essay in many fields.

Examples:

Compare the forms of government of Canada and the U.S.

Compare the characters of Winston and O’Brien in George Orwell’s “1984.”

Compare and contrast methods for marketing a new product.

Political Science

Literature

Business

OrganizationA key feature of comparison/contrast essays is organization.

- Careful organization is necessary for an effective essay of this kind.

- You don’t want to confuse the reader(s).

- There are several ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay.

We will examine two of them.

OrganizationLook at these two examples:

- How does each organize its information?

Organization – Example 1Subjects: beaches & mountains

Points of comparison/contrast: climate, activities, locations Body 1: Mountains

Body 2: Beaches

Organization – Example 2Subjects: fresh foods & canned foods

Points of comparison/contrast: flavors, benefits, cost Body 1: flavor

Body 2: health benefits

Body 3: cost

OrganizationExample 1: Block organization

Example 2: Point-by-point organization

- Neither holds advantage over the other.

- Which you use depends on your preference (and to a degree), the goal of your writing.

Block OrganizationContents organized into “blocks”

Discuss all of topic A, then all of topic B.

Block Organization• Basic outline:

• I. Introduction (opening, purpose of the essay, thesis statement).

• II. Body A. Topic A features

- Feature 1- Feature 2

• B. Topic B features- Feature 1- Feature 2

• III. Conclusion

NOTE: Make sure you discuss the same features for each topic!

Point-by-Point OrganizationEach point of comparison (“feature”) becomes the topic of a paragraph.

Within each paragraph, the two topics are compared or contrasted on that feature.

Point-by-Point Organization• Basic outline: (Two topics, A & B)

• I. Introduction (opening, purpose of the essay, thesis statement).

• II. Body A. Difference/similarity 1 - Flavor

- Topic 1 - Fresh- Topic 2 - Canned

• B. Difference/similarity 2 – Health Benefits- Topic 1- Topic 2

• C. Difference/similarity 3 - Cost- Topic 1 - canned- Topic 2

• III. Conclusion

NOTE: Always discuss the topics in the same order!

Which do you prefer?

OR

Source: billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com Source: www.thehindu.com

Which do you prefer?

OR

Source: euyeomuyeo.tumblr.com Source: s276.photobucket.com

- These both have similarities and differences, BUT

Which would you recommend to a foreign tourist?

Source: www.lonelyplanet.com Source: www.lib.utexas.edu

Compare/Contrast Writing - Analysis- It is not enough to simply say:

“This is how A & B are different; this is how they are similar.”

- The above is just repeating information.

- At the university level, some form of analysis is needed in comparison/contrast writing.

Go beyond “here is some information…the end ”

Compare/Contrast Writing - Analysis- Your analysis should begin by considering the information you have collected.

- Ask yourself: What factors can I compare my two topics on?

- How are they similar?- How are they different?

Compare/Contrast Writing - Analysis- Your analysis should begin by considering the information you have collected.

- Next, determine a position:

i.e., two smart phones: Which would you recommend to a new smart phone user?

two countries: Which is better for a foreign investor?

two universities: which provides the best opportunities to foreign students?

Compare/Contrast Writing - Analysis- Ask yourself: “Along what factors are these two topics

reasonably comparable?”

- Research factors that will allow for a logical analysis to be made.

Compare/Contrast Writing - AnalysisExample: Comparing two similar jobs for a college graduate entering the job market.

Job X and Job Y

Point of comparison

Job X Job Y Same or different?

Salary $30/hour $25/hour differentBenefits (vacation, pension, health insurance).

Great (all) Good (no health insurance)

different

Chance for promotion

Good Good same

Workplace environment

Friendly, supportive

Friendly, supportive

same

Compare/Contrast Writing - AnalysisHow could this information be analyzed?

i.e.,

While both Job X and Job Y offer good workplace environments and opportunities for promotion, Job X is a better job for a recent graduate because it offers superior salary and benefits.

Point of comparison

Job X Job Y Same or different?

Salary $30/hour $30/hour sameBenefits (vacation, pension, health insurance).

Great Great same

Chance for promotion

medium Good different

Workplace environment

Stressful, busy Friendly, supportive

different

Compare/Contrast Writing - AnalysisHow could this information be analyzed?

i.e.,

Despite offering similar salaries and benefits, Job Y is a better job for a recent graduate than Job X because of its more conductive workplace environment and better chance for promotion.

Compare/Contrast Dong Young and Grad School- Which would be better to show a visitor to KMU’s

campus?

Assignment 3 – Compare/Contrast Essay

Start researching one of the following:

1. Two countries’ suitability for studying abroad

2. Two sports to introduce to a new fan

3. Active vs. passive personality in terms of business success.

4. Two leaders (modern or historical)

NOTE: All topics must be INTERNATIONAL (not Korean)