Comparison/Contrast Outline #1: Point-by-Point
Must compare and contrast two stories “The Monkeys paw” and “The tell tales heart”
This is the most popular outline for the comparison/contrast paper. The essay is organized by the points of comparison (the points of evaluation that support your statement).
Hook/Background: introduce the topic, using one of the Chapter Four strategies, and this will lead up to the thesis statement at the end of the paragraph
Point of Comparison #1: Establish the purpose of the paragraph through the topic sentence (no announcements). Discuss both subjects being compared/contrasted, and support these points with descriptive details, examples, and/or anecdotes. (There’s no need for the last sentence of the paragraph to be a summary of the paragraph.)
Point of Comparison #2: See Part II.
Point of Comparison #3: See Part III.
Conclusion: Use one of the conclusion strategies from Chapter Four to wrap up the essay. For example, you can comment on the value of your thesis now (or in the future), make a prediction, or leave a final impression for the reader.
Comparison/Contrast Outline #2: Block (Subject-by-Subject)
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to write the same number of words on each subject. For example, you may want to use a “lens” approach where your discussion of one subject acts as a lens through which to focus on and look at the second subject.
Hook/Background: introduce the topic, using one of the Chapter Four strategies, and this will lead up to the thesis statement at the end of the paragraph
Subject #1: Establish the purpose of the paragraph through the topic sentence (no announcements). Discuss Subject #1, holding it up to the points of comparison you’ve chosen. Support this discussion with descriptive details, examples, and/or anecdotes. (There’s no need for the last sentence of the paragraph to be a summary of the paragraph.)
This paragraph could be reserved for either of your subjects (or could be a transitional paragraph that connects the two subjects).
Subject #2: Establish the purpose of the paragraph through the topic sentence (no announcements). For the rest, see part II.
Conclusion: Use one of the conclusion strategies from Chapter Four to wrap up the essay. For example, you can make a prediction for the future based on what you’ve written, or you can comment on the importance of your thesis statement.
