Have you written comparison contrast essays?I'm guessing that if you have, you probably have been told that comparison contrast essays are supposed to closely define the similarities and differences between the two topics you choose to write about -- anything from middle school versus high school to schoolyard fights versus professional wrestling. Click for Free Writer's Block Help E-Zine and Free E-Book You may find it interesting to know that you can write comparison contrast essays in such a way that you are focusing more on either the similarities or the differences, but both are still included in some way. For example, I once read an essay about the importance of a Playstation. The Playstation was being compared and contrasted to the concept of marriage. The writer was showing all of the differences between the video game and the sanctity of marriage, and trying to prove the point that everyone would be better off with the Playstation. Even though the author was blatantly pointing out the dissimilar characteristics between the two, there were also similarities subtly mixed in throughout the paper. There were positives listed about why marriage can be considered a good, ideal thing to do, but all of these were offset by the mention of why the Playstation is an even better option than all of these ideas behind a happy marriage. It was eye-opening to read a paper about two totally separate entities, and find that they were easily compared and contrasted when this author was writing a comparison contrast essay about them. This idea lends itself well to the concept of triple decker writing prompts. Try your hand at picking out two topics that seemingly have no connections, and find ways that you can compare and contrast them by extending your thought process and finding new meanings that you never noticed before. You also have the choice when writing comparison contrast essays to write in a block pattern or an alternating pattern. You can write about one of your topics and tell all about it, and then, in the remaining paragraphs before the conclusion, you can write about the other topic. This is called a block pattern because you are separating the ideas and still writing a comparison contrast essay. By writing about each topic individually, you are allowing for the stark differences or obvious similarities between your topics to come to the forefront of readers' minds. If you choose to write in alternating form, you will switch between the two topics you have chosen to write your comparison contrast essay about. You might talk Sometimes you may find that you feel you are merely writing a comparison paper because no contrasts are coming to mind. In this case, you must make a list or an outline to prompt ideas for what differences just may exist between the two. They may not be obvious differences, but great writers like you must be sure to see all the potential possibilities for where your writing can lead to, so it will become greater and greater with each stroke of your keyboard, or movement of your pen or pencil on paper. Be humorous in your comparison contrast essays to make them more enjoyable to not only read, but to write. It tends to be easier to connect with something that you are writing when you find more humor and less predictability in it. You want to be sure to mention comparisons and contrasts in your paper that people may know about, but have not really thought of fully. They do not necessarily want to read what they already know. They are looking for new, provocative, enticing information that you are ready and willing to provide. Take the Playstation versus marriage example discussed earlier. Readers may be able to come up with their own ideas why Playstations and marriages can be compared and contrasted, but they want to be surprised and engaged by what you think about these two topics. They want you to share your insights to make for a fresher perspective. When writing a comparison contrast essay of your own, be sure to think of an interesting topic. A few are as follows: Sincerity in dating vs. pick-up lines Do not just think of what is ordinary about these topics. For example, for the first one, you may choose to discuss how many men and women nowadays have been taken in by the myth that pick-up lines are sincere. You may then talk about how this is being wrongly interpreted, and sincerity is falling by the wayside as a result. For the second topic, to get away from the ordinary, be sure not to just talk about rollercoasters and cotton candy, but about the performances, the cleanliness of the park, or the vastly different souvenirs that you were sure to stock up on while at these locales. Finally, for the third topic, you might own an SUV, but may choose to become the devil's advocate by writing about the wonders of compact cars and how SUVs are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Whether you believe this or not, it is sometimes a helpful tactic to flip what you believe in order to test the waters of your thinking, and promote more intricate study of your chosen topics. Comparison contrast essays can be fun to write. You just have to be sure to pick topics that are of interest to you. If you are assigned topics, however, you should strive to be as original as possible. Make your teacher understand that you put as much possible time and effort into a fuller, more in-depth understanding of your topics. Make it interesting for yourself, and do not fall victim to the quick listings of comparisons and contrasts that many people tend to do in this type of paper. Explain and elaborate on your topics to make them more powerful, more engaging, and most importantly, more thorough. This way, no one can question your dedication to writing a great paper.
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