Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
Essays have been a long part of written communication and literature. They are written to express the author’s argument on a certain issue or telling a story with a subtle slice of life’s realities. Essays have an entertaining quality that keeps us on the edge of our seats. It’s a commonly required output in schools to test the writing abilities of students. In varying degrees, you get to know who has the flair for words. These are also common pieces of writing found in print materials. You may also like blank outline templates.
One of the most common kinds of essays we can find today is the compare and contrast. Compare means to state the similarities between two things, while contrast means to tell the difference. This kind of essay does just that, as it revolves around one topic only. As with all kinds of an essay, this one aims to serve a better understanding on topics, widening the horizons of knowledge, telling people that one thing is superior to the other, discussing what is unknown, and clearing misunderstandings and misconceptions about a topic. You may also like the outline templates in a word.
Before writing an essay, an outline is needed to arrange the build-up of ideas of the essay. Research is important since it needs a lot of understanding on the subject matter. These steps can help you in writing this kind of essay outline.
1. Organize Ideas
The very first thing to do while writing an essay is to organize your ideas. So many things are running on your mind and you cannot find the best way to start your essay. First, clear your mind of anything that stresses you out. Then jot down every idea that comes to mind. Jotting down helps you in remembering what to write. You may also like the formal outline templates.
Since it is a compare and contrast essay, you have to put a separate portion for the compare and contrast sections. List all of the things you could compare and contrast separately. Do some extensive research after jotting down everything, reread your notes and think of how you are going to start writing. You may also see the expository essay templates.
2. Write the Introduction
Start writing your introduction after you finish with your note-taking. It does not have to be written perfectly. Write down the things that you think can be expanded into a full-length essay. The introduction should be interesting and catchy so readers will read the rest. Give them something that will arouse their need to know more about your topic. You may also like the story outline templates.
Make the introduction as brief as possible. One or two paragraphs will do. No one likes to read a lengthy intro that might deviate from the topic in the succeeding paragraphs. You may also see the personal essay templates.
3. Expand the Introduction in the Body
Provide more information and context of your introduction in the body. This is where you begin comparing and contrasting the topic you are writing about. You have to compare and contrast what is interesting, informative and relevant to your topic. You may also like the outline examples.
Begin each paragraph of the body with a topic sentence and back it up with the comparison and contrast of it. Include details of your research to establish the credibility and a strong argument on the topic. Substantial evidence and a whole lot of data should be present to support your arguments. You may also see the descriptive essay.
Some words used in comparing are both, at the same time, as well as, correspondingly, in addition, similarly, and likewise, meanwhile, in contrasting two things, the words, however, in contrast, nevertheless, on the other hand, and on the contrary are used. You may also like the outline templates.
You can proceed with this technique until you reach the conclusion. This will help you structure your ideas and give your essay a solid punch above anything else. You may also see the leadership essay.
Lastly, write the whole essay with an unbiased point of view of things. Do not take sides. See things as they are. Your readers need something they could gain knowledge from and talk about. You may also like the word essay templates.
4. Wrap Up
Write your conclusion based on the overall flow of the essay. This will summarize the main points of the whole essay and its relevance to the society. You can also provide a short analysis of your topic and present possible solutions along with it. You also have to mention how the comparison and contrast are important in the essay. You may also like the essay outline templates.
Conclusions should be short just like the introduction as it contains the gist of the essay. After writing this, consider yourself almost done with writing. You may also see the evaluation essay templates.
5. Edit the Essay
Work is not yet over as you finish writing the conclusion. Take proper rest and let your brain relax for a while. If you have the luxury of time, you can go back to reading your essay after a few days. If you don’t, try setting a time for rereading what you wrote. You may also like the literary essay templates.
The first draft is not always the perfect. It still has flaws and details that seem unhinged to the main point of the essay. Check if the essay has some grammar lapses or some sentences that look awkwardly written. Polish some details and do some additional research when needed. Rewrite some parts or change the angle if possible. Check if your comparison and contrast are relevant to each other. You may also see the persuasive essay templates.
This is one of the tedious parts of writing, but undeniably an important one. Every writer goes through this. You surely don’t want to give your readers a half-baked and poorly written essay for them to read. You may also like the outline templates.
While proofreading takes a lot of time and energy, it’s a fun thing to do. You get to write the ideas you forgot to write while you were doing your first draft and remove the unnecessary parts you thought were important. Proofreading and editing are the processes to make any piece of writing better. You may also see the informative essay samples.
Any piece of writing does not take on any formula. The skills and styles of it are mastered over time. With compare and contrast essays, some confusions are brought to light. Writing is an instrument to convey your thoughts and express your feelings to a wider range of audience. It may not be a piece of cake, but if you enjoy writing, it will grow in you to write more. You may also like the sample outline templates.
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