Comparison and Contrast Essay

Comparison and Contrast Essay
Prepared for the Communication Competencies Center University of Puerto Rico at Humacao Title V Project

Aníbal Muñoz Claudio
May 2005

Contents
Introduction …………………...………………………………………………………i General Objective ………….…………………………………………………………ii Specific Objectives ……………..…………………………………………….………ii How can you use this module? ……….……….……………………………………...1

Part I.
General Knowledge of Essay Structures and Content…………………………………2

Part II.
Writing a Comparison and Contrast Essay…………………………………….………3

Part III.
General Review: The Essay…………………………………………………..….……5

Part IV.
Opening Statements…………………….……………………………………………...7

Part V.
Topic Sentences with Transitional Expressions……………….……………………...16

Part VI.
Point-By-Point Comparative Format ……………………………………..…………..20

Part VII.
Concluding Statements…………………………………………………………….….24 Answers (practical exercises)…………………………………………….…………...27 Bibliography………………………………………………………………….…….....31

Introduction
This module is intended for students enrolled in writing courses at the university undergraduate level, specifically for those who need to write essays as a requirement for their classes. The module will serve as a resourceful guideline to write effective comparison and contrast essays.

The module includes a complete series of activities and exercises that will guide and help students, step by step, in the process of comparing and contrasting two elements in a standard format essay. It is highly recommended for the students to have at least some basic knowledge of essay structure and components before working with this module in order to understand the concepts better.

The module consists of three main parts, which are sub-divided in smaller units. Each unit will work with the separate parts of the essay while providing hands-on practice and exercises for the benefit of the students. At the same time, it will provide other valuable resources and internet links for the students to

Bibliography: 1. Langan, John. (1994). College writing skills with readings, 3rd Edition. New York: Mc Graw-Hill, Inc. 2. Leake, J., & Knudsen, J. (2002). The visual guide to college composition. New Jersey: Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc.