General Instructions For Writing A 4-Paragraph Compare And Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay is relatively simple to create and it is an essay that you will probably create many times in your scholastic career. This type of essay takes two things and describe how they are similar and how they are different. Here are some general instructions on how to write one of these essays using a 4 paragraph format.

Introduction – Paragraph 1

The introduction is where you will be presenting the two items you are going to compare and contrast. Try to pick two items that may surprise your readers by being similar and different. In the introduction you should say something interesting about each of the two items. Also, your thesis statement will be telling your readers briefly how they are similar and how they are different. One more sentence in the introduction should also try to interest your readers to read further, like a hook. Make it interesting enough so your reader won’t be able to wait to read the rest.

Similarities – Paragraph 2

This paragraph is where you state the things that are the same between the two topics. You should try to find three similarities for your essay.

Differences – Paragraph 3

This paragraph is where you state the differences between the two topics. As with the similarities, you should also try to find three differences.

Conclusion – Paragraph 4

The final paragraph is your conclusion where you should restate your thesis. This time your thesis should be more definitive since you have spent the entire essay explaining your differences and similarities. Your conclusion should also give the readers something else to thing about concerning the two items you just compared. Try to think of something unusual or interesting that maybe isn’t common knowledge that your readers will want to remember. Sometimes if you say something funny, it will cause your readers to remember the essay more.

These are the 4 paragraphs for your compare and contrast essay. There are other forms as well. The introduction and the conclusion would be the same but the two body paragraphs would be different. The first paragraph in the body would be explaining your first topic and talk about the facts that will be compared and contrasted to the second topic. The second paragraph in the body would talk about the second topic and what is the same and different. Either one of these formats would work. The only important thing is you keep organized and follow one of the two formats.

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