TOEFL WRITING Compare Contrast Essay Lien Huong Nguyen

TOEFL WRITING Compare & Contrast Essay Lien Huong Nguyen

Definition Compare? à How things are similar Eg: Both boys and girls are human. Contrast? à How things are different Eg: Boys love by eyes while girls love by ears.

Definition A compare and/or contrast essay requires you to compare and/or contrast two or more topics. E. g. : 1. 2. Compare and contrast American football and international football. Compare and contrast Cocacola and mineral water.

Topics Being a teenager and being an adult Riding a roller coaster and loving somebody Physical beauty and inner beauty Being rich and being famous Going to the movie and watching a movie at home Acting and lying

Brainstorming Subjects Similarities Differences Both are tree fruits, Oranges tropical, apples grown commercially temperate in large orchards. Apple juice and Apples and orange juice Oranges Sauce Apple juice has no pulp. Orange juice has pulp. Pulp and peeling from oranges is used in sauce. Applesauce contains only the pulp of the pared apple.

Introduction v Introduce both subjects and present the points you intend to make. Example: However, although apples and oranges are both fruits, they are each ripe with differences, some of which are shown in the way they are grown and processed.

Body: Point-by-point arrangement v Compare and contrast different elements of each subject in each paragraph of your essay body. v Para. 1: point 1 – subject A vs. subject B v Para. 2: point 2 – subject A vs. subject B v Para. 3: point 3 – subject A vs. subject B

Body: Point-by-point arrangement ① (Compare) Apples and oranges are both tree fruits often grown commercially in large orchards. (Contrast) However, apples grow in every climate and oranges need tropical temperatures to produce fruit. ② (Compare) Although both fruits can be juiced. (Contrast) apples are pressed and only the juice is bottled while both pulp and juice is squeezed from oranges. ③ (Compare) Again, while fruit sauce is made from both apples and oranges, usually applesauce comes from the pared and pureed apple. (Contrast) while orange sauce may contain both the rind and the pulp of the orange.

Body: Block arrangement v Para. 1: discuss subject A v Para. 2: discuss subject B v Para. 3: compare and contrast 2 subjects

Body: Block arrangement v Para. 1: Apples are a tree fruit that is often grown commercially in large orchards. As well as eaten from the tree, apples are also both pressed into apple juice or pureed and processed into applesauce. v Para. 2: Oranges are also a tree fruit, often grown commercially in large orchards. Like apples, they can be eaten from the tree, squeezed into juices or processed into orange sauce.

Body: Block arrangement Para. 3: (Compare and contrast points discussed in para. 1 and 2) One big difference between apples and oranges is the way they are processed. Notice that while apples are pressed for juice, orange juice is squeezed from the orange. Another difference is that while apple juice contains only the liquid pressed from the apple, orange juice may also contain the pulp from the orange. Although applesauce contains the pureed pulp of the pared apple, orange sauce may contain bits of orange rind as well as the pulp of the fruit. v

Cue words Similarities Is similar to Both Also Differences On the other hand However Although, Despite, In spite of Too As well Like Is similar to Unlike While In contrast Differs from

Conclusion Finish your essay by summarizing the points you made in the body. Example: Although each is a commercially grown tree fruit, growing temperatures and differences in processing apples and oranges clearly makes a distinction between the two fruits.

AFTER WRITING Grammar and spelling § Check your punctuation § Make sure each sentence has a subject § See if your subjects and verbs agree § Check verb tenses of each sentence § Make sure each sentence makes sense

AFTER WRITING Style and organization § Make sure your para. has a topic sentence § Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea § Make sure all your ideas are linked § Make sure you have a closing sentence § Make sure there’s no contraction in your para.

Practice 1. It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books. ” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? 2. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? 3. Some people enjoy changes, and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Why?