Compare/Contrast Essay Prompt

Choose one of the following topics for an essay developed by comparison and contrast using three points of analysis.  The topic you decide on should be something you care about so that the examples are a means of communicating an idea; not an end in themselves.

EXPERIENCE

1. Two jobs you have held
2. A good and a bad job interview

PEOPLE

1. Your relationship with two friends
2. Two relatives

PLACES AND THINGS

1. A place as it is now and as it was years ago
2. Two towns or cities.
3. Nature in the city and in the country

EDUCATION

1. A passive student and an active student

 

Writing Your Compare/Contrast Essay

To get started writing your essay:

1. Review “What is an Essay?”
2. Take time to review possible subjects
3. Use prewriting to help you focus and narrow your topic.

Remember that “essay starters” are everywhere.  If you keep a journal or diary, a simple event may unfold into an essay. Simply said, your essays may be closer than you think!

When drafting your essay:

1. Develop an enticing title
2. Use the introduction to pull the reader into your singular experience by setting up the problematic situation.
3. Think of specific, interesting details or events to incorporate into the essay to grab the reader.
4. Let the essay reflect your own voice (is your voice serious, humorous, matter-of-fact?)
5. Organize the essay in a way that may capture the reader, but don’t string the reader along too much with “next, next, next.”
6. To avoid just telling what happens, SHOW us what happened with vivid examples and/or testimony. Make sure you take time to reflect on why this experience is significant.

 Prewriting and Draft

For this assignment, you will work through the prewriting and drafting stages of your writing process in a compare/contrast essay.

Directions:

1. Review the grading rubric as listed on this page.

2. Choose a writing prompt on the “Compare/Contrast Essay Assignment: Writing Prompt” page.

3. Create a prewriting in the style of your choice for the prompt. Review the prewriting videos on the “My Writing Process: Prewriting and Draft” page if needed.

4. Develop a draft essay according to the following formatting guidelines*:

• Minimum of 3 typed, double-spaced pages (about 600-750 words), Times New Roman, 12 pt font size
• MLA formatting (see the “Formatting Style for Papers” page as needed)
• Submitted as either a .Microsoft Word doc, .or rtf file

*Papers submitted that do not meet these formatting requirements will be returned to you ungraded.

Be sure to:

• Develop your essay by comparison and contrast using the three-points-of analysis scheme
• Decide on something you care about so that the narration is a means of communicating an idea
• Include characters, conflict, sensory details as appropriate to help your essay come alive
• Create a logical sequence for your points of comparison
• Develop an enticing title
• Use the introduction to establish the situation the essay will address
• Avoid addressing the assignment directly (don’t write “I am going to write about…” – this takes the fun out of reading the work!)
• Let the essay reflect your own voice (Is your voice serious? Humorous? Matter-of-fact?)
• Avoid “telling” your reader about what happened. Instead, “show” what happens using active verbs and/or concrete and descriptive nouns and details.
• Make sure you take time to reflect on why your points are significant.

5. Submit your prewriting and draft as a single file upload.

*If you developed your prewriting by hand on paper, scan or take a picture of your prewriting, load the image onto your computer, and then insert the image on a separate page after your draft.

 

Writing Community Review

For this assignment, you will need to share your Compare/Contrast Essay draft with your writing community via the discussion. Then you will choose a peer’s essay from your writing community and conduct a review.

Directions:

1. View the grading rubric for this assignment as listed on this page (see below).

To post your Compare/Contrast Essay draft to the discussion:

1. Copy and paste your draft in a new Google Doc. If you aren’t familiar with Google Docs, try this resource by Google to assist you.
2. Title the Google Doc with your first initial, last name, and Compare/Contrast Essay, example: RSmith Compare/Contrast Essay
3. Set the share and edit permissions of the Google Doc to “Anyone with the link.”
4. Copy and paste the URL address of the Google Doc into a new discussion post.

To review a peer’s Compare/Contrast Essay in your writing community:

1. Select the URL address of the peer’s essay from the discussion you want to review.
2. Develop your response to your peer’s writing by focusing on each of these talking points:

• What makes the essay memorable? What did you like best?
• What is the meaning of the story? Why was the experience important to the writer?
• How did the writer structure the essay? Is there a beginning, middle, and end?
• What details may be missing and are needed for clarity?  Is there something that the writer implies but does not actually carry out in the narrative?
• Is the focused at an appropriate level? Is the topic narrowed enough?
• What specific places in the essay did your peer succeed in describing a singular event or vivid, memorable details or experiences?
• Where might the essay need cuts, adds, or reorders?
• Using the 6+1 Traits Rubric, are there any weaknesses in the essay that stand out?
• Using the Dartmouth Writing Program “Attending to Grammar” link, do you recognize a grammar problem with the essay? If so, where?
• What other supportive suggestions can you identify to improve the writing?

3. Copy and paste your response at the end of the peer’s Compare/Contrast Essay in their Google Doc.

Grading Rubric: Compare/Contrast Essay – Writing Community Review

Criteria	Ratings	Point Total: 10
Student shares their essay with the class via Google Doc URL posted in the discussion	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student chooses a peer’s essay to review	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student addresses what makes the essay memorable	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student addresses the theme or meaning of the essay	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student addresses essay structure	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student addresses essay details to enhance clarity	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student addresses singular event or vivid details in essay	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student addresses whether essay might need cuts, adds, reorders	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student applies 6+1 Writing Rubric and Grammar	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts
Student makes supportive suggestions for improving the essay	1 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	1 pts

 

 

Compare/Contrast Final Draft

For this assignment, review the feedback posted from your writing community in the prior assignment: Compare/Contrast Essay – Writing Community Review. Work your way through the revising and proofreading stages of your writing process, and submit your final version of the essay.

Directions:

1. Review the grading rubric as listed on this page.

2. Review the feedback posted on your Google Doc from the Compare/Contrast Essay – Writing Community Review.

3. Work through the revise stage of the writing process.

4. Work through the proofread stage of the writing process.

5. Create a final version of your Compare/Contrast Essay according to the following:

• 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages (about 600-750 words), 12 pt font size, Times New Roman;
• MLA formatting (see the “Formatting Style for Papers” page as needed); and
• submitted as either a .doc, .docx, .rtf file.

*Papers submitted that do not meet the requirements will be returned to you ungraded.

6. Submit your final version of your Compare/Contrast Essay as a single file upload.

Grading Rubric: Compare/Contrast Essay – Final

Criteria	Ratings	Point Total: 100
Ideas	30 pts: The paper demonstrates outstanding idea development. 24 pts: The paper demonstrates above average idea development. 22 pts: The writer sufficiently defines the topic, even though development is still basic or general. 18 pts: The paper has an idea that needs to be developed. 0 pts: There is no coherent idea.	30 pts
Content	30 pts: The paper demonstrates outstanding evidence of supporting the main point. 24 pts: The paper demonstrates above average evidence of supporting the main point. 22 pts: The paper demonstrates sufficient support of the main point. 18 pts: The paper requires more supporting evidence of the main point. 0 pts: There is little content supporting the main idea.	30 pts
Organization	30 pts: The organization is outstanding and showcases the central theme. The presentation of information is compelling. 26 pts: The organizational structure is above average. 20 pts: The organizational structure is strong enough to move the reader through the text without too much confusion. 16 pts: The writing needs a clearer sense of direction. The internal structure is weak. 0 pts: The organization is poor.	30 pts
Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions	10 pts: The writer demonstrates an outstanding word choice selection, flow and cadence, with well-built sentences and strong grasp of standard writing conventions. 6 pts: The writer demonstrates above average word choice selection, flow and cadence, with well-built sentences and strong grasp of standard writing conventions. 4 pts: The writer demonstrates sufficient selection of words. The text tends to be more mechanical and contains some errors of standard writing conventions. 2 pts: The writer demonstrates a limited vocabulary and lack of fluidity. Errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage and grammar repeatedly distract the reader and make the text difficult to read. 0 pts: No marks.	10 pts

 

 

Reflection

Now that you have completed your Compare/Contrast Essay, take a few minutes to reflect on the experience and write about your process and what you learned. Write a reflection on your Compare/Contrast Essay writing experience using complete sentences.

Directions:

1. Review the grading rubric as listed on this page.

2. Consider the following questions.

• What was most the challenging aspect of creating this essay?
• What did you learn about yourself as a writer?
• What might you do differently the next time you write this type of essay knowing what you know now after writing this essay?

3.  Write your reflection on each question listed above, using complete sentences. Your final reflection assignment should fit the following guidelines:

• 1-1.5 typed, double-spaced pages, 12 pt font size, Times New Roman;
• Submitted as either a .doc, .docx, .rtf file.

4. Submit your reflections as a single file upload.

Grading Rubric: Compare/Contrast Essay – Reflection

Criteria	Ratings	Point Total: 15
Student writes a thoughtful response to each question using complete sentences. Assignment adheres to formatting guidelines.	For each question: 5 pts: Full marks 0 pts: No marks	15 pts