Compare and Contrast Essay, Books vs Movies
My topic is Books and Movies to Compare and Contrast
Compare/Contrast: (MLA): You’re doing an expository essay, comparing and contrasting two topics of your choice for the purpose of seeing what happens when you analyze two things side by side. Length: 3-4 pages
Please see the accompanying PPT and the criteria below for directions.
Your paper does NOT need to have research, but if any resources are used, they must be cited in MLA. This includes the subject matter, meaning that if you’re comparing two movies, you must cite those movies in MLA, for example.
Criteria
Thesis: The essay has an acceptable thesis statement that addresses the comparisons and contrasts of the chosen issue.
Purpose and supporting details: The paper clearly compares and contrasts points that are sophisticated, offers specific examples to illustrate the comparison, and includes only relevant information.
Organization and structure: The paper breaks the information into a point-by-point or block-by-block structure and follows a consistent order.
Conventions/grammar: the text contains few, if any, errors.
Formatting: the paper is formatting correctly based on MLA guidelines.
Comparing: seeing how they’re similar
Contrasting: seeing how they’re different
Compare/Contrast: both
Think about your purpose when you choose your process
Working Thesis Formula:
While ________ and _________ seem similar, they are different in several ways, and the differences are important because __________. (contrasting)
While _________ and ________ seem different, they are similar in several ways, and these similarities are important because ________________. (comparing)
Organizing the draft:
Subject by Subject:
Intro
Subject 1
Trait A
Trait B
Trait C
Subject 2
Trait A
Trait B
Trait C
Conclusion
Trait by Trait: (transitions)
Intro
Trait A
Subject 1
Subject 2
Trait B
Subject 1
Subject 2
Trait C
Subject 1
Subject 2
Conclusion
Steps
Choose a topic, purpose, and process
Find your sources (optional, but if used, they must be in MLA)
Make a working thesis
Choose a way to organize
Draft, revise, peer review, edit/proofread, finalize paper
Am I explaining both subjects enough?
Is there enough of a connection (similar or opposite) to make a complete paper?
Do I have a good thesis?
Have I stated my conclusion?
