College students learn to write comparative essays, which examine two objects or ideas that share some characteristics but not others. A good comparative essay does not claim one thing is better than the other. Choosing an interesting topic is important, and well-crafted essays follow either a point-by-point or side-by-side format.
Most college students are required to take a course that focuses on how to write essays. One of the types of essays introduced by instructors is called a comparative essay. Comparative essays do exactly what the name suggests by examining two objects, historical periods, pieces of literature, or other things that share some characteristics but not others.
Sometimes, students get confused and end up writing an essay that is somewhere between a comparative essay and an argument essay, which is written to persuade the reader that a particular position on a controversial topic is preferable. Done correctly, a comparative essay does not claim that one of the things being compared is superior, preferable, or better. Instead, this type of essay gives the reader enough information about both and leaves the matter hanging.
Offering information without concluding that one thing is superior to another is especially important in this type of essay. Solar panel heating might be a better choice for someone who lives in a very sunny environment and owns a home that could be economically converted to solar, but for someone who lives in Alaska, where the days can be very short, it might do not do it. In other words, the assumption in a comparative essay is that neither position is necessarily better than the other.
Writing a good comparative essay starts with choosing a topic that is truly of interest to the writer and hopefully the reader. A paper examining the differences between cats and dogs will likely contain obvious details, such as that both have tails, both are mammals, and both are popular pets. Not only is it utterly boring, but it insults the intelligence of the reader. A written piece that focuses on such obvious details would only be appropriate for young children.
Before writing a comparative essay, authors may want to consider the important choices life has presented them. Everyone has experienced the anxiety of making a major purchase and has no doubt compared two or more of the possible choices. An article about laptops and e-book readers, or one about hybrid cars and SUVs, for example, might make a good topic for essays.
Most well-crafted comparative essays follow one of two formats. A point-by-point essay establishes three or more areas in which topics will be compared. One paragraph is dedicated to each point and covers both topics. A side-by-side essay also establishes three or more areas for subject comparison, but the format is different. With this type of essay, a long paragraph or section examines the first topic, moving from the first bullet to the second, from the second to the third, and then does the same with the second topic in the same order.
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