10 Interesting Topics for Compare and Contrast Essay

The compare and contrast essay is one where you either compare or contrast two things. Your goal is analyze what makes them the same or what makes them different and then write a paper that presents the most important similarities or differences in such a way that the reader has a better understanding of the two things when they finish reading.

• You can write a paper that compares and/or contrasts two kinds of habits
• You can write a paper that compares and/or contrasts two dictators
• You can draft an essay that compares and/or contrasts Two empires
• You can draft an essay that compares and/or contrasts Two philosophers
• You can write a paper that compares and/or contrasts Two hemispheres
• You can write a paper that compares and/or contrasts Family versus friends
• You can draft an essay that compares and/or contrasts Glass versus porcelain
• You can draft an essay that compares and/or contrasts Thoroughbred animals versus mixed breeds
• You can write a paper that compares and/or contrasts Modern dance versus ballroom dancing
• You can write a paper that compares and/or contrasts Two food preservation methods

Once you have a topic in mind it is time to conduct research. Make a list of the things that your two items share and the things that make them different or set them apart. List the similarities and/or differences in order from the most important or most relevant to the least important or least relevant. This should be the basis of your essay structure.

There are two mains ways that a compare/contrast essay can be structured.

Some people prefer to list all of the similarities and/or differences of item A in one part of the paper and then follow it with all of the similarities and/or differences of item B in the next part. In this style of organization the comparisons or contrasts are not mentioned until the second part. So if you are comparing two foods you will list all of the different characteristics of the first food in the first part of your paper and then talk about how the second food differs or is similar to the first.

Another way to present your information is to list the similarities and/or differences of both items one by one. So for the foods you might list their ingredients in one paragraph followed by their preparation in another.