Comparison/ Contrast Paragraph
A comparison shows how two things, ideas, people, etc., are alike: a contrast shows how they are different. A comparison or contrast paragraph is one which explains one way two things are alike or different through the use of examples, points, reasons, descriptions, etc. It has
- One clear idea, expressed in a topic sentence
- Several specific points or details which show how two things are different. This can be a specific details or three-point paragraph
- A discussion of BOTH things, not just one.
- A conclusion which restates, summarizes, or otherwise ends the paragraph
Look at the difference:
Paragraph 1
One advantage of not having school uniforms is the cost that parents have to pay. School uniforms are very expensive and can cost a lot of money. Parents have to pay a great deal for uniforms and then have to get even more clothes for their children to wear outside of school School uniforms are expensive and cost more than wearing regular clothes.
Paragraph 2
One advantage of not having school uniforms is the cost that parents have to pay. Instead of buying a pair of jeans on sale at Walmart for five dollars, parents have to shop at more expensive shops, like Dillards, to find the right kinds of khaki pants–-which could cost as much as $50 a pair. And, of course, since the colors must be just right, parents have to shell out extra to find those shirts in the correct Gator Green or Red Devil Red. Without uniforms, parents can buy any shirt, any colors, any styles, and make use of the sales that different times of the year bring. The cost doesn’t end at school, however. While parents of children without uniforms are set with the clothes those children wear to school, parents of children with uniforms must buy a totally new wardrobe so their child will look “trendy” and cute when he or she goes shopping at the mall, attends a school basketball game, or participates in a social event. In short, schools with uniforms often don’t realize the biggest effect on parents – the effect uniforms have on the wallet!
Comparison/ Contrast Paragraph
Topic Sentence: (This is the one idea, the one topic that your paragraph is discussing)
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First reason or point
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How it is for one side ______
How it is for the other side______
Second reason or point
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How it is for one side ______
How it is for the other side______
Third reason or point
______
How it is for one side ______
How it is for the other side______
Conclusion or ending sentence
______
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