compare and contrast essay

Your Task: SELECT ONE of the TOPICS listed below; then compose a well-developed essay.

*MLA Style Formatting: TYPED, 12 FONT, TIMES NEW ROMAN, DOUBLE-SPACED, 1 INCH DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE PAPER, 1 INCH DOWN FROM THE TOPIC (CENTER OF YOUR PAPER)

Reminder:

*A paragraph is 7-8 complete sentences (a sentence must contain a subject, complete thought, and a verb)

*Please follow INSTRUCTIONS or I WILL NOT ACCEPT your ESSAY

Compare & Contrast Topics

Choose one

1. Two stages of a person's life

2. Two places you have visited

3. Two perspectives on the same place: past and present

4. Two perspectives on the same place: morning and night

5. Two fast-food restaurants

6. An online class compared to a traditional class

7. The Toyota Camry hybrid and the Camry sedan

8. Two candidates competing for public office

9. Two pets in the same household

10. The rules set for you as a child and the rules you have set (or plan to set) for your own children

11. Two professional athletes

12. Two views of your parents: before and after you left home

13. Your experiences before and after giving up a bad habit

14. Two neighborhoods

15. Two vampires

16. Two ways to break a bad habit

17. A real vacation and a dream vacation

18. Two hosts of late-night talk shows

19. A good boss and a bad boss

20. Bulimia and anorexia

21. Two video games

22. Two classes in the same subject: one in high school and the other in college

23. The car you own and the car you dream of owning

24. Two types of exercise

25. Two ways of studying for an exam

26. Two sports fans

27. Two ways of losing weight: one healthy, the other dangerous

28. Microsoft’s Zune and Apple's iPod

29. Your family home and the house of your dreams

30. Harry Potter--on the page and on the screen

31. Two memorable teachers or professors

32. Two workplaces

33. Two coffee shops

34. Infatuation versus love

35. Two close friends

36. Living on campus and living off campus

37. A starting pitcher and a reliever

38. Two ways of downloading music or movies

39. Two versions of the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers

40. An active student and a passive student

CATEGORY

A

B

C

D

Purpose & Supporting Details

The paper compares and contrasts items clearly. The paper points to specific examples to illustrate the comparison. The paper includes only the information relevant to the comparison.

The paper compares and contrasts items clearly, but the supporting information is general. The paper includes only the information relevant to the comparison.

The paper compares and contrasts items clearly, but the supporting information is incomplete. The paper may include information that is not relevant to the comparison.

The paper compares or contrasts, but does not include both. There is no supporting information or support is incomplete.

Organization & Structure

The paper breaks the information into whole-to-whole, similarities -to-differences, or point-by-point structure. It follows a consistent order when discussing the comparison.

The paper breaks the information into whole-to-whole, similarities -to-differences, or point-by-point structure but does not follow a consistent order when discussing the comparison.

The paper breaks the information into whole-to-whole, similarities -to-differences, or point-by-point structure, but some information is in the wrong section. Some details are not in a logical or expected order, and this distracts the reader.

Many details are not in a logical or expected order. There is little sense that the writing is organized.

Transitions

The paper moves smoothly from one idea to the next. The paper uses comparison and contrast transition words to show relationships between ideas. The paper uses a variety of sentence structures and transitions.

The paper moves from one idea to the next, but there is little variety. The paper uses comparison and contrast transition words to show relationships between ideas.

Some transitions work well; but connections between other ideas are fuzzy.

The transitions between ideas are unclear or nonexistent.

Grammar & Spelling (Conventions)

Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the