How to Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay
A compare-and-contrast essay is a style of essay that points out the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. It’s ideal for showing what separates and unites related things or concepts, particularly if the subjects are often confused for each other or unjustly lumped together.
Compare-and-contrast essays have a lot in common with other essay types, but differ in many ways, too—and that’s the heart of comparing and contrasting! By seeing the differences and similarities, the reader better understands each of the subjects by using the other subject as a frame of reference.
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In this guide, we explain how to write a compare-and-contrast essay, including some advanced tips and examples. We discuss how to structure your essay and how to frame your thesis , but first, let’s take a broader look at why comparison essays are so useful.
Purpose of a compare-and-contrast essay
Let’s say you want to write an essay about how great renewable resources are, but you spend a lot of your time explaining how fossil fuels work. To truly understand why renewable resources are so amazing, your reader needs a little background on their alternative, fossil fuels—but the essay’s attention is divided so equally that it’s like there are two topics.
That’s when compare-and-contrast essays function at their best. If two topics relate to each other or define each other, you can better explain them both by showcasing their similarities and differences. That goes double for topics that are often conflated or confused for each other; it helps readers when someone points out exactly what’s the same about them and what’s different.
Unlike argumentative essays or persuasive essays , compare-and-contrast essays deal with multiple topics instead of focusing on one. The downside is that they don’t describe the individual subjects as much as single-topic essays. They’re also a common assignment for college essays since they show the instructor how well you grasp both subjects.
How to write a compare-and-contrast essay
When writing a compare-and-contrast essay, it helps to figure out two things: what your thesis is (the subject matter) and how you plan to structure it.
First things first: You need to choose which subjects you’re comparing. This isn’t always easy, especially if you have to pick the subjects on your own.
For inspiration, here are some compare-and-contrast essay example topics:
- fossil fuels and renewable resources
- Coca-Cola and Pepsi
- Mona Lisa and The Girl with a Pearl Earring
- ’80s punk rock music and ’90s grunge music
- Dorothea Lange and Diane Arbus
- London in the 1600s and London now
- the LGBTQIA+ community before and after Stonewall
- Roman Empire and Greek Empire
- loop quantum gravity and string theory
- evolution and creationism
- liberalism and conservatism
- fascism and despotism
Once you’ve settled on your subjects, you can begin generating ideas. It helps to first list all the similarities and differences between your subjects . When you see them all written down, you can start formulating connections and decide what structure to use for your compare-and-contrast essay.
If you’re stuck, try making a Venn diagram . This is a visual aid that helps you understand which characteristics your subjects share, and which ones are exclusive.
Looking at your lists, you can then decide on the thesis. To do so, ask yourself a few questions: What are you trying to show in your compare-and-contrast essay? What do you want your reader to take away? For example, do you want to emphasize that Dorothea Lange’s work influenced Diane Arbus, or that they are two very distinct artists?
Organization
Compare-and-contrast essays follow our own recommended essay structure . While the linked guide goes into more detail, in a nutshell, your compare-and-contrast essay should follow a simple format of beginning, middle, and end:
- Introduction: where you explain your thesis or what your essay will discuss
- Body: where you actually list the similarities and differences of your subjects; the largest section
- Conclusion: where you wrap up and summarize your points
The introduction, usually one or two paragraphs, should include a thesis statement to show the reader what to expect for the rest of your essay. You can write your introduction following the same guidelines as other essay types, though be sure to mention all your subjects. Likewise, you can write an essay conclusion with the standard rules and best practices.
It’s the body where compare-and-contrast essays get tricky. Do you write about both subjects at the same time, or switch back and forth? Let’s talk deeper on this below.
How to structure a compare-and-contrast essay
The hardest part of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay is knowing when to talk about which subject. Essentially, you have three options:
- block method (subject by subject): You discuss one subject in full and then move on to the next subject.
- alternating method (point by point): You discuss one subject’s take on a certain aspect and then another subject’s take immediately afterward, followed by a new aspect.
- similarities and differences: You discuss all the similarities between your subjects and then all the differences, or vice versa (differences first and then similarities).
No matter which option you choose, you have to pay particular attention to topic sentences . Paragraphs in compare-and-contrast essays can get complicated, so it’s crucial to have a good topic or introduction sentence for each paragraph to make the flow of ideas clear.
Block method (subject by subject)
The block method is usually divided into paragraphs: a paragraph about one subject and then a new paragraph about another subject. Take the compare-and-contrast essay example When Nothing Lies Beyond the Mask: Comparing Moby Dick and The Raven . In the first paragraph after the introduction, the author talks only about Ahab from Moby Dick , but in the next paragraph talks only about the narrator from The Raven . Each subject gets its own paragraph.
Using the block method, you can go back and forth like this for pages, covering as many topics as you need. This approach is best for giving each subject its own attention but tends to slightly weaken the connection between the two.
Alternating method (point by point)
As another option, you can break paragraphs up by a specific topic and issue, and in each paragraph discuss both or all subjects. Let’s look at another compare-and-contrast essay example, The Reality of Science Fiction: Comparing Clarke to Cruise . Here, both subjects are discussed in the same paragraph, one right after another.
This approach works best when you want to emphasize the connection between your subjects, or lack thereof. In our example above, the author wishes to highlight just how different the aliens of Arthur Clarke are from those of other authors, particularly H. G. Wells. To emphasize this, the essay author juxtaposes the two points right next to each other in the same paragraph.
Similarities and differences
The third option is quite similar to the alternating approach, with each subject being discussed side by side in the same paragraph. However, the paragraphs aren’t divided by different topics, but instead by what the subjects have in common and what they don’t.
Take a look at the compare-and-contrast essay example Government by the People, for the People has Perished from the Earth , which compares the dystopias of George Orwell’s 1984 and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We . The first paragraph after the introduction discusses what the governments in the two books have in common, but the next paragraph explains how they differ.
This method works best if you want to focus on a particular similarity or difference between your subjects, or if you want to build up to a powerful conclusion or reveal at the end.
The writing process for compare-and-contrast essays
Want to know how to write a compare-and-contrast essay step by step? The writing process is the same as all essay writing, although adapted specifically for drawing comparisons:
1 Brainstorming — As mentioned above, brainstorming should involve listing all the similarities and difficulties; creating a Venn diagram is a useful method.
2 Preparation — Looking at your brainstorming lists, decide which structuring method would best get your point across: block, alternating, or similarities/differences.
3 Drafting — Here you write your rough draft ; this is the longest and toughest phase.
4 Revising — Does the structure you’ve chosen work? With the first draft finished, you can more easily identify any areas that need to be fixed, revised, or rewritten from scratch.
5 Proofreading — Finally, you want to make sure you corrected all the spelling and grammatical mistakes in your draft. With a writing assistant like Grammarly, this phase is a breeze.
If you want to learn more about this process, read our comprehensive guide on essay writing , which better explains the details.
Tips for writing compare-and-contrast essays
Beyond knowing the full process for crafting a compare-and-contrast essay, it helps to learn a few tips to ensure it shines.
Choose topics that are related
In other words, choose topics that have plenty in common, otherwise, your essay will be all contrasting and no comparing. Typically, subjects in compare-and-contrast essays share a strong connection, such as two people in the same profession or two products in the same category.
Without this unifying thread, the reader is left wondering, “What’s the point of comparing these two things?” Not only will it confound your audience, but you’ll also struggle more to come up with points when writing. Solve these problems before they start by smartly choosing your subjects at the beginning.
Write for clarity
Essays with only one subject can be confusing enough—imagine how complicated it gets with two or more subjects. One of the biggest obstacles with compare-and-contrast essays is communicating clearly so your reader knows which points relate to which subject, and what conclusion the entire essay is building toward.
But when you’re in the heat of a writing session, it can be difficult—and distracting—to stop and evaluate your work for clarity. Luckily, Grammarly offers suggestions to rewrite entire sentences in order to improve the clarity of your writing.
If the writing in your compare-and-contrast essay starts getting messy, Grammarly’s writing suggestions recommend alternative phrasings to clear things up. Just one click and your writing gets the professional editor treatment. Try Grammarly now and see how your writing improves.
How to Write Compare and Contrast Essays
What Are Compare and Contrast Essays?
Compare and contrast essays are among the common types of essays students are required to write either as assignments or as part of tests. They are a type of expository writing and involve taking (usually) two subjects – which could be ideas, people, objects, places, books, or events – and exploring their similarities, differences, or both.
These essays are assigned by instructors to get students to go beyond straightforward summaries or descriptions by making them critically analyze two subjects for a deeper understanding of the connection between them. The objective behind these essays is often one of the following:
- To result in a fresh perspective on something
- To delve deeper into the subjects being discussed
- To indicate the better option between the subjects
- To shed light on something that’s not well known or well understood
For a detailed analysis with any one of the above as a goal, it is useful to brainstorm for ideas before beginning the writing process . And a Venn diagram is the perfect tool to help students ideate quickly and efficiently. Making one is as simple as drawing two overlapping circles with one circle for each subject being compared/contrasted. The overlapping part must include the similarities between the two subjects with the non-overlapping part of each circle listing the characteristics exclusive to each of the subjects (which are the differences).
General Format of Compare and Contrast Essays
There are 3 main variations of this type of essay:
- Where only similarities are discussed
- Where only differences are discussed
- Where similarities as well as differences are discussed
No matter what the variation though, the overall format of compare and contrast essays is as follows.
1. Introduction
As is the case with any type of essay, the introduction of a compare and contrast essay must also draw the attention of the reader with a hook , which could be an interesting anecdote, quotation, or fact relevant to the topic. This must be followed by relevant background information to set context about the topic and the two subjects. Finally, the thesis – which clearly lays out the areas of similarity and difference between the two subjects as well as the reason for comparing and contrasting them – must be mentioned.
2. Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs must elaborate on the thesis with relevant arguments and evidence for each subject and point of discussion. While the way the body paragraphs are organized can vary in compare and contrast essays, the aspects discussed must be the same for both subjects. That said, the extent to which each aspect is discussed could be different. It’s also important to begin each paragraph with a suitable topic sentence and use transition words/phrases to bring out the relationship between the two subjects clearly.
Examples of transition words/phrases for comparison (similarities) include similarly, likewise, correspondingly, compared to, and in addition. For contrast (differences), some transition words that can be used are however, on the other hand, although, in contrast, conversely, and on the contrary.
3. Conclusion
The conclusion of a compare and contrast essay requires restating the thesis with evidence from the essay. Additionally, the potential implications of the discussion in the essay are also laid out here.
Ways to Structure Compare and Contrast Essays
Although the standard format of compare and contrast essays is the same, one of the following methods must be used to structure the content of the body paragraphs for clarity:
- Point-by-point method
- Block method
1. Point-by-Point Method
The point-by-point method involves discussing a particular aspect with respect to one subject and then discussing the same aspect with respect to the other subject in a paragraph. The rest of the essay follows the same pattern with alternating arguments. Using this method to structure a compare and contrast essay makes it easier to follow arguments as the related points are placed next to one another. The point-by-point method is recommended for longer essays because it makes the comparing/contrasting process simpler for the writer and the similarities/differences more evident to the reader.
It is helpful to discuss all the similarities first (with one paragraph for each similarity) and then all the differences (with one paragraph for each difference) while using this method to write a compare and contrast essay.
Here is a simple outline for a compare and contrast essay to be written using the point-by-point method. Subject 1 and Subject 2 have been used to refer to the two things being compared and/or contrasted.
- General introduction of the topic and the two subjects of discussion (Subject 1 and Subject 2)
- Thesis, which will mention the areas of similarity and difference between the two subjects and the reason for comparison and contrast
2. Body Paragraphs – One paragraph for each aspect being compared/contrasted
- Topic sentence(s), which states the similarity/difference in Point 1 between the two subjects
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 1 – Argument and evidence
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 1 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – Argument and evidence
- Topic sentence(s), which states the similarity/difference in Point 2 between the two subjects
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 2 – Argument and evidence
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 2 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – Argument and evidence
- Thesis restated with relevant findings from essay
- Potential implications/significance of the argument made
This essay comparing and contrasting the Middle Ages/Medieval Period of European history with the Renaissance is a good example of a compare and contrast essay written in the point-by-point method.
The outline below breaks down the various parts of the example essay in the point-by-point format:
Subject 1 is the Medieval Ages and Subject 2 is the Renaissance in this example essay.
- General introduction of the topic and subjects of discussion – The writer sets the premise of the essay by stating the importance of the Medieval Ages and Renaissance.
“ The Medieval Ages and Renaissance were periods of distinct cultural and worldviews within the continent of Europe. ”
- Thesis – The writer summarizes the points of comparison and contrast between the Medieval Ages and Renaissance in the thesis.
“ Both the Medieval Ages and Renaissance had the presence of a social organization and had artwork centered on religion. However, during the Renaissance architecture was influenced by Greco-Roman styles, had the existence of towns, questioned the power of the Catholic Church, and had an educated public. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer clearly states the similarity of the two periods in the context of social hierarchy here.
“ Both during the Medieval ages and Renaissance, a social hierarchy existed. ”
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 1 – The writer elaborates on the social hierarchy of the Medieval Ages and the relationship between the classes.
“ During the Medieval Ages there were four main classes, Lords, Nobles, Knights and Serfs. Lords were the rich elites who owned the manor. They appointed Nobles who would tend to matters within the manor and take care of it in their absence, since they often owned multiple manors. Knights were below nobles and were in charge of protecting the Lords, Nobles, and Serfs from Nomadic invasions. Serfs were the lowest of all classes within the manors…. ”
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 1 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – The writer mentions how although the social classes changed from the Medieval Period to the Renaissance, a social hierarchy continued to exist.
“ The social structure was composed of four social classes. The Kings were on the top; holding the most political power as well as money. They often established laws with the consolidation of a select group of Nobles…. ”
“… the merchants were the newly rich, who gained wealth in industries like wool processing, boat making and banking…. ”
“ The lowest level was composed of workers, who did not have job protection and were very dependent on their employers…. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer states how the two periods were similar in the context of art.
“ Art during both ages heavily revolved around religion. ”
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 2 – The writer elaborates on what led to religion influencing art during the Medieval Period.
“ …religion was the only aspect of society that connected everyone as a whole, thus making it the most important thing in the lives of people…. ”
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 2 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – The writer discusses how the impact of religion on art continued during the Renaissance.
“ During the Renaissance, prominent artists such as Leonardo da Vinci painted religious scenes. Religious subjects were chosen during the Renaissance because of the humanistic approach that many artists took…. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer introduces the architectural differences between the two periods.
“ During the Medieval Ages, architecture was rarely focused on beauty, instead it was focused on its ability to defend. ”
“ During the Renaissance, however, architecture was greatly influenced by that of Rome’s and Greece’s .”
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 3 – The writer delves into the basis of architecture during the Medieval Period.
“ During this time, castles were often the only buildings built widely throughout Western Europe, not including the churches of course. Castles were often built in a bulky design, normally surrounded by a moat, in which the only way into the castle is by using the drawbridge…. ”
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 3 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – The writer then explains how the focus of architecture shifted from just defense to aesthetics during the Renaissance.
“ …architectural styles in Western Europe began to emphasize symmetry, proportion, geometry, and the regularity of parts as they are demonstrated in the architecture of classical antiquity and in particular ancient Roman and Greek architecture. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer introduces the differences in where people lived during the two periods.
“ During the Medieval Ages, Manors replaced the functions of towns as growing threats of invasion from barbaric tribes emerged and co-existed with the founding of Feudalism. ”
“ However, as the commercial revolution began, Manors became less common while towns increased in popularity .”
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 4 – The writer explains why manors were the preferred places to live in during the Medieval Period.
“ …there was nothing to prevent Germanic tribes from pillaging the territory, thus peasants lived in constant fear. Seeing an opportunity, the land holding wealthy elites gave peasant land within the boundaries of their walls and in return the peasants would receive protection from invading tribes though the presence of Knights…. ”
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 4 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – The writer then delves into how peasants gained confidence to leave manors and live in towns during the Renaissance.
“ Important agricultural innovations, such as the three-field system, allowed peasants to produce a greater amount and variety of cash crops while still using the same amount of land. This in turn resulted in a feeling among peasants that they no longer needed their lords in order for survival, since they could easily pay off the taxes that lords had administered…. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer introduces the changing influence of the church during the two periods.
“ During the Medieval time period, the Catholic Church had an unbelievable amount of power. ”
“ However, during the Renaissance, the Catholic Church lost much of its influence over the people as it began to be questioned within society. ”
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 5 – The writer explains how the Church controlled every aspect of peasants’ lives during the Medieval Period.
“ Peasants would often spend time working on the land of the Church, often for no pay, making it difficult to spend time working on their land, proving it hard to pay the lord while keeping their family alive. The peasants were also forced to pay 10% of what they earned in a year to the Church… ”
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 5 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – The writer then discusses how the Renaissance saw the Church losing its control over people.
“During the Renaissance, the demands of society shifted and became based on money instead of allegiances as manors became less prevalent in society…. ”
“ The Church was also being criticized at this time as more people began to realize that Church leaders violated biblical laws they were entrusted to uphold and lived no differently from the merchants and political figures. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer introduces the education system during the two periods.
“ During the Medieval Ages, very few people were educated beyond their trade, usually Nobles and Lords received formal education. ”
“ However, during the Renaissance, places of education were established throughout Europe; mainly influenced from the Islamic Empire during the Crusades. ”
- Discussing Subject 1 with reference to Point 6 – The writer elaborates on why education was limited only to certain people during the Medieval Ages.
“ People were born in their class so Knights and Serfs had little need of obtaining an education to excel in their class. Books at this time were hand written, usually by monks, so books were both rare and expensive, making it difficult for a serf to even try to become educated. ”
- Discussing Subject 2 with reference to Point 6 while bringing out the comparison with Subject 1 – The writer discusses what led to education becoming accessible to more people during the Renaissance.
“ Italian universities taught law and medicine to doctoral students. Their loose organization made it possible for professors to produce original research in law, medicine, philosophy, and the humanities. Along with universities, the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg increased the literacy rate among those who could afford universities and those who couldn’t. ”
The writer concludes the essay by laying out the impact of developments during these periods.
“ Important innovations during the Age of Enlightenment greatly affected life today, especially in Northern America. Concepts enforced by enlightenment thinkers, such as freedom of speech/religion/etc, were adopted and used in future constitutions, some of which are still used today in Asian, African, European, and Latin American states. ”
2. Block Method
The block method involves organizing the body paragraphs of a compare and contrast essay based on the subjects of discussion. This means presenting all arguments about one subject first followed by all arguments about the other subject. The block method can sometimes be difficult to use since there is a considerable gap between the compared and/or contrasted points about the two subjects. Hence, it is usually preferred for shorter essays.
Students also sometimes end up summarizing the information about the two subjects instead of drawing parallels and/or differentiating between them. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to use sufficient transitional sentences as discussed earlier. This ensures that readers recollect information about the first subject while reading about the second to understand the relation between the two.
Here is a simple outline that can be used as a reference while writing a compare and contrast essay using the block method. Subject 1 and Subject 2 have been used to refer to the two things being compared/contrasted.
2. Body Paragraphs – One paragraph for each subject being discussed; In longer essays, it may not be possible to include all points about one subject in a single paragraph. In such cases, multiple paragraphs can be used for each subject.
- Topic sentence(s)
- Discussing Point 1 with reference to Subject 1 – Argument and evidence
- Discussing Point 2 with reference to Subject 1 – Argument and evidence
And so on…
- Discussing Point 1 with reference to Subject 2 while comparing with Subject 1 – Argument and evidence
- Discussing Point 2 with reference to Subject 2 while comparing with Subject 1 – Argument and evidence
This essay contrasting the theories of language development put forth by N. Chomsky and B.F. Skinner is a good example of a compare and contrast essay written in the block method.
The outline below breaks down the various parts of the example essay in the block method:
- General introduction of the topic and subjects of discussion – The writer sets context regarding language development at the beginning of the essay.
“ Many psychologists have studied and researched how we acquire language .”
- Thesis – The writer mentions the basis of the theories of language development in the thesis.
“ Some have concluded that the ability to learn language is a genetically inherited skill. Others believe that language is learned following birth and is due to environmental factors. This is part of the nature vs. nurture debate .”
2. Body Paragraphs – Due to the number of points of discussion, the writer discusses each subject across multiple paragraphs.
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer introduces how Skinner’s theory of language development supports the nurture aspect of the nature vs. nurture debate.
“ One of the main psychologists who supported the nurture side was B.F Skinner. Skinner is an empiricist. He put forward the idea that children learn language because of the influence of the environment. ”
- Discussing Point 1 with reference to Subject 1 – The writer elaborates on Skinner’s explanation of operant conditioning in the context of language learning.
“ Skinner believed that parents would provide more attention and pleasurable reactions when the infant made correct sounds or utterances. This way the child would gradually learn to speak and use language. The child would respond to the smiles and approval of the parents. Skinner explained this as operant conditioning; the reinforcement of a random response by a reward…. ”
- Discussing Point 2 with reference to Subject 1 – The writer delves into arguments in favor of Skinner’s Theory, especially those regarding the impact of social interaction between parents and children.
“ There is evidence that children who are talked to a lot by their parents have larger vocabularies whereas children that have suffered linguistic deprivation show inhabited language ability.
Environmental experience and reinforcement must have some effect on language development because children frequently make mistakes. For example, saying “gooses” instead of “geese” but they are able to correct this over time…. ”
- Discussing Point 3 with reference to Subject 1 – The writer also discusses the criticisms against Skinner’s theory, which according to them doesn’t entirely delve into how language is learned.
“ Evidence from observational studies does not support Skinner’s theory. Children seem to be able to learn and understand grammar despite the exposure to incorrect grammatical sentences…. ”
“ Trial and error learning cannot explain the rapid acquisition of language and the huge overall language comprehension of young children…. ”
“ If language acquisition took place according to Skinner’s theory, then researchers should have achieved greater success in teaching animals such as apes. Apes have mastered reasonable language abilities but their use of grammar is very limited compared to human children…. ”
- Topic sentence(s) – The writer introduces Chomsky’s stance on language development, which aligns with the nature aspect of the nature vs. nurture debate.
“ On the other hand, N.Chomsky who was a nativist argued that children are born with a language acquisition device (LAD). ”
- Discussing Point 1 with reference to Subject 2 – The writer elaborates Chomsky’s explanation of the role of the LAD in language development.
“ Chomsky believed that children simply needed to hear language to begin to develop it. He stated that the LAD would enable them to understand the deep structure that all languages have…. ”
“ Individual languages use different sounds and have special rules of grammar. Chomsky called these individual rule surface structures. And believed that all languages have the same underlying rules or structures and these deep structures are something that babies are born to recognize. ”
- Discussing Point 2 with reference to Subject 2 – The writer presents arguments in favor of Chomsky’s theory.
“ The speed at which young children acquire the huge complexity of language (even those children who are mentally retarded) suggests that something more than environmental stimulation is required. Surveys of many different languages have shown that they all contain linguistic universals (verbs, nouns, adjectives etc) for a language acquisition device to work upon…. ”
“ Humans have the appropriate vocal apparatus and special parts of the brain for language; therefore, we may expect language acquisition to be innate…. ”
- Discussing Point 3 with reference to Subject 2 – The writer also discusses some criticisms against Chomsky’s theory.
“ The idea that children will automatically develop language by just being exposed to it has been opposed by those psychologists that believe social interaction is necessary.
Learning has to play a role in correcting errors (such as “goed”). Chomsky’s theory ignores the active role of parents in teaching language to their children…. ”
“ If language development was innate, surely it would develop soon after we are able to control our voices, which is soon after one year of age. It does not explain why language takes a few years to develop…. ”
In conclusion, the writer states their own opinion of the nature vs. nurture debate.
“ The nature-nurture debate on language is inconclusive. In my opinion, it seems likely that learning language has elements of both nature and nurture. I believe there is some genetic influence on language development but also children’s experiences after birth are very important to their development of language. I think Chomsky’s is correct in the sense of the ability to learn language by a built-in or genetic factor. But I believe that the actual sounds, words, and grammar that children learn will depend on their environment. The speed at which children learn will also be influenced by their environment. ”
Before attempting to write a compare and contrast essay, students must first gauge if comparing and/or contrasting the chosen subjects of discussion is possible. They can then choose between the point-by-point or block method outlines above to structure their writing well and present information relevant to the topic appropriately.
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