Comparisons between various issues and subjects are made throughout everyone’s lives, and a number of those comparisons are required to be written during school. There are two main types of comparisons, compare-and-contrast, and “lens” comparisons. Compare and contrast comparisons are where the variables, A and B, are weighed equally, without any bias between them. This type of comparison may include two variables which are vastly different, or two objects which are very similar.
The second type of comparison, the “lens” comparison, is where one of the variables is used to view the other variable, and as such, the variable being viewed through is weighed less heavily. This type of comparison is used to investigate how one variable changes the second variable, such as time against patience. The key to writing a good comparative analysis is to take one’s analysis on the similarities and differences of two objects, and join them together to form an argument. There are five factors that are required.
The first factor is the frame of reference, which is the context where one lists the two objects being compared, and includes an idea, question, problem, or theory. It is recommended that one uses a frame of reference created from sources instead of his/her own thoughts.
The second factor is the grounds for comparison. The grounds for comparison is the reasoning behind the two objects being compared, and why the writer did not choose something else.
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The thesis is the third factor in writing a good comparative analysis. The thesis in a compare-and-contrast paper changes depending on how the two objects being compared relate to each other. “Whereas” should be used to separate the two objects in a thesis which focuses on the differences of the two objects.
The fourth factor is the organization scheme, which is the general rule to organizing the paragraphs. The introduction includes the frame of reference, grounds for comparison, and thesis, while the body can be organized either by listing all of A then all of B, or by alternating between the two. Equal amount of discussion between the similarities and differences is not required. Compare-and-contrast papers may use either organization scheme, but “lens” comparisons may only use the former. The last factor is the linking of A and B. Comparative analysis papers should all link the arguments back to the thesis. Compare-and-contrast papers also require one to link A and B within the body paragraphs, which can be done with transitional expressions such as similarly, and contrastive vocabulary.
