We use the concept of compare and contrast in everyday life, things such as which shirt to wear, where to go on vacation, and what to have for lunch. To make a list of compare and contrast essay topics, write down objects, subjects, or people who you compare and contrast abstractly. Do not brainstorm on each topic; simply write down the similarities and differences of each one.
One approach you can take to writing a compare and contrast essay is to use the situational approach. This means you will need to compare and contrast essay topics in your paper, writing about the similarities and differences between the two subjects given in the situation.
Below is a list of compare and contrast essay topics intended for a college essay which are based on the situational approach:
- It’s time to buy a new car, and you have narrowed your choice down to two types of vehicles; a Jeep Cherokee or a Chevy Blazer. Compare and contrast these two vehicles by size, price, and safety features.
- You and your college friends use the internet to find information. Each of you uses a different search engine such as Google and Bing. Compare and contrast these two search engines and show your friends the objective picture.
- You are about to apply for college admittance, and you have visited several universities. You have narrowed your list down to two colleges, Notre Dame and Oklahoma University. Compare and contrast these two colleges all of the information you have about both colleges.
- You are a computer programmer and working in the IT department of a computer company. The company is going to purchase a surplus stock of computers that have 2 different types of processors in them; Macintosh and Intel. Compare and contrast the various characteristics of each processor.
- Your parents have informed you they have decided to move to the country. You strongly object to this decision. Compare and contrast the pros and cons of living in the city and living in the country.
There is another approach to writing a compare and contrast essay. This approach will cause you to use a lot of speculation and analyze the information more profoundly. This method is considered to be more difficult to write about, but the ending results are very rewarding. This type of essay topics is more intricate than that of a situational topic. Here are a few examples of this type of approach:
- Compare and Contrast the musical works of the Beatles and Mozart.
- Compare and Contrast life before and after the Great Depression.
- Compare and Contrast the political systems of the US and Canada.
To help narrow down your choices, you can utilize the internet and one of the many search engines available, such as google or yahoo, to search out more information about each topic. The more information you can find about a topic, the easier it will be to write an essay about it. If you cannot find much information about a topic, it is probably not a wise choice for a compare and contrast essay.
These are just a few suggestions for good compare and contrast essay topics. Whatever your topic may be, make sure you present strong evidence to support your information. The more specific you are about each subject the better your paper will sound. And the more you will be able to prove your point of view and persuade the reader to see things your way.