2. Prewriting: Coming up with aPrewriting: Coming up with a
planplan
Before you begin your essay, youBefore you begin your essay, you
will need to make a list ofwill need to make a list of
similarities and differences.similarities and differences.
Use a graphic organizer. It willUse a graphic organizer. It will
make things easier for you.make things easier for you.
3. How are these things alike?How are these things alike?
A fruitA fruit
RoundRound
Grow on treesGrow on trees
Can be madeCan be made
into juiceinto juice
A fruitA fruit
RoundRound
Grow on treesGrow on trees
Can be madeCan be made
into juiceinto juice
4. How are these thingsHow are these things
different?different?
RedRed
Don’t have to beDon’t have to be
peeled to eatpeeled to eat
Thin smooth skinThin smooth skin
Crunchy and tartCrunchy and tart
Sweet whenSweet when
made into piesmade into pies
Grown in the fallGrown in the fall
in the Northeast inin the Northeast in
orchardsorchards
OrangeOrange
Need to be peeledNeed to be peeled
to eatto eat
Thick bumpy skinThick bumpy skin
Cannot be used inCannot be used in
pies but the flavorpies but the flavor
can be used tocan be used to
make cookiesmake cookies
Grown in a tropicalGrown in a tropical
climate in grovesclimate in groves
5. Format your essay planFormat your essay plan
Create your thesis statement forCreate your thesis statement for
your introduction. This shouldyour introduction. This should
tell the reader what two thingstell the reader what two things
you are comparing and howyou are comparing and how
they are alike.they are alike.
Then choose a format style.Then choose a format style.
There are two styles to chooseThere are two styles to choose
from—from—BlockBlock StyleStyle oror Point-byPoint-by
Point StylePoint Style
6. Block StyleBlock Style
State your thesis and tell howState your thesis and tell how
your things are alikeyour things are alike
Present all the information thatPresent all the information that
makes your first item differentmakes your first item different
ProvideProvide parallelparallel informationinformation
about your second item (makeabout your second item (make
sure the information is in thesure the information is in the
same order)same order)
ConcludeConclude
7. Paragraph 1: Introduction
What 2 things are you comparing and how are
they alike?
Block StyleBlock Style
Paragraph 2
All about
Paragraph 3
All about
Conclusion
Use Parallel Order
1. Appearance
2. Taste
3. Where grown
Use Parallel Order
1. Appearance
2. Taste
3. Where grown
8. Point-by-Point StylePoint-by-Point Style
State your thesis and tell how yourState your thesis and tell how your
things are alikethings are alike
State the first point of difference andState the first point of difference and
give details alternating between A andgive details alternating between A and
BB
State the second point of differenceState the second point of difference
and give details alternating between Aand give details alternating between A
and Band B
State the third point of difference andState the third point of difference and
give details alternating between A andgive details alternating between A and
BB
ConcludeConclude
10. Here is our Apples & OrangesHere is our Apples & Oranges
comparison in Block Stylecomparison in Block Style
Apples and oranges are both round fruits. They can both be made into
juice, either cider or orange juice. But it is here the similarities end.
Apples and oranges are really very different fruits. Introduction
Apples are red. They have a very thin skin that is shiny and smooth.
You don’t have to peel them to eat them. When you bit into them, they
are crunchy and usually tart. They are sweet when you use them in pies
as you add sugar and cinnamon. Apples grow mostly in the northern
climates and ripen in the fall. They are grown in orchards.
On the other hand, oranges are orange in color. They have a very thick,
bumpy skin called a rind. You have to peel them to eat them. When you
bit into them, they are stringy and juicy and sweet. You cannot make
pies with them, but you can grate the rind to use for flavor in baking
cookies and other desserts. Oranges grow in tropical regions and ripen
in the winter months. They are grown in groves.
So don’t be fooled when people tell you you can’t compare apples to
oranges. You certainly can! Although they are both fruits, they are very
different in many ways.
transition
1. Appearance
2. Taste
3. Where grown
11. Here is our Apples & OrangesHere is our Apples & Oranges
comparison in Point-by-Point Stylecomparison in Point-by-Point Style
Apples and oranges are both round fruits. They can both be made into juice, either
cider or orange juice. But it is here the similarities end. Apples and oranges are
really very different fruits. Introduction
One major difference between apples and oranges is their appearance. Apples are
red with a thin shiny skin. You don’t have to peel them to eat them. On the other
hand, oranges are orange in color and have a very thick, bumpy skin called a rind.
You do have to peel them to eat them.
A second difference is the taste. When you bite into apples, they are crunchy and
tart. If you make them into pies, you add sugar and cinnamon which makes them
sweet. Whereas, when you bite into oranges, they are stringy, juicy and sweet. You
can’t make them into pies, but you can grate the rind and add it to cookie dough for
an orange flavor
A third point of comparison between apples and oranges involves the location
where they are grown. Apples grow in orchards in the northeastern states. They are
harvested in the fall. However, oranges only grow in a tropical climate (typically
Florida). They grow in groves and are harvested in the winter.
So don’t be fooled when people tell you you can’t compare apples to oranges. You
certainly can! Although they are both fruits, they are very different in many ways.
Transitions in
green
1. Appearance
2. Taste
3. Where grown
12. Deciding Which Style To UseDeciding Which Style To Use
However, there are some times when Block Style is better and
some times when Point-by-Point is better. Point-by-Point
works best for longer papers where it might be hard for the
reader to remember what the writer said about apples by the
time he gets to oranges several sentences later. By going back
and forth between apples and oranges in each paragraph, the
writer makes it easier for the reader to keep the comparisons
in mind.
You may have noticed that there are way more transitions
in the Point-by-Point style. That’s because you are
switching back and forth in each of your three body
paragraphs from apples to oranges. So you need
transitions there. Also you need transitions to get from
one paragraph to another. That adds up to a lot of
transitions.
You may have also noticed that Point-by-point style creates a
longer essay—five paragraphs instead of four. Point-by-Point
Style is in Five-Paragraph Essay Format just like the persuasive
essay we wrote.
13. The EndThe End
(c) The VHS Collaborative, Inc.(c) The VHS Collaborative, Inc.
