Useful for when your assignment asks you to both compare AND contrast items. Each paragraph immediately focuses on discussions of similarities and weaknesses. While this method works best for short answer or essays, it is possible to take each similarity/difference and turn it into its own paragraph.
| Paragraph | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Introduce the two or more subjects being compared and lead to a thesis statement or argument. | Even thought there were similar production schedules, The Lord of the Rings trilogy surpasses The Hobbit trilogy by using practical effects to attain greater realism and focused more on story telling rather than “filmable moments” that added little to the plot. |
| First Body Paragraph | Discuss the similarities of both subjects, comparing the manifestation of this point in each subject. |
Both trilogies had a similar production time insuring that both had ample time to prepare for their respective movies. |
| Second Body Paragraph | Discuss the differences of both subjects, comparing the manifestation of this point in each subject. |
The Lord of the Rings trilogy relied on practical effects for a majority of their shots with CGI being used to enhance what was physically present while most of The Hobbit trilogy's special effects were CGI and completed in post-production. |
| Third Body Paragraph | Summarize why one subject is better than the other. | Even with the similar lead time in the production schedule, the shift in industry standards away from practical effects, when combined with expanding a single movie into a trilogy, ensured that The Hobbit trilogy was doomed to be the lesser of the pair. |
| Conclusion | Without repeating any claims or adding any new information, emphasize the importance of the similarities and differences between the two subjects as they are relevant to your thesis. | Even with the same amount of production time, the overuse of CGI and production company greed ensures that The Hobbit trilogy is inferior to The Lord of the Rings trilogy in everyway. |