There are two basic patterns for developing the comparison and contrast essay.  Although they are called by various names, we will refer to the patterns as Pattern A and Pattern B.  To show these patterns work, consider the topic of two job offers: Job X and Job Y.  Your points of comparison might be the salary, fringe benefits, workplace atmosphere, and opportunity for advancement.  Using Pattern A, you could organize the essay in this way:

Pattern A (Point-by-Point Organization)

Thesis Statement:  One way to decide between two job offers is to make a point-          by-point comparison of their features.

  1. The salaries of Job X and Job Y are approximately equal.
    1. Job X’s salary
    2. Job Y’s salary
  2. Job X offers the same fringe benefits as Job Y.
    1. Job X’s fringe benefits
    2. Job Y’s fringe benefits
  3. In contrast to Job Y, Job X offers good opportunities for advancement.
    1. Job X’s opportunities for advancement
    2. Job Y’s opportunities for advancement
  4. Unlike the high-pressure and competitive atmosphere at Company X, the atmosphere at Company Y seems congenial and supportive.
    1. Atmosphere at Company X
    2. Atmosphere at Company Y

Conclusion

Pattern A (Point-by-Point) is useful for organizing more complex topics.  It is also an easier pattern to follow than Pattern B because the comparison/contrast is made clear throughout the essay.

A developmental paragraph in a comparison and contrast essay following Pattern A appears to be more complex than a developmental paragraph in an example essay.  In the developmental paragraph in the comparison and contrast essay, the writer introduces a topic (the point of comparison), but the topic is broken down into several parts to make the comparison.

If you used block organization to compare the same two jobs, your outline might look like this:

Pattern B (Block Organization)

Thesis Statement:  One way to decide between two job offers is to evaluate what the similarities and differences are before making a decision.

  1. The salary and fringe benefits of Job X and Job Y are almost the same.
    1. Salary (Job X and Job Y)
    2. Fringe benefits (Job X and Job Y)
  2. Although the salary and fringe benefits are equal, there are big differences in the areas of workplace atmosphere and opportunity for advancement.
    1. Workplace atmosphere
      1. Job X
      2. Job Y
    2. Opportunity for advancement
      1. Job X
      2. Job Y

Conclusion

      With both types of organization, as you discuss each feature of Job Y, refer back to the same feature of Job X and use comparison and contrast structure vocabulary to show whether they are the same or different.  In other words, it is not sufficient simply to describe each job or each feature; you must constantly refer back and forth to make the similarities and differences clear.

                       Like Job X, Job Y …

                       In contrast to Job X, Job Y …

                       Job X and Job Y both have …

 Note that the points of comparison are the same and that they are discussed in the same order under each section.  One of the problems with Pattern B is that it is sometimes difficult to remind the reader in the second section of how the points compare or contrast with the points mentioned in the first section.  Therefore, generally speaking, Pattern B is more useful for more limited topics.