two thematically similar stories
two kinds of hardwood lumber
two kinds of lathes
two recipes for whole-wheat bread
two approaches to disciplining childrenMake a list of potential subjects. Think through each of them in terms of similarities
and differences. Select one that seems to offer the greatest potential for a paper.
STEP 2: Prewriting—Choosing Details
Next, decide whether you can most effectively show similarities or differences. A third
alternative may be to show both similarities and differences. Although the organiza-
tion becomes more complicated when you show both, this third alternative may be the
best in some situations.
Jot down three or four major similarities or differences or both. Your list may look
like this:
Topic: Methods of Disciplining Children
Approach: Differences
Details: Nonverbal message
Verbal message
Reward/reinforcementSTEP 3: Prewriting—Organizing the Whole
Comparison-and-contrast pieces may be organized according to one of three pat-
terns: whole-by-whole, part-by-part, or similarities-differences. Which organization
you use depends entirely on which works best for the subject. In some cases, one
method may be as effective as another. Following are brief summaries of each of the
three methods:
Whole-by-Whole Pattern. Using the whole-by-whole pattern of organization, the
writer explains all of one subtopic before she discusses the second. For instance,
from the list in Step 2, the writer discusses one method of discipline in terms of each
detail—nonverbal messages, verbal messages, and reward/reinforcement. Then, she
discusses the second. The general outline looks like this:
First method of discipline
Nonverbal messages
Verbal messages
Reward/reinforcementComparison and Contrast / 77