Compare and Contrast Writing

Structure by point or by subject.

Examples

• Both..., whereas...

Key rules

• Compare and contrast writing examines similarities and differences between two subjects
• Structure by point (each point covers both subjects) or by subject (each subject is discussed fully)
• Use whereas, while and both to link contrasts

Common mistakes

• Both cars are fast, and the cheap one is also fast → Both cars are fast, whereas the first is cheap and the second is expensive.

Use cases

• Comparing two products or cities
• Comparing ideas in a text
• Writing exam comparison tasks