The Comparison/Contrast paper instructions (by the way, this is the final paper).

Well, we are at the end, but we have one last paper to complete. The due date for the comparison/contrast paper is
Sunday, December 4th. Since I have to have grades turned in soon after, there will be no extensions; we are simply out of time. Therefore, make sure to send your paper by
Sunday, December 4th. I will be calculating your final grades after this date and sending them in.

***IMPORTANT*** NO PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE ***IMPORTANT*** THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS

Here are the instructions for the final paper:

All of the same rules apply: Have an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion; however, no research is required, but if you do quote something, you have to turn in a Works Cited page, too.
I do not want you to use research in this paper. If you place research in the paper and source it improperly, I will not be able to pass the paper. With this paper, you can either focus on comparing two things, pointing out how similar two things are, or you can focus on contrasting two things, pointing out that two are different even though they may appear the same. You can compare any two products or services as long as they are in the same category. For example, you can compare/contrast the Xbox One to the Playstation 4, a Chevy S-10 to a Ford Ranger, or McDonalds to Burger King. If you are having a difficult time finding a topic, Walmart and Target OR 7-11 and Wawa are popular topics to choose. Things that you cannot compare/contrast are the Xbox One to the Playstation 2, a Chevy S-10 to a corvette, or McDonalds to Outback; these things are not in the same category. Please email me your topic and thesis statement for suggestions and approval.

The thesis should state the two products or services that you are comparing and contrasting, and it must state the points of comparison. For instance, say you are comparing/contrasting McDonalds and Burger King. If you are emphasizing that both restaurants are similar, your thesis might be: McDonalds and Burger King are similar because of price, food, and service. This would be a comparison, which means that they are similar. If you are going to emphasize difference, your thesis might be: Even though McDonalds and Burger King appear to be similar, they are different because of price, food, and service. This would be contrasting, which means that they are different. Also, for whatever you are comparing and contrasting, you must use the same points. In other words, you cannot talk about the price, food, and service for McDonalds and then talk about the cleanliness, atmosphere, and server friendliness at Burger King. If you write about price, food, and service for McDonalds, then you must also write about the price, food, and service at Burger King. Note: You may not use McDonalds and Burger King as a topic, and if you compare two restaurants, you cannot use the exact points I made in the same exact order. In short, come up with your own topics and points of comparison for it. This brings us to the format of the essay. You have two choices.

You can choose point by point or subject by subject (sometimes called block). Below is an outline for point by point and an outline for subject by subject using the McDonald-Burger King example:

(Point by Point method)

Introductory Paragraph

Thesis: McDonalds and Burger King are similar because of price, food, and service.

1st body paragraph is about price

McDonald’s prices

Burger King’s Prices

2nd body paragraph is about food

McDonald’s food

Burger King’s food

3rd body paragraph is about service

McDonald’s service

Burger King’s service

Concluding paragraph

————————————————————————————————————

(Subject by Subject method)

Introductory Paragraph

Thesis: McDonalds and Burger King are similar because of price, food, and service.

1st body paragraph is about McDonalds

Price

Food

Service

2nd body paragraph is about Burger King

Price

Food

Service

Concluding paragraph

As you can see, in both cases, you start out writing about McDonalds first. This is because McDonalds is mentioned first in your thesis. Also, you should notice that the order of your points in your thesis is the same order that they should be discussed in the body of the essay using either method. Additionally, take notice that with either method your introduction, thesis, and concluding paragraphs are all the same. Only the body of the essay changes, depending on the method of comparison/contrast that you use.

Three possible thesis statement formats:

McDonalds and Burger King are similar because of price, food, and service.

McDonalds and Burger King are different because of price, food, and service.

McDonalds is better than Burger King because of price, food, and service.

Make sure to use transitional words and phrases like: however, in comparison, contrary to, on the other hand, in opposition to, but, yet, etc…etc.

Lastly, the final paper is not a research paper. Do not do research or place it into a paper. If you do, I will have to grade the paper according to all of the MLA rules, and improperly sourced papers cannot receive a passing grade. Also, make sure to compare two products or services, not personal and subjective preferences, like Deer Park water being better than Dasani water, Coke being better than Pepsi, steak tasting better than chicken, or cake being better than pie. If you are stuck, Walmart can be compared to Target or Wawa can be compared to 7-11.

Remember, the due date will be strictly enforced due to the coming of the end of the semester.

Please send me your topic and thesis statement for approval and suggestions.

Comparison/Contrast keyword example outline:

Point by point outline:

Introduction

Thesis statement…make sure it is the last sentence in the introduction.

McDonald’s is better than Burger King because of the food, service, and atmosphere.

First body paragraph: Food

1. McDonald’s

-Burgers — grilled, juicy, 100% Angus

-Fries — hot, crispy, golden brown

-Shakes — thick, rich, creamy

-Burgers — microwaved, hockey puck, dog

-Fries — cold, soggy, burnt

-Shakes — watery, bland, runny

1. Burger King

-Rude — no greeting, frown, get out/leave

-Slow — 10 minutes, incorrect/wrong

Third body paragraph: Atmosphere

1. McDonald’s

-Clean — no ketchup or mustard on tables, floors not sticky, restroom has toilet paper and paper towels

-Family — safe playground, song Happy by Pharrell

1. Burger King

-Dirty — smeared ketchup and mustard on tables, floors greasy, bathroom no toilet paper or paper towels.

-Teenagers — screws sticking out on playground slide, song Do’in the Butt

Conclusion

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