In a comparative essay, one needs to state the differences and similarities between two subjects. It can be a comparison of political systems, authors’ points of view on love, car brands or historical events, etc. The main thing that you need to do is to judge these two things according to a few criteria. If you have already done your research and prepared the arguments you will use, it is time for you to choose a way on how to write down your ideas in a neat and logical way. Your organization strategy should be thought through like the banquette menu. You do not want to serve desserts and salads at the same time, do you? Let’s imagine that you are comparing jazz and classical music. Here are three methods you could use in your essay.
Method 1
Here is an outline you may use:
Paragraph 1: Instruments of jazz, instruments of classical music
Paragraph 2: History of jazz, history of classical music
Paragraph 3: Jazz musicians, classical music composers
In such a way, in each paragraph you can analyze one aspect of both of the subjects you will write about. Easy for the reader to follow, this method gives you a logical structure, short and concise, which focuses on each aspect individually.
Method 2
The outline for the second method is the following:
Paragraph 1: Instruments of jazz
Paragraph 2: Instruments of classical music
Paragraph 3: History of jazz
Paragraph 4: History of classical music
Paragraph 5: Jazz musicians
Paragraph 6: Classical music composers
This method is also called "mixed paragraph method". It is a broader version of the first method, in which you write each paragraph about a certain aspect of a chosen subject. It gives you more room for reflection and an opportunity to see just how much have you written about both of the topics, making it easier to keep them equal in size. It is a great method if you need to go into details about two things that are a little bit too different to compare in only one paragraph.
Method 3
The third method consists of such stages:
Paragraph 1: Instruments of jazz
Paragraph 2: Jazz musicians
Paragraph 3: History of jazz
Paragraph 4: Instruments of classical music
Paragraph 5: Classical music composers
Paragraph 6: History of classical music
Using this method, you can fully explain your point of view regarding all the aspects of each subject separately. Be sure to talk about them in the same order for both of your comparison objects. This method may not be recommended for long and detailed essays, but is better to be used for ones that are compact, therefore easier to follow for the readers. Of course, if you use this method, you will have to sum up all your points in a logical conclusion.