COMPARE AND CONTRAST

DEFINITION: Compare and contrast essays measure similarities and differences between two subjects

SIGNAL WORDS

• Differs from
• Similar to
• In contrast
• On the other hand
• As well as

QUESTION

PARAGRAPH: Even though high school and college are both institutions of learning, they differ in at least three ways. The first difference between high school and college is their social atmospheres. In high school the facility is usually smaller, and students are, for the most part, well acquainted with each other. In addition, students in high school have the same six hour 7:45 to 1:45 day, thus helping them to know one another better. On the college scene people are constantly coming and going, therefore rarely seeing the same person twice in a day, which accounts for fewer people being acquainted with each other. The second difference between high school and college is their policies about homework. In high school, homework is required to help motivate students to study. Knowing they have to submit assignments in algebra or history gives students an incentive to keep up with these subjects. In college most homework consists of studying; very little of it is written and turned in. If students do their homework, it is to their advantage; if they do not, the teachers will not force them to do it. The student is only wasting his own money if he neglects his course work. The third and last difference between high school and college is their attendance policies. In high school, students must attend class to get assignments and personal help in a certain area. Furthermore, high school students are less responsible; therefore, they need more guidance, which they can receive by going to class. In college, students may skip classes if they choose and refer to the syllabus to acquire missed assignments or tests. It is the student’s responsibility to make work up. In spite of these differences between high school and college, they both serve the same purpose -- to prepare an individual for the real world.

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