WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY AND A TRADITIONAL ESSAY?

The main difference between writing a compare and contrast essay and a traditional academic essay is tied to the scope of what you are writing about. With both of these types of essays based on the use of a thesis and supporting body paragraphs, a compare and contrast essay limits the scope of what you are writing to the similarities and differences which exist between the two entities you are comparing. As such, the scope of writing a compare and contrast essay is smaller than the scope of a traditional academic essay as you will be solely writing about these two elements. In contrast and with a traditional academic essay allowing you to explore areas that you might discover as you explore the scholarly literature, it is a more open ended type of essay.