You may have a great idea for a paper in your head, but if it doesn't perfectly match the prompt, you may not create the product your instructor has asked for. Look over the prompt (and rubric, if you have one) carefully and underline key phrases. Keep a list of these things by you as you work.  Many comparative essay assignments will signal their purpose by using words such as "compare," "contrast," "similarities," and "differences" in the language of the prompt. Also see whether there are any limits placed on your topic. While some essays may be simple compare/contrast essays, others may ask you to begin with that framework and then develop an evaluation or argument based on your comparisons. For these essays, simply pointing out that things are similar or different will not be sufficient.  The assignment will generally ask guiding questions if you are expected to incorporate comparison as part of a larger assignment. For example: "Choose a particular idea or theme, such as love, beauty, death, or time, and consider how two different Renaissance poets approach this idea." This sentence asks you to compare two poets, but it also asks how the poets approach the point of comparison. In other words, you will need to make an evaluative or analytical argument about those approaches. If you're unclear on what the essay prompt is asking you to do, talk with your instructor. It's much better to clarify questions up front than discover you've written the entire essay incorrectly. Showing the similarities between the two subjects is the essence of a comparison paper, but you also need to recognize their differences. Making an effective comparison requires that you examine the differences between the subjects, as well. By examining the contrast between your subjects, you can provide valuable insights into how they relate to each other. The best place to start is to write a list of things that the items you are comparing have in common as well as differences between them. It is likely that you will not be able to write about everything on your list.  Read through the list and try to identify a theme or patterns among items that are listed.  This can help you decide on the basis of your comparison. After you work through the list, you should have the building blocks of your argument and thesis.  You may want to develop a system such as highlighting different types of similarities in different colors, or use different colours if you are using an electronic device. For example, if you are comparing two novels, you may want to highlight similarities in characters in pink, settings in blue, and themes or messages in green. This provides the context for your comparison: how will you examine these two things? Among other things, the basis could be a theoretical approach, such as feminism or multiculturalism; a question or problem that you wish to discover an answer for; or a historical theme, such as colonialism or emancipation.The comparison needs to have a specific thesis or overarching idea that determines the reason why you are comparing the two (or more) objects.  The basis for your comparison may be assigned to you.  Be sure to check your assignment or prompt. A basis for comparison may have to do with a theme, characteristics, or details about two different things.  A basis for comparison may also be known as the “grounds” for comparison or a frame of reference. Keep in mind that comparing 2 things that are too similar makes it hard to write an effective paper. The goal of a comparison paper is to draw interesting parallels and help the reader realize something interesting about our world. This means your subjects must be different enough to make your argument interesting. Although you want to have a thorough understanding of both things being compared, it’s important not to provide more details than the assignment can handle. Compare a few aspects of each topic instead of trying to cover both topics comprehensively.  Research may not be required or appropriate for your particular assignment.  If your comparative essay is not meant to include research, you should avoid including it. A comparative essay about historical events, social issues, or science-related topics are more likely to require research, while a comparison of two works of literature are less likely to require research. Be sure to cite any research data properly according to the discipline in which you are writing (eg, MLA, APA, or Chicago format). Every essay should be controlled by a clear, concise thesis statement.  Even if your basis for comparison was assigned to you, you need to express in a single sentence why you are comparing the two items.  The comparison should reveal something about the nature of the items or their relationship to each other, and your thesis statement should express that argument. Your thesis needs to make a claim about your subjects that you will then defend in your essay. It's good for this claim to be a bit controversial or up for interpretation, as this allows you to build a good argument.
حلل السؤال أو عناصر المقال بعناية. افهم نوع مقالة المقارنة التي طلب منك كتابتها. اذكر أوجه التشابه والاختلاف بين العناصر التي تقارنها. اعمل على تقييم القائمة. أسس قاعدة مقارنتك. ابحث مواضيع مقارنتك. وضح عبارةً للفرضية بالتفصيل.