Comparison/Contrast Essay: Thesis Statement and Outline This week you will begi

• After you have selected an appropriate topic, the next critical step is to develop your thesis statement.
• Your thesis statement will present a claim (that you will prove) and will set up the path of your paper.
• Using the thesis statement as your guide, you will then create a brief outline that will help to keep you on track as you write.
• The claim in a comparison/contrast essay is actually based on the opinion you have about which of two selected items is superior to the other. You will prove the claim by discussing three points that you will evaluate about both items.

For example, an effective thesis statement for a comparison/contrast essay would be the following:

  Plastic bags are far superior to paper bags because they are water-resistant, malleable and versatile.

 You can see more excellent thesis statement examples that include an Essay Map on pages 41-42 (examples 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10).

Keep in mind that the comparison/contrast essay is a research paper, not a personal essay. Include your thoughts and ideas in the essay, but by writing only in the objective, academic third person. Do not use first person (I, me, my, us, we) or second person (any form of you).