In "A War that Never Ends," in the Atlantic online, Mark Halpern discusses two books that take on the English Language. Halpern compares a new usage book with one published two years ago.
1. Which method of organizing the essay does Halpern use (refer to Chapter 6 for descriptions of the different methods)? What point is Halpern trying to make about these books and our fascination with the English language?
2. Halpern’s article is clearly about more than just the two books he compares. How does Halpern use a comparison of two objects to discuss a much bigger topic? Write an essay in which a comparison or contrast of two things acts as a springboard for a discussion of a larger issue.
If you were about to make a major purchase, an essay that compares and contrasts your intended goods is just the thing you might need in order to make an informed decision. In “Xbox Squared,” on Salon.com, James Au Wagner comes through for gamers with this comparison of the Xbox with Nintendo.
3. What are the main features Wagner uses as points of comparison? How does his choice of features favor one game over another?
4. It is clear from the start of this essay that Wagner is not thrilled with one of the products and its maker. How does this affect your approach to the article? Are you leaning toward one product before you even hear about its characteristics? Try using a similar tactic in your own writing. Choose two products, one of which you think is clearly superior. In your essay, compare the products fairly (that is, discuss their features equally) but convince the reader that one is without a doubt better than the other.
In Slate.com’s “Today’s Papers” column, John Cooke provides a useful example of comparative writing. “Today’s Papers” summarizes the lead stories in major U.S. newspapers and offers a comparison of how the topics are portrayed in each paper.
5. Is this column a strict comparison, or does Cooke do some contrasting as well? Does Cooke generally follow the guidelines for a comparison as outlined in Chapter 6? Try a similar comparison yourself, mimicking Cooke’s rhetorical strategies and organization. Buy two competing newspapers and compare and contrast their coverage of a single event. If your town or city has only one newspaper, compare its coverage of an event to a similar story in your campus newspaper.