venn diagram similarities between technical writing and creative writing pdf

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Difference between Technical Writing and Creative Writing

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1. Technical Writing : Technical writing is a piece of writing which focuses on factual and straight forward content and technical papers are published to inform and instruct and educate the user about some specific topic. There exists specific readers who prefers technical papers. It gives readers information about some technical topics or it gives directions on how to do something.

2. Creative Writing : Creative writing is a piece of writing which focuses on imaginative and symbolic content and creative papers are published to entertain, provoke, inspire the user. There is no such specific readers who prefers creative papers. Anyone if wants can read creative paper and it gives readers a theme, message, moral or lesson which is helpful in their real lives or gives a temporary entertainment to the reader.

Difference between Technical Writing and Creative Writing :

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Creative Writing vs. Technical Writing

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Today, after learning what creative writing is and how to get started in it , we’re going to compare the two of them.

There are writers all over the world in the two categories – and it boggles the mind to hear that millions have been made from both creative writing and technical writing. Some have made fortunes. While some have not made anything.

Enjoyment can be gained from both types, but it’s fair to say that they both serve different purposes. They both have their own do’s and don’ts and they both have their own rules. Both are governed by grammar and style. Both appear everywhere. So what’s the difference?

Here’s my take: creative writing is written for the right brain (creative) and technical writing is written for the left brain (logical). Confused yet? Wait, there’s more…

A Further Look into Creative Writing

Creative writing is written to entertain and educate. We enjoy reading novels and stories, not because they are necessary to read or helpful for us, just because we get a certain pleasure from reading them, the pleasure which can’t be got from reading technical writing.

Creative writing has so many genres and sub-genres that they deserve a whole section of an article for themselves. It sometimes follows a given set of rules, and sometimes throws caution to the winds and breaks all of them. Either way, talent is somewhat of a necessary ingredient if you want to write creatively. Of course, writing can be improved by practice. But if you don’t have the necessary talent, your writing would not give pleasure to anyone.

Skills and talent both make up creative writing. Hence, they are its constituents.

Further reading: An Introduction to Creative Writing

A Further Look into Technical Writing

Technical writing is wholly written to inform and sometimes to trigger the person reading into making an action beneficial to the one of the writer. Whoa, what a mouthful. That’s not a subject I’m going to cover here (copywriting), but if you want to know more about it, you can visit the master of its game, Copyblogger.com .

I already gave the examples of technical writing in the first post of the series. If you look at them with the context of copywriting, they make much more sense. Copywriters are some of the highest paid writers, says Copyblogger. Sales letters, pitches, advertisements, etc constitute copywriting.

Technical writing is not written to entertain. It has its own set of rules, conventions, do’s and don’ts, masterpieces and pieces of rubbish. There is a whole art to mastering technical writing, although it too is branched: online technical writing and offline technical writing. Personally, I think that if you want to master technical writing, you should first master concise and magnetic writing that draws the reader in, regardless of whether it’s creative or technical.

Are you a master or a learner of concise writing? If you are, so am I, and I’m going to cover it here in future posts. Creative leads or hooks contribute to it.

So that’s it for creative writing. The differences between creative writing and technical writing are that creative writing is written mainly to entertain with the creativity of the mind and technical writing is written mainly to inform in a formal manner or to incite the reader to make an action such as purchase the writer’s product.

This, in a mouthful, is the main difference. In the beginning of this article, I made my own claim: right brain vs. Left brain. However, they deserve an article of their own, and not here. If you want to know more, you can always do your own research.

For my part, I’m going to focus on creative writing tips here, mainly because this is a creative writing blog and I’m much more interested by creative writing than by technical writing. Next post will be solely on fiction writing elements. Stay tuned.

This is the third instalment in the 8-part series “Creative Writing 101.”

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Further reading:.

• Creative Writing Skills: Do You Have Them All?
• Who Else Wants to Master the Creative Writing Skills?
• An Introduction to Creative Writing
• Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Creative Writing
• Creative Non-Fiction: What is it?

20 thoughts on “Creative Writing vs. Technical Writing”

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Great post, and you’ve summed up the difference quite nicely! Technical writing definitely requires a lot of analytical thinking. Persuasion is still necessary; you have to convince people to read the documentation, otherwise they don’t bother. You have to give them a good reason to learn. But it’s definitely more instructive. As a result, technical writers who dabble in fiction tend to write really dry stuff!

Great comment — I fully agree. Technical writers have to be passive writers. Informal language is of course a big no-no.

By the way, I checked out your blog, very nice. Just wondering why you don’t allow comments. Anyway, nice job.

I work in the United States, so it’s possible that the expectations are different, but here in the US, good technical writing is often quite informal and friendly. I’ve been a lead Technical Writer for more than 18 years, and not only is “informal” acceptable, it’s often expected.

The point of a well-written Technical document is to get the other person to understand the idea you want to convey. The best way to achieve that is with clear, simple language. Fancy, formal phrasing and choosing long words just to prove that you know them often distracts from the ideas you want to communicate.

For example, the first instruction that I give to Junior Tech Writers who work for me is: use contractions! No “it is” and “you will,” why clutter up the page? Instead, a good Tech Writer will use “it’s” and “you’ll” which keeps things simpler for the reader.

Passive voice is a real “no-no” when it comes to good Tech Writing. Almost everything is written in the imperative mood, for example: “Locate the ‘Create HTML’ link and click it.” The reader (at least in the US/European market that I write for) wants to know how something works as quickly and simply as possible. Apologetic or passive language is an frustrating distraction from what they want to learn.

Another important thing to note is how helpful a warm tone can be – this is part of the reason that the best tech docs are written in a casual voice. A warm, friendly, accessible style of writing sends the message that the topic being covered is not that complicated, and the reader will be able to understand it.

Finally, Technical Writing is one of the most creative kinds of writing out there. You need to be an extremely creative wordsmith to evoke passion, pathos and humor while discussing the requirements of an API. You also need very strong graphic and visual design skills. Document layout and the treatment of images is intrinsic to the clarity of the finished doc.

Take a look at some of those “For Idiots” books – they may not be my favorites, but they give an example of some of the things I’m talking about.

I hope I’ve given you all some food for thought, and I hope some of you start seeing Technical Writing in a new way.

Best of luck with your studies!

Thanks for such a nice, constructive comment. I just gave an exam on communication in my management undergraduate degree where I wrote that business writing is creative (going out on a limb). Turns out I was right, but I don’t know what the examiner will think (it wasn’t in the original answer of 7 Cs of Business Writing, so I’ll still probably get no marks for that).

Thank you very much for the blog post and comment. These tips are useful in fields outside of writing as well! Source: An engineer by day and comedian by night, who also works in N.A.

Thanks! As far as not allowing comments, I’ve found that between writing posts and family obligations, I just don’t have time to respond to comments. So I figured I’d just remove them. You’re blog is great; keep up the good work!

My spouse and I stumbled over here different website and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking into your web page again.

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Great post! However, I feel I have to point out that the whole thing with the right side of the brain being creative, and the left side being logical is simply pseudoscientific garbage.

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“The differences between creative writing and technical writing are that creative writing is written mainly to entertain with the creativity of the mind and technical writing is written mainly to inform in a formal manner or to incite the reader to make an action such as purchase the writer’s product.”

Nonsense. You’re confusing technical writing with marketing writing. Incite? User manuals are written to help users use their hardware or software product.

Technical writing is no longer limited to just user manuals. Content marketing is considered a part of technical writing. The “formal” part is, however, incorrect. Whether a technical document should be ‘formal’ or ‘informal’, depends on the audience or client’s requirements. For web readers, you should always follow an informal style.

Thank you sir! This article helps my take home essay assignments 🙂

great post sir i have a technical blog and i write a problem solution article and it is very difficult to me as a beginner to write problem solution article and i try to learn a unique technical writing and your post help me to differentiate in technical and creative writing thanx sir for giving a amazing and beneficial information.

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How to deal with burnout as a freelance writer how to deal with burnout as a freelance writer.

This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest article of your own, be sure to  read the guest article guidelines.

Every writer experiences burnout at some point in their career. But, as a professional writer, you probably can’t afford to put down your pen and stop writing. Navigating burnout can be even more tricky when you’re freelancing. If you want to keep your clients, you have to resist the urge to close the blank page, uninstall Microsoft Word, and ignore upcoming deadlines.

Instead, you should learn to identify the early signs of burnout and take a break before it’s too late. Even small changes to your daily writing routine can help you make it through a particularly tricky brief and see that life as a writer is a blessing, not a chore.

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Writing professionally is all about maximizing your efficiency while retaining a high level of quality. You can’t afford to spend days fiddling with the same paragraph and need to make the most of every minute at the keyboard. Maximize your productivity as a writer by focusing on improvements to your workflow. Even subtle improvements, like automating your spell-checking, can save you hours of work every week.

Completing your work quickly doesn’t just improve your hourly rate — it also frees up time for professional development. This is particularly important if you want to appeal to high-end clients who are looking for a talented wordsmith to brainstorm blog posts and produce well-researched, refined articles.

Let’s take a look at how, as a freelance writer, you can improve your productivity by incorporating tech-based workflows:

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Four key strategies for developing a business mindset as a writer Four key strategies for developing a business mindset as a writer

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More importantly, you can’t grow your writing business without an entrepreneurial mindset. Develop one with these four strategies. 

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Venn Diagrams to Plan Essays and More

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A Venn diagram is a great tool for brainstorming and creating a comparison between two or more objects, events, or people. You can use this as a first step to creating an outline for a  compare and contrast essay .

Simply draw two (or three) large circles and give each circle a title, reflecting each object, trait, or person you are comparing.

Inside the intersection of the two circles (overlapping area), write all the traits that the objects have in common. You will refer to these traits when you  compare  similar characteristics.

In the areas outside the overlapping section, you will write all of the traits that are specific to that particular object or person.

Creating an Outline for Your Essay Using a Venn Diagram

From the Venn diagram above, you can create an easy outline for your paper. Here is the beginning of an essay outline:

1. Both dogs and cats make great pets.

• Both animals can be very entertaining
• Each is loving in its own way
• Each can live inside or outside the house

2. Both have drawbacks, as well.

• They can damage property
• Both can be costly
• Both require time and attention

3. Cats can be easier to care for.

• Leaving for a day

4. Dogs can be better companions.

• Going to the park
• Going for walks
• Will enjoy my company

As you can see, outlining is much easier when you have a visual aid to help you with the brainstorming process.

More Uses for Venn Diagrams

Besides its usefulness for planning essays, Venn Diagrams can be used for thinking through many other problems both at school and at home. For example:

• Planning a Budget: Create three circles for What I Want, What I Need, and What I Can Afford.
• Setting Priorities: Create circles for different types of priorities: School, Chores, Friends, TV, along with a circle for What I Have Time for This Week.
• Choosing Activities: Create circles for different types of activities: What I'm Committed to, What I'd Like to Try, and What I Have Time for Each Week.
• Comparing People's Qualities: Create circles for the different qualities you're comparing (ethical, friendly, good looking, wealthy, etc.), and then add names to each circle. Which overlap?
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Technical vs. Academic, Creative, Business, and Literary Writing: What Is the Difference?

Technical writing is all about the content that focuses on providing detailed and clear information on the product or service. It contains a factual and straightforward message. Technical writers convert complex technical information into useful and easy-to-understand language. You should know that there are different types of technical writing , for example, online tutorials , instruction manuals, API documentation, and so on.

The main idea of all types of technical writing is to help the end-user understand any technical aspect of the product or service.

In addition to technical writing, there are many types of other writings, such as creative, business, and literary writing. All of them have distinctive features. Let’s compare these writings to technical writing and see what they have in common and what makes them different.

Technical Writing vs. Academic Writing

Some people might think these two types of writing are similar. The truth is that these are two completely different categories. It may seem that academic writing should be more complicated since it is focused on some specific and narrow discipline. Indeed, this type of writing may describe very complex concepts and provide specialized knowledge.

Technical writing is intended to describe technical information. It may vary depending on the specifics of a particular industry.

Academic writing is aimed to present a certain point of view on a particular subject. Academic papers show results of research and demonstrate someone’s knowledge. In turn, technical writing explains something to readers and informs them. Technical papers often explain how to use a particular product or service. Technical documents can also describe procedures used by the manufacturer to perform certain tasks. What technical and academic writing have in common is that both types may contain jargon.

Academic and technical writing target different audiences. Academic papers are usually intended for fellow scholars. However, there are also academic pieces of writing intended for a broad audience. Technical writing is intended for people who use a product or service.

Technical Writing vs. Creative Writing

Creative writing is a piece of writing for entertainment and education. It focuses on imaginative and symbolic content, and creative papers are published to entertain, provoke, inspire the user. Technical writing, on the other hand, is not done to amuse its reader. It is used to inform someone. Some technical articles are sometimes made to trigger the reader to take action.

There is no such specific reader who prefers creative papers. Anyone can read the creative paper if they want to, and it gives readers a theme, message, moral, or lesson which is helpful in their real lives or provides temporary entertainment to the reader.

Creative writing has many genres and subgenres. If you want to write creatively, you should have talent. Of course, talent alone is not enough – practice is everything here.

It doesn’t mean that creativity can’t be used in technical writing. Technical articles contain so many facts and data that they can bore and overwhelm readers. This is where creativity in technical writing might come in handy. A tech writer should be creative to encourage their readers to continue reading the document.

Technical Writing vs. Business Writing

Business writing is just about any kind of writing people do at work, if we are not talking about journalism or creative writing. Business writing includes reports, emails, proposals, white papers, minutes, business cases, letters, copywriting, bids, and tenders.

However, many reports, bids, and proposals contain technical data and specifications. So business writers may find themselves editing technical content, and technical writers may be called upon to write persuasive documents for a non-technical audience.

The main objective for both these writings is to inform, be useful, build something or operate the equipment.

The language needs to be clear, concise, and accurate. Wordiness, repetition, and unfamiliar words that the audience may not understand do not belong in either business or technical writing.

Of course, you can use technical jargon in documents where the audience has the same technical background. But too much jargon tends to be a huge problem. So, if in doubt, avoid jargon or explain it.

Some business documents need to be persuasive, whereas technical documents tend to be neutral and objective.

However, there are differences in the content, language, and style of technical and business writing. More on technical writing in business is in our article What Value Technical Writers Bring to Business?

Technical Writing vs. Literary Writing

The main difference between technical writing and literary writing is that literary language is used in literary work while technical writing is used in writing for a particular field. Literary writing is used in fiction. Examples of literary writing include poems, novels, short stories, dramas, etc. The language used in literary writing is creative, imaginative and uses literary techniques like hyperbole, personification, similes, metaphors, etc.

Technical writing is the style of writing that is mostly observed in non-fiction. The language used in technical writing is direct, factual, and straightforward.

Literary writing appeals to emotions. Technical writing appeals to the mind.

Technical writing is aimed at people who have knowledge about a particular subject area. Literary writing is written for general readers.

Every writing style is important in its own way. They are used by writers depending on the subject matter, purpose, language, and target audience. Below is the table that summarizes what you found out about the types of writing mentioned in this article:

It doesn’t matter what you write: essays, business materials, fiction, letters, or just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on your purpose and target audience.

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Table of Contents

Venn Diagram

A Venn diagram is an illustration of the relationships between and among a group of objects that have something in common. Like a web, it is useful when you want to find solutions to a problem with two or three symptoms or elements.

To create a Venn diagram

• ask yourself "what are the three symptoms of the problem?"
• write each element in a circle, and have each circle overlap (as shown on the following page)
• ask yourself "what can I do differently to resolve each overlapping set of symptoms, or how can I use these elements together to arrive at a solution?" (circle A and circle B)
• repeat the previous step with circles B and C, and A and C
• fill in the overlapping areas with your responses

You received $2,000 from the estate of a distant relative. You always wanted to travel to Europe, but you have also been trying to save money to renovate your dilapidated bathroom. In addition, a local nursery is going out of business and the landscaping project you have only dreamed about could be yours for a 50% discount. To help determine what you should do with the money, create a Venn diagram showing the possible answers and ask yourself which is more important or deserving between each answer.

Consider brainstorming with a chart if you have two or more elements that you want to compare and contrast. Charts let you clearly see how each item is similar to the others, and how it differs. In order to make an effective chart, you need to define the elements you wish to compare, and then come up with two or more areas in which to compare them. Then, you may need to conduct some research to accurately fill out your chart. The chart will keep you focused on your purpose, and on relevant information as you conduct your research.

Problem Solution Outline

Regular outlines (the kind that use Roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numbers, and lower case letters) are highly structured graphic organizers that don't work well for brainstorming. It is too difficult to come up with ideas quickly when you are trying to fit them into a complex pattern, such as a traditional outline, at the same time.

The problem/solution outline, however, is more simply structured. This type of graphic organizer is useful because the act of filling it out forces you to:

• clearly delineate the problem at hand, including causes and effects
• come up with solutions, and even possible outcomes of those solutions

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Readers' Questions

How does a venn diagram work?

A Venn diagram is a visual representation used to illustrate the relationships between different sets of elements. It consists of overlapping circles or shapes to show the commonalities and differences between the sets. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how a Venn diagram works: Identify the sets: Determine the different groups or categories you want to compare and analyze. Let's take the example of pets, specifically dogs and cats. Draw the circles: Draw two overlapping circles or shapes. Each circle represents a set (dogs and cats in this case). The overlapping portion shows the elements that belong to both sets. Label the circles: Write the name of each set inside its respective circle. For example, label one circle as "Dogs" and the other as "Cats." Fill in the elements: Identify the elements or characteristics that belong to each set. Place them inside the corresponding circle. For instance, you can write specific dog breeds inside the "Dogs" circle and certain cat breeds inside the "Cats" circle. Identify the common elements: If there are any elements that belong to both sets, write them in the overlapping region of the circles. In our example, if there are dog breeds that are also classified as cat breeds, write them in the overlapping area. Analyze the diagram: Examine the Venn diagram to understand the relationships and differences between the sets. You can see the unique elements in each set by looking at the individual circles. The overlapping area represents elements that have common characteristics or belong to both sets. Venn diagrams provide a clear visual representation of the relationships between sets, making it easier to understand and compare different groups or categories. They can be used in various fields, including mathematics, statistics, logic, and data analysis.

How does a venn organizer work?

A Venn organizer is used to compare and contrast two or more sets of objects or concepts. It consists of overlapping circles or ellipses to visually represent the relationships between the sets. Here's how it works: Identify the sets: Determine the sets of objects or concepts that you want to compare. For example, if you're comparing mammals and birds, you would have two sets. Draw the circles: Draw circles or ellipses on a piece of paper or whiteboard. Each circle represents a set. If you have two sets, draw two circles that overlap enough to show the areas of overlap. Label the circles: Label each circle with the name of the set it represents. For example, if you have a circle for mammals and birds, label them accordingly. Fill in the circles: List the objects or concepts that belong to each set inside the appropriate circle. For example, under the mammals circle, you might write "dog," "cat," and "elephant." Find the intersection: Identify the objects or concepts that belong to both sets and write them in the area where the circles overlap. In this example, if birds and mammals intersect, you may write "bat" inside the area of overlap. Analyze the results: Look at the Venn diagram to understand the relationships between the objects or concepts in each set and the intersections. You can easily identify similarities, differences, and commonalities among the sets. A Venn organizer is a useful tool for organizing information and visualizing relationships between sets. It allows you to compare and contrast different aspects, identify similarities and differences, and understand the relationships between the sets.

What is the purpose of a venn diagram?

The purpose of a Venn diagram is to visually represent the relationships and similarities between different sets or groups of objects, elements, or concepts. It helps in organizing information and identifying common elements or attributes, as well as understanding the differences or unique characteristics between the groups being compared. Venn diagrams are commonly used in mathematics, logic, statistics, and various other fields to illustrate relationships and make comparisons.

How does a venn diagram promote critical thinking?

A Venn diagram promotes critical thinking by visually representing the relationships and intersections between different sets of information or concepts. By using the diagram, it encourages individuals to analyze and compare the elements in each set, as well as identify similarities, differences, and overlaps. Here are some ways in which a Venn diagram promotes critical thinking: Organizing information: Venn diagrams help structure information, allowing individuals to see the relationships between different ideas or data sets. This organization prompts critical thinking as it requires individuals to categorize and group information based on commonalities and differences. Identifying similarities and differences: Critical thinking involves comparing and contrasting different elements. A Venn diagram clearly highlights similarities and differences by showing overlapping and non-overlapping areas. By visually representing these connections, it prompts individuals to think critically about the shared features or distinct characteristics between the sets. Analyzing relationships: Venn diagrams enable individuals to examine the relationships between sets and subsets. This analysis promotes critical thinking as it encourages individuals to consider the logical connections and dependencies between different elements. It prompts questions such as how one set influences or relates to another and how they interact. Problem-solving: Venn diagrams can be used as a problem-solving tool, particularly in determining the inclusion or exclusion of elements. Critical thinking is involved in using the diagram to solve complex problems, identify solutions, or make decisions by considering the overlapping or non-overlapping relationships between sets. Creativity and flexibility: Venn diagrams provide a visual framework for critical thinking, but they also allow for creativity and flexibility in interpretation. They can be personalized and adapted to meet specific needs and contexts, allowing individuals to explore different perspectives and possibilities. Overall, a Venn diagram promotes critical thinking by facilitating the analysis, comparison, and synthesis of information, encouraging individuals to think deeply about relationships, similarities, and differences between various sets of data or concepts.

What is asterik critical thinking in venn diagram?

Asterisk critical thinking in a Venn diagram is the practice of using an asterisk (*) to indicate an exception or a particular condition within the diagram. It is a way to account for specific elements or subsets that may not fit into the general categories represented in the Venn diagram. By adding an asterisk to a specific intersection or individual set, the diagram becomes more nuanced and allows for the consideration of exceptions or special cases. This helps to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the analysis or argument being presented.

What i know critical reading venn diagrams?

Critical reading is an important part of effective writing. It involves careful analysis and evaluation of a text in order to form an informed opinion. Venn diagrams are a great tool to help people visualize how two or more different concepts or elements interact and relate to each other. They are often used to compare and contrast different ideas, analyze contradictions and similarities, or explore a relationship between two or more subjects. A Venn diagram can be used to help critically read and analyze a text by highlighting the similarities and differences between key points. It can also be used to organize complex data or track the changes in an argument. By creating a visual representation of the text, it is easier to make connections, draw insights, and come away with a better understanding of the text.

How can venn diagramms be used in preschools to promote critical thinking?

Venn diagrams can be used to introduce preschoolers to a variety of topics, including sorting and categorizing objects, comparing and matching items, and analyzing similarities and differences between concepts. By allowing preschoolers to sort objects into Venn diagrams, they learn to think critically and creatively while developing their problem-solving skills. Venn diagrams can also be used to help preschoolers understand more complex concepts, such as the relationships between plants, animals, and people, or how items are related in different ways. In addition, Venn diagrams can be used to help preschoolers understand basic math concepts, such as numbers, shapes, and patterns.

How does a venn diagram help solve a critical thinking problem?

A Venn diagram can help to organize the information in a problem and visualize the relationships between the elements of the problem, aiding in critical thinking. By creating a Venn diagram and labeling the elements in the problem, it is easier to identify connections, similarities, and differences between the elements that can help with problem solving. It also allows for brainstorming and increased understanding of the problem by illustrating the information.

How do venn diagrams encourage critical thinking and understanding?

Venn diagrams encourage critical thinking and understanding by requiring the user to think conceptually about the overlap of ideas. In order to correctly draw a Venn diagram, the user has to identify the similarities and differences between two or more concepts and visualize how they interact with one another. Through this process, users are able to gain a greater understanding of the concepts, as well as how they interact and relate to one another. Additionally, Venn diagrams provide a visual representation of abstract ideas, allowing users to more easily comprehend how different elements interact.

Which thinking map replaces venn diagram?

A Bubble Map can be used instead of a Venn Diagram.

What is the purpose of venn diagrams in critical thinking?

Venn diagrams are a visual tool used to assist with critical thinking. They help to organize information and identify relationships between different concepts, ideas, or pieces of information. They can be used to make comparisons, analyze relationships, and discover commonalities or differences. Venn diagrams can also be used to generate new ideas and potential solutions to problems.

How can veen diagrams help with critical thinking?

Venn diagrams can help with critical thinking by visualizing the relationship between information and ideas, and by helping to identify areas of agreement and disagreement. This can help to provide a clearer understanding of the overall argument and break down complex problems into more manageable chunks. The visual nature of Venn diagrams also encourages creative thinking, as the user is asked to think through the relationships between concepts and draw connections they might not have previously considered.

Is a Venn Diagram an example of critical thinking?

No, a Venn Diagram is a graphical representation of the relationships between two or more sets of data. It is useful for understanding concepts and relationships between different ideas, but it does not necessarily involve critical thinking.

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Brainstorming: venn diagram, structure of a compare and contrast essay.

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A compare and contrast essay focuses on the similarities and differences between two things. It is not simply a description of the two things, but an analysis of the two objects or ideas, which clearly lays out the ways the two are related and dissonant from one another.

A useful starting point for a compare and contrast essay is to brainstorm using a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram is a visual method, using overlapping shapes (usually circles) to show relationships between two or more things.  

Start by drawing two circles that partially overlap. Label each circle with one of the things you are comparing and contrasting. In each circle, list all the properties of that item. Do the same for the second item. Anything that applies to both things should be listed where the circles intersect. Use the Venn diagram process to compare and contrast any of the suggested essay topics listed here:

• Online vs. in-person
• Film vs. literature
• Public vs. private transportation
• Apple vs. android
• Two vs. four-year colleges

Compare and contrast essays can be structured in three ways:

• Aspect Model: In this model the writer discusses all the ways the two items or ideas are similar first. Then, the writer examines all the differences. This creates two separate sections within the essay.
• Thesis: While Macs and PCs both offer reliable solutions for students to attend class digitally, PCs are the superior option for most students due to their lower price, modifiable nature, and readily assessable on campus support.
• Itemized (Point-by-Point) Model: In this model the writer discusses a certain aspect of the two items, comparing and contrasting their similarities and differences. Then the writer moves to the next aspect. This model creates an essay that intermingles similarities and differences.
• Thesis: While Macs and PCs both offer reliable solutions for students to attend class digitally, PCs are the superior option for most students due to their price, modifiable nature, and readily assessable on campus support.
• PC modifiable nature
• Mac modifiable nature
• PC campus support
• Mac campus support
• Block Model: In this model the writer discusses all of one item first and then the second one.
• Modifiable nature
• Campus support
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• Next: Cause and Effect Essay >>
• Last Updated: Jan 23, 2024 2:52 PM
• URL: https://jefferson.kctcs.libguides.com/Essay

Comparing and Contrasting

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.”

Introduction

In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them.

Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments

Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples:

• Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression.
• Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the causes, development, and outcomes of the wars.
• Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major differences in their poetry?

Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others only for contrast, and others for both.

But it’s not always so easy to tell whether an assignment is asking you to include comparison/contrast. And in some cases, comparison/contrast is only part of the essay—you begin by comparing and/or contrasting two or more things and then use what you’ve learned to construct an argument or evaluation. Consider these examples, noticing the language that is used to ask for the comparison/contrast and whether the comparison/contrast is only one part of a larger assignment:

• Choose a particular idea or theme, such as romantic love, death, or nature, and consider how it is treated in two Romantic poems.
• How do the different authors we have studied so far define and describe oppression?
• Compare Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression. What does each imply about women’s collusion in their own oppression? Which is more accurate?
• In the texts we’ve studied, soldiers who served in different wars offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings both during and after the fighting. What commonalities are there in these accounts? What factors do you think are responsible for their differences?

You may want to check out our handout on understanding assignments for additional tips.

Using comparison/contrast for all kinds of writing projects

Sometimes you may want to use comparison/contrast techniques in your own pre-writing work to get ideas that you can later use for an argument, even if comparison/contrast isn’t an official requirement for the paper you’re writing. For example, if you wanted to argue that Frye’s account of oppression is better than both de Beauvoir’s and Bartky’s, comparing and contrasting the main arguments of those three authors might help you construct your evaluation—even though the topic may not have asked for comparison/contrast and the lists of similarities and differences you generate may not appear anywhere in the final draft of your paper.

Discovering similarities and differences

Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you’re considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesn’t overlap; in those areas, you can list the traits that make the things different. Here’s a very simple example, using two pizza places:

To make a chart, figure out what criteria you want to focus on in comparing the items. Along the left side of the page, list each of the criteria. Across the top, list the names of the items. You should then have a box per item for each criterion; you can fill the boxes in and then survey what you’ve discovered.

Here’s an example, this time using three pizza places:

As you generate points of comparison, consider the purpose and content of the assignment and the focus of the class. What do you think the professor wants you to learn by doing this comparison/contrast? How does it fit with what you have been studying so far and with the other assignments in the course? Are there any clues about what to focus on in the assignment itself?

Here are some general questions about different types of things you might have to compare. These are by no means complete or definitive lists; they’re just here to give you some ideas—you can generate your own questions for these and other types of comparison. You may want to begin by using the questions reporters traditionally ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? If you’re talking about objects, you might also consider general properties like size, shape, color, sound, weight, taste, texture, smell, number, duration, and location.

Two historical periods or events

• When did they occur—do you know the date(s) and duration? What happened or changed during each? Why are they significant?
• What kinds of work did people do? What kinds of relationships did they have? What did they value?
• What kinds of governments were there? Who were important people involved?
• What caused events in these periods, and what consequences did they have later on?

Two ideas or theories

• What are they about?
• Did they originate at some particular time?
• Who created them? Who uses or defends them?
• What is the central focus, claim, or goal of each? What conclusions do they offer?
• How are they applied to situations/people/things/etc.?
• Which seems more plausible to you, and why? How broad is their scope?
• What kind of evidence is usually offered for them?

Two pieces of writing or art

• What are their titles? What do they describe or depict?
• What is their tone or mood? What is their form?
• Who created them? When were they created? Why do you think they were created as they were? What themes do they address?
• Do you think one is of higher quality or greater merit than the other(s)—and if so, why?
• For writing: what plot, characterization, setting, theme, tone, and type of narration are used?
• Where are they from? How old are they? What is the gender, race, class, etc. of each?
• What, if anything, are they known for? Do they have any relationship to each other?
• What are they like? What did/do they do? What do they believe? Why are they interesting?
• What stands out most about each of them?

Deciding what to focus on

By now you have probably generated a huge list of similarities and differences—congratulations! Next you must decide which of them are interesting, important, and relevant enough to be included in your paper. Ask yourself these questions:

• What’s relevant to the assignment?
• What’s relevant to the course?
• What’s interesting and informative?
• What matters to the argument you are going to make?
• What’s basic or central (and needs to be mentioned even if obvious)?
• Overall, what’s more important—the similarities or the differences?

Suppose that you are writing a paper comparing two novels. For most literature classes, the fact that they both use Caslon type (a kind of typeface, like the fonts you may use in your writing) is not going to be relevant, nor is the fact that one of them has a few illustrations and the other has none; literature classes are more likely to focus on subjects like characterization, plot, setting, the writer’s style and intentions, language, central themes, and so forth. However, if you were writing a paper for a class on typesetting or on how illustrations are used to enhance novels, the typeface and presence or absence of illustrations might be absolutely critical to include in your final paper.

Sometimes a particular point of comparison or contrast might be relevant but not terribly revealing or interesting. For example, if you are writing a paper about Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Coleridge’s “Frost at Midnight,” pointing out that they both have nature as a central theme is relevant (comparisons of poetry often talk about themes) but not terribly interesting; your class has probably already had many discussions about the Romantic poets’ fondness for nature. Talking about the different ways nature is depicted or the different aspects of nature that are emphasized might be more interesting and show a more sophisticated understanding of the poems.

Your thesis

The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so they don’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague reports of your general topic (for example, “This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in some ways and different in others,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference”) with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, “Pepper’s and Amante have similar prices and ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart.”

Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looking for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is “So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper’s and Amante are different in this way?” One might also wonder why the writer chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John’s, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here’s a revision of the thesis mentioned earlier:

Pepper’s and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper’s makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture.

You may find our handout on constructing thesis statements useful at this stage.

Organizing your paper

There are many different ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay. Here are two:

Subject-by-subject

Begin by saying everything you have to say about the first subject you are discussing, then move on and make all the points you want to make about the second subject (and after that, the third, and so on, if you’re comparing/contrasting more than two things). If the paper is short, you might be able to fit all of your points about each item into a single paragraph, but it’s more likely that you’d have several paragraphs per item. Using our pizza place comparison/contrast as an example, after the introduction, you might have a paragraph about the ingredients available at Pepper’s, a paragraph about its location, and a paragraph about its ambience. Then you’d have three similar paragraphs about Amante, followed by your conclusion.

The danger of this subject-by-subject organization is that your paper will simply be a list of points: a certain number of points (in my example, three) about one subject, then a certain number of points about another. This is usually not what college instructors are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those similarities or differences matter. Thus, if you use the subject-by-subject form, you will probably want to have a very strong, analytical thesis and at least one body paragraph that ties all of your different points together.

A subject-by-subject structure can be a logical choice if you are writing what is sometimes called a “lens” comparison, in which you use one subject or item (which isn’t really your main topic) to better understand another item (which is). For example, you might be asked to compare a poem you’ve already covered thoroughly in class with one you are reading on your own. It might make sense to give a brief summary of your main ideas about the first poem (this would be your first subject, the “lens”), and then spend most of your paper discussing how those points are similar to or different from your ideas about the second.

Point-by-point

Rather than addressing things one subject at a time, you may wish to talk about one point of comparison at a time. There are two main ways this might play out, depending on how much you have to say about each of the things you are comparing. If you have just a little, you might, in a single paragraph, discuss how a certain point of comparison/contrast relates to all the items you are discussing. For example, I might describe, in one paragraph, what the prices are like at both Pepper’s and Amante; in the next paragraph, I might compare the ingredients available; in a third, I might contrast the atmospheres of the two restaurants.

If I had a bit more to say about the items I was comparing/contrasting, I might devote a whole paragraph to how each point relates to each item. For example, I might have a whole paragraph about the clientele at Pepper’s, followed by a whole paragraph about the clientele at Amante; then I would move on and do two more paragraphs discussing my next point of comparison/contrast—like the ingredients available at each restaurant.

There are no hard and fast rules about organizing a comparison/contrast paper, of course. Just be sure that your reader can easily tell what’s going on! Be aware, too, of the placement of your different points. If you are writing a comparison/contrast in service of an argument, keep in mind that the last point you make is the one you are leaving your reader with. For example, if I am trying to argue that Amante is better than Pepper’s, I should end with a contrast that leaves Amante sounding good, rather than with a point of comparison that I have to admit makes Pepper’s look better. If you’ve decided that the differences between the items you’re comparing/contrasting are most important, you’ll want to end with the differences—and vice versa, if the similarities seem most important to you.

Our handout on organization can help you write good topic sentences and transitions and make sure that you have a good overall structure in place for your paper.

Cue words and other tips

To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you’ll want to be sure that your transitions and topic sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of the points you’ll be making and the organization you’ll be using, but you can help them out with some extra cues. The following words may be helpful to you in signaling your intentions:

• like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on the one hand … on the other hand.

For example, you might have a topic sentence like one of these:

• Compared to Pepper’s, Amante is quiet.
• Like Amante, Pepper’s offers fresh garlic as a topping.
• Despite their different locations (downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro), Pepper’s and Amante are both fairly easy to get to.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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