Reliable Ways to Get Sample Comparison and Contrast Essays

Everyone has heard of learning by example. And this is one of the best ways to get a sense of a good essay, is to read like essays that are written well.

And there are all kinds of ways to find good examples in today’s educationally rich environment that the Internet has created and that awaits to turn any grade into high marks—even an A+.

From the Google, to Google Books, to Your School / University library, to You Tube, you can find great samples. And I will show you how—but first lets discuss how to use these samples without plagiarism—but, rather, to inspire and guide you.

Choose Whether You Will Compare or Contrast—and a Working Topic, Then Search for Examples

It is easier to search for examples when you know the nature of your essay. For example, a contrast essay defines through differences, and will be a slightly different essay than a comparison one, which will highlight and underscore similarities.

Choose what you will contrast or compare before you search, and you will find essays on your topic or highly similar to help give you a solid example of what other students have done with your topic.

How to Use Sample Essays to Inspire and Improve Your Own Writing

1. Use Student’s Essays that Follow a Strict Organizational Pattern

Look for a solid introduction, a clearly stated thesis, body paragraphs that provide evidence of your thesis, and that move to a well-stated conclusion.

2. When You Find an Essay You Can Use . . . Be Inspired, Take Notes, But do NOT Plagiarize

Today’s teachers have internet resources as well, and can run 50 papers through a plagiarism checker with one block highlight, a right click of a mouse, and voila, those papers light up in red wherever a sentence has been stolen that is not cited and attributed to the original author. In other words, unless you have clearly stated, “As Smith notes, “quote” (citation), and you use another’s words – that’s plagiarism.

Great Sources for Finding Sample Comparison / Contrast Essays

• First, search for awarding winning comparison (or contrast) essays on Google. For example, you can search by your grade in middle or high school—to keep the essay appropriate to your age and station in school, and then add “award winning” to your search.
• Peruse your textbook and old textbooks
• Ask Your Teacher for Samples from Previous Classes