Compare and Contrast

							           Compare/Contrast Essay Assignment (15% of your final average)


Basic Requirements
■ Essay must be a minimum of 2 ½ pages in length
■ Each paragraph must be well developed
■ Essay must be typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt font, and double-spaced
■ Essay must contain a clear thesis statement, and each paragraph must support it
■ You can do some preliminary research before you begin the interview process, but
base the bulk of the essay on your own viewpoints and the viewpoints of the person you
are interviewing.

Topics
Compose a list of questions pertaining to one of the following –

- Dating customs
- Gender roles
- Youth and elder relationships
- Manners and etiquette
- Office politics
- Work ethic

Interview a person who is of a different generation from you and get some insight on
their views and behaviors pertaining to one of the above. Then, compile your notes and
develop an essay that compares or contrasts your views with that particular person. Be
sure to solidify similarities and differences in the opening and closing, but develop only
one aspect in the essay itself.
                       Rubric for Comparison/Contrast Essay

Format –5 points
   - The essay is written in 12 point, Times New Roman Font
   - The essay is double-spaced with proper indentation
   - The essay includes headers identifying – student’s name, course name,
      instructor’s name, date
   - A title is included

Content – 70 points
   - The essay includes a clear and precise thesis focusing on either comparing or
      contrasting viewpoints (15 points)
   - The essay’s body paragraphs support the ideas presented in the thesis (20points)
   - The essay is organized in a logical way using either a subject by subject
      comparison formula or a point by point formula (15 points)
   - The essay includes an appropriate and consistent tone and point of view (10)
   - The essay sums up main ideas in the closing paragraph (10 points)

Grammar and Mechanics – 25 points
   - The writer has used appropriate grammar and spell check
   - The write shows command of Standard American English (exceptions would be if
     unique dialogue is included for effect) adhering to rules regarding parts of
     speech, sentence structure, punctuation, subject/verb agreement, tense)