Write an essay in which you form an opinion on one of the below topics and compare/contrast them “then vs. now” to show us why you have come to your current opinion.
This essay should include at least three SPECIFIC examples from your own experience or observation as well as at least three specific examples found in your research that you’ll cite using MLA style.
“Then vs. Now” topic ideas
- A place you loved
- A celebrity/public role model you had
- A band or performer you loved
- Your experience of social media
- Your experience of a time period (like the 2010s vs. now)
- Something you loved before vs. now (that you can research)
Your essay must use a point-by-point or subject-by-subject structure, which we’ll talk about in class.
So how does this work?
Example: Disneyland has always been important to me, so I choose Disneyland as my topic for this Compare & Contrast essay. I want to compare/contrast my experience of it from when I was a young child to now to show my opinion about Disneyland now. My thesis might be that “It’s harder to find the magic than when I was a kid.” My examples will support my opinion.
- I would pick at least three elements to investigate and use both my own personal experiences then vs. now AS WELL AS outside research on then vs. now to demonstrate my findings.
- This would be specific experiences I had as well as research I find. In my example, I could use both a personal experience I had of my kid’s stroller getting smushed in a crowd to show overcrowding as well as data that proves significant crowd increases.
Notes:
- Your topic should be something you have personal experience with, as well as something you can find credible outside research on.
- Your essay should focus mostly on contrasting your examples (saying how they’re different), but you can also bring in comparison elements as well (saying how they’re still the same).
- An effective strategy might be to spend the majority of the essay discussing differences, and then incorporating a paragraph at the end about what remains the same.
- Use what you discover about your two topics, from comparing and/or contrasting them, to demonstrate an opinion about them. You need to form an opinion-based thesis for your essay, not just state similarities and differences in the topics.
- Don’t just say your topics “are similar in some ways and different in others.” Give your opinion about the topics and use your comparisons to support your opinion.