A comparative essay is usually a requirement that many high school and college students dread. It is an assignment that a lot of students would rather avoid. But such task should not be a drag if you know how to write a comparative essay. This article will provide some basic steps or guides on how to write an essay.

First, read the assigned materials and if possible, read also the references of the given topic. After having gathered and read all the relevant information, the first step in writing a comparative essay begins. The student or writer, before learning how to write a comparative essay, must initially learn how to write an essay draft. The process begins by organizing one’s thoughts by writing them all down. Do not worry if the thoughts on the draft essay seem jumbled or not in sequence. They could be arranged in the final draft later. Once you have finished writing the final draft, do take the time to review it for at least several times because it is going to be the basis of the comparative essay.

A comparative essay must first contain a short and general overview followed by comparisons and opposing viewpoints of the assigned topic or argument. One important rule on how to write a comparative essay is to refrain from presenting a biased viewpoint. Opposing arguments of the topic must be presented in a neutral manner and the facts that can easily be verified by authoritative references. Personal viewpoints or comments can be included in the comparative essay, but they must be clearly established as such and must be kept at the minimum.

One of the things you will learn on how to write an essay is the style of presenting the arguments of the topic. Basically, there are two types or manner of presenting the facts and viewpoints. The first type of the comparative essay will start on a topic; then present the opposing viewpoints on that topic, after which the essay will proceed on another topic and present that topic’s pros and cons. Proceed with this manner until all the topics and related views have been presented. The second type of comparative essay is to present all the arguments and topics as a whole then choose a point of comparison then present all the opposing viewpoints together.

No matter which style is chosen, a summary or conclusion must then be presented afterwards. If any conclusion is to be drawn, it must be based on the facts presented in the comparative essay. Writing a comparative essay might not be easy but it should not be hard either. The basic requirements needed in how to write an essay includes organization of thoughts, critical thinking and some artistic flair.

For additional guides on how to write a comparative essay one can go to the school library or better yet, surf online to search for it. It is also advisable to look at some of the comparative essay done by others in order to see and get a feel of how a comparative essay is written.