2 Comparisons are discussions in which a student finds similarities between two or more ideas or things; contrasts, ON THE OTHER HAND (a popular but overused transition between concepts) are discussions in which a student indicates differences between two or more ideas or things. As you might sense from the previous sentence, comparison/contrast essays can be very dull without the use of some imagination, particularly in the use of transitions. 

3 You may assume that you’ve made the comparisons and contrasts clear, but they may be clear only to you, not in the paper and thus not to your reader ¸ In making sure that you clarify the comparisons and contrast so they are clear for your reader, you may have to cover lots of ground you’ve already covered, resulting in massive repetition. If you fear you’re repeating yourself too much, revert to the more integrated format of point by point. ¸ None of this is to say that you should avoid block-by-block form; weigh the risks and what your thesis is trying to accomplish. Blockby-block can perform a rhetorical “slam-dunk” if appropriately presented. Things to Watch for: ¸ You ought to be able at least to acknowledge a