ENG 101 Comparison Essay: Thesis Statements and Evidence

ENG 101 Comparison Essay Assignment: Evidence/Paragraph Development, Introduction to the Research Process

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Today's Agenda

Course Objective: Write a well-organized, well-developed, grammatically and mechanically acceptable comparison/contrast essay.

1. Review and answer questions about comparison essay process

2. Guidelines for structuring comparison body paragraphs, review of internal documentation

3. ​Discussion: Scenarios for identifying evidence for a comparison essay​

4. ​Introduction to the Research Process

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*Prepare for Thursday's class by finding at least one of your supporting sources (along with insight on any challenges you face trying to find a source)

It is important that you begin working on your essay outside of class. Here's the process we've followed in our lessons:

1. Select a topic; Persuade the reader that one option is better than another in an important decision making process

2. ​Create points of comparison for consistently evaluating the two options throughout the essay

3. ​Choose a pattern of organization: point-by-point or subject-by-subject

4. ​Develop a thesis statement

5. ​Identify supporting evidence for the body of your essay (and what evidence you need from research specifically)

Open Ended

What questions can I answer about the planning stages of the comparison essay?

Building a Comparison Body Paragraph: Topic Sentences

Topic sentence: states the main idea of the paragraph in the form of an assertion (arguable claim).

Point-by-point: You are discussing both options simultaneously for one point of comparison at a time. This topic sentence should state which is better in that category. The higher cost of building a parking garage makes it less preferable to the addition of another paved lot.

Subject-by-subject: You are discussing one option at a time, and each paragraph in that section of your essay will evaluate a point of comparison for that option. Your topic sentence should present a judgment for how that option measures up in the category.

The cost of building a parking garage is high, stemming from material and labor costs. ​

Building a Comparison Body Paragraph: Reasoning and Evidence

In both cases (point-by-point and whole vs. whole), you need to provide evidence to support your claim. Most of this evidence will come from your own critical thinking and analysis, though you can bring in research when needed.​ Textbook p. 130 has guidelines for the different types of evidence we can use to support an argument. Reasoning is important as well. You have to explain to the reader how the evidence connects to your claim and overall thesis.

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Let's discuss some scenarios in which we'd need to identify evidence ​for a comparison essay.

Poll

Review the evidence chart on textbook p. 130. What type of evidence would you use to support this claim: Tik Tok can be inappropriate for young users, because videos automatically transition from one to the next, so they may watch something with explicit content before a parent has the chance to intervene.

• Examples

• Causes or Effects

• Statistics

• Quotations

• Descriptive Details

Poll

Review the evidence chart on textbook p. 130. What type of evidence would you use to support this claim: A parking garage would be more costly than the addition a traditional paved parking lot.

• Explanation of a process

• Historical Background

• Statistics

• Quotations

• Definitions

Building a Comparison Body Paragraph: Closing Sentences

Closing sentences re-state the main idea of the paragraph to prepare the reader for a transition into the next. We treat these just like a conclusion to an essay: restate the thesis and main points. We want to avoid doing this word-for-word.

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Topic Sentence: The higher cost of building a parking garage makes it less preferable to the addition of another paved lot.

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Closing Sentence: It is significant that a parking solution be cost-effective so as to avoid additional burdens for faculty, staff, and students; therefore, a paved lot is the superior option in this regard. ​

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The Elements of MLA Internal Documentation

Use all three of the following when integrating source material into your writing:

Signal Phrases (Attribution Tags):

The Economic Policy Institution reiterates that...

A Proper (and concise) Quote or Paraphrase of Significant Information

"The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has not been raised in over 10 years"

The minimum wage is stagnant, as it remains at "7.25 per hour"; there has been no increase "in over 10 years"

An In-Text Citation

(​Cooper et. al) *This means that there are more than two authors for this source. ​

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The Economic Policy Institution reiterates that The minimum wage is stagnant, as it remains at "7.25 per hour"; there has been no increase "in over 10 years" (Cooper et. al).

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Other ​In-Text Citation Formats

• One author: (Author Last Name #) or (Author Last Name): (Collins 3)

• Two authors: (Author Last Name and Author Last Name #) or (Author Last Name and Author Last Name): (Collins and Smith 4)

• ​No author: ("Title of Source" #) or (Title of Source"): ("How to Cite" 3)

Example Comparison Body Paragraph: Point-by-Point

The higher cost of building a parking garage makes it less preferable to the addition of another paved lot. Both options will require labor and materials; a parking garage will require clearance of a large space on campus or within the vicinity, and so will a paved lot. Labor and equipment costs will result. However, unlike a simple paved lot with painted spaces, only requiring clear markings, a parking garage will require more features, resulting in higher costs. Levels must be equipped with access points in the form of stairs and elevators; the technology to track entries and exits will also be needed along with a high-end security system. This distinction means thousands versus millions. RS Means Data assesses that the average cost of building a parking garage given labor and material fees is over 8 million dollars ("Construction Costs"). However, according to the Michigan Concrete association, "a 200-spot lot would range from $174,000-$490,000" ("How Much"). Of course, these costs would differ based on number of spots and number of levels; yet still, the cost difference would still be vast.

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Additionally, It is also likely that a parking permit for a student will cost more given these features, as the school will need to make up for such high building costs. Would it be fair for a student to have to park further away from their classes because they could not afford the cost to park in the garage? This has the potential to lead to more inequities than opportunities As such,. it is significant that a parking solution be cost-effective so as to avoid additional burdens for faculty, staff, and students; therefore, a paved lot is the superior option in this regard.

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Using Key Word Searches

1. What are you looking for? Phrase it as a question in order to better identify key words and phrases that might produce results. Ex. What incidents have occurred among young users on Tik Tok?

2. Generate a list of synonyms that could yield results around that topic. Ex. incidents, accidents, events, issues, safety, young users, kids, adolescents.

3. Use the advanced search option to combine words/phrases and maximize results; online, vary these in your search bar to see if the results change.

Searching the Internet for Quality Sources

The development of the essay should come from your own critical thinking as well as 1-2 credible sources (no more than 2). At least one source should be obtained from the TCTC or Clemson library databases/print material obtained from the library. The other may come from outside the databases, but must meet the guidelines for source credibility:

·       Timeliness

·       Relevance to topic

·       Sufficient author credentials/expertise

·       Objective/fair approach to the topic and/or clear acknowledgment of bias

·       Verifiable support for claims

Searching Library Databases

There are five main types of library databases useful for our class:

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General: All subject-areas in one place

Subject-Specific: think psychology or history-specific angles on topics/events

News/Current Events: can offer a timeline of development on a topic, address a topic in real time. ​

eBook: Lengthier, more detailed studies of a topic​

Data: polls of public opinion, statistics ​