a guide to writing comparison essays

Task

How to write a Comparison Between Literature and Film

Task: Book and Film Comparison• In your course you have studied global challenges through English-language

literature and films. • Write an essay in which you reflect on how effective the book of your choice

and the film Slumdog Millionaire have been in raising your awareness about three or more global challenges.

• Use examples from both the book and the film to support your arguments.

• Helpful resources can be found here:• Writing Course• A World in Transition

GlobalisationGlobalisation

• Poverty• Book review Q&A

§ 1 writing sequentially

The Book XXX by YYY and the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) by director Danny Boyle are (make a statement about their similarity) however they are also are quite different (if in fact they are!!). The first one is about XXX while the second one is about YYY. The main theme of these two is ZZZZ.Both stories are described and presented in a (give YOUR opinion – a realistic way? A way I find /…/ etc…). It seems like / both of them / chose to present XXX by using YYY. Both convey in their own ways that /…/

§ 1 writing separately

The book XXX by YYY is about ZZZ . The main theme is WWW.

The film AAA by BBB is about CCC. The main theme is DDD.

Both stories are described and presented in a (give YOUR opinion – a realistic way? A way I find /…/ etc…). It seems like / both of them / chose to present XXX by using YYY. Give an example which illustrates this

Personally, I think the main issue lies in the fact that /…/ Here you need to answer how the film and book raised your awareness of global challenges….

Definitions

Find a definition of globalization that is useful for your essay. For example….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/globalisation_rev1.shtml Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2014

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/globalisation/Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Main Body - Conclusion

• §1 In /…/ Global challenge nr. 1. Awareness?• §2 The reason /…/ Global Challenge nr. 2. Awareness?• §3 Additionally/…/ Global challenge nr. 3. Awareness?• §4 On the other hand/…/ Other global challenges?/…/

Awareness?• §5 Personally, I think /…/. However I am /…/ The only

other /../ But if this happens to be the case, I will /…/. As for myself. I would love to have /…/

• §6 So, when /…/ In conclusion, (your final closing opinion) Some might say that /…/, but on the other hand, in support of /…/ people believe /…/ would be /…/ for …..

Cohesion (N: Textbinding)• These three texts are very different. Text 1 shows that the

experiences gained during a gap year come as a result of a certain amount of arbitrariness. This is because you are not bound to one school throughout your gap year and the jobs/internships you might get rarely goes on for more than a few months. Taking a gap year includes making arbitrariness part of your life on a day-to-day basis.

Cohesion (N: Textbinding)• The views conveyed through these three texts are very

different. Text 1 leaves me under the impression that the experiences gained during a gap year come as a result of a certain amount of arbitrariness. This seems likely because you are not bound to one school throughout your gap year and the jobs/internships you might get rarely goes on for more than a few months. So it is safe to say that taking a gap year includes making arbitrariness part of your life on a day-to-day basis.

However it is also important to / as mentioned in / this makes it easier to / and therefore also how you will learn

Correct Footnotes

Sources

• Source: “The Blog by William Harwood” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-h-harwood/whistleblower-or-traitor-_b_4143834.html Date: 12.11.2013

Global issues• Extreme Poverty

– rising food costs hurt the poor– Slum growth spirals

• Global Disease• Food and Water security

– Water shortages lead to unrest• Climate Change

– Drought leads to crop failure– Greenhouse gas emissions reach a record high

• Population Growth– Progress slow on millennium development goals

• Conflict and Crime

Global issuesrelevant in the film “Slumdog Millionaire”• Extreme Poverty

– rising food costs hurt the poor– Slum growth spirals

• Global Disease• Food and Water security

– Water shortages lead to unrest• Climate Change

– Drought leads to crop failure– Greenhouse gas emissions reach a record high

• Population Growth– Progress slow on millennium development goals

• Conflict and Crime

Millennium Development Goals

• §1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger• §2 Achieve universal primary education• §3 Promote gender equality and empower

women• §4 Reduce child mortality• §5 Improve maternal health• §6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases• §7 Ensure environmental sustainability• §8 Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Millennium Development Goals

• §1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger• §2 Achieve universal primary education• §3 Promote gender equality and empower

women• §4 Reduce child mortality• §5 Improve maternal health• §6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases• §7 Ensure environmental sustainability• §8 Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Poverty

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/01_january/17/poll.shtml

Task: Book and Film Comparison• In your course you have studied global challenges through English-language

literature and films. • Write an essay in which you reflect on how effective the book of your choice

and the film Slumdog Millionaire have been in raising your awareness about three or more global challenges.

• Use examples from both the book and the film to support your arguments.

• Helpful resources can be found here:• Writing Course• A World in Transition

GlobalisationGlobalisation

• Poverty• Book review Q&A