Revise a paragraph by adding a contrasting example that clarifies what its main point does—and does not—claim.
A contrast should sharpen the point
A contrasting example shows a meaningful difference between two cases. Its purpose is not simply to add an opposite or an exception. It should help readers understand the paragraph’s main point more precisely. If your point is “A clear plan makes group work easier,” a useful contrast might show a group with a plan and one without. The comparison can reveal what “easier” means in this paragraph, such as knowing who will do each task. A contrast that does not clarify the point may pull attention away from it. Before adding one, ask: What might a reader misunderstand about my claim? What different case would make the boundary or meaning of the claim clearer?
Choose and connect the second case
First, state the paragraph’s main point in a sentence. Then identify the specific feature you want readers to notice: a reason, condition, result, or limit. Choose a contrasting case that changes that feature while keeping the comparison understandable. Finally, explain the difference. Words such as “by contrast,” “unlike,” or “however” can signal a turn, but a transition alone does not explain why the comparison matters. Add a sentence that connects the contrast back to the claim. Keep the comparison proportionate: if it takes over the paragraph, it may deserve its own paragraph or a narrower main point.
Worked demonstration
The following classroom situation and all details in it are fictional. In the revised paragraph, the contrast is not that one student is hardworking and another is not. Instead, the two cases differ in whether the task is divided into clear responsibilities. That choice focuses the comparison on the paragraph’s claim: a shared plan helps group members coordinate. The final sentence explains what the contrast reveals, so readers do not have to infer the point on their own.
Revise, then check the focus
Read the before-and-after passage below as a model of how a contrast can refine rather than replace a main point. After revising, check that both cases relate to the same feature, that the contrast is easy to follow, and that your explanation returns to the paragraph’s claim. If the contrast introduces a new topic, revise the example or adjust the claim so the paragraph has one clear focus.
Try it yourself
Practice with this fictional starting point: “A checklist can help a team prepare for a class presentation.” Add a contrasting case that shows a team preparing without a checklist. Then explain what the contrast reveals about the checklist’s role. Keep the comparison focused on preparation rather than judging the teams’ character or predicting a guaranteed result.
The revision, explained
A plan helps a group finish a project. In a fictional class project, Maya writes a list of tasks. Another group does not make a list. They have a hard time. This shows that plans are good.
A shared task plan can help a group coordinate a class project. In this fictional example, Maya’s group lists each task and assigns a person to complete it, so members can see who is responsible for what. By contrast, a second fictional group begins without assigning tasks; two members start the same section while another part remains untouched. The difference is not that one group cares more. It is that the first group makes responsibilities visible. A plan can therefore support coordination by helping members divide the work and notice what still needs attention.
The revision states a more specific main point: a plan supports coordination by making responsibilities visible. The contrasting case changes that feature—the groups do or do not assign tasks—rather than inviting a judgment about which students are better. Concrete details make the difference understandable, and the last two sentences explain how the contrast refines the claim. The word “can” also keeps the claim measured instead of promising that every plan guarantees success.
Try the idea.
Using the fictional starting point, “A checklist can help a team prepare for a class presentation,” write two or three sentences that contrast a team using a checklist with one preparing without one. Explain how the contrast clarifies the checklist’s role.
See the self-check +
A checklist can help a team keep track of presentation tasks. In this fictional example, one team uses a checklist to mark whether it has chosen a topic, prepared visuals, and divided speaking parts; by contrast, a second team prepares without a shared list and has to stop to work out which tasks remain. The difference suggests that a checklist can make unfinished tasks easier to notice. Self-check: both cases concern preparation, the contrast focuses on having a shared checklist, and the final sentence connects that difference to the main point without claiming the checklist guarantees a successful presentation.