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Prewriting Gathering and Organizing Details

Once you’ve chosen topics to write about, it’s time to gather details about them. For this type of essay, it’s a good idea to gather and organize your details at the same time. To do this, you can use one of two graphic organizers: a T-chart or a Venn diagram. Both organizers work well when you are gathering details about two subjects at the same time.

T-Chart

A T-chart is just what it sounds like—a chart that looks like a T.

1. On the left side, list details about one of your subjects.
2. On the right side, list details about the other subject.
3. Underline any important similarities.
4. Place check marks next to important differences.