Directly compare and contrast the lives of the two men before they became president. Did they have anything in common? What was their educational background? What types of jobs/roles did they have before they became president? In your opinion, were they qualified to be president? Why or why not? Which was more qualified? Why?
What were the main events happening in the nation/world while they were president? Did the presidents deal with similar events during their time in office?
Which president accomplished more while president? Directly compare and contrast the accomplishments of the two presidents.
What is the greatest accomplishment of each while president? How do these two events compare?
What is the worst thing each man did while president? How do these events compare? Directly compare and contrast the mistakes of the two presidents. What is the one thing each president should be remembered for? In your opinion, were they good presidents or poor presidents? Why? Which was better?
Do not use contractions in formal writing. (Words like don’t, didn’t, etc.)
Do not use abbreviations or slang.
Unless you personally know the person about whom you are writing, do not refer to them simply by their first name. The first time you write the name, give the first and last name. Thereafter, you can use either the last name or the person’s title.
Use appropriate citations. You can use footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical references, whichever you are most comfortable using. You do not have to cite every fact in the paper. However, all quotations and statistics should be cited. Other facts that are questionable or controversial should be cited. You should also cite any time you report someone else’s opinion.
Use the correct form of “its.” “Its” is a possessive pronoun, for example, “the dog ate its bone.” “It’s” is a contraction meaning it is. For example, “It’s a beautiful day.” Also, use the correct form of “there” and “their”. “There” refers to a place, as in “He is over there.” “Their” is a plural possessive pronoun, as in “They waited for their ride.”
Know when to use “U.S.” instead of “United States.” “United States” is a noun and “U.S.” is an adjective. For example, “The government of the United States” or “the U.S. government.” Both are correct. You would not write “the government of the U.S.” or “the United States government.”
Avoid using the word “got.”
Do not use flowery, overly complex writing. You should strive for clarity in each sentence.
Do not use gross exaggerations (i.e., “He was the greatest man who ever lived.”).