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Essay writing

How to write a compare and contrast essay

Organise a comparison by criteria, not by retelling subject A and then subject B.

7 min read · Updated 2026-11-13

Compare by criterion

A weak comparison writes everything about A, then everything about B. A stronger one picks criteria — cost, evidence, ethics, outcome — and discusses both subjects under each criterion.

Thesis first

The introduction should say what the comparison shows, not only that two things will be compared. “This essay will compare X and Y” is a topic, not a thesis.

Conclusion

State which differences matter for the question. Do not repeat both summaries.

Structure help: university essay structure. Then check the draft.