This document provides instructions for writing a compare and contrast essay. It explains that the essay requires selecting two comparable subjects and analyzing their similarities and differences. The writer should establish a main idea and structure. First, the subjects should be chosen and have some similarities but also differences to compare. Next, the essay identifies all similar and different features of the subjects. Finally, the thesis statement should concisely state the focus of the comparison in one sentence. The document provides examples and emphasizes exploring three key points of comparison.