Imagine the following scenario: You are looking at your assignment prompt, which asks you to compare two things, yet you begin to compose a pair of long lists with traits instead of making any meaningful analysis. This is one of the pitfalls that most students commit, although it is not what your professor is seeking. It is not your aim to produce a laundry list of the comparisons; you must go into deeper water and provide the why and so what. A good compare and contrast essay must not simply demonstrate similarities and differences. It must take a side on such similarities and differences, giving some insight that renders such a comparison worthwhile.