What does it mean to compare and contrast?

To compare and contrast involves examining the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. This process helps to highlight how the subjects are alike and what distinguishes them from one another, providing a deeper understanding of each subject's characteristics. By engaging in comparison, one can analyze opinions, themes, or attributes, leading to a more nuanced perspective. This skill is essential in various contexts, enabling critical thinking and effective communication in both written and verbal forms.

The other options focus on narrower aspects: analyzing one subject in detail limits the scope to a single subject without any comparison, explaining only similarities excludes the essential aspect of differences, and discussing without evaluation does not involve analyzing or understanding the subjects' relationships. Each of these options fails to encompass the full breadth of what it means to compare and contrast.