The five-body paragraph compare and contrast essay will be written by most college freshmen in their preparatory English classes. For this type of essay, students will examine the similarities and the differences between two elements or objects. For the most part, students will discuss three similarities between the two elements/objects that they write about, and they will spend the majority of their essay examining the differences between those similarities. This article will provide a step-by-step guideline and an example of a fully developed and well-organized five-body paragraph compare and contrast essay.