When you write a compare and contrast essay, you need to decide whether you will use an evaluative thesis or an explanatory thesis.

An evaluative thesis reflects an opinion or judgment about the two things being compared.

An explanatory thesis compares two subjects without taking a stance.

Consider the following thesis statement:

The movie version of Gone With the Wind is superior to the book on which it is based.

The thesis statement above is an example of:

an evaluative thesis statement

an explanatory thesis statement