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10 Great Essay Writing Tips
Knowing how to write a college essay is a useful skill for anyone who plans to go to college. Most colleges and universities ask you to submit a writing sample with your application. As a student, you’ll also write essays in your courses. Impress your professors with your knowledge and skill by using these great essay writing tips.
Prepare to Answer the Question
Most college essays ask you to answer a question or synthesize information you learned in class. Review notes you have from lectures, read the recommended texts and make sure you understand the topic. You should refer to these sources in your essay.
Plan Your Essay
Many students see planning as a waste of time, but it actually saves you time. Take a few minutes to think about the topic and what you want to say about it. You can write an outline, draw a chart or use a graphic organizer to arrange your ideas. This gives you a chance to spot problems in your ideas before you spend time writing out the paragraphs.
Choose a Writing Method That Feels Comfortable
You might have to type your essay before turning it in, but that doesn’t mean you have to write it that way. Some people find it easy to write out their ideas by hand. Others prefer typing in a word processor where they can erase and rewrite as needed. Find the one that works best for you and stick with it.
View It as a Conversation
Writing is a form of communication, so think of your essay as a conversation between you and the reader. Think about your response to the source material and the topic. Decide what you want to tell the reader about the topic. Then, stay focused on your response as you write.
Provide the Context in the Introduction
If you look at an example of an essay introduction, you’ll see that the best essays give the reader a context. Think of how you introduce two people to each other. You share the details you think they will find most interesting. Do this in your essay by stating what it’s about and then telling readers what the issue is.
Explain What Needs to be Explained
Sometimes you have to explain concepts or define words to help the reader understand your viewpoint. You also have to explain the reasoning behind your ideas. For example, it’s not enough to write that your greatest achievement is running an ultra marathon. You might need to define ultra marathon and explain why finishing the race is such an accomplishment.
Answer All the Questions
After you finish writing the first draft of your essay, make sure you’ve answered all the questions you were supposed to answer. For example, essays in compare and contrast format should show the similarities and differences between ideas, objects or events. If you’re writing about a significant achievement, describe what you did and how it affected you.
Stay Focused as You Write
Writing requires concentration. Find a place where you have few distractions and give yourself time to write without interruptions. Don’t wait until the night before the essay is due to start working on it.
Read the Essay Aloud to Proofread
When you finish writing your essay, read it aloud. You can do this by yourself or ask someone to listen to you read it. You’ll notice places where the ideas don’t make sense, and your listener can give you feedback about your ideas.
Avoid Filling the Page with Words
A great essay does more than follow an essay layout. It has something to say. Sometimes students panic and write everything they know about a topic or summarize everything in the source material. Your job as a writer is to show why this information is important.
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- The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples
The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples
Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 6, 2021.
An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.
Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type.
In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.
Table of contents
Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, frequently asked questions about types of essays.
An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.
Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.
The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:
- The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
- The body presents your evidence and arguments
- The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance
The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.
A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.
An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.
Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.
The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.
A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.
The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.
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A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.
Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.
A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.
Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.
Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.
Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.
A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.
The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.
A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.
Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.
A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.
Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.
On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.
My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.
With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…
Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.
Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.
Rhetorical analysis
A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.
The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.
The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.
The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.
King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.
Literary analysis
A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.
Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.
The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.
Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.
At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.
Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”
The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.
Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:
- In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
- In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
- In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory
An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.
An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.
The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.
Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.
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4 Major Types of Essay with Examples
Writing various sorts of essays effectively has become important to academic success. Essay writing is a regular school task, a requirement on college applications, and an element of standardized tests.
Choosing the proper sort of essay to write in response to a writing prompt is crucial to answering the question correctly on examinations. Clearly, students cannot afford to be puzzled about the many forms of essays.
It’s easy to become perplexed because there are over a dozen different varieties of essays. However, rest assured that the figure is more manageable. There are four basic categories of essays, with variations accounting for the remaining.
Argumentative and Expository Essays are concerned with delivering facts and making clear arguments, but Narrative and Descriptive Essays are concerned with expressing oneself creatively and writing in an engaging manner. Argumentative essays are the most prevalent sort of essay at the university level.
You must know how to write an essay before knowing the 4 major types of Essays.
Here are the 4 Major Types of Essays for you to Learn, Once you are Clear with the Structure of an Essay.
1. narrative essay :.
The writer of a narrative essay presents a story about a real-life experience. While it may appear that narrating a tale is simple, the narrative essay requires students to think about and write about themselves.
When writing a narrative essay, authors should make the story as vivid as possible in order to engage the reader. Because narrative essays are frequently written in the first person, the reader is more engaged.
Readers will feel as if they are a part of the tale if you use “I” statements. A well-written narrative essay will also progress toward a conclusion or a personal statement.
The Christmas Cake
“First of all, let me clarify that I have grown up to be a complete amateurish in cooking. My parents performed their jobs quite efficiently and they always baked those perfect cakes for me every Christmas. That night, it was me, the inexpert chef, who took the initiative to make a Christmas cake and surprise them.
To today’s date, I’ve only made several hamburgers on my own. Unfortunately, I had no clue about baking a cake. All I knew were the ingredients that I would use throughout the process. He dived completely in-depth into the recipe reflected on a book and started to set for the Christmas cake.
Then I cleaned the kitchen first and made a huge bowl sit in front of me to mix the essentials. I was excited and tensed at the same time, as it was something I tried for the first time…”
Guidelines for Writing a Narrative Essay :
These are the most basic guidelines for writing an excellent narrative essay:
- Use conversations in your article to make it more realistic.
- When structuring the document, keep the chronological sequence in mind.
- In the first paragraph of your essay , there must be a purpose.
- To interest your readers, use highlighted descriptions and sensory data.
- All of the characters, storylines, and the beginning, or climax, must be significant.
All of these factors work together in your article to accurately depict the entire scene in front of your readers’ eyes. So, if you want to write a good narrative essay, make sure you follow these rules to the letter.
2. Descriptive Essay:
A descriptive essay, like that of a narrative essay, uses words to create a picture. A writer could describe a person, a location, an item, or even a memorable memory. This is not, however, a descriptive essay for the sake of description. The goal of a descriptive essay is to convey a deeper meaning through description.
Through the use of vivid words and sensory details, the writer should show, not tell, in a descriptive essay. The finest descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, producing a vivid effect.
“Moving up to our north cabin and spending time there had always been something that I enjoyed and looked up to. It was a nice, beautiful, and serene place. It offered a lot in terms of peace and serenity that you will not find in cities. We used to look forward to our summer vacations.
So that we can go up north and experience things that we cannot do in the city. Even though time has changed and things are not as they used to be, the memory is still fresh. The atmosphere up north was quite different than in the city. When in the cabin, I marvel at how different the atmosphere and life here are then the cities.
Life in the city is full of noise and tension. You have to get up for work, and the noise of traffic would never let you relax and enjoy nature. Only if you are lucky to have it around. Things up north were different, you can enjoy the sunshine and greenery, and there is no hustle-bustle.
The air was fresh, healthy, and clean. The nights are quiet, and you can hear the animals coming out to hunt for food. Cities are filled with polluted air. This abundance of polluted air is mainly due to the heavy traffic and factories.
The air is thick due to smoke, smog, and other types of air contaminators that no one wants to breathe in. Getting clean air in a city is next to impossible…”
Guidelines of Writing a Descriptive Essay:
- Make a decision on a certain issue. Descriptive essays that are well-written stay focused at all times.
- Gather information.
- Make a rough sketch.
- Write the first paragraph of your essay.
- Body paragraphs should be written.
- In the final paragraph, summarize the essay .
- Look for methods to make your language more lively.
3. Argumentative Essay :
An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that offers a lengthy, evidence-based case. It necessitates a solid thesis statement—a well-defined viewpoint on your subject. Your goal is to persuade the reader of your argument by providing evidence like quotes and analysis.
Argumentative essays put your abilities to investigate and convey your own point of view on a subject to the test. At the undergraduate level, this is the most prevalent style of essay—almost every paper you write will include some form of argumentation.
Students Who Study Abroad Achieve Greater Success
“Much of our learning takes place outside the classroom. We learn how to maintain budgets, forge friendships, develop business relationships, and more. Imagine extending those skills on a global level.
We would immediately cease to believe the world only contains the people and things we can see but, rather, a wide variety of opinions, customs, beliefs, and ethics. This is why every college-level student must study abroad during their undergraduate years. They will learn more in that semester abroad than in any other academic year.
According to IES Abroad, a company that encourages students to become international leaders, students who study abroad are more likely to be accepted into the graduate degree program of their choice. In fact, 90% of students who studied abroad with IES are admitted to their first or second choice for graduate school.
Imagine walking into an interview and being able to discuss preparing the most popular dish in India or organizing the best route to take from Sydney, Australia to Perth. Not only does this strike up a memorable conversation, but it also demonstrates a student’s fierce independence and determination.
All this makes someone who has studied abroad a more desirable candidate for their dream job. As if IES Abroad’s statistic above was not astounding enough, it has been proven that 97% of students who study abroad find employment within 12 months of graduation…..”
Guidelines of Writing an Argumentative Essay:
- The thesis that is well-structured. The introduction to the argument is the first step in writing an argumentative essay.
- Body Paragraphs that support the thesis statement. The essay has three body paragraphs that support the thesis’ statements.
- Arguments in opposition.
- A conclusion that is persuasive.
- Phrases that bridge the gap.
4. Expository Essay:
An expository essay is a piece of writing that provides a balanced overview of a subject. In an expository essay, the writer uses facts, data, and examples to illustrate or clarify a topic.
Expository writing includes a variety of essay types, including comparison and contrast essays, cause and effect essays, and “how to” or process essays . Expository essays do not show emotions or write in the first person since they are based on facts rather than personal feelings.
“This morning at 9 am, a school bus collided with a car at the intersection of Jones and Heard streets. There were no injuries on the school bus, but medical personnel performed checks on each student and the driver before those students were transported to their schools.
The driver of the car sustained slight, non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the local hospital. The accident is still under investigation at this time.
Advances in science and technology have made the use of “green” energy possible. In places where climate conditions permit, people are able to use solar energy or wind energy for power. Solar energy is the use of sunlight for energy and power.
Humans are able to harness the energy of the sun by installing solar panels on their homes or businesses . Humans have also found ways to harness the power of the wind by using wind turbines to capture wind energy. Both of these forms of “green” energy are being used more and more.
The school science fair was a success again this year! We had 15 teams participating, and they all had amazing projects. Each team consisted of two students who designed a science experiment to test a hypothesis, created a display of their experiment and results, and presented their display to the judges.
The winners this year are Sarah Jones and Mark Gordon, who hypothesized that students get into less trouble in the classroom on days when it is sunny outside.
The judges were very impressed with their data collection methods, which included asking teachers to share information on how many students earned stars at the end of each day. They correlated this information with their own data about the weather-sunny, cloudy, or rainy…”
Guidelines for Writing an Expository Essay:
- Choose the essay structure
- Start with an outline
- Verify point of view requirements
- Focus on clarity
Now that you know how to write an essay and the different types of essays, what are you waiting for? Start writing your essay today itself. Oh, do not worry about the errors and mistakes. We always have your back for that. You can close your eyes and rely on editing and proofreading services to make your essay completely immaculate.
-Isabell S.
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Different Types of Essays Writing: 4 Main + 12 Additional
By: Angelina Grin
16 Types of Essays
1) argumentative essay , 2) expository essays , 3) descriptive essay , 4) narrative essay , persuasive essays , process essay , analytical essays , expository essay , reflective essays , critical analysis essay , compare and contrast essays , what are the 4 major types of essays, what are the 10 types of essays, what is the most common type of essay, what is an essay format, how many types of essays are there.
An academic essay is a piece of writing whose focus is to persuade and inform. It achieves these goals by developing ideas and arguments through analysis, evidence, and interpretation. Several essays fall into four major categories: descriptive , expository , argumentative , and narrative essays .
There are also different types of essays for elementary, middle school, high school, and higher learning levels like universities and colleges.
While paper writing is part of academic progress, many students do not differentiate the various types of academic essays. Understanding all the paper types makes it easier for the scholar to create a well-organized paper that is understandable to the reader.
The internet makes it easy for students to research and get relevant information, but that is not enough without knowing essay writing styles. Every topic in academic writing falls under a particular type of essay.
The main types of essays include:
- Descriptive
- Argumentative
- Cause and effect
- Comparison and contrast
- Explicatory
4 Major Types of Essays
There are 4 main types of essays.
Before settling to write any essay paper , it is critical first to answer the question, “what are the different types of essays?” Know their distinguishing features and where to apply each of the essays. Four modes of essay writing are known as the organized, the chronological, the functional, and the cause-effect.
It would also help to understand the different kinds of essay formats since each paper follows a specific format. Check out the main essay types and definitions below.
An argumentative essay focuses on an intensive argument concerning a particular thesis statement . The writer has to take a firm stand on one side of the argument and aim to convince the reader about your thesis by citing pieces of evidence. Your stance on the discussion should be clear near the end of your introduction.
An argumentative essay has three distinguishing features.
Introduction - it captures the reader's attention and prepares them for what to expect. It should present the appropriate topic and clearly outline the writer’s point of view.
The body paragraphs - should present your main ideas in a systematic order. Present your argument and evidence for it to your audience.
Conclusion - construct a summarizing paragraph emphasizing the importance of your argument. You need to create a strong conclusion, and the following tips might help:
- 🤝 Sum up the main points of your paper .
- 🤔 Make it clear why your stance matters in the argument.
- 🎯 Aim at impressing the reader .
Argumentative essays are common in higher learning levels like college and university. It tests your research skills and your ability to defend your position on a given topic.
Academic papers for colleges and universities are more detailed and complicated than the lower levels. It requires you to employ your research techniques in practice. In addition, the knowledge and skills you gain from experience will help you stand by your opinion even after graduation.
Expository refers to the art of describing or explaining something. An expository essay clearly describes a given topic , set of ideas, or process. It provides a balanced view on the topic rather than proving any point. They are more natural than argumentative essays, which rely majorly on research.
It is a type of essay that provides facts and information. It aims to test the scholar’s ability to express themselves or present an explanation on a given topic. You need to consult statistics and find factual examples to write a perfect descriptive essay.
Below are the five main features of an expository essay.
- Instructive - it should provide accurate information with facts.
- Specific - you need to be clear and precise when giving a factual explanation.
- Well-organized - always follow the order of events.
- Semi-formal – there are no first-person nouns in the paper.
- Objective - its purpose is to equip the reader with information without subjective opinions.
A perfect expository essay structure requires the following components.
- An introduction that provides background information on the topic in question.
- Body paragraphs that elaborate on the facts.
- A solid conclusion to wrap up the main ideas in the essay.
Expository writing is the most common kinds of essays for middle and high school levels. These academic essay genres intend to test the student’s understanding of the subject and composition skills.
Expository essay writing styles are helpful in school and teach the student how to express any issue in their own words.
A descriptive essay vividly describes a general situation, object, or place. It mainly involves a more abstract case, like an emotion. It is the most creative of all types of essays. It tests the writer’s ability to use language to convey a memorable image of the object creatively and originally.
These genres of essays are common assignments for students in high school and also for composition classes. A well-structured descriptive piece of writing has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Introduction - should establish the purpose of your writing. Also, set the tone of the impression by clearly showing what you want your audience to focus its attention on.
The body - the body includes factual, sensory, and figurative details. It also involves your feelings and thoughts and should be in local order. Use a transition to connect your ideas.
Conclusion - restate the main idea and briefly summarize the ideas in the body.
A descriptive paper equips the writer with the skills to use language figuratively to describe life’s events, both in school and after-school life.
Narration is a story, and therefore a narrative essay involves telling a story. Most of the time, it consists of the narrator’s personal experience. Unlike other essay forms, the narrative gives you room to get creative and unique when telling your story, and you can freely use first-person nouns.
The following are the five distinctive features of a narrative type of essay with examples.
Plot refers to the events and how they follow each other in your story. For instance, you can narrate your first day in college, what happened, and how the events influenced who you are currently.
Setting : it refers to the location and time of the events, for example, at a particular school in the winter of a specific year.
Character : a protagonist drives your story, but you may have some support characters. In this case, you are the protagonist; your support characters could be the people you met on your first day in school.
Conflict is the challenge, problem, or moment of tension the protagonist has to solve or win.
Theme : it is the moral of the narrative or what you learn and want the reader to know. For instance, the challenges you face as a new student and how to counter them.
Narrative essays are common in high school and university composition classes. It places a student in a position to write a personal statement correctly when making applications even after graduation.
Common Types of Essays for Elementary School
Elementary school is the second-lowest level after kindergarten and ranges from grades one to seven.
Learners in these grades are equipped with writing skills in easy essay types and different types of essay formats. The following are some types of academic essays for the elementary school level.
A persuasive essay aims at convincing the reader to take sides or adopt the writer’s opinion. It involves factual pieces of evidence and emotional appeals. A writer can include emotional and moral reasoning to connect with the audience to support a cause or argument.
The basis of a persuasive essay is sound reasoning, relevant facts, and evidence. The following features distinguish a persuasive paper from other types of essay writing styles.
Clear and concise thesis : as a writer, you need to present your thesis in the first paragraph. Clearly define your take on the particular topic.
Introduction : you need to create a strong introduction that captures your readers' attention and presents the ideas of the central issue in question. Clearly communicate the background information of the issue. A strong introduction will persuade the audience to buy the writer’s opinion on the topic.
The body : the body develops the argument in a clear evidential manner. The writer needs to start from known to unknown. Consider the reader’s point of view on the topic before introducing your take as a writer.
Conclusion : a firm conclusion in persuasive writing readdresses the thesis touching on the evidence provided in the essay.
A persuasive paper must meet the following characteristics:
- 👉 Readability
- 👉 Understandability
- 👉 Relevance
- 👉 Reliability
- 👉 Logical consistency
The skills in persuasive writing enable the learner to tackle more complicated different type of essays at higher levels.
It isa type of exposition essay that explains how something works or how to do something. A process essay writer must maintain clarity and organization by following a chronological order. It must have the following elements.
Introduction: it presents the process you will be communicating in your essay.
The body paragraphs should describe the process step-by-step in chronological order. Transitional words will help you to connect one step to the next.
Conclusion: summarize the entire process in your conclusion. For example, learning how to prepare chicken is the best experience anyone can enjoy.
Process essays are common in elementary school, as early as the third grade. They equip the learner with skills and the ability to break down the process of writing and achieve better results in other types of academic essays.
Common Types of Essays for Middle School
Middle school is like a bridge between elementary and high school. It serves adolescent students in grades five to nine. The higher middle school grades, 7 to 9, are commonly referred to as junior high school grades.
Some types of papers at the elementary level are part of the middle school curriculum, while some high school essays start in middle school. The following are the types of essays in English for middle school.
It is a type of argumentative writing that outlines the relationship between two subjects. In an academic paper for a typical cause and effect essay writing, the writer details how an event, person, or object influences another one directly.
In a school setup, cause and effect essays are meant to teach persuasive writing, logic, and critical thinking. In a professional setting or academic writing, these paper formats are in the form of a research paper, scientific studies, or lab report abstract. In either case, the author explains a phenomenon and attempts to explain its causes.
There are different essay structures for each type of paper. Below are the structure and main features of a cause-and-effect essay.
Introduction: the introduction should give background information about the topic to the context of your essay. To make a solid introduction, avoid cliché phrases and words.
Body: the body paragraphs include a topic sentence and supportive sentences. A topic sentence introduces the paragraph's main idea and captures the reader’s attention to the supporting sentences. Support sentences give persuasive facts.
Conclusion: summarize the content of your essay in conclusion. Please do not introduce any new information at this point. You can re-state your thesis in the introduction. Listing the causes in your essay body is another alternative way of creating a solid conclusion for the cause-and-effect essay.
It is an essay genre where the student has to investigate and expound on an idea. The scholar then examines the evidence and clearly presents an argument on the same idea. Accomplishing this requires comparison and contrast, definition, or cause and effect analysis.
The features of exposition or expository writing include the following.
Informative: the main point of expository text is to give information.
Clarity: the writer needs to use words that communicate what the text is talking about.
Text organization: an excellent exposition should retain its focus on the topic and outline the events in chronological order.
Impersonal: it does not encourage the use of the first person but instead uses the second-person pronouns “you.”
Unbiased: an exposition aims at providing information and does not openly disclose the author’s opinion.
The structure below holds an exposition together.
A statement of the thesis should be clear, concise, and defined.
The Introduction gives a clear link or transition between the introduction and the body. The body paragraphs should concentrate on the main idea of your writing to maintain clarity and direction all through the essay. It should be creative and factual, logical, or statistical evidential support. Create a solid conclusion by readdressing your thesis in light of some of the evidence in the body.
Common Types of Essays in High School
High school teachers introduce more complex essays to students than those in middle school. Some of the papers in high school progress to the college level. Below are some essays for high school students.
A reflective means you have to reflect on your own experiences. A reflective essay requires the writer to communicate their thoughts and feelings about a specific person, situation, or place in their point of view. Many scholars confuse a reflective paper with a narrative essay.
A reflective piece of writing includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction: you need to be specific about what you reflect upon in your paper. Make the reader understand your position in the subject you are assessing.
The body: each paragraph in the body must start with a topic sentence. Speak your thoughts and experiences concerning the topic. You may include a thesis and statements if you are writing an academic paper.
Conclusion: it requires a precise articulation of your thoughts and feelings to create a solid conclusion.
- ✍️ The writer should maintain the essay formal and conceivable to differentiate it from the narrative essay.
- ✍️ Apply some descriptive skills.
- ✍️ Use a classical structure.
- ✍️ Avoid being personal.
It is an essay writing style that incorporates critical thinking, reading, and writing to communicate to the audience. The writer identifies a piece of art or literature and tries to analyze the author or artist’s thoughts. It focuses on the writer’s opinion, thesis, and argument using logical reasoning and citing evidence.
The significant parts of a critical analysis essay include an outline, introduction, body, and conclusion.
The outline: think critically about what you are writing about. Outline the main ideas in bullet form.
Introduction: the introduction should state the aim of the initial author of the work you are writing about. Make the introduction as engaging and captivating as possible to capture your reader’s attention.
Body: focus on the ideas in your outline and introduction. Each body paragraph should tackle a single notion for flow and consistency.
These tips 👇 will help a writer create a captivating critical analysis essay.
- 📝 Use transitional words to link your ideas.
- 📝 Be logical and concise.
- 📝 Use third-person narration.
Common Essays in College
The highest level of essays applies to college and university scholars. The following are some of the paper types for college.
It is an essay style that shows the differences and similarities between two subjects or more. It is a perfect way of showing what unites or separates two subjects or objects, especially if people tend to confuse them.
Compare and contrast essay has some similarities to other paper types, but it has the following distinguishing features:
Thesis: Carefully pick the subjects you want to compare. If it is not given in the question, you have to be keen to select the one you can handle comfortably.
Organization: These essays follow a specific paper structure. The essay format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction: you need to elaborate on your thesis or the subject you will be discussing.
Body: it is the central part of your paper. It would be best to list the differences and similarities between your subjects of discussion here.
Conclusion: summarize and clearly wrap up your points.
There are three ways a writer can approach a compare and contrast essay:
- Block method where you will discuss one subject after the other.
- Alternating method where you have to give point by point. Here you tackle one subject on a particular aspect then the other subject follows immediately.
- Similarities and differences. Start by discussing all the similarities between the two variables, then handle the differences.
Other essay types for college include research and definition. Reflective papers are also part of the college curriculum.
The four major types of essays include argumentative, descriptive, narrative, and expository. Expository and argumentative aim at giving clear points and information, while narrative and descriptive test the writer’s creativity.
There are more types of essays besides the four major categories. Below are ten of these essays.
- Comparative
An argumentative paper is the most common essay type. It tests the writer’s research skills and ability to present their position on a particular subject. It is common at the college level.
An essay format is a series of guidelines that influence how you arrange your academic paper. It includes:
- Page basics
- Essay outline
There are many different types of papers to write, but there are four major ones. The essays are subdivided according to their complexity and students’ level of education.
Learning the different types of essays in English language is the first step toward being an excellent writer. You will be able to differentiate each type with its format, writing style, and structure.
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Great work fellow colleagues👏👏 good choice of words and easy to understand.
EVANS OCHIENG
Every section of this article was helpful. It gave me knowledge on the definition essays that can be used with data, to criticize, and how to include sources in my pages. From the popular forms of essays, to what you should include in each section, this was really great.
Angelina Grin, the author, is constantly on point; I follow her articles, and they are usually part of my resources for references when I'm assigned tasks. I like how she summarizes bulky topics and manages to illustrate them using pristine examples. I enjoyed reading every single part of this article.
Harriet L.J.
My teacher told me to examine the benefits of writing different storytelling essays. I now know which type is best to argue my point on any subject matter. It was really helpful and I now feel confident in my college work.
The concept behind a literary analysis essay is for writers to detail everything from the storyline and the idioms to every literary tool used in a piece of literature. It gives readers full experience even if they've yet to read the work.
I was struggling with writing a narrative essay. This article helped to explain how to write different essays and improve the quality of my written work.
While reading this article, I learned the need for the inclusion of sensory details in essays. With literary analysis of any specific topic, you can easily spot the author's writing process.
I was looking for help to explore what an analytical essay and critical essay are to improve my grade band.
Descriptive essays are very critical essays because you need to use words to give your readers an insight into your mind. Thank you for the awesome guidelines.
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Essay Examples and the 4 Main Types
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There are four main types of writing: narrative, descriptive, expository, and argumentative. Each has a unique purpose. Some tell a story, others attempt to alter opinions. You use these four writing types to write different types of essays.
Narrative Writing
Narrative writing means you’re telling a story from a certain viewpoint, and there is usually a reason for the telling. All narrative essays have characters, setting, a climax, and most importantly, a plot.
When writing a narrative essay , remember to:
- include sensory and emotional details, so the reader will experience the story, not just read about it
- allow the story to support the point you’re making, and make reference to that point in the first sentence
- write in the first or third person
Examples of Narrative Writing
Ready for a little storytelling? Here are some excerpts from narrative essay examples.
"Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick one that leaves me with the fabled 'warm and fuzzy feelings.' As the daughter of an Air Force major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon and have jumped on the beds at Caesar's Palace in Lake Tahoe."
"Looking for houses was supposed to be a fun and exciting process. Unfortunately, none of the ones that we saw seemed to match the specifications that we had established. They were too small, too impersonal, too close to the neighbors. After days of finding nothing even close, we began to wonder: was there really a perfect house out there for us?"
"The day I picked my dog up from the pound was one of the happiest days of both of our lives. I had gone to the pound just a week earlier with the idea that I would just 'look' at a puppy. Of course, you can no more just look at those squiggling little faces so filled with hope and joy than you can stop the sun from setting in the evening. I knew within minutes of walking in the door that I would get a puppy… but it wasn't until I saw him that I knew I had found my puppy."
The following is an example of a famous narrative written by John Updike , Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu .
"The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned on--always a wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded."
Descriptive Writing
Descriptive essays describe the traits and characteristics of people, objects, events, and feelings in intricate detail. What’s being described will be thoroughly examined. For example, if you were describing roses, you might want to detail:
- their origin
- their appearance
- their color
- their fragrance
When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader’s senses and emotions. For example, you could say, "I got sleepy." Or, you could write, "While I waited for Santa, my eyelids grew heavy, the lights on the tree began to blur, and my head began to droop." The second excerpt provides vivid detail, allowing readers to feel like they’re there.
Examples of Descriptive Writing
Ready to dive into the details? Here are three excerpts rife with detail.
"Like his twisted feathers, his many scars, the reliable old owl chose the gnarled, weather-beaten, but solid branch often - it being a companion to the wise alone with the night and the last branch to creak in the heaviest wind. He often came to survey the fields and the clouds before his hunt, to listen to the steady sound of the stream passing through reeds under the bridge, while combing his feathers for the unwanteds - whatever they might be."
A student at Roane State Community College managed to spice up a first visit to a diner. Watch how descriptive things get.
"When entering the door at Lou's, two things are immediately noticeable: the place is rarely empty and seems to consist of a maze of rooms. The first room, through the door, is the main part of the restaurant. There is another, rarely used, dining room off to the right. It was added during the oil well boom of the seventies. Through the main dining room is yet another room; it guards the door leading into the kitchen. This room contains the most coveted table in the place. The highest tribute Lou can bestow on anyone is to allow them access to seats at this table. This table is the family table; it is reserved for Lou's, and her daughter Karen's, immediate family and treasured friends."
Like the diner essay above, this sample excerpt from a student at St. Cloud State spruces up something as everyday as a local pawn shop.
"Billy Ray's Pawn Shop and Lawn Mower Repair looked like a burial ground for country auction rejects. The blazing, red, diesel fuel tanks beamed in front of the station, looking like cheap lipstick against the pallid, wrinkled texture of the parking lot sand. The yard, not much larger than the end zone at General G. Patton High School on the north end of town, was framed with a rusted metallic hedge of lawn mowers, banana seat bicycles, and corroded oil drums. It wasn't a calico frame of rusted parts, but rather an orchestra of unwanted machinery that Billy Ray had arranged into sections. The yellow-tanked mowers rested silently at the right of the diesel fuel. Once red, now faded orange, mowers stood at attention to the left. The oil barrels, jaded and pierced with holes, bellared like chimes when the wind was right. The bikes rested sporadically throughout the lot. In the middle of it all was the office, a faded, steel roof supported by cheap two-by-fours and zebra paneling. Billy Ray was at home, usually, five blocks east of town on Kennel Road."
Expository Writing
Expository essays compare, explore, and discuss problems. While there’s a bit of a storytelling element to them, their purpose is greater than that. It’s always to explain some integral concept to the reader. As such, they inform, describe, and explain.
When writing an expository essay, the text needs to:
- be concise and easy to understand
- offer different views on a subject
- report on a situation or event
- explain something that may be difficult to understand
Examples of Expository Writing
Ready to dive deep into a specific issue? Here are three excerpts that’ll show you how it’s done.
"This family was a victim of a problem they could have avoided-a problem that, according to Florida park rangers, hundreds of visitors suffer each year. 'Several times a month,' Ranger Rod Torres of O'Leno State Park said, 'people get scared and leave the park in the middle of the night.' Those people picked the wrong kind of park to visit. Not that there was anything wrong with the park: The hikers camped next to them loved the wild isolation of it. But it just wasn't the kind of place the couple from New Jersey had in mind when they decided to camp out on this trip through Florida."
This sample expository essay from Thoughtful Learning relies heavily on facts and statistics to explain the important concept of cheating.
"Did you know that 7 out of 10 students have cheated at least once in the past year? Did you know that 50 percent of those students have cheated more than twice? These shocking statistics are from a survey of 9,000 U.S. high school students. Incredibly, teachers may even be encouraging their students to cheat! Last year at a school in Detroit, teachers allegedly provided their students with answers to statewide standard tests."
The University of Victoria uses this sample essay to demonstrate the importance of straightforward clarity in an expository essay.
"Throughout history and through a cross-section of cultures, women have transformed their appearance to conform to a beauty ideal. Ancient Chinese aristocrats bound their feet as a show of femininity; American and European women in the 1800s cinched in their waists so tightly, some suffered internal damage; in some African cultures, women continue to wear plates in their lower lips, continually stretching the skin to receive plates of larger size. The North American ideal of beauty has continually focused on women's bodies: the tiny waist of the Victorian period, the boyish figure in vogue during the flapper era, and the voluptuous curves that were the measure of beauty between the 1930s and 1950s. Current standards emphasize a toned, slender look, one that exudes fitness, youth, and health. According to psychologist Eva Szekely, 'Having to be attractive at this time... means unequivocally having to be thin. In North America today, thinness is a precondition for being perceived by others and oneself as healthy.' However, this relentless pursuit of thinness is not just an example of women trying to look their best, it is also a struggle for control, acceptance and success."
Argumentative Writing
In an argumentative essay , the writer is trying to convince the reader by demonstrating the validity or falsity of a topic. They back up their position with evidence, including statistics or the opinion of experts. In these essays, the writer isn’t merely offering an opinion, but making an argument for or against something, and supporting that argument with data.
To write an argumentative essay , it’s important to research and back up what you say in the text. You may also use argumentative writing in persuasive writing , which uses emotional language and appeals to convince the reader.
Examples of Argumentative Writing
When it’s time to stand your ground and make a strong case, allow these excerpts to help get you started.
"Gun control has been a controversial issue for years. A vast majority of citizens believe that if gun control is strictly enforced, it would quickly reduce the threat of crime. Many innocent people feel they have the right to bear arms for protection, or even for the pleasure of hunting. These people are penalized for protecting their lives, or even for enjoying a common, innocent sport. To enforce gun control throughout the nation means violating a person’s Constitutional rights. Although some people feel that the issue of gun control will limit crime, the issue should not exist due to the fact that guns are necessary for self defense against crime, and enforcing gun control is violating a citizen's second amendment right to bear arms."
An argumentative essay from Bogazici University offers a bit of a dramatic flair, which is important to making a strong argument.
"Throw out the bottles and boxes of drugs in your house. A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health, which should at least come as good news to people who cannot afford to buy expensive medicine. However, it is a blow to the medicine industry, and an even bigger blow to our confidence in the progress of science. This new theory argues that healing is at our fingertips: we can be healthy by doing Reiki on on a regular basis."
Essay By Example dives deeply into an argument touting the benefits of online gaming.
"Online games aren't just a diversion, but a unique way to meet other people. As millions of gamers demonstrate, playing online is about friendship and cooperation, not just killing monsters. These games are a viable social network because players focus on teamwork, form groups with like-minded people and have romantic relationships with other players. Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) feature millions of players interacting in the same environment. The games are social in nature as they allow players to band together and complete missions based on a story line, or test their skills by fighting against each other. At the start of the game, the user creates a fictional character, and customizes its physical appearance. Since many games involve combat, players also outfit their characters with armor and weapons, as well as choose their 'profession.' Many popular game titles like World of Warcraft and Everquest follow a fantasy theme, so most professions have magical abilities like healing other players or raising undead minions. While the process seems simple, players may spend hours agonizing over the perfect look for their character, from their armor color to the type of skills to use in battle. Once their character is created, the player is free to explore the vast, digital world and interact with other players; however they must pay on average $15 a month for game content. MMOG users are mostly male - usually between the ages of 18-34 - although titles like World of Warcraft have a healthy population of female players as well. With millions of players, there are plenty of people to adventure with."
The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword
Sometimes, writers only want to offer facts and information (informative writing). Other times, they’re seeking to change the tide of people’s belief systems (argumentative writing). Using these writing techniques, you can write many different types of essays.
English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton wasn’t kidding when he said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” With the right words and a well-developed argument, you can shape other people’s perceptions too.
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15 Types of Essays (and What You Need To Know About Them)
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Narrative essays narrate, argumentative essays argue, and expository essays … expose? Explain? (It’s a little of both). While these essays may use narrative, argumentative, and expository writing styles to make their points, they’re not the only types of essays to do so. In fact, there are 15 different types of essays — all of which narrate, argue, or explain something to their readers.
1. Narrative Essays
Narrative essays tell stories from your life or the lives of others. They’re told just like fictional short stories, with characters, a setting, a compelling plot, a climax, and a resolution.
Narrative essays use the third person perspective (it happened to someone else) or the first person perspective (it happened to the writer). Narrative essays should be entertaining and engaging to read, so choose a narrative writing topic that speaks to you.
Narrative Essay Example Structure
When writing a narrative essay , a possible structure could include:
- Introduction - Hint at what you or the character learned
- Body - Tell the story from beginning to end, finishing in an exciting or compelling climax in the last body paragraph
- Conclusion - Reflect on what you or the character learned from the experience in the story
2. Argumentative Essays
Argumentative essays (also called argument essays ) investigate topics fairly and thoroughly to present the writer’s argument to the reader. The writer makes a claim and argues why evidence and logic support that claim in a well-structured essay.
Strong argumentative essays use rhetorical devices to strengthen their arguments, and they address the opposing argument (known as a counterclaim) as well. When choosing an argumentative essay topic , select an issue that you care about (or a topic you’d like to learn more about), and begin researching your position with reliable sources.
Argumentative Essay Structure Example
You can structure an argumentative essay like this:
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and your claim in a thesis statement
- Body - Support your position with evidence (and bring up counterclaims)
- Conclusion - Restate your claim and summarize how you proved it
3. Expository Essays
Expository essays use research and critical thinking to explain more about a topic. Newspaper articles are a type of expository essay — they provide information to the reader in a concise, factual way. Writing expository essays requires a straightforward outline, evidence-based conclusions, and a strong thesis statement.
Though expository writing reveals information, it’s not the same as technical writing . Expository essays “expose” the truth about a selected topic , not just the information about it.
Expository Essay Structure Example
Most expository essays follow a structure similar to this:
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and hint at a deeper truth
- Body - Explain more about the topic with evidence; expose the truth and/or implications of the topic in a final body paragraph
- Conclusion - Summarize the information and its larger meaning
4. Descriptive Essays
Like narrative essays, descriptive essays use narration to set a scene for the reader. But unlike narrative essays, descriptive essays don’t tell a story from beginning to end. If a painting could be an essay, it would be a descriptive essay — a written experience that you can almost see.
Descriptive essays use lots of sensory details to describe the way something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels. Well-written descriptive essays also use similes, metaphors, hyperboles, or other types of figurative language to pull their readers into the experience.
Descriptive Essay Structure Example
When writing a descriptive essay, you can follow this outline:
- Introduction - Introduce the topic you’re going to describe with an engaging, sensory hook sentence
- Body - Describe the topic with rich sensory detail and figurative language
- Conclusion - Summarize your essay and conclude with a memorable descriptive sentence
5. Persuasive Essays
Persuasive essay writers try to convince their readers to agree with them. You’ll find examples of persuasive writing in both essays and speeches when a speaker, writer, or politician wants the audience on their side.
When you write a persuasive essay, you use similar strategies as you would in an argumentative essay. But persuasive essays use personal anecdotes (stories about yourself or others) and emotional appeals rather than the logic and evidence you’ll find in an argumentative essay. They also include a call to action at the end that inspires their audience to act.
Persuasive Essay Structure Example
You can structure your persuasive essay in a similar way as your argumentative essay, with a few key differences.
- Introduction - Use an emotional evocative hook to get the reader interested in your position right away
- Body - Use personal anecdotes, dramatic language, and emotional appeals to get the reader on your side
- Conclusion - Finish with a call to action for your reader — what should they do now?
6. Informative Essays
Like expository essays, informative essays (also called informational essays ) inform their readers about a topic. But the main purpose of an informative essay is to educate the audience rather than to expose them to the truth.
Informative essays require lots of evidence and strong research. Be sure to choose an informative essay topic that interests you, since you’re going to learn a lot about it during the course of your writing.
Informative Essay Structure Example
Outline your informative essay structure in a straightforward, no-nonsense way.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic with a strong hook (such as an interesting fact or statistic)
- Body - Explain more about the topic with evidence
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and conclude with a general statement about the topic
7. Personal Narrative Essays
Personal narrative essays (also called personal narratives ) are a form of narrative writing in which the writer explores how an experience affected or shaped them. They focus on a single event or theme in one’s life, and unlike narrative essays, personal narratives are always true (and always autobiographical).
College entrance essays are a type of personal narrative in which a college applicant considers how a event or person in their past helped them to become the person they are today. Another type of personal narrative is a memoir — a longer narrative about one’s own life.
Personal Narrative Structure Example
It’s tempting to write a personal narrative in an unstructured way, but having a solid structure is the key to writing a compelling personal narrative.
- Introduction - Set the scene, both in setting and tone (Where are we? When does it take place?)
- Body - Tell the story with rich detail, beginning to end, culminating in a meaningful climax
- Conclusion - Reflect on the experience and reveal how it shaped or changed you
8. Reflective Essays
Reflective essays explore an idea, concept, or observation from a writer’s point of view. They may include humor or emotional writing, but they should reveal a lot about the writer themselves (and about the reader).
Both reflective writing and personal narratives are forms of creative writing. But while reflective essays are personal, they don’t need to be written in a narrative format or tell a story. Think about a well-written journal entry — it probably doesn’t tell a story from start to finish, but explores the way something made the writer feel.
Reflective Essay Structure Example
Depending on your topic, reflective essays can be quite structured or more loosely organized. Generally, you can follow a standard format.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic with detail and a thesis statement
- Body - Reflect on the topic (also including detail)
- Conclusion - Restate the thesis statement in a conclusion about the topic
9. Synthesis Essays
Synthesis essays gather opinions, evidence, and proposals from various sources and present it to the reader as one document. They’re similar to argumentative essays (in that they present a claim) and informative essays (in that they present information), but the goal of a synthesis essay is first and foremost to compile a body of evidence.
That evidence may support the writer’s claim, or it may cause them to reexamine their thoughts about the topic. Either way, synthesis essays include a wealth of sources (all of which must be properly cited, of course).
Synthesis Essay Structure Example
You can structure your synthesis essay like an expository essay.
- Introduction - Hook the reader with a strong first sentence, then state your position in a thesis statement
- Body - Support your thesis with the wealth of evidence you have gathered from different sources
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and summarize how you’ve supported your position
10. Definition Essays
Definition essays define a term or idea. These terms could be vocabulary words, technical terms, abstract concepts, historical words, or any other idea that a writer wants to define for the reader.
It seems like that may only get you a sentence or two, but a well-written definition essay does a lot more than look up word meanings. They can be expository when pointing out little-known facts or implications of the term, reflective when referring to important concepts, and even argumentative if the writer has a stance to defend.
Definition Essay Structure Example
Definition essays have straightforward outlines that make it easy for the reader to understand your meaning.
- Introduction - State the word or concept you’re defining in the first sentence, and provide a general definition in the thesis
- Body - Elaborate on the thesis statement with support, alternate definitions, and implications of the word or concept
- Conclusion - Restate the definition along with the ways you elaborated on it
11. Analytical Essays
Analytical essays analyze a topic with strong detail and critical thinking. Also known as critical analysis essays , they use a balanced approach to thoroughly analyze something, whether it’s a passage in a piece of writing (known as literary analysis or rhetorical analysis ), a an element from a scientific discovery, or an important historical event.
Like reflective writing, analytical writing is very detailed and focused on a single topic. While that topic may have larger implications in the essay (and it should), each sentence should connect back to the core of the analytical essay.
Analytical Essay Structure Example
Analytical essays should follow a strict outline that doesn’t detract from its thesis statement.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and refer to the levels of analysis you’ve done on it
- Body - Start with your lowest level of analysis and build up to the highest level (preferably in your last body paragraph), tying every sentence back to the thesis
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and levels of analysis
12. Compare and Contrast Essays
Compare and contrast essays are analytical essays that examine how two subjects are similar and different. These subjects can be two characters, two historical events, two concepts — any two topics that have similarities (compare) and differences (contrast). Compare and contrast essays often use expository writing to present the information in a thoughtful way.
When writing a compare and contrast essay , structure can be just as important as the essay’s thesis statement. Structuring your compare and contrast essay can highlight the ways your topics resemble and differ from each other. Thanks to the many compare and contrast essay topics available, you’ll never run out of things to compare (or contrast).
Compare and Contrast Essay Structure Example
Compare and contrast essays rely on a tight structure to analyze topics — but that structure may differ, depending on your topics.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic you’re comparing; find a creative and engaging way to state that they are similar but different in your thesis statement
- Body - Either analyze each characteristic in a body paragraph (Characteristic 1 of Topic 1 is different from Characteristic 1 of Topic 2), or analyze one entire topic before comparing and contrasting it with the second entire topic (Here are Characteristics 1, 2, and 3 of Topic 1; now, here are Characteristics 1, 2, and 3 of Topic 2)
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and summarize your points
13. Cause and Effect Essays
Cause and effect essays , another type of analytical essay, use structure to show the relationship between an event and its consequences. These essays often explore historical events or plot points in a story, though cause and effect topics can vary by subject.
Depending on how you write your cause and effect essay , you can use expository writing to explain how one thing led to another, or you can argue a little-known element of the cause and effect relationship (such as a surprising event, or a seemingly unrelated consequence).
Cause and Effect Essay Structure Example
Like compare and contrast essays, the structure of cause and effect essays depend on the topic you’re writing about and how you want to analyze it.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and make your claim about how the event caused the effects in your thesis statement
- Body - Discuss the event in a paragraph before you discuss the effect, then defend your claim about how they’re related (or, you can spend the entire body section defending the claim, if that’s more reasonable for your topic)
- Conclusion - Restate the thesis and assert how you’ve proven your claim about the relationship between the cause and effect
14. Evaluation Essays
Evaluation essays use a measured, unbiased approach to evaluating a work, topic, product, or another subject. With sound evidence and reasoning, evaluation essays present the writer’s opinion about the subject. Movie reviews, book reviews , and sports columns are all types of evaluation essays.
Though evaluation essays do thoroughly analyze their subject (think of the detail included in a movie review), they go beyond analysis. You would write an evaluation essay to present an educated and considered viewpoint, which should influence the reader when making up their own mind.
Evaluation Essay Structure Example
Your opinion is the claim in an evaluation essay, and just like any other claim, you need to defend it.
- Introduction - Introduce what you’re evaluating and state your evaluation in the thesis statement
- Body - Give an overview of what you’re evaluating (such as a summary), then defend your opinion with criteria, reasons, and evidence
- Conclusion - Restate your opinion and final impressions
15. Process Essays
Process essays are a type of informational essay that explains how to do something (its process). They include a short introduction and conclusion, but the focus of the essay is on its steps and guiding the reader through the process.
Consider the process section of a recipe or instruction manual. A well-written process essay uses technical language to be as clear as possible, refrains from making an argument or claim, and only uses detail when being more specific.
Process Essay Structure Example
Process essays are some of the easiest to structure, since they go from beginning to end (much like narrative essays).
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and state your purpose in writing the essay
- Body - Write out the steps you need to take to complete the process (each paragraph can be one step, complete with tips and materials needed)
- Conclusion - Restate your purpose and what you’ve just taught your reader
Types of Essays Guide
Keeping all 15 types of essays straight can be a challenge. Let us help you keep them all straight with an infographic.
- DESCRIPTION Types of Essays infographic
- SOURCE Created by YourDictionary - Images from Getty Images
- PERMISSION Owned by YourDictionary, Copyright YourDictionary
You’re on the Write Track
Once you know what type of essay you’re trying to write, there’s only one step left: writing the essay itself. For more tips and reference guides for writing all types of essays, check out:
- How to Write an Essay
- 20 Compelling Hook Examples for Essays
- How to Write an Effective Thesis Statement
- 5 Main Parts of an Essay: An Easy Guide to a Solid Structure
- Background Information Examples for Essays and Papers
- Types of Evidence to Use in Writing and Essays
- 10 Simple Tips on Essay Writing for College Students
- Different Types of Essays
- 4 Main Types of Essays in Academic Writing: Key Features and Samples
What Is an Essay
Four main types of essays, expository essay, main features, descriptive essay, narrative essay, persuasive/argumentative essay.
- Bottom line
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. How do I choose the right type of essay?
- 2. What is a hybrid essay?
Whether you are a high school graduate, a college student, or a passionate writer, it is vital to know how to create different types of essays . Depending on the goal, be it a test or a college application, selecting the right type of essay may significantly increase your chances to succeed . In fact, even great content may fail to communicate the main idea if a writer doesn't integrate essential elements. For this reason, you need to distinguish types of writing styles and formats to address a writing prompt.
While academic writing may encompass a number of essay variations, there are only four basic types of essays that lie at the core . Find out more about each category, its features, and structure. All types of essays are followed by attached examples of excellent academic works.
And remember that you always can count on our essay writing service. All you need is to ask " write my essay for me ", and we will be eager to help you.
An essay is a piece of nonfiction academic writing created to develop a specific idea or support an argument . In general, essays are mainly used to provide some information, share the writer's point of view on a matter, or dispute a thesis statement. Depending on the purpose of writing, the essay tone can be either formal or informal. The essay formatting requirements may also vary – it may be a standard 5-paragraph piece or a lengthy academic work. If you wonder how to write a 5 paragraph essay , read our blog. It has a useful guide to help you with this question.
There is a full array of different types of essays. However, the most common classification includes only four major essay categories :
- Descriptive
- Persuasive/argumentative
These types of essays may share similar features. For example, expository and persuasive essays mostly deal with factual information that ensures a clear presentation of ideas. Narrative and descriptive essays are written informally and require a creative approach .
An expository essay is a focused piece of writing designed to explore a particular subject by providing factual information. The primary purpose of expository writing is to analyze a topic without making an argument. Expository essays require a writer to communicate complex information in a simple , easy-to-understand way. Unlike other types of essays, it offers an analysis based on facts. Therefore, a student should use a neutral tone of voice and introduce ideas in a logical order.
This academic assignment tests the student's ability to present a clear explanation of an issue. To create an informative piece, you should refer to statistics and find factual examples. Some of the most common characteristics of expository essays include:
- Instructive: conveys accurate information
- Specific: a clear and precise explanation of facts
- Well-organized: follows the sequence of events
- Semi-formal: doesn't contain first-person nouns
- Objective: informs a reader without presenting any subjective opinions
A standard expository essay structure includes the following sections:
- An introduction presents a topic and gives background information
- Body paragraphs explain the facts
- A conclusion sums up the information
As a rule, expository writing is divided into several sub-categories. Some of the most common variations focus on the following matters:
- A problem and solution essay is a type of expository writing that determines an issue and offers a range of problem-solving solutions. After exploring the matter in detail, a writer investigates the best ways to target an issue and how such methods can be applied efficiently.
- A cause and effect essay explains the way things are interrelated in this world. In this essay type, a writer specifies the reasons why some things happen and discusses possible consequences. This basically means drawing a parallel between specific objects or events. A great example of cause and effect essay can be a piece on the reasons and consequences of the Civil War in the US .
- Compare and contrast essay specifies the similarities and differences between specific subjects, people, locations or events to let the reader compare and contrast things. Comparing refers to finding similarities, while contrasting deals with figuring out the differences. In its essence, compare and contrast essay helps to understand more than one topic at a time.
- A definition essay is a type of essay that provides an accurate definition of a subject and offers a classification. A writer should include both the official definitions from credible sources and personal understanding of a specific concept or thing.
- A process analysis essay explains a specific process step-by-step by providing detailed instructions. Such assignments answer the "how-to" question. The ideas for topics are broad and may focus on any process, such as how the US President is elected or how a chocolate factory makes its best candies.
Below you can view an example of a complete expository essay that has all crucial features and follows a standard structure.
A descriptive essay is a type of writing that provides a detailed description of a chosen literary piece, subject, event, etc. A sensory portrayal, commonly used in descriptive writing, serves two purposes. On the one hand, it helps to visualize things; on the other hand, a detailed description is a tool that allows conveying a deeper meaning. High school and college teachers assign a descriptive essay to improve student's creative skills. In this type of writing, you shouldn't limit your imagination . Instead, you will want to show your creativity and resourcefulness.
Typically, descriptive essays share the features of informal writing. Here are the key characteristics descriptive writing should have:
- Demonstrative: aims to showcase a subject, not just narrate
- Vivid: creates an impression in a reader's mind through descriptive details
- Sensory: the use of expressions that appeal to all human senses
- Figurative language: analogies, metaphors, similes, allegories, and personifications
- Emotional: describes issues of sentimental significance
As a rule, a descriptive essay doesn't have specific requirements to its structure. You are free to leverage your creativity to describe an object in the most unusual manner possible. However, this type of essay should contain the following information to address academic objective:
- A brief introduction of the subject you are going to portray
- A detailed description
- A short summary that offers an insight
Take a look at the attached example to have an idea how a perfect descriptive essay should look like.
A narrative essay, as the name suggests, tells a story significant to the author. Basically, it's a personal narrative created to share a meaningful experience that profoundly impacts a writer. This type of essay explores different challenges a writer has gone through, and that's what makes it so engaging. In a narrative essay, a writer would navigate a reader through a story without persuading or proving any point. However, a personal narrative should include an element of a moral so that the audience can take away some valuable insights. By writing narrative essays, a student learns how to apply a creative approach to express their feelings and emotions. And yet you need to be able to preserve a story's consistency.
It is common to confuse a narrative essay with a short story : they are not quite the same . In a nutshell, the narrative essay has an academic objective, meaning that it should focus on the personal experience that has actually happened. At the same time, narrative essays share some common features with those of a short story. This type of essay typically contains five elements of storytelling :
- Plot: the sequence of events
- Setting: when and where a story takes place
- Character: a protagonist that triggers all events
- Conflict: an issue a protagonist tries to solve
- Theme: a sense of a moral
As well as any other type of academic assignment, narrative essays have peculiar features listed as follows:
- Informative: narrates a story without proving any argument
- Subjective: written in the first person
- Non-fictional: shares the real personal experience
- Conversational: the use of informal and expressive tone of voice
- Organized: introduces people and events in sequential order
Check out a sample of a narrative essay written by the experts in the domain. As you read, pay attention to how a narrative piece should be organized and how to integrate the elements of storytelling into this type of writing.
A persuasive essay is a type of essay where a writer has to persuade a reader to adopt a specific point of view. A persuasive essay is otherwise called an argumentative essay, since it has to convince the reader of the truth presented in the argument. Besides, in a persuasive essay, one would take a firm stance on a matter . A writer should then provide supporting evidence and facts to back up a thesis statement. Argumentative essay writing requires good research and persuasive skills. A college student should be able to communicate their point of view through evidence-driven research. On top of that, it is crucial to refer to the credible sources , otherwise, chances are that a reader will doubt the argument.
To establish a steady stance, a writer need to create persuasive essays with such characteristics in mind:
- Convincing: has a persuasive tone of voice to make a reader agree
- Accurate: provides valid information and current cases or events
- Informative: focuses on facts, statistics, and evidence
- Reader-oriented: conveys information from a reader's perspective
- Arguable: this type of essay has a debatable topic that triggers discussion
Maybe you will need good persuasive essay topics , keep in mind that you will find them here.
Just like any other type of essay, an argumentative essay should be structured according to academic instructions. As a rule, college teachers and university professors require students to include the following parts:
- An introduction that presents a topic and a strong thesis statement
- A body part that includes arguments and supporting evidence
- A conclusion that wraps up the argument and focuses on its significance
The paper attached below is an excellent example of a persuasive essay provided by our proficient writer.
Bottom line
A deep understanding of the reader’s intent helps to write along the right lines. Once you determine which of the four types of essays best addresses your goal, you will be able to create an astounding essay tailored to your writing purpose.
1. How do I choose the right type of essay?
High school and college teachers usually assign a specific type of essay. But sometimes you may be given writing prompts on the basis of which you have to choose an essay type yourself. In such case, you will need to pay attention to the requirements of each assignment - they will give you a hint. For example, the word “convince” means you need to write a persuasive essay, whereas the word “describe” indicates you should create a descriptive essay. The word “tell” suggests you should write a narrative essay.
2. What is a hybrid essay?
A hybrid essay is a unique combination of two or more types of essays. Sometimes you may be required to address two objectives at once, for instance, tell about your previous and current experience and compare them. In this case, you will need to write a narrative essay with the elements of compare-and-contrast essay.
If you want to write an outstanding analytical essay, you need much more than just a good subject to explore. While having a captivating topic is important, your analysis paper also needs to be properly structured and include all key elements in order to stand out. In this article, you will learn ho...
Understanding the basics of writing a personal essay is essential for any student who wants to succeed at college admission. In 99% cases, the applicants enter the colleges of their dreams thanks to a well-crafted admission paper, and a brilliant personal essay is all you need to stand out from the ...
If you are reading this article, you need to write an informative essay. You might have written it before or this might be your first informative paper. The point is that you are looking for some tips and guides on how to write a really good informative essay.That is for sure! Because you want a hig...
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You may have heard of the four essay types before: discursive, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. It’s important to know exactly what type of essay your assignment falls into – even before you start the planning and research. The essay type affects how you structure your essay, your writing style, the tone, the techniques you use, and how you use evidence. This is especially important at school or university: a narrative essay just won’t score many marks if it was meant to be persuasive (no, not even if your short story then wins the Nobel Prize for Literature😉).
As frustrating as it might be to keep remembering genres and styles, you can at least take comfort in the fact that this prepares you for the real world. Yes – that’s right – real life. So many careers involve some sort of writing, and it’s important that anything you do meets the expectations of the reader or audience. In the business world, a sales pitch is going to be persuasive. This style, however, would be inappropriate in a feasibility study, or cost analysis. Although there are some rules that underpin all types of writing, each of the four main essay types has its own special requirements to impress their audiences: a client, a casual reader, or even your examiner.
Expository essays
An expository essay is less intimidating than it sounds. Essentially, you are presenting a balanced argument. This could be the typical academic essay, testing your understanding of a particular topic on your course, or it could be on a broader issue.
The word ‘balanced’ is key here: even if you have strong beliefs on the topic, you should take care you don’t appear biased. In fact, it’s best to avoid personal opinion, or using personal pronouns altogether.
Define, and break it down
Your topic should be defined as precisely as possible. For example, if there is any terminology in your title or topic which could be interpreted in different ways, you should make it clear exactly what you mean. It can also help if you define the scope of your expository essay, if it is based on a subject area – for example, if you are limiting it to a particular historical period or geographical area. This should help to divide your topic up into more manageable areas. This can often help to produce a very clear and manageable plan, with one topic per paragraph or section.
Back up, and analyse
Evidence is essential. And no, we don’t mean “8 out of 10 writers make up their statistics”. This type of essay probably requires the most reading and research beforehand: the more you know, the more able you are to judge between different pieces of evidence in order to reach your conclusion. You should also take care to use appropriate referencing. Not only will this follow your institution’s rules about acknowledging sources, it also makes your writing look more professional, and more reliable.
Try to avoid simply summarising your sources. It’s true that giving a little context is often useful: for example, the writer’s background, or background information. However, summing it up in your own words doesn’t actually demonstrate any of your skills. The key words are analyse and evaluate, rather than simply describe.
Power it through
An expository essay lead to a strong, yet balanced conclusion. This is often the most challenging part, at least to begin with. Whilst you may have had your own views beforehand, ideally your conclusion should only become clear to you once you have completed the body of the essay. This is where you can articulate your personal opinion, based on the evidence you have considered. Try to make this a balanced, yet strong closing statement – and avoid just summing up what you have just written.
Persuasive essays
Persuasive writing attempts to convince a reader or audience to do something, or to believe something. In the real world, we see this all the time, with adverts trying to make us buy their products, or politicians asking us to vote for them.
In academia, you’re most likely to be persuading your reader to share your belief in something – for example, to take your side in a moral issue.
A clear message
In a persuasive essay, your message to the audience needs to be clear and consistent. While it’s important to consider counterarguments and alternative points of view, this is only in order to prove that they are incorrect – otherwise, this might undermine your own argument. Imagine that this is a debate, and your opponent is going to be responding straight afterwards. Is there anything they could pick out, and use against you?
Meeting the genre
In many ways, persuasive writing is one of the simplest styles. A quick internet search will reveal thousands of lists of persuasive techniques that you can use to make your persuasive essay more effective. These are definitely useful, and many of them are so natural to us that we all know them already: rhetorical questions, lists, emotive language, and so on. Varying sentence lengths? Highly effective. However, you need to ensure that your persuasive essay still demonstrates a good sense of academic depth. The main thing to avoid is what people tend to call “empty rhetoric”, which is essentially what it says on the tin. Deploying all sorts of rhetorical techniques is useless without evidence or details to support your points.
It’s also worth taking a moment to reflect on your tone:
Reader! Would you like to fail your next assignment? How would you feel if you were cast out from your course all because of that one lacklustre essay, your dreams of a successful career shattered forever?
If we’d started this blog like that, you would probably have closed the tab pretty quickly! Or maybe you would have read on because your curiosity was peaked. Technically, it’s a reasonably successful opening to a persuasive piece. We’ve got direct address, rhetorical questions, varied sentence structures, emotive language, and it certainly grabs attention. The tone, however, is completely wrong. It’s too strong – borderline aggressive, in fact. The exaggeration – “cast out”, “dreams shattered” – makes it completely unrealistic. It’s really important, therefore, to judge your tone carefully. Think about your audience beforehand, and consider the kind of style and tone that would engage them most effectively.
Narrative essays
Narrative writing is, essentially, telling a story. This may be fiction, or a narrative of a real-life experience. College application essays, for example, might ask you to write about a memorable experience or a time that challenged you.
Plan, plan, plan!
A good plan is essential to give your narrative essay a sense of structure. There are many resources about narrative plot and structure, and it’s interesting to note how these can be applied to films and plays as well as novels and short stories. You may see lots of technical terms used – climax, tension, resolution, denouement – but these can be interpreted very loosely. A climax, for example, is not always a shocking revelation, or a dramatic escape. The best way to understand them would be to consider how those labels apply to a film you know well, or that latest box set episode.
Keep your plan fairly simple, and try not to aim for too many events. This is particularly important if you are writing to a strict word limit. It’s impossible to cram the content of a novel into a dozen pages, after all. The worst-case scenario is that your writing becomes essentially a list.
Write like a pro
When it comes to writing your narrative essay, try to engage the reader through vocabulary and imagery. Remember, there is always space for some description.
Even if this isn’t a lengthy paragraph, just a few descriptive sentences are enough to set the scene. Narrative voice is also important. Even in a straightforward third-person narrative, for example, you could adapt your voice to delve into the thoughts of your characters. Dialogue can also be really effective… if used sparingly. There’s nothing worse than a narrative essay with long passages of conversation, which rarely advance the plot and may not even be realistic.
Be original
Finally, originality is key. It’s all too easy to reproduce something you’ve already read or watched, even by accident. Just make sure that you’re not proofreading your 3000-word masterpiece and get the sinking feeling that you’ve accidentally rewritten the plot of what you watched on Netflix last weekend!
This also applies to the phrases you use. Avoid clichés – phrases that have become so overused that they have lost all meaning – at the end of the day; as white as snow; like a knife through butter. Similarly, if you are writing in a particular genre, try not to use those phrases which we’ve all heard before: it was a dark and stormy night… If it’s something that you think you’ve seen parodied on The Simpsons, it most likely is something best avoided.
Descriptive essays
A descriptive essay is often the hardest to plan. In a narrative, many people find that they can at least keep going, adding new events to the plan. In descriptive writing, it is all too common to run out of ideas, or produce something that starts well but just seems to tail off. There are several ways you can achieve a sense of structure. This will not only make your work more cohesive overall, but will help you to include more ideas.
Your description could be based on a journey. Even if your description is not first person, you can imagine you are moving around the scene, stopping to capture a particular place each time.
Time passing
We all know how a place seems to transform at sunset, and some of us might even have dragged ourself out of bed early enough to watch the sunrise. The point is that even places we know very well can look – and feel – totally different depending on the time of day. This isn’t just limited to what we can see, but the atmosphere and feelings that are evoked. And, of course, you can use time in so many other ways, in order to create contrasts and give yourself the opportunity to use different types of vocabulary and imagery. Think about contrasting a place in two different seasons, or a tourist hotspot in peak and off-peak times – or even past and present.
An eye for detail
Have you ever looked through the website of a professional photographer? Perhaps one reason their pictures earn money is that, generally, they tend to be a bit different from those on my camera roll for example (fingers in front of the lens, everyone standing at an angle, unexpected motion blurs). What’s remarkable, however, is their eye for detail. A wedding photographer can capture the instant when the couple share a moment of laughter and preserve it forever; someone recording a street scene will instinctively be able to spot that interesting architectural detail, a child’s reflection in a shop window, an elderly man looking on at some construction work.
A great descriptive essay will, like these photographs, evoke realism through subtle detail. Think about exactly what details you can expand and extend – perhaps these might be insignificant at first glance.
A word of warning, however: don’t let it turn into a list, as the reader will quickly get bored.
In summary: Golden rules for any essay
There are some rules that apply no matter what type of essay you are writing.
Remember, spelling and grammar checks won’t pick up everything.
Proofreading
Even if your work is totally accurate, there are still things that you could notice – for example, phrasing that just sounds awkward when read aloud.
Overview vs detail – a reader will struggle to feel engaged without seeing the bigger picture; equally, if you don’t go into sufficient detail, your writing will seem vague and general.
Readability vs showing off – let’s be honest: you’re probably here to find out how to get top marks, and part of that is showing off your skills. However, there’s nothing worse than an essay that’s full of advanced vocabulary and complex sentences, but you simply can’t follow the argument.
Understanding the essay type is your first step towards getting those top grades. Once you know the requirements of each of the four types of essay, you can make sure that you meet them from the very start of the planning process.
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The 5 Types of Essays Every High School Student Needs to Know & Easy Tips On How to Write Them
There are many types of essays (some call them categories of essays), and you will likely encounter several throughout your school career. Although the specific requirements and expectations for each type of essay may vary, there are five basic essay formats that you need to know to write. Let's take a look at each essay type:
Descriptive - Paint a Mental Picture
In a descriptive essay, you give the reader a picture of a scene, object, or person. To accomplish this, you must appeal to all the senses. You must help your reader see, smell, feel, taste, and hear what is described.
When done well, a descriptive essay can be incredibly stimulating and powerful. It can put your reader directly into the scene's heart or experience being described. This is because effective descriptive writing creates a detailed picture in your reader's mind and allows them to experience it firsthand.
Expository - Explain Something
An expository essay is a style in that you must clarify a topic and freely express your opinion. This type of essay is often used in school writing classes to help students express their ideas clearly and concisely. Expository essays usually contain three main parts: an introduction, paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should state the thesis or central idea of the essay, while the paragraphs should support that idea with evidence and examples. The conclusion should briefly summarize the essay's main points and provide the reader with a final thought.
Narrative - Tell a Story
A narrative essay tells a story with an introduction, setting, characters, plot, climax, and conclusion. In other words, it follows the traditional narrative format of beginning, middle, and end.
The purpose of a narrative essay is to entertain your reader by telling them a story. Unlike other forms of writing, such as expository or persuasive essays, which focus on conveying facts or trying to convince your reader of something, a narrative essay is meant to be compelling. Therefore, it should be well written and have good pacing, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Persuasive - Convince the Audience of Your Point of View (POV)
A persuasive essay attempts to convince your reader to agree with your point of view. Remembering that a persuasive essay is not just about presenting facts but also about stating your opinion and supporting it with evidence.
Your opinion should be the focus of your essay, and you should support your argument with evidence. Be clear and concise, and try to avoid complicated wording or jargon. Your goal is to present your point of view as clearly as possible so that your argument will convince the reader.
Argumentative - Explore a Topic and Establish a Point of View.
An argumentative essay is a form of writing that takes a stand on a topic. You must prove your position is the best by presenting evidence supporting your view. Often, these essays are written about a controversial topic or issue on which there are multiple points of view. To make your argument convincing, you must examine all sides of the issue and evaluate the evidence objectively. You must also take a point of view and defend it with argument and logic.
**Note: An argumentative essay is about convincing you to see something from your point of view, so I think this essay could be put in the "persuasive essay" category. However, they (whoever they are) say that argumentative essays require a tremendous amount of research, and all the different viewpoints are considered, concluding that your perspective is correct.
The five types of essays you need to know how to write are
- Argumentative
- Descriptive.
It is essential that these different styles of writing can all provide a unique perspective on an idea or topic to avoid boring the reader with the same type of essay. By mastering the different types of essays, you can convey your thoughts and ideas in a way that engages and interests the reader.
What are the Differences Between Expository vs. Argumentative Essays?
- Expository Essays – Expository essays are like talking to an encyclopedia - they state the facts without taking sides. For example, if your essay were about why cats are better pets than dogs, it wouldn't be an expository essay because it would take sides.
- Argumentative Essays – Argumentative essays are like entering a debate tournament - taking a stand on one side of the argument and presenting evidence to support that opinion. For example, if you argue that cats should have the same rights as humans, your essay would be argumentative.
- Organization – Expository essays are organized like a shopping list (what comes first, second, etc.). In contrast, argumentative essays follow more of the traditional format of introduction, body, and conclusion, with individual paragraphs for each main argument and counterargument.
- Style – Expository writing comes off as polite but a bit robotic, while argumentative texts can use logic and appealing emotions like humor or pity to make your point. It's like comparing a text message from your parents (expository) to a text message from your best friend (argumentative). Expository writing is straightforward and all about facts, while argumentative writing may include humor, sarcasm, and pop culture references.
- Purpose – Expository writing aims to inform people about something they may not yet know (the role of fiscal policy in managing an economy). An example would be trying to convince someone that Euphoria is a better show than Stranger Things, and you have listed all the reasons for that, which can be facts or feelings.
What are a Few Sample Expository Writing Topics?
- How do Social Media companies make their money?
- What is the purpose of a thesis statement in an essay?
- The cost increases of a college degree over the past 25 years.
What are a few Sample Argumentative Essay Ideas?
- Should laws force Social Media companies not to create such addicting platforms?
- Why thesis statements are needed and why essays that don't have them suck!
- Is a college degree worth the cost?
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The 4 Different Types of Essays
Let’s face it. At some point in your life, you will be required to write an essay — whether for a school homework, college standardized tests or even for work-related purposes.
There are several basic types of essays to choose from, the most common are expository, narrative, persuasive and analytical. Which one you choose really depends on your objectives. We'll explore each type in depth, and offer recommendations on the typical word counts for each essay type.
Expository Essay
An expository essay gives a brief explanation of an issue, idea or theme. Purdue OWL expands on this, offering some common requirements in step form: investigation of an idea, evaluation of evidence, a systematic and detailed explanation of the idea, and a clear and concise statement of an argument about the idea.
Because brevity is required for this type of essay, the recommended length is around 500-800 words.
In order to be effective, an expository essay should possess:
- A clear-cut thesis statement, research question, or statement of intent
- A no-frills approach to answering the question or addressing your thesis - factual evidence to support your claim or position
- Conciseness
The first paragraph of an expository essay should be the shortest since it only seeks to briefly yet clearly state your thesis, research question, or intent. A maximum of 200 words should suffice.
Now, the succeeding paragraphs will be VERY crucial because they should contain all the necessary details to support your thesis statement. That means they would require a bigger chunk of your word count. But remember to still keep them succinct — no- frills, factual, and straightforward.
Finally, the last paragraph will serve as your conclusion to tie it all together. Emphasize your point but don’t dwell on it too much.
Narrative Essay
A narrative essay is all about the storytelling of real-life experiences. This essay type usually relays a personal or experiential account and uses a first-person point-of-view. Any story requires a beginning, middle and end — a narrative essay should be structured in the same way.
According to Essay Info a narrative essay possesses the following qualities:
- It is usually written with a first-person point-of-view
- It contains vivid imagery and sensory details
- It has all the essential elements of a story (i.e. plot, theme, character, setting, style, tone, etc.)
Because descriptive and evocative language is needed for this type of essay, around 1,000 words may be required at the least in order to tell a full-bodied story. Think of a narrative essay as a short version of a novel — each paragraph represents a “chapter” in the story.
Make your essay riveting by adding anecdotes or dialogues into the narrative. Most importantly, end your essay with a conclusion or a personal statement — a takeaway will make your story more memorable to the reader.
Persuasive Essay
A persuasive essay (also referred to as an argumentative essay) makes use of logical reasoning to influence the reader to adopt the writer’s point of view. This essay type works harder compared to other essay types because the writer needs to convince the reader to espouse his position. In order to be eloquent and convincing, a definitive rationale or argument is imperative.
The qualities of a persuasive essay include:
- Factual evidence
- Valid reasoning
- Sustaining the reader’s interest
- A natural progression from one idea to the next - a forceful and convincing conclusion
To create a compelling argument, Scribbr advises an essay length of about 2,500 words . Anything under 2,000 words may be construed as “under-explaining” your point. However, your essay should go beyond just meeting the required length. Your writing should still be concise, on-point and progressive. Avoid fluff or fillers because they will only digress from the topic and may discredit your argument altogether.
Scribbr also provides some useful tips on how to structure paragraphs. It is important for paragraphs “to support a single claim or idea that helps establish the overall argument or purpose of the paper.”
To be able to achieve this, having a topic sentence for every paragraph will be helpful. However, the core of a persuasive essay is its ability to provide substantial evidence to support one’s argument. Additionally, the use of transitional devices will make your sentences more coherent and cohesive.
Analytical Essay
An analytical essay requires the presentation of an argument or claim by breaking down and examining the core components of an issue, idea, or works of art such as films, books, paintings, etc.
Some of its characteristics include:
- An introduction and presentation of argument to highlight the text in the literary work which you will be deliberating about
- An analysis of said text which should be relevant to your argument as well as your own take on whether the author’s goals were met or not supported by examples
- A personal response to demonstrate your in-depth comprehension of the text in formulating your opinion — whether positive or negative
A literary analysis essay can be from 500-700 words. For as long as it covers all the principal points, it need not be lengthy. However, the bulk of your essay should concentrate on the analysis of the text.
Bucks Community College elaborates on these three principles to help you write an essay that has “tight organization and control.”
- Your writing “must stick with great determination to the specific point of development”
- Your essay should have a central idea or thesis that will dictate its development
- Your writing should be systematic and organized such that every paragraph aids the reader to have a deeper understanding of your central idea
Here are some other helpful tips to guide you through writing an analytical essay:
- Always write in the present tense
- Avoid using contractions and informal language or colloquialisms
- Avoid writing in the first person
- Analyze, don’t retell the story
- Be critical — your personal response need not be positive
Now that you have a clearer idea of the different types of essays and how to go about each of them, it’s time to start writing one. Make sure to use our word counter to keep it succinct.
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101 Standout Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas
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