Typically, an essay has five paragraphs: an introduction, a conclusion, and three body paragraphs. However, there is no set rule about the number of paragraphs in an essay.
The number of paragraphs can vary depending on the type and scope of your essay. An expository or argumentative essay may require more body paragraphs to include all the necessary information, whereas a narrative essay may need fewer.
To enhance the coherence and readability of your essay, it’s important to follow certain rules regarding the structure. Take a look:
1. Arrange your information from the most simple to the most complex bits. You can start the body paragraph off with a general statement and then move on to specifics.
2. Provide the necessary background information at the beginning of your essay to give the reader the context behind your thesis statement.
3. Select topic statements that provide value, more information, or evidence for your thesis statement.
There are also various essay structures , such as the compare and contrast structure, chronological structure, problem method solution structure, and signposting structure that you can follow to create an organized and impactful essay.
An impactful, well-structured essay comes down to three important parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion.
1. The introduction sets the stage for your essay and is typically a paragraph long. It should grab the reader’s attention and give them a clear idea of what your essay will be about.
2. The body is where you dive deeper into your topic and present your arguments and evidence. It usually consists of two paragraphs, but this can vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing.
3. The conclusion brings your essay to a close and is typically one paragraph long. It should summarize the main points of the essay and leave the reader with something to think about.
The length of your paragraphs can vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing. So, make sure you take the time to plan out your essay structure so each section flows smoothly into the next.
When it comes to writing an essay, the introduction is a critical component that sets the tone for the entire piece. A well-crafted introduction not only grabs the reader’s attention but also provides them with a clear understanding of what the essay is all about. An essay editor can help you achieve this, but it’s best to know the brief yourself!
Let’s take a look at how to write an attractive and informative introductory paragraph.
1. Construct an attractive hook
To grab the reader’s attention, an opening statement or hook is crucial. This can be achieved by incorporating a surprising statistic, a shocking fact, or an interesting anecdote into the beginning of your piece.
For example, if you’re writing an essay about water conservation you can begin your essay with, “Clean drinking water, a fundamental human need, remains out of reach for more than one billion people worldwide. It deprives them of a basic human right and jeopardizes their health and wellbeing.”
2. Provide sufficient context or background information
An effective introduction should begin with a brief description or background of your topic. This will help provide context and set the stage for your discussion.
For example, if you’re writing an essay about climate change, you start by describing the current state of the planet and the impact that human activity is having on it.
3. Construct a well-rounded and comprehensive thesis statement
A good introduction should also include the main message or thesis statement of your essay. This is the central argument that you’ll be making throughout the piece. It should be clear, concise, and ideally placed toward the end of the introduction.
By including these elements in your introduction, you’ll be setting yourself up for success in the rest of your essay.
Let’s take a look at an example.
The Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane in 1903 revolutionized the way humans travel and explore the world. Prior to this invention, transportation relied on trains, boats, and cars, which limited the distance and speed of travel. However, the airplane made air travel a reality, allowing people to reach far-off destinations in mere hours. This breakthrough paved the way for modern-day air travel, transforming the world into a smaller, more connected place. In this essay, we will explore the impact of the Wright Brothers’ invention on modern-day travel, including the growth of the aviation industry, increased accessibility of air travel to the general public, and the economic and cultural benefits of air travel.
You can persuade your readers and make your thesis statement compelling by providing evidence, examples, and logical reasoning. To write a fool-proof and authoritative essay, you need to provide multiple well-structured, substantial arguments.
Let’s take a look at how this can be done:
1. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph
The beginning of each of your body paragraphs should contain the main arguments that you’d like to address. They should provide ground for your thesis statement and make it well-rounded. You can arrange these arguments in several formats depending on the type of essay you’re writing.
2. Provide the supporting information
The next point of your body paragraph should provide supporting information to back up your main argument. Depending on the type of essay, you can elaborate on your main argument with the help of relevant statistics, key information, examples, or even personal anecdotes.
3. Analyze the supporting information
After providing relevant details and supporting information, it is important to analyze it and link it back to your main argument.
End one body paragraph with a smooth transition to the next. There are many ways in which this can be done, but the most common way is to give a gist of your main argument along with the supporting information with transitory words such as “however” “in addition to” “therefore”.
Here’s an example of a body paragraph.
The Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane revolutionized air travel. They achieved the first-ever successful powered flight with the Wright Flyer in 1903, after years of conducting experiments and studying flight principles. Despite their first flight lasting only 12 seconds, it was a significant milestone that paved the way for modern aviation. The Wright Brothers’ success can be attributed to their systematic approach to problem-solving, which included numerous experiments with gliders, the development of a wind tunnel to test their designs, and meticulous analysis and recording of their results. Their dedication and ingenuity forever changed the way we travel, making modern aviation possible.
A powerful concluding statement separates a good essay from a brilliant one. To create a powerful conclusion, you need to start with a strong foundation.
Let’s take a look at how to construct an impactful concluding statement.
1. Restructure your thesis statement
To conclude your essay effectively, don’t just restate your thesis statement. Instead, use what you’ve learned throughout your essay and modify your thesis statement accordingly. This will help you create a conclusion that ties together all of the arguments you’ve presented.
2. Summarize the main points of your essay
The next point of your conclusion consists of a summary of the main arguments of your essay. It is crucial to effectively summarize the gist of your essay into one, well-structured paragraph.
3. Create a lasting impression with your concluding statement
Conclude your essay by including a key takeaway, or a powerful statement that creates a lasting impression on the reader. This can include the broader implications or consequences of your essay topic.
Here’s an example of a concluding paragraph.
The Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane forever changed history by paving the way for modern aviation and countless aerospace advancements. Their persistence, innovation, and dedication to problem-solving led to the first successful powered flight in 1903, sparking a revolution in transportation that transformed the world. Today, air travel remains an integral part of our globalized society, highlighting the undeniable impact of the Wright Brothers’ contribution to human civilization.
Most essays are derived from the combination or variation of these four main types of essays . let’s take a closer look at these types.
1. Narrative essay
A narrative essay is a type of writing that involves telling a story, often based on personal experiences. It is a form of creative nonfiction that allows you to use storytelling techniques to convey a message or a theme.
2. Descriptive essay
A descriptive essay aims to provide an immersive experience for the reader by using sensory descriptors. Unlike a narrative essay, which tells a story, a descriptive essay has a narrower scope and focuses on one particular aspect of a story.
3. Argumentative essays
An argumentative essay is a type of essay that aims to persuade the reader to adopt a particular stance based on factual evidence and is one of the most common forms of college essays.
4. Expository essays
An expository essay is a common format used in school and college exams to assess your understanding of a specific topic. The purpose of an expository essay is to present and explore a topic thoroughly without taking any particular stance or expressing personal opinions.
While this article demonstrates what is an essay and describes its types, you may also have other doubts. As experts who provide essay editing and proofreading services , we’re here to help.
Our team has created a list of resources to clarify any doubts about writing essays. Keep reading to write engaging and well-organized essays!
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An essay is the most common academic assignment at college and university. It presents an argument and persuades the readers to believe in the rightness of the author’s point of view. While there are many types of essays, they can be broadly categorised into the following four main types:
Argumentative essays and expository essays present arguments to convince the readers of the author’s position. In narrative essays and descriptive essays, you can use informal language and imagination to engage the readers.
At high school, college, and university, argumentative essays are the most widely recognized kind of essay.
Type of essay | Assessment criteria | Example prompt |
---|---|---|
Another important essay type from the academic perspective is the textual analysis essay, which tests students’ reading and analysis skills.
In an argumentative essay, you present an argument and back it with supporting evidence. An argumentative essay requires the author to take a clear position on the topic and persuade the readers to agree to the author’s opinion, analysis, and interpretation. The thesis statement provides the main argument of an argumentative essay.
Argumentative essays help to evaluate your ability to conduct independent research and form well-informed opinions on the issue. The inclusion of the supporting evidence adds weight to your argument.
An argumentative essay is the most common type of essay in the academic world. It follows the standard essay structure, which includes an introduction , main body , and a conclusion .
Here is an example of a paragraph taken from the main body of an argumentative essay on the effects of distance learning on education.
In this article, we are sharing multiple patterns of template for essays along with some useful tips to make the structure of your essay strong and clear.
This article explains the important conceptions of rhetorical writing and provides tips on writing a first-class rhetorical analysis essay.
Before you totally lose your mind here let’s see whether the broken argument in an essay needs to be dumped or just neatly reworked and fixed.
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An essay is a highly versatile, non-fictional piece of writing aimed at persuading, informing, or entertaining the reader. It can serve multiple functions, such as taking a stance on topics, disproving widely believed myths, and sharing interesting anecdotes.
There are various styles and types of essay writing that can be used to serve specific functions. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the four main types of essays, along with the combinations and derivations of these types. Let us understand what are the different types of essays.
There are four types of essays you can write depending on the message you want to convey. They include narrative essays, descriptive essays, argumentative essays, and expository essays.
Narrative and descriptive essays aim to tell a story or describe an immersive experience with the help of sensory descriptors. Expository and argumentative essays aim to educate and inform the reader on a particular topic.
There are many more types of essay that are a combination or derivation of these four essay types. Here are the four main types of essays. To help you better understand these essay types, we’ve also constructed relevant example essays.
A narrative essay is a type of writing that involves telling a story using either highly specific or open-ended prompts. It is a form of personal and creative nonfiction that tests your ability to build up your story in a well-structured format. The use of storytelling techniques such as similes, metaphors, alliteration, imagery, and dialogue is common in narrative essay writing.
It typically begins with the introduction of the settings and characters of the story. The body consists of the highlights of your life, often described with the help of vivid imagery. The conclusion includes reflections on the meaning or significance of the events, as well as any lessons learned or insights gained from experience.
A personal statement is one example of a narrative essay, where you tell a story about yourself in order to convince the reader of your suitability for a particular role or position.
Let’s understand the structure of a narrative essay better with the help of this example:
My First Job as a Server
My first job as a server was a crash course in hard work, patience, and resilience. I was eager to work and earn my own money, but I had no idea what I had signed up for.
I soon discovered that this job was no walk in the park. I had to constantly be on my feet, multitasking and juggling multiple orders at once. But with the help of my manager and fellow servers, I was quickly able to learn the ropes.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was being patient with irate customers. Initially, their harsh words made me doubt my abilities. But, over time I developed a thick skin and became immune to their comments.
These experiences taught me to be patient with myself as well as with others. I developed a sense of empathy, that I never would have otherwise and learned not to take things personally. Due to the fast-paced restaurant environment, I also learned how to multitask and manage my time efficiently.
Looking back, I can confidently say that these experiences shaped me into the person I am today. These lessons have stayed with me throughout and continue to influence the way I approach challenges.
A descriptive essay aims to provide an immersive experience for the reader by using sensory descriptors. Unlike a narrative essay, which tells a story, a descriptive essay has a narrower scope and focuses on one particular subject or aspect of a story.
For example, a descriptive essay about a beach may describe the warmth of the sand underfoot, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the salty smell of the ocean breeze, and the taste of saltwater on the lips. These sensory details bring the reader into the experience and allow them to imagine themselves in the setting.
One key tip for a descriptive essay is to choose your words carefully, using language that is both specific and evocative. By doing so, you can create a strong emotional connection between the reader and the subject of the essay. The goal is to make the reader feel as though they are a part of the setting, experiencing it firsthand.
Let’s understand this in more detail with the help of an example:
Cherry Blossoms in Japan
Japan’s cherry blossom season is a magical time of year when the country is covered in a sea of pink and white petals. The colors are striking and seem to change with the light and angle of the sun.
The soft, delicate petals dance in the wind, filling the air with a sweet fragrance that can be smelled everywhere. The sound of the petals rustling and swaying in the breeze is soothing and calming.
Families and friends gather beneath the trees, enjoying picnics and drinks, adding to the festive atmosphere. The taste of the cherry blossom is subtle but distinct, and many Japanese sweets and drinks are flavored with sakura.
The essence of the cherry blossom is hope and renewal, reminding us of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of savoring each moment. It is a time when the entire country comes together to celebrate life’s beauty and the present moment.
Witnessing the cherry blossom in Japan is a sensory feast that evokes feelings of joy, wonder, and gratitude. It is an unforgettable experience that should not be missed.
An argumentative essay is an extended argument that aims to persuade the reader to adopt a particular stance based on factual information and statistics. It is one of the most common forms of college essays.
The purpose of an argumentative essay is to present a well-reasoned and well-supported argument in favor of a particular position. You must provide relevant evidence, logical reasoning, and convincing arguments to support your stance. The goal is to convince the reader to accept your point of view.
To write an effective argumentative essay, you must conduct thorough research. This involves gathering reliable sources of information, analyzing it, and synthesizing it into a coherent argument. You should also consider counterarguments and address them in your essay to strengthen your position.
Let’s take a look at an example:
The Power of Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for motivating individuals and increasing performance efficiency. It involves rewarding desired behavior, rather than punishing negative behavior. Research has shown that positive reinforcement can be highly effective in both school and workplace settings.
In a study conducted by the University of Melbourne, researchers found that students who received positive feedback from their teachers were more likely to be engaged and motivated. They were also more likely to participate in class and have better academic performance.
Similarly, in a corporate setting, positive reinforcement has been shown to improve employee morale and job satisfaction. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 89% showed high levels of motivation when their achievements were recognized and appreciated. Additionally, 86% of employees showed increased job satisfaction.
Positive feedback, also helps individuals think creatively and develop strong problem-solving skills. A study conducted by the University of Illinois involved participants engaging in a brainstorming task, where some were provided with positive feedback and others were not. The results showed that those who received positive feedback demonstrated significantly greater creativity and better problem-solving abilities than those who did not.
Positive reinforcement is proven to be powerful tool that should be implemented in both academic and corporate settings. It not only improves academic and workplace achievements but also promotes creativity and problem-solving skills.
An expository essay is a common format used in school and college exams to assess your understanding of a specific topic. The purpose of an expository essay is to present and explore a topic thoroughly without taking any particular stance or expressing personal opinions.
An expository essay does not require an original argument and requires less research as compared to an argumentative essay. However, you should be able to cover a topic from all angles and provide factual information to support your argument. You should also be able to structure your essay in a well-organized, logical format, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
The term “expository essay” is an umbrella term used to describe several different types of essays. They include classification essays, definition essays, compare and contrast essays, and cause and effect essays.
The Legacy of Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was one of the most important inventors in history, credited with over 1,000 patents during his lifetime. He was born in Ohio in 1847 and grew up in Michigan, where he received very little formal education. Despite this, Edison showed a strong interest in science and technology from an early age and began conducting experiments in his spare time.
In his early career, Edison worked as a telegraph operator and began to develop his own inventions, including an improved stock ticker and a quadruplex telegraph system. In 1877, he invented the phonograph, a device that could record and play back sound. This invention helped establish Edison as a leading inventor and made him a household name.
One of Edison’s most famous inventions was the incandescent light bulb, which he developed in the late 1870s. This invention revolutionized the way people lived, allowing them to work and live comfortably even after sunset. Edison’s work on the light bulb led to the development of the electrical power grid, which helped bring electricity to homes and businesses across the country.
Throughout his career, Edison remained committed to the idea of practical invention, focusing on creating devices that would have a real impact on people’s lives. He famously said, “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”
Overall, Thomas Edison’s impact on the world of invention and innovation cannot be overstated. His inventions helped transform the world and set the stage for many of the technological advances that we enjoy today.
Now that we’ve looked at the four main types of essays, let’s take a look at the combinations and derivations of these types.
These different types of essays include:
These types of essays aim to convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint. They achieve this by using personal anecdotes and experiences, which are backed up by factual evidence. Although they share some similarities with argumentative essays, persuasive essays place greater emphasis on emotion and personal narratives, on top of providing factual evidence.
Persuasive essays follow three methods of persuasion: Ethos, pathos, and logos. These methods are utilized to effectively convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint.
Here’s an example:
Importance of Mental Health Days in Corporate Settings
Employees need mental health days for their overall wellbeing and productivity. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people globally are affected by mental health disorders, which can lead to absenteeism, presenteeism, and decreased productivity in the workplace.
Taking a mental health day can provide a necessary break from work-related stress and allow employees to focus on their mental well-being. It can help prevent burnout and reduce the risk of developing serious issues such as depression or anxiety. Employees who feel supported in taking mental health days are more likely to return to work feeling refreshed and recharged, leading to increased productivity and creativity.
Furthermore, promoting mental health days in the workplace can foster a culture of transparency and support. When employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns with their employers and colleagues, it creates a sense of trust and understanding. This can lead to a more positive work environment and a higher level of employee morale.
In conclusion, mental health days are not a luxury, but a necessity for maintaining employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Employers who recognize the importance of mental health days and actively promote them in the workplace can create a more productive, positive, and healthy work environment for their employees.
A critical essay is not necessarily an evaluative piece of writing, but rather a thoughtful and analytical approach to interpreting a work of art. Through this process, you can provide valuable insights that enhance the reader’s appreciation and understanding of a piece.
These types of essays are common projects assigned to students in school or college. They involve the analysis and interpretation of a text or a visual medium. It goes beyond criticism despite the negative connotation of the term “critical”. It analyzes themes, characters, plots, and other crucial aspects to gain a deeper insight into the message or purpose of a literary or visual piece.
The critical essay-writing process involves actively reading or observing a piece of art or literature and forming a central idea or thesis statement on the basis of these observations. The body paragraphs consist of topic sentences that bolster the thesis statement, along with pieces of evidence proving these statements. The conclusion consists of the summary of the most impactful parts of your essay along with a powerful concluding statement.
While writing a critical essay, it is crucial to inspect every little aspect of a piece. For example, when writing a critical essay on a poem, it is essential to analyze its structure, the specific use of language, and the various literary devices used by the poet. By examining these elements, you can effectively explain its intended message.
Take a look at an example:
The Surreal Narrative of Virginia Woolf’s A Haunted House
Virginia Woolf’s A Haunted House is a surreal narrative that explores the interplay of light and shadow, the instability of time, and the haunting silence of an old house. The narrator’s state of mind is between sleep and wakefulness, which is reflected in the hazy lighting of the setting. The events of the night are narrated in the present tense, while the narrator’s waking hours are narrated in the past tense, heightening the sense of eeriness. The story takes place inside the narrator’s mind, bearing an imprint of their unconscious.
The provocation that “nothing really happens in A Haunted House” is inappropriate because it assumes there is one absolute reality in which events naturally unfold. In Woolf’s essay Modern Fiction , she reflects on the essential thing one looks for in fiction, which is often lost due to stagnant literary conventions like plot. Woolf rejects the realistic mode of storytelling to find a better form for the essential thing, which she creates out of the consciousness of her narrator.
One may argue that the narrator’s consciousness imagines the disembodied selves of old writers as the ghostly couple and gives form to “the light in the heart” when the ghosts bury it inside the house. The act of giving form to “the light in the heart” connects the new writer to the ghostly selves of old writers. These are the things that happen in the story.
In conclusion, the surreal narrative of A Haunted House is an exploration of the interplay of light and shadow, the instability of time, and the haunting silence of an old house. Through her rejection of stagnant literary conventions and the creation of a new reality shaped by the consciousness of her narrator, Woolf gives form to “the essential thing” in fiction.
These essays provide an opportunity for you to share your personal insights, opinions, and reflections on an experience. They are highly creative and typically employ the first-person point of view.
Through this form of writing, you can take the time to reflect on the meaning and significance of certain life events and their impact on you. It also allows you to share your key takeaways or lessons you’ve learned from these events.
Here’s an example:
A Trip to My Home Country
My trip to Kenya, my home country, was an eye-opening experience that left a lasting impact on me. As a Kenyan-American, I had grown up hearing stories about my parents’ home country, but nothing prepared me for the reality of it. The vibrant colors, the delicious smells, and the welcoming people all contributed to a truly inspiring trip.
One of the most memorable moments was visiting a rural village and meeting a group of young girls who were determined to receive an education. Despite facing significant obstacles, such as the societal pressure to prioritize marriage over education, these girls were highly committed to their goals. It was truly inspiring to see their resilience and made me reflect on my own privileges and opportunities in life.
The trip also made me realize the importance of preserving one’s cultural heritage. As a Kenyan American who was born and raised in the United States, I had never fully appreciated the richness and diversity of Kenyan culture. However, being immersed in it made me realize the importance of keeping these traditions alive.
Overall, my trip to Kenya inspired me to be more appreciative of my cultural heritage, to work towards social justice and equality, and to never take my privileges for granted. It was a truly life-changing experience that will stay with me forever.
Keep reading with more resources from your loyal editors and proofreaders:
What are the four elements of an essay, what are the three stages of essay writing, which is the most common type of essay in colleges, how do i identify different types of essays.
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An essay is a paper that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person ( I ), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, she, it, or they pronouns).
There are many different kinds of essays. The following are a some of the most common ones:
Descriptive Cause/Effect Argumentative Definition Narrative Critical Compare/Contrast Process
Descriptive:
Examples: A descriptive essay could describe . . .
The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described.
Definition:
Examples: A definition essay may try and define . . .
A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.
Compare/Contrast:
Examples:A compare/contrast essay may discuss . . .
The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.
Cause/Effect:
Examples:A cause/effect essay may explain . . .
The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event.
This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.
The example below shows a cause essay, one that would explain how and why an event happened.
If this cause essay were about a volcanic eruption, it might go something like this: “Pressure and heat built up beneath the earth’s surface; the effect of this was an enormous volcanic eruption.”
The next example shows an effect essay, one that would explain all the effects that happened after a specific event, like a volcanic eruption.
If this effect essay were about a volcanic eruption again, it might go something like this:
“The eruption caused many terrible things to happen; it destroyed homes, forests, and polluted the atmosphere.”
Examples:A narrative essay could tell of . . .
The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called a “short story.” Generally, the narrative essay is conversational in style and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I ). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a mundane daily experience.
Examples: A process essay may explain . . .
A process essay describes how something is done. It generally explains actions that should be performed in a series. It can explain in detail how to accomplish a specific task, or it can show how an individual came to a certain personal awareness. The essay could be in the form of step-by-step instructions, or in story form, with the instructions/explanations subtly given along the way.
Argumentative:
Examples: An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that . . .
An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer’s point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion. The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.
Examples: A critical essay may analyze . . .
A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, and methods of someone else’s work. Generally, these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work’s meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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?
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Literary English
What are Different Types of Essays | Describing Main Types
An essay is a piece of writing used to persuade someone of something. People write several types of essays for different purposes. In general, the essay must have a purpose. The aim can be to:
There are four main types of essays. These types are divided into further sub types. In this article we will discuss them in detail.
Argumentative Essay
Argumentative essay is based on writer’s opinion. Writer explains their reasons and give evidence to support their beliefs. The topics this essay type covers are:
When we have to make someone agree with our opinions, we use argumentative essay. Universities and colleges teach this type of essay commonly. It uses three different kinds of arguments to present your opinion
Classical : It presents the argument and express your perspective. Writers try to influence audience about their stance. It works well when your audience do not know much about that topic.
Rogerian : This type is used when we have to consider other’s opinions as well. This form of argument is excellent for controversial issues, because it respects all viewpoints. It provides the middle ground through evidences.
Toulmin : State your argument and provide solid evidence to support it. Similar to the previous argument type, this one is also helpful for controversial matters. It just offers one side rather than both. It is supported by evidence in a way that makes the opinion hard to reject.
This type of essay is divided into following parts:
Introduction Paragraph: The first paragraph should introduce the topic. It should provide background details of argument. Introduction paragraph also presents the thesis.
Thesis statement: This is a sentence in your first paragraph. It is a brief explanation of your main point in one sentence.
Paragraph bodies: An argumentative essay often has three or more paragraphs that provide supporting evidence for your topic. In the body paragraphs, you should provide examples, research, statistics, studies, and text citations to support your points.
Conclusion: One paragraph that summarizes all of the arguments in your body paragraphs, restates your thesis, and concludes your essay.
Expository Essay
A writing which conveys information through fact is known as expository writing. Expository essay provides clear knowledge of the topic. This essay type can have different kinds of structures to convey the point of view. Such as:
It’s the style of writing you write when you study the material you are researching. Think critically about the ideas you’ve learned in class, and justify the thought processes and conclusions you’ve drawn.
For expository essay, it is important that you know well about the chosen topic. It requires the ability to convey and organize facts. Like argumentative essays this type is also assigned to college and university students the most.
It is divided into three parts as well:
Introduction: It should be small and clear. Introduction paragraph should present the facts you are going to explain in your essay. Thesis statement is the part of this paragraph.
Body paragraph: Expository essay’s first paragraph should be short and well defined. It presents the evidences that support your opinion. For each evidence you provide, there must be a separate paragraph to explain it. Paragraphs of expository essay should be small and easy to read.
Conclusion: It concludes the essay and restate the facts described in the essay.
Use of transition words in body paragraphs is necessary. These words help in hooking up your readers and urge them to read the essay till end. These types of essays have many further categories. Each one serves their own purpose.
Narrative Essay
Narrative essay is not like expository or argumentative essay. It tells a story based on personal experiences. Narrative essay allows the writer to express their beliefs and opinions on some topic in a creative way. It also allows imaginative writing (writing about something you have never experienced yourself).
In narrative essay, sentences should increase the curiosity of readers. Engaging and well-structured paragraphs are important for this type of essay.
There is not any rule to divide narrative essay type in three parts; intro, body and conclusion. But it should have a start that hooks up the audience. Body paragraphs to explain why this certain thing is important to you. What impact did it leave on you. An end is required to conclude your essay gracefully. We cannot leave it in the middle for sure.
Narrative essays allow one to be as creative as they can. For example, you can write on any of these topics below:
What happened at your first day of school
When you got admission in your dream university
When you first held your baby daughter
Go on with the imaginations and creations. This type is well suited for people with creative minds
Descriptive Essay
As clear with its name, descriptive essay allows the writer to describe something. That can be a bird, a toy, a situation or an emotion. Descriptive essay encourages the person to write freely about the topic. It allows to add creativity in situation. Everyone has their own perception of viewing the world and descriptive writing permits it to share with the world.
There are three major forms of descriptive essay
Writing about a person
Writing about an object
Writing about a place
Some key points for writing this essay type
When writing sequentially, every incident must make sense.
Use figures of speech: expressions that aren’t exactly literal but convey a powerful meaning
Use stronger verbs instead of technical terms; for example, “she walked pleasantly” is preferable than “she strolled.
Try to use sensory details like touching, seeing and feeling etc.
Before writing, stop to think, then finish by editing and correcting.
These tips can make your descriptive essay stand-out.
Other Subtypes of Essays Include:
Process Essay
Compare and Contrast Essay
Persuasive Essay
Cause and Effects Essay
Critical Essay
Definition Essay
It is the type of expository essay. It explains how to do something and give explanations about it. You can write this type of essay in a certain sequence in order to maintain it.
Essays that compare and contrast two topics and highlight their similarities and distinctions. These essays feature an introduction, at least one paragraph outlining the similarities and contrasts between the themes, and a conclusion. In academic environments, compare and contrast essays are common.
Facts and emotional appeals are used in persuasive essays to persuade readers to form an opinion or support a particular position. In persuasive essays, moral and emotional justification can be used to support a claim or cause and engage the reader.
It is also a type of expository essays; therefore, they present facts rather than personal opinions. Cause and effect essays explain how some circumstances resulted in other occurrences.
Critical essays offer a thorough examination of a subject. They may offer criticism on books, plays, parks, or food outlets. Critical essays support their opinions with evidence from the issue.
An exposition essay type that defines a phrase or concept is known as a definition essay. These writings often offer in-depth analysis and explanations of challenging topics.
Conclusion :
In the world of essay writing, each type serves a different purpose. Each write-up will stand significantly if right category of essay is used. Sometimes writers want to give opinion or explain a fact. Other times they want to describe or narrate a story. For each of this purpose, distinct types of essays are available. Grab your pen and start writing your essay on whatever topic you want.
How do i know what type of essay to write.
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.”
For a stronger conclusion paragraph, avoid including:
Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.
Your essay’s conclusion should contain:
The conclusion may also reflect on the broader implications of your argument, showing how your ideas could applied to other contexts or debates.
The conclusion paragraph of an essay is usually shorter than the introduction . As a rule, it shouldn’t take up more than 10–15% of the text.
An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.
In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.
Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.
The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.
To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.
Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:
The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .
Let’s say you’re writing a five-paragraph essay about the environmental impacts of dietary choices. Here are three examples of topic sentences you could use for each of the three body paragraphs :
Each of these sentences expresses one main idea – by listing them in order, we can see the overall structure of the essay at a glance. Each paragraph will expand on the topic sentence with relevant detail, evidence, and arguments.
The topic sentence usually comes at the very start of the paragraph .
However, sometimes you might start with a transition sentence to summarize what was discussed in previous paragraphs, followed by the topic sentence that expresses the focus of the current paragraph.
Topic sentences help keep your writing focused and guide the reader through your argument.
In an essay or paper , each paragraph should focus on a single idea. By stating the main idea in the topic sentence, you clarify what the paragraph is about for both yourself and your reader.
A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .
Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.
The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.
The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.
The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.
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 rhetorical analysis , a claim is something the author wants the audience to believe. A support is the evidence or appeal they use to convince the reader to believe the claim. A warrant is the (often implicit) assumption that links the support with the claim.
Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, building up logical arguments . Ethos appeals to the speaker’s status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.
Collectively, these three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle . They are central to rhetorical analysis , though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.
The term “text” in a rhetorical analysis essay refers to whatever object you’re analyzing. It’s frequently a piece of writing or a speech, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you could also treat an advertisement or political cartoon as a text.
The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to explain the effect a piece of writing or oratory has on its audience, how successful it is, and the devices and appeals it uses to achieve its goals.
Unlike a standard argumentative essay , it’s less about taking a position on the arguments presented, and more about exploring how they are constructed.
You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.
If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.
When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.
You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.
Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.
Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:
It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.
Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison . You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.
You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay , so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.
Some essay prompts include the keywords “compare” and/or “contrast.” In these cases, an essay structured around comparing and contrasting is the appropriate response.
Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework .
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.
If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.
The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.
If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?
The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.
Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.
Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.
When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.
The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.
In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
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.
An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.
Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.
An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.
Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.
You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.
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By: Angelina Grin
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 .
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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:
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:
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.
A perfect expository essay structure requires the following components.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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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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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by Antony W
June 9, 2024
You will write more than one types of essays before and after joining college. So it’s important to know which ones they’re and their significance.
The types of essays you’ll write in college or university are as follows:
In this guide, we discuss each of these types of essays, not to mention point you to the resourceful guides that we’ve put together to teach you exactly how to write these essays.
Some of these essays are long and some have flexible word count, which mean you can make them longer if it’s necessary to do so.
To be abundantly clear, this guide isn’t about how to write each types of essays in college. It’s a highlight of the different types of essays.
Note that we’ve included, where possible, links to resources you can use as the definitive guide to write a specific type of an essay.
We’ve classified the types of essays into those you will do before joining college and those you will write once you’re in college.
Also known as an application essay, an admissions essay is an assignment you write if you want to join a college or a university.
The essay tells a college admissions committee more about you in a much better way that your results transcript does.
The goal of the essay is to communicate unique characters about yourself and to convince an admission committee that you’re a good fit for their institution.
Depending on the admission criteria of the college or university you choose, you may have to submit the essay along with a personal statement. In most cases, an admissions essay is often more than enough.
If you need help to write a comprehensive and convincing admissions essay, hire our admission essay writing service here . Our team will help you write a high quality essay guaranteed to win you an admission in a college of your choice.
You may also be interested in learning about writing an MBA essay if you’re looking forward to enrolling in a school of Management in Business Administration.
Argumentative essays are debatable in nature.
You have to take a stance on an issue and then use evidence to justify your claims and defend your position.
In addition to sharing your point of view, you also anticipate counterclaims, which is the opposite of exactly what you believe to be right. Then you have to give a rebuttal to the opposing point of view.
There’s a lot you need to know about argumentative essays, so we’ve put together a hub to guide you. Click here for more.
A cause and effective essay is argumentative in nature. It examines the relationships between two subjects, which can be a thing, an idea, a person, or an event.
The work of the writer is to determine how these subjects directly influence one another.
The purpose of a scholarship essay is to convince a target audience that you qualify for a respective scholarship program.
For the essay to stand out from the many options from other candidates, you have to pay close attention to details and provide the information that the administration requires.
When writing a scholarship essay, it’s important to describe your personal experiences, your personalities, the event that have changed you, and the people that have made a bigger impact in your life.
A persuasive essay is an assignment written to shift perspective and bring positive change.
With this essay, you present your stand to your reader and give them all the reasons why they should consider and even share your thoughts.
If you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Africa or abortion should be illegal in America, your essay had better convince people to consider your beliefs.
You should not confuse a persuasive essay with an argumentative essay. The aim of the former presents only one side of an issue and convinces an audience to accept certain ideas.
To learn more about persuasive essay, including how to write it, see this guide .
Instead of being argumentative in form, an explanatory essay only requires you to look into an issue and give your opinion, even if you don’t agree with the author or your very own point of view.
You only have to make sure that you’ve done your research and that your point of view on the subject is logical.
The goal of this essay isn’t to prove a point. The aim with it is to make it easier for your audience to understand what the issue is.
For a more comprehensive guide on an explanatory essay, check this guide .
A Theory of Knowledge essay is an individual task completed by students who have enrolled in the IB diploma program.
Mandatory for all IB students and moderated externally, this essay is 1,600 words long and account for two thirds of the overall TOK marks.
The other one third goes to the TOK Exhibition commentary .
You don’t choose a topic to explore in this essay.
IB provides it for you in a list of prescribed titles , which changes every exam season.
The purpose of the TOK essay assignment is to gauge your ability to provide clarity of argument.
In writing a theology paper , students have to analyze the different types of religion and the expression of human faith across different cultures.
Given the impact religion has on societies, even people who aren’t profoundly religious will find this type of an essay quite interesting to explore.
Also known as a theme essay, thematic essays identify an idea in a literary object followed by an exploration of how the author addresses the themes using different literary devices.
The devices used in a thematic essay can be allegory, hyperbole, metaphors, or imageries. Work on a thematic essay can be on a magazine article, an audio, a video, a book, or a speech.
While a thematic essay should be five paragraphs by default, you can make it longer depending on how complex the assignment is.
About the author
Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.
There are various opinions on how to categorize essays and how many types of essay there are. The simplest interpretation says that there are only four types of essays:
1. Narrative essays 2. Descriptive essays 3. Expository essays 4. Persuasive essays
I personally think this is a bit of an oversimplification. I also think there are overly complicated classifications of essays, so to keep things relatively simple, we’ll stick to 10 types. Feel free to disagree with me if you like!
In this type of essay, you’re painting a word picture. You can certainly include some facts, but you’ll focus on the experience, what it feels like, looks like, smells or sounds like. Your aim is to draw the reader in so he or she can experience what you are writing about in the same way you experienced it.
A definition tells you what something is. Although a definition is short, a definition essay discusses a complex concept in much greater depth than you would get from a few lines. They’re most often used to discuss philosophical or abstract topics.
You’ll be given two similar-seeming yet different things to compare. To write this essay, I suggest that you prepare carefully. Which elements are the same? Which ones are different? Once you are sure you know what information you want to include, you’re ready to go.
Although the name seems self-explanatory, we need to remember several causes can contribute to a single effect, and conversely, one cause could result in several effects. For example, several factors contributed to the US involvement in the First World War (multiple causes, single effect). However, being in the war had several effects on the US (single cause multiple effects).
If you like creative writing, these will be among your favorite essays. In a narrative essay, you tell a story. Remember, it has a beginning followed by a number of events that lead up to an ending. Plan carefully!
This type of essay involves a step by step explanation of how something happens or is done. Getting your steps in the correct order is important if you don’t want to turn your process into a muddle. Write your process essay in chronological order.
Are you opinionated? Good! The argumentative essay explains your opinions and the reasons why you believe they’re right. You can even look at some possible counter-arguments and why you believe they’re wrong. Ultimately, you’re trying to get your reader to agree with you, so the more facts you can present to support your points, the better.
You don’t have to criticize the thing you’re writing about unless you think there is reason for it, but you’ll be evaluating it critically. You’ll provide reasons why you think something was well done or badly done. If you think it was great, why did you think so? Are there any faults that bothered you? Why did they bother you? What evidence can you present to support your opinion?
You could sum this type of essay up as follows, “Get all the facts, and then interpret them!” You must reach a conclusion , and this has to be supported by your research or personal experience. In higher education, you have to show your ability to research your topic, and you’ll probably be citing experts along the way. In the end, you give your own opinion, but you’ll point out how several sources contribute to it. As long as there is logic in that, your answer can’t be wrong. These essays are exciting because even when you use existing knowledge, you may find yourself obtaining a new perspective or reaching a novel conclusion.
In a way, these are similar to argumentative essays, but they’re not quite the same. An argumentative essay will hit people with the facts, while a persuasive essay has a softer touch and may appeal to moral values or emotions. See it as the difference between winning a debate and winning someone over to support a cause. There are differences, but also similarities.
When looking at an instruction or exam question, study the VERBS your teacher has used. Circle them and think about what they imply. If you’ve just been told to name or list things, give nothing but the facts.
Other words indicating that you should usually give nothing but the facts:
In addition, you want to look for words indicating that you should give your opinion:
If you have any doubt about the type of essay you should be writing, ask. While your teacher likely won’t tell you when assigning, she will explain the correct type of essay to write for the particular situation and how you can figure that out. This should prove beneficial so you can deduct the correct type to write in future situations.
I don’t understand why we even have to write essays. I think it’s just a device teachers have come up with to torture us. Nobody would ever voluntarily write an essay!
So, what would you write? What would improve your writing skills? And why do you see writing as torture?
My husband who is a biochemist has to voluntarily write grants in order to have the government give him money to do his job. Also, learning how to write makes you sound smarter.
Very good blog post. As a student teacher, it’s important for students to understand the wide variety of essays and the appropriate one to use with each assignment. I absolutely love this site. Keep it up!
what about the reflective essay?
Reflective! Excellent point. I have a much longer list than this (I am an English teacher), but reflective is not on it — well, it wasn’t until now!
Such mind numbing article for befuddle mind like me.
How can I detect this essay types in comprehension passage test readings?
I love it but how can I distinguish between them in the exam 🤧I’m so confused
Are you really love me like the character in the narrative essay?
Same problem here 🐱
How will I construct or plan an essay when writing an essay, I really want to understand.
An essay that reviews a book is called… what? Please someone help me with this question. Thanks!
It is typically called a book review.
It would be called a critical or analytical essay.
my teacher send me to chose event from the article after that i will write essay and tell me some question like how did this happen like it it ,how could this event happen in 2020,2021? i need to know what kind of essay i will write
Essay writing is a skill, the more you write the better. Thank you! for sharing this content.
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For high school or college students, essays are unavoidable – worst of all, the essay types and essay writing topics assigned change throughout your academic career. As soon as you’ve mastered one of the many types of academic papers , you’re on to the next one.
This article by Custom Writing experts provides the tools you need to attack any essay. It describes the five current major types of essays and five additional types! The article includes some thesis statement examples and numerous useful links to resources with sample essay papers. Keep reading and good luck with your assignment!
📑 what are the 5 different types of essays.
The five main essay types are:
An expository essay aims to present opinion-free information on a topic that may be broad or narrow. This essay type is often assigned as an in-class or an exam task. Please find below useful expository writing tips!
“The oil industry is a very large portion of the energy sector, and it has significant impacts on the climate and economy.”
An argumentative essay requires a profound investigation of a topic leading to the collection and evaluation of evidence. Such an in-depth study shall result in an established position on the topic, written down concisely.
As a rule, this type of writing presupposes extensive literature research . Sometimes, argumentative assignments may require empirical investigation through surveys, interviews, or observations. Detailed research ensures a clear understanding of the issue and the different points of view regarding it. Thanks to the preliminary study, you will be able to make an unbiased decision on which opinion to adhere to, and your argumentation will be more persuasive.
An argumentative essay shall follow the strict structure rules:
Expository and argumentative essays abound in similarities and are often mistaken for one another. The principal difference is the amount of preliminary research . Argumentative essays are often assigned as final projects summing up the corpus of information mastered during a course. Expository essays are shorter and less based on research. They are used for in-class unprepared writing.
Persuasive writing is the polar opposite of expository writing. For this style of essay, your opinion should be the focus . A persuasive essay attempts to persuade its reader to have a specific opinion.
“Though the oil industry is an important part of our economy, it has negatively impacted our environment through climate change, smog, and the building of roads.”
There is no more clearly-named essay than the descriptive one. Here, the goal is to describe something : a person, an object, a place, etc. The oil industry theme used to demonstrate an expository thesis statement would not be typical for a descriptive essay. Instead, descriptive writing would far more likely focus on an object associated with the oil industry, such as an oil drum, an oil tanker, or even the liquid oil itself.
The meaning of narrative writing is very similar to a story. It may be moving, emotional, anecdotal, or insightful. You are allowed to write using first-person pronouns, and creativity is appreciated. A narrative essay is subject to all the story rules and shall comprise an introduction, characters, plot, setting, climax, and conclusion. The only case when a narrative assignment does not have to comply with a story outline is a book report. This informative narration is impersonal and unemotional.
A narrative essay is aimed to tell the reader a complete story of personal experiences . A descriptive essay dwells upon a separate object, place, concept, or phenomenon. It does not have a climax or any development of action.
In a cause and effect essay, the text should focus on the impact of some phenomenon or physical thing —in other words, a cause and its effect.
The simplicity of this essay allows you to explore any topic . All you need to do is consider its consequences and write. Again, the oil industry can be the focus of a cause and effect essay thesis statement :
“The oil industry has had a tremendous impact on our world, enabling the automotive industry, contributing to climate change, and generating great wealth.”
In this essay, the goal is simply to respond to or reflect upon a species person, place, thing, event, or phenomenon. You may be required to reflect upon a poem, a military battle, or perhaps even another essay. By its definition, reflective essays should be very subjective. You should use personal pronouns like “I” and “me” in these essays! This type of essay should be very personal. Check out some examples of reflective writing to see this yourself.
For example, this would be a great thesis statement for a reflective essay :
“The oil industry has provided many benefits to society, but I worry deeply about its potential costs to our planet and its species.”
In many ways, analytical writing is the objective cousin of reflective writing. Prior to attempting this style of essay, you should reflect. But you should also conduct research. The reflection is personal, while the analysis is rooted in facts and logic.
Compare the following example thesis statement with the one from the previous type of essay:
“As the oil industry has grown, the levels of greenhouse gases have increased along with temperatures and concentrations of particulate matter in the atmosphere.”
This statement outlines factors that will be analyzed in the body of the essay. It DOES NOT insert personal feelings, personal pronouns, or subjective language. You can even try and use an informative thesis statement generator and then compare the results to see it more clearly.
By staying objective, an analytical essay is much more like a report. In fact, an outline for an analytical paper should be interchangeable with a section of an outline for a much longer research project. But most importantly, any analytical paper should avoid using personal pronouns .
In a compare and contrast essay , you make a comparison of two or more issues . You may look at their similarities, differences, or both. The focus of your analysis should be reflected in your thesis statement. Consider this example:
“While both the oil industry and the solar-power industry will be major sources of energy in the future, oil has more environmental costs than green solar power.”
An exemplification or illustration essay is one of the most flexible essays you might be assigned. In simple terms, this essay is all about picking vivid examples. In other words, you want to make points that exemplify or illustrate your thesis statement.
For an exemplification essay, you should focus on the examples that will make your point without serious effort. In other words, if you are trying too hard, you are missing the point of the essay. Consider the following example thesis statement:
“The oil industry has had serious effects on the environment as demonstrated by the impact of massive oil spill on wildlife, the uncontrolled fires and explosions caused by oil and oil derivatives, and the melting of the polar ice caps caused by climate change.”
In the body of this exemplification essay, the writer should devote a paragraph to each of these arguments. Descriptions of seagulls or penguins coated in oil would be perfect examples of the effect of the oil industry on wildlife. Similarly, descriptions of major oil refinery explosions will also grab the reader’s attention.
Once again, the conclusion should restate the introduction, providing less background, and reminding the reader of the examples one last time.
These tips and tricks are just the basics of essay writing .
When you are writing any assignment, always pay close attention to the instructions . The standard interpretation of any particular essay style is never as important as your teacher’s definition of the assignment. When in doubt, ask questions! No teacher will be upset with you asking for reasonable clarifications. It is better to write the essay your teacher expected, rather than surprise your teacher with a creative effort. And, subsequently, get a poor grade.
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Beauty lasts only a short time. But in the realm of art, in the field of poetry, beauty lasts forever. Sonnet 73 is addressed to a lover who is younger than the speaker. The poem uses three metaphors to depict the speaker’s age and impending death. First, the speaker says that he is autumn, the time of year when the beauty of summer is gone, and the death of winter is about to set in. Then he says that he is the end of the day when only a faint light lingers on the western horizon, and deathly darkness is about to engulf the world. Then he says that he is an almost burned out fire, nearly reduced to ashes. This sonnet doesn’t look to art for consolation, but to love. It concludes by saying, You love me even though you know you’re soon going to lose me, and that makes your love all the greater.
Awesome post as usual! Your posts make me accumulate knowledge about writing various college papers! Thanks a lot for this assistance!
These are amazing tips for compare and contrast essay writing. Will definitely use them when writing my compare and contrast essay. Thanks for sharing them!
Pride Month is here. It's a time to celebrate the diversity and joy within the LGBTQ+ community, a time for parades, parties, activism and learning .
Pride flags are as numerous as the identities encompassed in the LGBTQ+ acronym. Some represent different sexualities, others are for gender identity and some are updates to the original rainbow design meant to add more inclusive elements or honor marginalized communities.
Whether you’re an ally or a member of the community, here’s your guide to popular pride flags.
There are dozens of pride flags, some more well-known than others. The Human Rights Campaign, a hub for LGBTQ+ resources, lists 25 pride flags , including intersectionality and progress designs. However, there may be even more than this figure, as artists and activists continue to create new designs that more accurately represent their identities.
Here are some of the most common ones you may see flying this June:
Perhaps the most common LGBTQ+ pride flag, the original rainbow flag, has six colors that altogether symbolize hope. The individual colors also each have meaning – read more to discover what each color represents .
Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, challenged activist Gilbert Baker to create a symbol for the gay community in the 1970s. The result was the first rainbow pride flag, which originally had eight stripes instead of six.
Introduced by Amber Hikes and the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs in 2017, this version is an updated pride flag with black and brown stripes above the original rainbow colors. Here’s what those new colors represent .
The Progress Pride flag is a reimagined take on the traditional pride flag. It has the rainbow flag’s six colors but layers a black, brown, blue, pink and white stripe in a chevron design.
The Philadelphia Pride flag inspired artist Daniel Quasar to create a new flag that emphasized “the current needs within our community.” Read more to discover the significance of the colors and design .
There are several pride flags to represent the lesbian community, but the most widely used is the orange and pink flag. In 2018, a new seven-stripe design was created to represent independence, community, femininity, gender non-conformity and other themes important to the lesbian community . Here’s what each color symbolizes on the flag.
The bisexual pride flag has three stripes – pink, purple and blue. Michael Page created the flag in 1998 as a rallying symbol for the bi community , historically underrepresented in the larger LGBTQ+ community .
He was inspired by the "Bi-Angles" symbol, one of the first symbols of bi-visibility with two overlapping blue and pink triangles. Here’s what each color represents .
The pansexual pride flag has three horizontal stripes – one hot pink, one yellow and one blue. It was designed to bring awareness to the pansexual community and further distinguish it from bisexuality. The two identities overlap in nuanced ways but are not interchangeable.
Here's what each color of the pansexual flag represents.
The transgender pride flag has five stripes with alternating pink, blue and white stripes. The flag’s symmetry symbolizes that “no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives,” according to creator Monica Helms. Here’s why each of the three colors is distinctly important to the trans community.
The intersex pride flag is yellow with a purple circle in the middle. The circle represents “wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities,” the flag’s creator, Morgan Carpenter , wrote. Read more about what this symbol means to the intersex community .
Similarly, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag adds the yellow and purple symbol on top of the Progress Pride flag’s design.
The asexual pride flag is the result of a contest hosted by the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. The winning design has black, gray, white and purple stripes, each representing parts of the asexual spectrum and important elements like community, partners and allies. Read more about what the asexual flag represents here .
The nonbinary flag has four stripes, yellow, white, purple and black. Each represents the diverse and unique experiences of those who identify as nonbinary, or individuals who don’t identify exclusively as male or female. Here’s a deeper look into the flag’s origin and meaning .
The genderqueer pride flag was created to represent the interrelated identities of this community, which rejects conventional gender categories in favor of fluidity. Check out this deeper dive into what the white and dark green represent , plus why the lavender stripe is an important queer symbol.
The gender-fluid pride flag was created in 2012 as a symbol of the fluidity of identity and expression. The five stripes, colored pink, white, purple, black and blue, represent different places on the spectrum of gender identity. Here’s what each color means .
Learn each letter: Breaking down the history, meaning of LGBTQ
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Mar 16, 2023 | Jared Spataro - CVP, AI at Work
Humans are hard-wired to dream, to create, to innovate. Each of us seeks to do work that gives us purpose — to write a great novel, to make a discovery, to build strong communities, to care for the sick. The urge to connect to the core of our work lives in all of us. But today, we spend too much time consumed by the drudgery of work on tasks that zap our time, creativity and energy. To reconnect to the soul of our work, we don’t just need a better way of doing the same things. We need a whole new way to work.
Today, we are bringing the power of next-generation AI to work. Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot — your copilot for work . It combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your data in the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet.
“Today marks the next major step in the evolution of how we interact with computing, which will fundamentally change the way we work and unlock a new wave of productivity growth,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “With our new copilot for work, we’re giving people more agency and making technology more accessible through the most universal interface — natural language.”
Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 in two ways. It works alongside you, embedded in the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more — to unleash creativity, unlock productivity and uplevel skills. Today we’re also announcing an entirely new experience: Business Chat . Business Chat works across the LLM, the Microsoft 365 apps, and your data — your calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings and contacts — to do things you’ve never been able to do before. You can give it natural language prompts like “Tell my team how we updated the product strategy,” and it will generate a status update based on the morning’s meetings, emails and chat threads.
With Copilot, you’re always in control. You decide what to keep, modify or discard. Now, you can be more creative in Word, more analytical in Excel, more expressive in PowerPoint, more productive in Outlook and more collaborative in Teams.
Microsoft 365 Copilot transforms work in three ways:
Unleash creativity. With Copilot in Word, you can jump-start the creative process so you never start with a blank slate again. Copilot gives you a first draft to edit and iterate on — saving hours in writing, sourcing, and editing time. Sometimes Copilot will be right, other times usefully wrong — but it will always put you further ahead. You’re always in control as the author, driving your unique ideas forward, prompting Copilot to shorten, rewrite or give feedback. Copilot in PowerPoint helps you create beautiful presentations with a simple prompt, adding relevant content from a document you made last week or last year. And with Copilot in Excel, you can analyze trends and create professional-looking data visualizations in seconds.
Unlock productivity. We all want to focus on the 20% of our work that really matters, but 80% of our time is consumed with busywork that bogs us down. Copilot lightens the load. From summarizing long email threads to quickly drafting suggested replies, Copilot in Outlook helps you clear your inbox in minutes, not hours. And every meeting is a productive meeting with Copilot in Teams. It can summarize key discussion points — including who said what and where people are aligned and where they disagree — and suggest action items, all in real time during a meeting. And with Copilot in Power Platform, anyone can automate repetitive tasks, create chatbots and go from idea to working app in minutes.
GitHub data shows that Copilot promises to unlock productivity for everyone. Among developers who use GitHub Copilot, 88% say they are more productive, 74% say that they can focus on more satisfying work, and 77% say it helps them spend less time searching for information or examples.
But Copilot doesn’t just supercharge individual productivity. It creates a new knowledge model for every organization — harnessing the massive reservoir of data and insights that lies largely inaccessible and untapped today. Business Chat works across all your business data and apps to surface the information and insights you need from a sea of data — so knowledge flows freely across the organization, saving you valuable time searching for answers. You will be able to access Business Chat from Microsoft 365.com, from Bing when you’re signed in with your work account, or from Teams.
Uplevel skills. Copilot makes you better at what you’re good at and lets you quickly master what you’ve yet to learn. The average person uses only a handful of commands — such as “animate a slide” or “insert a table” — from the thousands available across Microsoft 365. Now, all that rich functionality is unlocked using just natural language. And this is only the beginning.
Copilot will fundamentally change how people work with AI and how AI works with people. As with any new pattern of work, there’s a learning curve — but those who embrace this new way of working will quickly gain an edge.
The Copilot System: Enterprise-ready AI
Microsoft is uniquely positioned to deliver enterprise-ready AI with the Copilot System . Copilot is more than OpenAI’s ChatGPT embedded into Microsoft 365. It’s a sophisticated processing and orchestration engine working behind the scenes to combine the power of LLMs, including GPT-4, with the Microsoft 365 apps and your business data in the Microsoft Graph — now accessible to everyone through natural language.
Grounded in your business data. AI-powered LLMs are trained on a large but limited corpus of data. The key to unlocking productivity in business lies in connecting LLMs to your business data — in a secure, compliant, privacy-preserving way. Microsoft 365 Copilot has real-time access to both your content and context in the Microsoft Graph. This means it generates answers anchored in your business content — your documents, emails, calendar, chats, meetings, contacts and other business data — and combines them with your working context — the meeting you’re in now, the email exchanges you’ve had on a topic, the chat conversations you had last week — to deliver accurate, relevant, contextual responses.
Built on Microsoft’s comprehensive approach to security, compliance and privacy. Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 and automatically inherits all your company’s valuable security, compliance, and privacy policies and processes. Two-factor authentication, compliance boundaries, privacy protections, and more make Copilot the AI solution you can trust.
Architected to protect tenant, group and individual data. We know data leakage is a concern for customers. Copilot LLMs are not trained on your tenant data or your prompts. Within your tenant, our time-tested permissioning model ensures that data won’t leak across user groups. And on an individual level, Copilot presents only data you can access using the same technology that we’ve been using for years to secure customer data.
Integrated into the apps millions use every day. Microsoft 365 Copilot is integrated in the productivity apps millions of people use and rely on every day for work and life — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more. An intuitive and consistent user experience ensures it looks, feels and behaves the same way in Teams as it does in Outlook, with a shared design language for prompts, refinements and commands.
Designed to learn new skills. Microsoft 365 Copilot’s foundational skills are a game changer for productivity: It can already create, summarize, analyze, collaborate and automate using your specific business content and context. But it doesn’t stop there. Copilot knows how to command apps (e.g., “animate this slide”) and work across apps, translating a Word document into a PowerPoint presentation. And Copilot is designed to learn new skills. For example, with Viva Sales, Copilot can learn how to connect to CRM systems of record to pull customer data — like interaction and order histories — into communications. As Copilot learns about new domains and processes, it will be able to perform even more sophisticated tasks and queries.
Committed to building responsibly
At Microsoft, we are guided by our AI principles and Responsible AI Standard and decades of research on AI, grounding and privacy-preserving machine learning. A multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and policy experts reviews our AI systems for potential harms and mitigations — refining training data, filtering to limit harmful content, query- and result-blocking sensitive topics, and applying Microsoft technologies like InterpretML and Fairlearn to help detect and correct data bias. We make it clear how the system makes decisions by noting limitations, linking to sources, and prompting users to review, fact-check and adjust content based on subject-matter expertise.
Moving boldly as we learn
In the months ahead, we’re bringing Copilot to all our productivity apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Viva, Power Platform, and more. We’ll share more on pricing and licensing soon. Earlier this month we announced Dynamics 365 Copilot as the world’s first AI Copilot in both CRM and ERP to bring the next-generation AI to every line of business.
Everyone deserves to find purpose and meaning in their work — and Microsoft 365 Copilot can help. To serve the unmet needs of our customers, we must move quickly and responsibly, learning as we go. We’re testing Copilot with a small group of customers to get feedback and improve our models as we scale, and we will expand to more soon.
Learn more on the Microsoft 365 blog and visit WorkLab to get expert insights on how AI will create a brighter future of work for everyone.
And for all the blogs, videos and assets related to today’s announcements, please visit our microsite .
Tags: AI , Microsoft 365 , Microsoft 365 Copilot
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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 ...
An informal essay, also known as a familiar or personal essay, is a type of essay that is written in a personal tone and style. This type of essay is often written as a reflection or commentary on a personal experience, opinion, or observation. Informal essays are usually shorter than formal essays and are often written in a conversational style.
Definition Essay As the name suggests, a definition type of essay defines different things, ideas, and perceptions.; Narrative Essay A narrative essay is a narration like a short story.It is, however, different from a short story in that it is written in an essay format.; Descriptive Essay A descriptive essay describes something to make readers feel, smell, see, taste, or hear what is described.
Though you're likely not to encounter every single type of essay that exists, sometimes it's necessary to know about them. Learn about 15 different types here.
AI Tools to enhance your academic writing. SciSpace Copilot - AI research assistant. Literature Review. Paraphraser. AI Detector. Citation Generator. Academic writing includes different types of essays for students. This article gives a short summary of the 7 types of essays you often find in academic writing.
Types of essays. At Sheridan, you are likely to come across four types of essays. Each essay types has different requirements and produces different outcomes. In this section, you will find descriptions of the four essay types: Expository, Argumentative or Persuasive, Reflective, and Descriptive.
Parts of an essay. An impactful, well-structured essay comes down to three important parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. 1. The introduction sets the stage for your essay and is typically a paragraph long. It should grab the reader's attention and give them a clear idea of what your essay will be about.
An argumentative essay is the most common type of essay in the academic world. It follows the standard essay structure, which includes an introduction, main body, and a conclusion. The introduction of an argumentative essay introduces the topic, provides background information, presents the thesis statement, and maps out the essay structure.
This video will cover the 4 main types of essays: narrative, descriptive, expository, and argumentative. We'll explain the key features and provide tips for ...
Writing 101: The 8 Common Types of Essays. Whether you're a first-time high school essay writer or a professional writer about to tackle another research paper, you'll need to understand the fundamentals of essay writing before you put pen to paper and write your first sentence.
An essay is a highly versatile, non-fictional piece of writing aimed at persuading, informing, or entertaining the reader. It can serve multiple functions, such as taking a stance on topics, disproving widely believed myths, and sharing interesting anecdotes. There are various styles and types of essay writing that can be used to serve specific functions.
For example, if you're writing a narrative essay for a job application, you could conclude by summarizing how your experience solidified your desire to become a lawyer. 2. Descriptive essays. Descriptive essays provide a detailed description of your subject. This may be a person, place, thing or event.
The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences. Cause/Effect: Examples:A cause/effect essay may explain . . . * why a volcano erupts, and what happens afterwards;
See Prices. 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 ...
An essay is a piece of writing used to persuade someone of something. People write several types of essays for different purposes. In general, the essay must have a purpose. The aim can be to: educate; convince; explain; entertain; There are four main types of essays. These types are divided into further sub types. In this article we will ...
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.".
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. Table Of Contents. 16 Types of Essays.
Given the impact religion has on societies, even people who aren't profoundly religious will find this type of an essay quite interesting to explore. 9. Thematic Essay . Also known as a theme essay, thematic essays identify an idea in a literary object followed by an exploration of how the author addresses the themes using different literary ...
Narrative essays. 2. Descriptive essays. 3. Expository essays. 4. Persuasive essays. I personally think this is a bit of an oversimplification. I also think there are overly complicated classifications of essays, so to keep things relatively simple, we'll stick to 10 types.
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.
An expository essay introduction should clarify the topic and briefly lay out its elements.; The first paragraph is to contain a well-defined thesis statement.For example, the following might be a great expository thesis statement: "The oil industry is a very large portion of the energy sector, and it has significant impacts on the climate and economy."
Name an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you and how it has impacted your life. Tell about what you have done to make your community or school a better place. 2. Pick a topic. ... PSA: Save your essay drafts! Instead of writing your essay directly in the online application, draft and save your essay in a document like Google Docs ...
You can wave more than just a rainbow flag this Pride Month. The lesbian flag, transgender flag, nonbinary flag and more represent LGBTQ+ identities.
Humans are hard-wired to dream, to create, to innovate. Each of us seeks to do work that gives us purpose — to write a great novel, to make a discovery, to build strong communities, to care for the sick. The urge to connect to the core of our work lives in all of us. But...