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10 Great Essay Writing Tips
Knowing how to write a college essay is a useful skill for anyone who plans to go to college. Most colleges and universities ask you to submit a writing sample with your application. As a student, you’ll also write essays in your courses. Impress your professors with your knowledge and skill by using these great essay writing tips.
Prepare to Answer the Question
Most college essays ask you to answer a question or synthesize information you learned in class. Review notes you have from lectures, read the recommended texts and make sure you understand the topic. You should refer to these sources in your essay.
Plan Your Essay
Many students see planning as a waste of time, but it actually saves you time. Take a few minutes to think about the topic and what you want to say about it. You can write an outline, draw a chart or use a graphic organizer to arrange your ideas. This gives you a chance to spot problems in your ideas before you spend time writing out the paragraphs.
Choose a Writing Method That Feels Comfortable
You might have to type your essay before turning it in, but that doesn’t mean you have to write it that way. Some people find it easy to write out their ideas by hand. Others prefer typing in a word processor where they can erase and rewrite as needed. Find the one that works best for you and stick with it.
View It as a Conversation
Writing is a form of communication, so think of your essay as a conversation between you and the reader. Think about your response to the source material and the topic. Decide what you want to tell the reader about the topic. Then, stay focused on your response as you write.
Provide the Context in the Introduction
If you look at an example of an essay introduction, you’ll see that the best essays give the reader a context. Think of how you introduce two people to each other. You share the details you think they will find most interesting. Do this in your essay by stating what it’s about and then telling readers what the issue is.
Explain What Needs to be Explained
Sometimes you have to explain concepts or define words to help the reader understand your viewpoint. You also have to explain the reasoning behind your ideas. For example, it’s not enough to write that your greatest achievement is running an ultra marathon. You might need to define ultra marathon and explain why finishing the race is such an accomplishment.
Answer All the Questions
After you finish writing the first draft of your essay, make sure you’ve answered all the questions you were supposed to answer. For example, essays in compare and contrast format should show the similarities and differences between ideas, objects or events. If you’re writing about a significant achievement, describe what you did and how it affected you.
Stay Focused as You Write
Writing requires concentration. Find a place where you have few distractions and give yourself time to write without interruptions. Don’t wait until the night before the essay is due to start working on it.
Read the Essay Aloud to Proofread
When you finish writing your essay, read it aloud. You can do this by yourself or ask someone to listen to you read it. You’ll notice places where the ideas don’t make sense, and your listener can give you feedback about your ideas.
Avoid Filling the Page with Words
A great essay does more than follow an essay layout. It has something to say. Sometimes students panic and write everything they know about a topic or summarize everything in the source material. Your job as a writer is to show why this information is important.
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- The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples
The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples
Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 6, 2021.
An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.
Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type.
In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.
Table of contents
Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, frequently asked questions about types of essays.
An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.
Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.
The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:
- The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
- The body presents your evidence and arguments
- The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance
The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.
A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.
An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.
Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.
The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.
A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.
The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.
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A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.
Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.
A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.
Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.
Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.
Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.
A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.
The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.
A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.
Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.
A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.
Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.
On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.
My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.
With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…
Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.
Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.
Rhetorical analysis
A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.
The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.
The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.
The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.
King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.
Literary analysis
A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.
Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.
The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.
Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.
At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.
Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”
The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.
Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:
- In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
- In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
- In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory
An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.
An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.
The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.
Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.
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Essay Examples and the 4 Main Types
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There are four main types of writing: narrative, descriptive, expository, and argumentative. Each has a unique purpose. Some tell a story, others attempt to alter opinions. You use these four writing types to write different types of essays.
Narrative Writing
Narrative writing means you’re telling a story from a certain viewpoint, and there is usually a reason for the telling. All narrative essays have characters, setting, a climax, and most importantly, a plot.
When writing a narrative essay , remember to:
- include sensory and emotional details, so the reader will experience the story, not just read about it
- allow the story to support the point you’re making, and make reference to that point in the first sentence
- write in the first or third person
Examples of Narrative Writing
Ready for a little storytelling? Here are some excerpts from narrative essay examples.
"Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick one that leaves me with the fabled 'warm and fuzzy feelings.' As the daughter of an Air Force major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon and have jumped on the beds at Caesar's Palace in Lake Tahoe."
"Looking for houses was supposed to be a fun and exciting process. Unfortunately, none of the ones that we saw seemed to match the specifications that we had established. They were too small, too impersonal, too close to the neighbors. After days of finding nothing even close, we began to wonder: was there really a perfect house out there for us?"
"The day I picked my dog up from the pound was one of the happiest days of both of our lives. I had gone to the pound just a week earlier with the idea that I would just 'look' at a puppy. Of course, you can no more just look at those squiggling little faces so filled with hope and joy than you can stop the sun from setting in the evening. I knew within minutes of walking in the door that I would get a puppy… but it wasn't until I saw him that I knew I had found my puppy."
The following is an example of a famous narrative written by John Updike , Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu .
"The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned on--always a wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded."
Descriptive Writing
Descriptive essays describe the traits and characteristics of people, objects, events, and feelings in intricate detail. What’s being described will be thoroughly examined. For example, if you were describing roses, you might want to detail:
- their origin
- their appearance
- their color
- their fragrance
When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader’s senses and emotions. For example, you could say, "I got sleepy." Or, you could write, "While I waited for Santa, my eyelids grew heavy, the lights on the tree began to blur, and my head began to droop." The second excerpt provides vivid detail, allowing readers to feel like they’re there.
Examples of Descriptive Writing
Ready to dive into the details? Here are three excerpts rife with detail.
"Like his twisted feathers, his many scars, the reliable old owl chose the gnarled, weather-beaten, but solid branch often - it being a companion to the wise alone with the night and the last branch to creak in the heaviest wind. He often came to survey the fields and the clouds before his hunt, to listen to the steady sound of the stream passing through reeds under the bridge, while combing his feathers for the unwanteds - whatever they might be."
A student at Roane State Community College managed to spice up a first visit to a diner. Watch how descriptive things get.
"When entering the door at Lou's, two things are immediately noticeable: the place is rarely empty and seems to consist of a maze of rooms. The first room, through the door, is the main part of the restaurant. There is another, rarely used, dining room off to the right. It was added during the oil well boom of the seventies. Through the main dining room is yet another room; it guards the door leading into the kitchen. This room contains the most coveted table in the place. The highest tribute Lou can bestow on anyone is to allow them access to seats at this table. This table is the family table; it is reserved for Lou's, and her daughter Karen's, immediate family and treasured friends."
Like the diner essay above, this sample excerpt from a student at St. Cloud State spruces up something as everyday as a local pawn shop.
"Billy Ray's Pawn Shop and Lawn Mower Repair looked like a burial ground for country auction rejects. The blazing, red, diesel fuel tanks beamed in front of the station, looking like cheap lipstick against the pallid, wrinkled texture of the parking lot sand. The yard, not much larger than the end zone at General G. Patton High School on the north end of town, was framed with a rusted metallic hedge of lawn mowers, banana seat bicycles, and corroded oil drums. It wasn't a calico frame of rusted parts, but rather an orchestra of unwanted machinery that Billy Ray had arranged into sections. The yellow-tanked mowers rested silently at the right of the diesel fuel. Once red, now faded orange, mowers stood at attention to the left. The oil barrels, jaded and pierced with holes, bellared like chimes when the wind was right. The bikes rested sporadically throughout the lot. In the middle of it all was the office, a faded, steel roof supported by cheap two-by-fours and zebra paneling. Billy Ray was at home, usually, five blocks east of town on Kennel Road."
Expository Writing
Expository essays compare, explore, and discuss problems. While there’s a bit of a storytelling element to them, their purpose is greater than that. It’s always to explain some integral concept to the reader. As such, they inform, describe, and explain.
When writing an expository essay, the text needs to:
- be concise and easy to understand
- offer different views on a subject
- report on a situation or event
- explain something that may be difficult to understand
Examples of Expository Writing
Ready to dive deep into a specific issue? Here are three excerpts that’ll show you how it’s done.
"This family was a victim of a problem they could have avoided-a problem that, according to Florida park rangers, hundreds of visitors suffer each year. 'Several times a month,' Ranger Rod Torres of O'Leno State Park said, 'people get scared and leave the park in the middle of the night.' Those people picked the wrong kind of park to visit. Not that there was anything wrong with the park: The hikers camped next to them loved the wild isolation of it. But it just wasn't the kind of place the couple from New Jersey had in mind when they decided to camp out on this trip through Florida."
This sample expository essay from Thoughtful Learning relies heavily on facts and statistics to explain the important concept of cheating.
"Did you know that 7 out of 10 students have cheated at least once in the past year? Did you know that 50 percent of those students have cheated more than twice? These shocking statistics are from a survey of 9,000 U.S. high school students. Incredibly, teachers may even be encouraging their students to cheat! Last year at a school in Detroit, teachers allegedly provided their students with answers to statewide standard tests."
The University of Victoria uses this sample essay to demonstrate the importance of straightforward clarity in an expository essay.
"Throughout history and through a cross-section of cultures, women have transformed their appearance to conform to a beauty ideal. Ancient Chinese aristocrats bound their feet as a show of femininity; American and European women in the 1800s cinched in their waists so tightly, some suffered internal damage; in some African cultures, women continue to wear plates in their lower lips, continually stretching the skin to receive plates of larger size. The North American ideal of beauty has continually focused on women's bodies: the tiny waist of the Victorian period, the boyish figure in vogue during the flapper era, and the voluptuous curves that were the measure of beauty between the 1930s and 1950s. Current standards emphasize a toned, slender look, one that exudes fitness, youth, and health. According to psychologist Eva Szekely, 'Having to be attractive at this time... means unequivocally having to be thin. In North America today, thinness is a precondition for being perceived by others and oneself as healthy.' However, this relentless pursuit of thinness is not just an example of women trying to look their best, it is also a struggle for control, acceptance and success."
Argumentative Writing
In an argumentative essay , the writer is trying to convince the reader by demonstrating the validity or falsity of a topic. They back up their position with evidence, including statistics or the opinion of experts. In these essays, the writer isn’t merely offering an opinion, but making an argument for or against something, and supporting that argument with data.
To write an argumentative essay , it’s important to research and back up what you say in the text. You may also use argumentative writing in persuasive writing , which uses emotional language and appeals to convince the reader.
Examples of Argumentative Writing
When it’s time to stand your ground and make a strong case, allow these excerpts to help get you started.
"Gun control has been a controversial issue for years. A vast majority of citizens believe that if gun control is strictly enforced, it would quickly reduce the threat of crime. Many innocent people feel they have the right to bear arms for protection, or even for the pleasure of hunting. These people are penalized for protecting their lives, or even for enjoying a common, innocent sport. To enforce gun control throughout the nation means violating a person’s Constitutional rights. Although some people feel that the issue of gun control will limit crime, the issue should not exist due to the fact that guns are necessary for self defense against crime, and enforcing gun control is violating a citizen's second amendment right to bear arms."
An argumentative essay from Bogazici University offers a bit of a dramatic flair, which is important to making a strong argument.
"Throw out the bottles and boxes of drugs in your house. A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health, which should at least come as good news to people who cannot afford to buy expensive medicine. However, it is a blow to the medicine industry, and an even bigger blow to our confidence in the progress of science. This new theory argues that healing is at our fingertips: we can be healthy by doing Reiki on on a regular basis."
Essay By Example dives deeply into an argument touting the benefits of online gaming.
"Online games aren't just a diversion, but a unique way to meet other people. As millions of gamers demonstrate, playing online is about friendship and cooperation, not just killing monsters. These games are a viable social network because players focus on teamwork, form groups with like-minded people and have romantic relationships with other players. Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) feature millions of players interacting in the same environment. The games are social in nature as they allow players to band together and complete missions based on a story line, or test their skills by fighting against each other. At the start of the game, the user creates a fictional character, and customizes its physical appearance. Since many games involve combat, players also outfit their characters with armor and weapons, as well as choose their 'profession.' Many popular game titles like World of Warcraft and Everquest follow a fantasy theme, so most professions have magical abilities like healing other players or raising undead minions. While the process seems simple, players may spend hours agonizing over the perfect look for their character, from their armor color to the type of skills to use in battle. Once their character is created, the player is free to explore the vast, digital world and interact with other players; however they must pay on average $15 a month for game content. MMOG users are mostly male - usually between the ages of 18-34 - although titles like World of Warcraft have a healthy population of female players as well. With millions of players, there are plenty of people to adventure with."
The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword
Sometimes, writers only want to offer facts and information (informative writing). Other times, they’re seeking to change the tide of people’s belief systems (argumentative writing). Using these writing techniques, you can write many different types of essays.
English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton wasn’t kidding when he said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” With the right words and a well-developed argument, you can shape other people’s perceptions too.
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15 Types of Essays (and What You Need To Know About Them)
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Narrative essays narrate, argumentative essays argue, and expository essays … expose? Explain? (It’s a little of both). While these essays may use narrative, argumentative, and expository writing styles to make their points, they’re not the only types of essays to do so. In fact, there are 15 different types of essays — all of which narrate, argue, or explain something to their readers.
1. Narrative Essays
Narrative essays tell stories from your life or the lives of others. They’re told just like fictional short stories, with characters, a setting, a compelling plot, a climax, and a resolution.
Narrative essays use the third person perspective (it happened to someone else) or the first person perspective (it happened to the writer). Narrative essays should be entertaining and engaging to read, so choose a narrative writing topic that speaks to you.
Narrative Essay Example Structure
When writing a narrative essay , a possible structure could include:
- Introduction - Hint at what you or the character learned
- Body - Tell the story from beginning to end, finishing in an exciting or compelling climax in the last body paragraph
- Conclusion - Reflect on what you or the character learned from the experience in the story
2. Argumentative Essays
Argumentative essays (also called argument essays ) investigate topics fairly and thoroughly to present the writer’s argument to the reader. The writer makes a claim and argues why evidence and logic support that claim in a well-structured essay.
Strong argumentative essays use rhetorical devices to strengthen their arguments, and they address the opposing argument (known as a counterclaim) as well. When choosing an argumentative essay topic , select an issue that you care about (or a topic you’d like to learn more about), and begin researching your position with reliable sources.
Argumentative Essay Structure Example
You can structure an argumentative essay like this:
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and your claim in a thesis statement
- Body - Support your position with evidence (and bring up counterclaims)
- Conclusion - Restate your claim and summarize how you proved it
3. Expository Essays
Expository essays use research and critical thinking to explain more about a topic. Newspaper articles are a type of expository essay — they provide information to the reader in a concise, factual way. Writing expository essays requires a straightforward outline, evidence-based conclusions, and a strong thesis statement.
Though expository writing reveals information, it’s not the same as technical writing . Expository essays “expose” the truth about a selected topic , not just the information about it.
Expository Essay Structure Example
Most expository essays follow a structure similar to this:
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and hint at a deeper truth
- Body - Explain more about the topic with evidence; expose the truth and/or implications of the topic in a final body paragraph
- Conclusion - Summarize the information and its larger meaning
4. Descriptive Essays
Like narrative essays, descriptive essays use narration to set a scene for the reader. But unlike narrative essays, descriptive essays don’t tell a story from beginning to end. If a painting could be an essay, it would be a descriptive essay — a written experience that you can almost see.
Descriptive essays use lots of sensory details to describe the way something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels. Well-written descriptive essays also use similes, metaphors, hyperboles, or other types of figurative language to pull their readers into the experience.
Descriptive Essay Structure Example
When writing a descriptive essay, you can follow this outline:
- Introduction - Introduce the topic you’re going to describe with an engaging, sensory hook sentence
- Body - Describe the topic with rich sensory detail and figurative language
- Conclusion - Summarize your essay and conclude with a memorable descriptive sentence
5. Persuasive Essays
Persuasive essay writers try to convince their readers to agree with them. You’ll find examples of persuasive writing in both essays and speeches when a speaker, writer, or politician wants the audience on their side.
When you write a persuasive essay, you use similar strategies as you would in an argumentative essay. But persuasive essays use personal anecdotes (stories about yourself or others) and emotional appeals rather than the logic and evidence you’ll find in an argumentative essay. They also include a call to action at the end that inspires their audience to act.
Persuasive Essay Structure Example
You can structure your persuasive essay in a similar way as your argumentative essay, with a few key differences.
- Introduction - Use an emotional evocative hook to get the reader interested in your position right away
- Body - Use personal anecdotes, dramatic language, and emotional appeals to get the reader on your side
- Conclusion - Finish with a call to action for your reader — what should they do now?
6. Informative Essays
Like expository essays, informative essays (also called informational essays ) inform their readers about a topic. But the main purpose of an informative essay is to educate the audience rather than to expose them to the truth.
Informative essays require lots of evidence and strong research. Be sure to choose an informative essay topic that interests you, since you’re going to learn a lot about it during the course of your writing.
Informative Essay Structure Example
Outline your informative essay structure in a straightforward, no-nonsense way.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic with a strong hook (such as an interesting fact or statistic)
- Body - Explain more about the topic with evidence
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and conclude with a general statement about the topic
7. Personal Narrative Essays
Personal narrative essays (also called personal narratives ) are a form of narrative writing in which the writer explores how an experience affected or shaped them. They focus on a single event or theme in one’s life, and unlike narrative essays, personal narratives are always true (and always autobiographical).
College entrance essays are a type of personal narrative in which a college applicant considers how a event or person in their past helped them to become the person they are today. Another type of personal narrative is a memoir — a longer narrative about one’s own life.
Personal Narrative Structure Example
It’s tempting to write a personal narrative in an unstructured way, but having a solid structure is the key to writing a compelling personal narrative.
- Introduction - Set the scene, both in setting and tone (Where are we? When does it take place?)
- Body - Tell the story with rich detail, beginning to end, culminating in a meaningful climax
- Conclusion - Reflect on the experience and reveal how it shaped or changed you
8. Reflective Essays
Reflective essays explore an idea, concept, or observation from a writer’s point of view. They may include humor or emotional writing, but they should reveal a lot about the writer themselves (and about the reader).
Both reflective writing and personal narratives are forms of creative writing. But while reflective essays are personal, they don’t need to be written in a narrative format or tell a story. Think about a well-written journal entry — it probably doesn’t tell a story from start to finish, but explores the way something made the writer feel.
Reflective Essay Structure Example
Depending on your topic, reflective essays can be quite structured or more loosely organized. Generally, you can follow a standard format.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic with detail and a thesis statement
- Body - Reflect on the topic (also including detail)
- Conclusion - Restate the thesis statement in a conclusion about the topic
9. Synthesis Essays
Synthesis essays gather opinions, evidence, and proposals from various sources and present it to the reader as one document. They’re similar to argumentative essays (in that they present a claim) and informative essays (in that they present information), but the goal of a synthesis essay is first and foremost to compile a body of evidence.
That evidence may support the writer’s claim, or it may cause them to reexamine their thoughts about the topic. Either way, synthesis essays include a wealth of sources (all of which must be properly cited, of course).
Synthesis Essay Structure Example
You can structure your synthesis essay like an expository essay.
- Introduction - Hook the reader with a strong first sentence, then state your position in a thesis statement
- Body - Support your thesis with the wealth of evidence you have gathered from different sources
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and summarize how you’ve supported your position
10. Definition Essays
Definition essays define a term or idea. These terms could be vocabulary words, technical terms, abstract concepts, historical words, or any other idea that a writer wants to define for the reader.
It seems like that may only get you a sentence or two, but a well-written definition essay does a lot more than look up word meanings. They can be expository when pointing out little-known facts or implications of the term, reflective when referring to important concepts, and even argumentative if the writer has a stance to defend.
Definition Essay Structure Example
Definition essays have straightforward outlines that make it easy for the reader to understand your meaning.
- Introduction - State the word or concept you’re defining in the first sentence, and provide a general definition in the thesis
- Body - Elaborate on the thesis statement with support, alternate definitions, and implications of the word or concept
- Conclusion - Restate the definition along with the ways you elaborated on it
11. Analytical Essays
Analytical essays analyze a topic with strong detail and critical thinking. Also known as critical analysis essays , they use a balanced approach to thoroughly analyze something, whether it’s a passage in a piece of writing (known as literary analysis or rhetorical analysis ), a an element from a scientific discovery, or an important historical event.
Like reflective writing, analytical writing is very detailed and focused on a single topic. While that topic may have larger implications in the essay (and it should), each sentence should connect back to the core of the analytical essay.
Analytical Essay Structure Example
Analytical essays should follow a strict outline that doesn’t detract from its thesis statement.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and refer to the levels of analysis you’ve done on it
- Body - Start with your lowest level of analysis and build up to the highest level (preferably in your last body paragraph), tying every sentence back to the thesis
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and levels of analysis
12. Compare and Contrast Essays
Compare and contrast essays are analytical essays that examine how two subjects are similar and different. These subjects can be two characters, two historical events, two concepts — any two topics that have similarities (compare) and differences (contrast). Compare and contrast essays often use expository writing to present the information in a thoughtful way.
When writing a compare and contrast essay , structure can be just as important as the essay’s thesis statement. Structuring your compare and contrast essay can highlight the ways your topics resemble and differ from each other. Thanks to the many compare and contrast essay topics available, you’ll never run out of things to compare (or contrast).
Compare and Contrast Essay Structure Example
Compare and contrast essays rely on a tight structure to analyze topics — but that structure may differ, depending on your topics.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic you’re comparing; find a creative and engaging way to state that they are similar but different in your thesis statement
- Body - Either analyze each characteristic in a body paragraph (Characteristic 1 of Topic 1 is different from Characteristic 1 of Topic 2), or analyze one entire topic before comparing and contrasting it with the second entire topic (Here are Characteristics 1, 2, and 3 of Topic 1; now, here are Characteristics 1, 2, and 3 of Topic 2)
- Conclusion - Restate your thesis and summarize your points
13. Cause and Effect Essays
Cause and effect essays , another type of analytical essay, use structure to show the relationship between an event and its consequences. These essays often explore historical events or plot points in a story, though cause and effect topics can vary by subject.
Depending on how you write your cause and effect essay , you can use expository writing to explain how one thing led to another, or you can argue a little-known element of the cause and effect relationship (such as a surprising event, or a seemingly unrelated consequence).
Cause and Effect Essay Structure Example
Like compare and contrast essays, the structure of cause and effect essays depend on the topic you’re writing about and how you want to analyze it.
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and make your claim about how the event caused the effects in your thesis statement
- Body - Discuss the event in a paragraph before you discuss the effect, then defend your claim about how they’re related (or, you can spend the entire body section defending the claim, if that’s more reasonable for your topic)
- Conclusion - Restate the thesis and assert how you’ve proven your claim about the relationship between the cause and effect
14. Evaluation Essays
Evaluation essays use a measured, unbiased approach to evaluating a work, topic, product, or another subject. With sound evidence and reasoning, evaluation essays present the writer’s opinion about the subject. Movie reviews, book reviews , and sports columns are all types of evaluation essays.
Though evaluation essays do thoroughly analyze their subject (think of the detail included in a movie review), they go beyond analysis. You would write an evaluation essay to present an educated and considered viewpoint, which should influence the reader when making up their own mind.
Evaluation Essay Structure Example
Your opinion is the claim in an evaluation essay, and just like any other claim, you need to defend it.
- Introduction - Introduce what you’re evaluating and state your evaluation in the thesis statement
- Body - Give an overview of what you’re evaluating (such as a summary), then defend your opinion with criteria, reasons, and evidence
- Conclusion - Restate your opinion and final impressions
15. Process Essays
Process essays are a type of informational essay that explains how to do something (its process). They include a short introduction and conclusion, but the focus of the essay is on its steps and guiding the reader through the process.
Consider the process section of a recipe or instruction manual. A well-written process essay uses technical language to be as clear as possible, refrains from making an argument or claim, and only uses detail when being more specific.
Process Essay Structure Example
Process essays are some of the easiest to structure, since they go from beginning to end (much like narrative essays).
- Introduction - Introduce the topic and state your purpose in writing the essay
- Body - Write out the steps you need to take to complete the process (each paragraph can be one step, complete with tips and materials needed)
- Conclusion - Restate your purpose and what you’ve just taught your reader
Types of Essays Guide
Keeping all 15 types of essays straight can be a challenge. Let us help you keep them all straight with an infographic.
- DESCRIPTION Types of Essays infographic
- SOURCE Created by YourDictionary - Images from Getty Images
- PERMISSION Owned by YourDictionary, Copyright YourDictionary
You’re on the Write Track
Once you know what type of essay you’re trying to write, there’s only one step left: writing the essay itself. For more tips and reference guides for writing all types of essays, check out:
- How to Write an Essay
- 20 Compelling Hook Examples for Essays
- How to Write an Effective Thesis Statement
- 5 Main Parts of an Essay: An Easy Guide to a Solid Structure
- Background Information Examples for Essays and Papers
- Types of Evidence to Use in Writing and Essays
- 10 Simple Tips on Essay Writing for College Students
4 Major Types of Essay with Examples
Writing various sorts of essays effectively has become important to academic success. Essay writing is a regular school task, a requirement on college applications, and an element of standardized tests.
Choosing the proper sort of essay to write in response to a writing prompt is crucial to answering the question correctly on examinations. Clearly, students cannot afford to be puzzled about the many forms of essays.
It’s easy to become perplexed because there are over a dozen different varieties of essays. However, rest assured that the figure is more manageable. There are four basic categories of essays, with variations accounting for the remaining.
Argumentative and Expository Essays are concerned with delivering facts and making clear arguments, but Narrative and Descriptive Essays are concerned with expressing oneself creatively and writing in an engaging manner. Argumentative essays are the most prevalent sort of essay at the university level.
You must know how to write an essay before knowing the 4 major types of Essays.
Here are the 4 Major Types of Essays for you to Learn, Once you are Clear with the Structure of an Essay.
1. narrative essay :.
The writer of a narrative essay presents a story about a real-life experience. While it may appear that narrating a tale is simple, the narrative essay requires students to think about and write about themselves.
When writing a narrative essay, authors should make the story as vivid as possible in order to engage the reader. Because narrative essays are frequently written in the first person, the reader is more engaged.
Readers will feel as if they are a part of the tale if you use “I” statements. A well-written narrative essay will also progress toward a conclusion or a personal statement.
The Christmas Cake
“First of all, let me clarify that I have grown up to be a complete amateurish in cooking. My parents performed their jobs quite efficiently and they always baked those perfect cakes for me every Christmas. That night, it was me, the inexpert chef, who took the initiative to make a Christmas cake and surprise them.
To today’s date, I’ve only made several hamburgers on my own. Unfortunately, I had no clue about baking a cake. All I knew were the ingredients that I would use throughout the process. He dived completely in-depth into the recipe reflected on a book and started to set for the Christmas cake.
Then I cleaned the kitchen first and made a huge bowl sit in front of me to mix the essentials. I was excited and tensed at the same time, as it was something I tried for the first time…”
Guidelines for Writing a Narrative Essay :
These are the most basic guidelines for writing an excellent narrative essay:
- Use conversations in your article to make it more realistic.
- When structuring the document, keep the chronological sequence in mind.
- In the first paragraph of your essay , there must be a purpose.
- To interest your readers, use highlighted descriptions and sensory data.
- All of the characters, storylines, and the beginning, or climax, must be significant.
All of these factors work together in your article to accurately depict the entire scene in front of your readers’ eyes. So, if you want to write a good narrative essay, make sure you follow these rules to the letter.
2. Descriptive Essay:
A descriptive essay, like that of a narrative essay, uses words to create a picture. A writer could describe a person, a location, an item, or even a memorable memory. This is not, however, a descriptive essay for the sake of description. The goal of a descriptive essay is to convey a deeper meaning through description.
Through the use of vivid words and sensory details, the writer should show, not tell, in a descriptive essay. The finest descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, producing a vivid effect.
“Moving up to our north cabin and spending time there had always been something that I enjoyed and looked up to. It was a nice, beautiful, and serene place. It offered a lot in terms of peace and serenity that you will not find in cities. We used to look forward to our summer vacations.
So that we can go up north and experience things that we cannot do in the city. Even though time has changed and things are not as they used to be, the memory is still fresh. The atmosphere up north was quite different than in the city. When in the cabin, I marvel at how different the atmosphere and life here are then the cities.
Life in the city is full of noise and tension. You have to get up for work, and the noise of traffic would never let you relax and enjoy nature. Only if you are lucky to have it around. Things up north were different, you can enjoy the sunshine and greenery, and there is no hustle-bustle.
The air was fresh, healthy, and clean. The nights are quiet, and you can hear the animals coming out to hunt for food. Cities are filled with polluted air. This abundance of polluted air is mainly due to the heavy traffic and factories.
The air is thick due to smoke, smog, and other types of air contaminators that no one wants to breathe in. Getting clean air in a city is next to impossible…”
Guidelines of Writing a Descriptive Essay:
- Make a decision on a certain issue. Descriptive essays that are well-written stay focused at all times.
- Gather information.
- Make a rough sketch.
- Write the first paragraph of your essay.
- Body paragraphs should be written.
- In the final paragraph, summarize the essay .
- Look for methods to make your language more lively.
3. Argumentative Essay :
An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that offers a lengthy, evidence-based case. It necessitates a solid thesis statement—a well-defined viewpoint on your subject. Your goal is to persuade the reader of your argument by providing evidence like quotes and analysis.
Argumentative essays put your abilities to investigate and convey your own point of view on a subject to the test. At the undergraduate level, this is the most prevalent style of essay—almost every paper you write will include some form of argumentation.
Students Who Study Abroad Achieve Greater Success
“Much of our learning takes place outside the classroom. We learn how to maintain budgets, forge friendships, develop business relationships, and more. Imagine extending those skills on a global level.
We would immediately cease to believe the world only contains the people and things we can see but, rather, a wide variety of opinions, customs, beliefs, and ethics. This is why every college-level student must study abroad during their undergraduate years. They will learn more in that semester abroad than in any other academic year.
According to IES Abroad, a company that encourages students to become international leaders, students who study abroad are more likely to be accepted into the graduate degree program of their choice. In fact, 90% of students who studied abroad with IES are admitted to their first or second choice for graduate school.
Imagine walking into an interview and being able to discuss preparing the most popular dish in India or organizing the best route to take from Sydney, Australia to Perth. Not only does this strike up a memorable conversation, but it also demonstrates a student’s fierce independence and determination.
All this makes someone who has studied abroad a more desirable candidate for their dream job. As if IES Abroad’s statistic above was not astounding enough, it has been proven that 97% of students who study abroad find employment within 12 months of graduation…..”
Guidelines of Writing an Argumentative Essay:
- The thesis that is well-structured. The introduction to the argument is the first step in writing an argumentative essay.
- Body Paragraphs that support the thesis statement. The essay has three body paragraphs that support the thesis’ statements.
- Arguments in opposition.
- A conclusion that is persuasive.
- Phrases that bridge the gap.
4. Expository Essay:
An expository essay is a piece of writing that provides a balanced overview of a subject. In an expository essay, the writer uses facts, data, and examples to illustrate or clarify a topic.
Expository writing includes a variety of essay types, including comparison and contrast essays, cause and effect essays, and “how to” or process essays . Expository essays do not show emotions or write in the first person since they are based on facts rather than personal feelings.
“This morning at 9 am, a school bus collided with a car at the intersection of Jones and Heard streets. There were no injuries on the school bus, but medical personnel performed checks on each student and the driver before those students were transported to their schools.
The driver of the car sustained slight, non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the local hospital. The accident is still under investigation at this time.
Advances in science and technology have made the use of “green” energy possible. In places where climate conditions permit, people are able to use solar energy or wind energy for power. Solar energy is the use of sunlight for energy and power.
Humans are able to harness the energy of the sun by installing solar panels on their homes or businesses . Humans have also found ways to harness the power of the wind by using wind turbines to capture wind energy. Both of these forms of “green” energy are being used more and more.
The school science fair was a success again this year! We had 15 teams participating, and they all had amazing projects. Each team consisted of two students who designed a science experiment to test a hypothesis, created a display of their experiment and results, and presented their display to the judges.
The winners this year are Sarah Jones and Mark Gordon, who hypothesized that students get into less trouble in the classroom on days when it is sunny outside.
The judges were very impressed with their data collection methods, which included asking teachers to share information on how many students earned stars at the end of each day. They correlated this information with their own data about the weather-sunny, cloudy, or rainy…”
Guidelines for Writing an Expository Essay:
- Choose the essay structure
- Start with an outline
- Verify point of view requirements
- Focus on clarity
Now that you know how to write an essay and the different types of essays, what are you waiting for? Start writing your essay today itself. Oh, do not worry about the errors and mistakes. We always have your back for that. You can close your eyes and rely on editing and proofreading services to make your essay completely immaculate.
-Isabell S.
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What Are the 5 Different Types of Essays? A Complete Guide
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.
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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!
- 📑 5 Main Types of Essay Writing
🎈 Other Essay Types
- 👌 Essay Writing Tips
🔗 References
📑 what are the 5 different types of essays.
The five main essay types are:
- Argumentative
- Descriptive
Expository Essay
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!
- An expository essay introduction should clarify the topic and briefly lay out its elements.
“The oil industry is a very large portion of the energy sector, and it has significant impacts on the climate and economy.”
- The body paragraphs of your expository essay should contain enough evidence to support your thesis statement.
- Your expository essay conclusion should readdress the thesis in the light of the evidence provided in the body.
- The transitions between the different parts of your expository essay should be very logical and clear.
Argumentative Essay
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:
Difference between Expository and Argumentative Essay
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 Essay
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.”
- Your position should be set from the introduction of your persuasive essay. Take care to maintain it throughout the text.
- Your persuasive essay body should contain the arguments in progression: from the least important to the most important.
- Use ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade your readers.
Descriptive Essay
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.
- A sample descriptive thesis statement could sound like this: “Crude oil is a black, viscous liquid that gives off an odd smell like plastic or many sorts of fuel.”
- Your descriptive essay body should be very logical. Each of its paragraphs is to focus on one of the aspects of the topic.
- The language you use in your descriptive essay should be vivid and varied. It is a good idea to appeal to the senses of the reader when you are describing something.
Narrative Essay
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.
Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions.
- The thesis is the purpose of your narrative essay . Although it doesn’t need to sound as formal as in other academic papers, make it clear why you decided to tell the story.
- First-person narration is not a must but is welcomed.
- Don’t switch between points of view . If you decide to write a third-person narrative, keep it consistent throughout the text.
- A narrative essay is closer to fiction than to a scientific document . Use artistic language that will have an emotional response in the reader.
- Although this is not a standard five-paragraph essay, it should have an introduction and a conclusion . An unfinished piece of writing is as bad as a too wordy one.
Difference between Narrative and Descriptive Essay
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.
Cause and Effect Essay
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.”
Reflective Essay
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.
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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.”
Analytical Essay
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 .
Comparison and Contrast Essay
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.”
Exemplification Essay
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.
👌 Remember These Important Essay Tips
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.
- You may also notice that every one of the rough examples described fits into the 5-paragraph essay format . This essay structure is a powerful way to organize your thoughts. Becoming skilled at applying this structure will strengthen your writing. Soon after, you’ll write both shorter and longer essays with ease.
- If you’re still confused, watch one of the many helpful videos on essay writing .
- Start writing your essay early! No matter the essay type, your revisions will be better than your first drafts. If you have time for second, third, and fourth drafts, you will be much happier with your final grade.
- Essay Structure | – Harvard College Writing Center
- Writing: Types of Essays – Smith College
- Essay Writing // Purdue Writing Lab
- Types of academic writing – The University of Sydney
- Guide to Different Kinds of Essays – Gallaudet University
- What are the types of essays? – Quora
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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!
What Is an Essay? Different Types of Essays with Examples
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There will be many times during your life where you might be asked to write an essay. This can be an intimidating prospect, especially if you are not clear on exactly what an essay is and how it is meant to be written. In this article, we are going to be looking a little more closely at what an essay is and what it’s purpose is as well as looking at the various types of essay. We are also going to be looking at some examples to give us a further understanding on the subject.
Table of Contents
What Is An Essay?
In the most simple terms, an essay is a short piece of writing which is set around a specific topic or subject. The piece of writing will give information surrounding the topic but will also display the opinions and thoughts of the author.
Often times, an essay is used in an academic sense by way of examination in order to determine whether a student has understood their studies and as a way of testing their knowledge on a specific subject. An essay is also used in education as a way of encouraging a student to develop their writing skills.
Types Of Essays
When it comes to writing an essay, there is not simply one type, there are in fact, quite a few types of essay and each of them have their own purpose and function. We are now going to take a look at each of these in a little more detail.
Narrative Essays
A narrative essay is one which details a story, often times from a particular point of view. When writing a narrative essay, you should include a set of characters, a location, a good plot and a climax to the story.
You will use the plot as a way of detailing events within the story and whilst these are commonly in time order, you may feel free to time hop and include flashes from history or the future.
It is vital that, when writing this type of essay you use fine details to do allow the reader to feel emotion and use their senses but also give the story the chance to make a point. The point of the essay should be mentioned early on, preferably in the opening line, but if not certainly within the introduction paragraph . You should also write this type of essay in either the third or first person and unlike a creative writing story, should always be based around fact. Let’s now take a look at an extract from a narrative essay, this is from A Ticket To The Fair written by David Wallace Foster.
It is press day today at the state fair in Springfield, Illinois and I am meant to be there in the fairground at 9am in order to get my credentials. I think of these as a small card in the band around a hat. I had never been thought of as press until now. But my true interest in the credentials is being able to get onto the rides and into the shows for free. I have come in from the East coast, fresh and ready for one of their magazines. It isn’t clear to me why they have an interest in this state fair but I expect that the editors realise, from time to time that most of the USA live away from the coast and that they will employ someone like me to do a spot of rural reporting. I’m thinking that they had asked me to report this as I grew up here. I had never been to the state fair. In fact I have not been back here for quite some time and I cannot say that I have missed it.
Descriptive Essay
A descriptive essay will describe something in great detail. The subject can be anything from people and places to objects and events but the main point is to go into depth. You might describe the item’s colour, where it came from, what it looks like, smells like, tastes like or how it feels.
It is very important to allow the reader to sense what you are writing about and allow them to feel some sort of emotion whilst reading. That being said, the information should be concise and easy to understand, the use of imagery is widely used in this style of essay. We will now take a look at a passage from a descriptive essay, this one is from The Orchestra Played On written by Joanna Lipman .
The hinge creaks as I open the decrepit case. I am greeted by flowing cascades of horsehair-the bow is a victim of the mites. It is agony when I twist my fingers to the position, but to my surprise and the surprise of my children-who were yet to hear me play- I was still able to make a sound.
Expository Essay
An expository essay is used as a way to look into a problem and therefore compare it and explore it. For the expository essay there is a little bit of storytelling involved but this type of essay goes beyond that. The main idea is that it should explain an idea giving information and explanation.
Your expository essay should be simple and easy to understand as well as giving a variety of view points on the subject that is being discussed. Often times this type of essay is used as a way to detail a subject which is usually more difficult for people to understand, in a clear and concise manner. Let’s take a look at this excerpt from How Chinese Mothers Are Superior written by Amy Chua.
I am using the phrase Chinese mom loosely. I know of some Indian. Irish, Jamaican, Ghanaian and Korean parents who fit the bill too. I also know Chinese moms, mostly born in the west that are not Chinese moms. I am also using the phrase parents of the west loosely. These come in many varieties. That being said, even the parents of the west believe that they are strict, they’re not nearly as strict as Chinese moms. For example, my friends from the west who think of themselves as strict, make their kids play instruments for just half an hour each day. For a Chinese mom, the first sixty minutes are the easiest, it’s the second and third hours that are tough.
Argumentative Essay
When writing an argumentative essay , you will be attempting to convince your reader about an opinion or point of view. The idea is to show the reader whether the topic is true or false along with giving your own opinion. It is very important that you use facts and data to back up any claims that made within the essay. We will now look at a passage from the argumentative essay titled The Flight From Conversation written by Sherry Turkle.
We have become used to this new concept being alone, together. Enabled by technology, we can be with each other as well as being somewhere else, we can be connected to anywhere we wish to be. We wish to be able to customise our life. We wish to be able to move in or out of anywhere we are as what we most value is having control over where our attention is focused. We are used to the concept of being, loyal to our own and in a tribe.
Other Types Of Essays
Whilst there are four main types of essay, there are some more, less common types. Despite not being within the main four, these types of essay are still important and each serve their own purpose. We are now going to take a look at each of these in a little more detail.
Definition Essays
This is a type of essay which is used to define an idea, thing or concept.
Simple Essays
This is, as its name would suggest, a simple essay which is made up from five paragraphs and can be written on any subject.
Persuasive Essays
The persuasive essay is one which can be used as a way of convincing the readers of an idea. It might also be used in order to convince the reader not to do a particular thing, or indeed to do it..
Rhetorical Analysis Essays
This type of essay is used as a way of analysing a piece of rhetoric or a speech and looks at any rhetorical devices which have been used.
Analytical Essays
As the name of this type of essay might suggest, it is an essay which is used to analyse something. This could be a piece of writing, a movie or anything else. The idea is that the analytical essay will look at what it is analysing from various viewpoints allowing the reader to form their own opinion.
Compare And Contrast Essays
When writing a compare and contrast essay , the author will be using it as a way of creating a comparison between two things or finding a contrast between them. But it is not limited to one or the other, you can also write a compare and contrast essay to do both of these things in one.
Cause And Effect Essays
This is a type of essay which allows the author to explain the cause of a certain thing as well as being able to explain the effects of it.
Critical Essays
When writing a critical essay, the author will be writing about a piece of literature and evaluating it. They will use the good and bad points of the piece in order to do this.
Process Essays
The process essay is a way of outlining or detailing a process. This is done by breaking down the process so that the readers are able to understand it and even perform the process themselves once they have read the essay.
Synthesis Essays
This is a type of essay which is used as a way to synthesis various concepts in order to create a judgement on their good and bad points.
Review Essays
The review essay is one which looks at a piece of literature and gives a review on it based around the good and bad points within it.
Research Essays
The research essay is one which is written based on a research question and aims to give a specific answer to it. The author will research the subject as a way of providing an answer to the question that was posed.
Explanatory Essays
This type of essay is used as way to explain any given piece of written work or literature. They can be written on a variety of types of literature such as poetry, novels or a short story.
Essay Infographic
Resources for Writing a Great Essay
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The 5 Types of Essays Every High School Student Needs to Know & Easy Tips On How to Write Them
There are many types of essays (some call them categories of essays), and you will likely encounter several throughout your school career. Although the specific requirements and expectations for each type of essay may vary, there are five basic essay formats that you need to know to write. Let's take a look at each essay type:
Descriptive - Paint a Mental Picture
In a descriptive essay, you give the reader a picture of a scene, object, or person. To accomplish this, you must appeal to all the senses. You must help your reader see, smell, feel, taste, and hear what is described.
When done well, a descriptive essay can be incredibly stimulating and powerful. It can put your reader directly into the scene's heart or experience being described. This is because effective descriptive writing creates a detailed picture in your reader's mind and allows them to experience it firsthand.
Expository - Explain Something
An expository essay is a style in that you must clarify a topic and freely express your opinion. This type of essay is often used in school writing classes to help students express their ideas clearly and concisely. Expository essays usually contain three main parts: an introduction, paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should state the thesis or central idea of the essay, while the paragraphs should support that idea with evidence and examples. The conclusion should briefly summarize the essay's main points and provide the reader with a final thought.
Narrative - Tell a Story
A narrative essay tells a story with an introduction, setting, characters, plot, climax, and conclusion. In other words, it follows the traditional narrative format of beginning, middle, and end.
The purpose of a narrative essay is to entertain your reader by telling them a story. Unlike other forms of writing, such as expository or persuasive essays, which focus on conveying facts or trying to convince your reader of something, a narrative essay is meant to be compelling. Therefore, it should be well written and have good pacing, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Persuasive - Convince the Audience of Your Point of View (POV)
A persuasive essay attempts to convince your reader to agree with your point of view. Remembering that a persuasive essay is not just about presenting facts but also about stating your opinion and supporting it with evidence.
Your opinion should be the focus of your essay, and you should support your argument with evidence. Be clear and concise, and try to avoid complicated wording or jargon. Your goal is to present your point of view as clearly as possible so that your argument will convince the reader.
Argumentative - Explore a Topic and Establish a Point of View.
An argumentative essay is a form of writing that takes a stand on a topic. You must prove your position is the best by presenting evidence supporting your view. Often, these essays are written about a controversial topic or issue on which there are multiple points of view. To make your argument convincing, you must examine all sides of the issue and evaluate the evidence objectively. You must also take a point of view and defend it with argument and logic.
**Note: An argumentative essay is about convincing you to see something from your point of view, so I think this essay could be put in the "persuasive essay" category. However, they (whoever they are) say that argumentative essays require a tremendous amount of research, and all the different viewpoints are considered, concluding that your perspective is correct.
The five types of essays you need to know how to write are
- Argumentative
- Descriptive.
It is essential that these different styles of writing can all provide a unique perspective on an idea or topic to avoid boring the reader with the same type of essay. By mastering the different types of essays, you can convey your thoughts and ideas in a way that engages and interests the reader.
What are the Differences Between Expository vs. Argumentative Essays?
- Expository Essays – Expository essays are like talking to an encyclopedia - they state the facts without taking sides. For example, if your essay were about why cats are better pets than dogs, it wouldn't be an expository essay because it would take sides.
- Argumentative Essays – Argumentative essays are like entering a debate tournament - taking a stand on one side of the argument and presenting evidence to support that opinion. For example, if you argue that cats should have the same rights as humans, your essay would be argumentative.
- Organization – Expository essays are organized like a shopping list (what comes first, second, etc.). In contrast, argumentative essays follow more of the traditional format of introduction, body, and conclusion, with individual paragraphs for each main argument and counterargument.
- Style – Expository writing comes off as polite but a bit robotic, while argumentative texts can use logic and appealing emotions like humor or pity to make your point. It's like comparing a text message from your parents (expository) to a text message from your best friend (argumentative). Expository writing is straightforward and all about facts, while argumentative writing may include humor, sarcasm, and pop culture references.
- Purpose – Expository writing aims to inform people about something they may not yet know (the role of fiscal policy in managing an economy). An example would be trying to convince someone that Euphoria is a better show than Stranger Things, and you have listed all the reasons for that, which can be facts or feelings.
What are a Few Sample Expository Writing Topics?
- How do Social Media companies make their money?
- What is the purpose of a thesis statement in an essay?
- The cost increases of a college degree over the past 25 years.
What are a few Sample Argumentative Essay Ideas?
- Should laws force Social Media companies not to create such addicting platforms?
- Why thesis statements are needed and why essays that don't have them suck!
- Is a college degree worth the cost?
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Essay Writing Guide
Types Of Essay
Different Types of Essays In Academic Writing
11 min read
Published on: Sep 20, 2017
Last updated on: Jan 23, 2023
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As a college or high school student, you will be assigned to compose several different types of essays. Professional essay writing provides an effective way to learn to write such essays for middle school, high school, and college applications.
There are 4 types of essays you are most likely to get assigned in your academic years. Your teacher will not tell you which type of essay you should be writing. So, you need to figure it out from the question you have been asked.
While most of them share the same basics and format, there are a few differences as well. In this article, we have discussed the basic types of essays with examples for your help.
Refer to this article and learn different types of essay writing to score brilliant grades.
Major Types of Essays In Academic Writing
Essay writing is a part of academic activities that students have to deal with. Academic essays can be formal and informal, argumentative, persuasive, critical, and narrative.
There are four types of academic essays and each type is different in nature and is written with a different perspective. Your first step is to identify the type of essay you are assigned with. After that, the methods are involved while composing it.
Since every essay type is different, each of them aims to achieve different goals. That is why you should understand and remember the main objective of writing an essay on any topic.
The different types of essay formats include the following. Here you can find the definition of each essay type in detail along with examples to help you understand better.
Descriptive Essay
A descriptive essay ‘describes’ the main topic in detail and with the aim of letting the reader relate to your experience. The topic, or the object in the discussion, could be anything from a place or a person.
Writing a descriptive essay is all about in-depth details, information, and discussion regarding the subject in question. It describes the topic, or matter under scrutiny, from different angles and perspectives.
The descriptive essay must evoke the senses and emotions of the reader. In simple terms, the reader should see what you saw and feel what you felt. To make it better, you can use several literary devices like;
- Alliteration
All of them help in making the experience and your essay better.
Descriptive Essay Example
Creating a perfect descriptive essay for an assignment is not difficult if you go through some expert descriptive essay examples first.
Here we have provided a well-written descriptive essay for you to get inspired from and start the writing process confidently.
Related: Descriptive Essay Examples and Writing Tips
Narrative Essay
Narrative essays refer to the narration of a study or experienced by the writer. It is usually written in the first person and expounds on the main topic in detail. The purpose of writing a narrative essay is to indulge the reader in the personal experience of the writer.
The central idea is to create an essay that is clear, detailed, and explains the main topic. The topic can be an event, a story, an incident, to the reader.
Your aim is to explain it with such detail that readers feel as if they were with you at that time.
Narrative Essay Example
Wondering how to get your story into an interesting narrative? Learn the best way to write a perfect narrative essay with the help of expert narrative essay examples.
Here are some more narrative essay examples for your help.
Expository Essay
An expository essay is about facts, and facts only. Unlike the other types of essays, where the writer has the freedom of adding his own opinion and analysis. Expository essays involve facts only. This makes it simple, but, at times, it could be challenging as well.
Therefore, it is important that you make a focused outline and stick to it throughout the process.
In higher education, show your ability to research your selected topic and cite expert sources along the way. In the end, provide the final perspective and also point out how other sources can contribute to it.
An expository essay incorporates a wide array of essays such as:
- Cause and effect essays
- Process essays
- Analytical essays
- Compare and contrast essays
Expository Essay Example
To start the writing process, here is an expository essay example from one of our expert writers to understand the basics.
Related: Free Expository Essay Examples to Help you Get Started
Argumentative Essay
Similar to a persuasive essay, the argumentative essay aims to convince the reader about a particular point of view.
The goal is to examine the information available regarding a subject and develop an argument based on it. However, it is necessary for the writer to support his claims and stick to one side.
The argumentative essay provides both sides of a particular issue or strongly establishes one approach towards the subject matter.
In this type of essay, the writer develops an argument and defends his side with solid proof and reasoning.
Argumentative Essay Example
Before beginning the writing process, it is better to go through some expert argumentative essay examples . In this way, you can understand the argumentative essay outline and the writing style of an argumentative essay better.
Here is a high-quality argumentative essay example for you to get inspiration for your essay.
Persuasive Essay
A persuasive essay is another type of academic essay. In this essay type, the writer utilizes logic and reasoning to show one’s idea is more convincing than another idea.
In writing a persuasive essay , the main aim is to persuade the reader to accept a certain point of view. The presented argument or claim must use solid evidence and sound reasoning by stating facts, examples, and quotes.
Persuasive Essay Example
Since persuasive essays are the most common type of essay, it is essential to get familiar with their writing style. For that, here is an interesting persuasive essay example that you can explore for your better understanding.
Analytical Essay
An analytical essay is a type of academic essay in which the writer analyzes a topic bit by bit. Writing an analytical essay is not about convincing readers of your point of view. But wanting readers to agree with what you have written.
So, there is no need to use strong persuasive language in an analytical essay. Rather you should aim to provide enough analysis to make sure your argument is clear to the readers.
Analytical Essay Example
If you are looking for an analytical essay example, here is one from one of our expert writers. Explore this great analytical essay example and learn how to master your analytical essay writing task.
Reflective Essay
A reflective essay is a type of essay writing where you examine your personal experiences through self-reflection. In the process of writing a reflective essay , you provide insight into what you have gained from those experiences.
What makes reflective essays different from other essay types is the fact that it examines the past experience from the present. Reflective essays take the reader through a journey of self-growth.
Reflective Essay Example
The following reflective essay example will help you get a clear idea of how to structure your analytical essay.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay
It is a form of a textual analysis essay in which the student examines and analyzes a persuasive text. It is like an essay, speech, or visual art and analyzes the rhetorical devices used in it. Writing a rhetorical analysis essay is different from writing other essays because it will be more than adding facts only.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example
Here is a rhetorical analysis essay example that will help you learn better. For more samples, refer to the below downloadable PDF.
Literary Analysis Essay
A literary analysis essay is based on close reading and analysis of a work of literature like poetry and novel. It identifies different literary factors like themes, setting, characters, setting, and the kind of language used in it. A literary analysis essay has the same 5 paragraphs as any other essay but the main subject and topic are different.
Literary Analysis Essay Example
Need help with your literary analysis essay? Below is a sample essay to help you understand better.
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- Descriptive essay writer
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important element in any essay.
A thesis statement is the most important part of any essay. Other than the research itself, the thesis statement is the most important part of an essay or research paper. A thesis statement summarizes the main point and essence of the argument.
What type of essay is most common at university?
Usually, university students get argumentative kinds of essays. No matter what kind of essay you write, you will need to develop an argument.
Here are some kinds of essays and the kind of arguments added to them.
- Analysis and interpretation of literary texts are discussed in literary analysis essays.
- The importance of a particular event or theory is analyzed in a history argumentative essay.
- A political theory is examined in a political argumentative essay.
Besides, there are a number of different kinds of argumentative and analysis essays.
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Types of essays with examples
- January 27, 2023
There are many different types of essays, but expository , argumentative , descriptive , and narrative essays are among the most common academic essays.
- Descriptive and narrative essays reflects creativity in an exciting manner.
- Expository and argumentative essays usually generates clear arguments and persuade the reader.
Most common type
Narrative essays.
If you are telling a story, it is probably a narrative essay. Narrative essays are about telling personal stories.
But sometimes, you may need to write an imaginary reflection or storytelling, depending on your essay instructions.
Narrative Essay Example
My First Life Lesson
When I was five years old, I always favored exploring new things in streets and different places. I found deep satisfaction in analyzing the things I found when I was walking as a kid. Background: You set the background of your story My grandfather taught me a life lesson that I still don’t forget: Always think good for other people. Theme: You introduce the theme of your narrative essay.
As you see from the example, narrative essays are much more creative and personal.
While writing one, focus on the structure. It generally follows the traditional essay structure: introduction , body paragraphs, and conclusion at the end.
Descriptive essays
Descriptive essays are used to describe something. Similar to narrative essays, you may use a more creative and detailed language.
Instead of telling the whole story or incident, you better dig deep into a subject and describe it in detail.
Descriptive Essay Example
League of Legends Nights
The formatting may be loose when compared with the other types. But be careful at choosing your words (see taboo words , transition words ) and the gradual development of the paper.
Argumentative essays
Argumentative essays are one of the most common types of essays. You present a detailed and evidence-based claim or argument, which is the thesis statement .
Remember, the aim is to persuade the reader when writing an argumentative essay , so making use of scientific evidence and arguments are essential for this type.
Argumentative Essay Example Paragraph
Argumentative essay formatting, expository essays.
This type of essay requires a specific and focused explanation of a subject or topic.
In other words, you don’t need to have an original argument. Instead, explain a topic in your own words. The example below presents insights into the expository essays.
Expository Essay Example Paragraph
The formatting of expository essays is not as demanding as argumentative essays. While writing:
- Provide some background, and present details in the body paragraphs .
- Summarize all your information and findings in the conclusion and finish the paper.
Expository essay topic example
Textual analysis and critique essays.
While essays usually test your ability to organize your thoughts and write clearly, you need to read carefully and reflect critically when writing rhetorical and literary analyses .
Therefore, rather than presenting and summarizing your findings, closely analyze the text from a chosen or assigned perspective in textual analysis and critique essays.
Rhetorical analysis essay
This type of essay is focused on analyzing a persuasive paper such as cartoon, speech, or an essay from perspectives of rhetorical devices.
- Introduction of rhetorical analysis essay provides the text, background, and of course, the thesis statement.
- Body paragraphs include a deep analysis.
- Conclusion presents the sum of your analysis by highlighting certain aspects and reiterating the thesis statement.
Rhetorical Analysis Example Paragraph
Most important point of rhetorical analyses, literary analysis essay.
You present a close reading of a literary work when writing this type of essay. Literary analysis presents reflection and interpretation of the choices made by author.
Unlike a review or a book report, a good literary analysis presents a deep interpretation of literary elements in an author’s work.
- In the introduction , present the source text and some background, and thesis statement.
- The body paragraphs consists of deep reading, quotation, and analysis.
- In the conclusion , emphasize your analysis and rephrase your thesis statement.
Literary Analysis Example Paragraph
Frequently asked questions, what are the main types of essays.
Argumentative , narrative , descriptive , expository , and textual analysis essays are generally considered the main types.
What are the two types of textual analysis essays?
Rhetorical analyses and literary analyses are two types of textual analysis essays. Their toning and language, as well as objective, are different than traditional three paragraph essays.
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Descriptive - Paint a Mental Picture · Expository - Explain Something · Narrative - Tell a Story · Persuasive - Convince the Audience of Your Point
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Types of essays with examples ; expository, argumentative, descriptive, and narrative essays are among the most common academic essays. ; Narrative essays are
examples of narrative essay topics include a special person, event, or place. After choosing a topic, you should determine the main point you want to make