Lesson 5: Types of Essays

Objective:

• To know the different types of essays.
• To know each uses of the different essay types.
• To learn the advantage of each type for the writer.

Quick Navigation through the Lesson 5: Type of Essays:

• Lesson Proper
• Expository Essay
• Descriptive Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Argumentative Essay

Lesson Proper:

Writing essays play a vital role in a student’s academic years. It is the simplest form of writing assignment that can prove the skills of a student in choosing a topic, researching facts and composing the over-all content.

The first in writing an effective essay is to gain knowledge on the different kinds of essay that are available. There could be a dozen essay types and can be classified to different types based on its uses and its advantage to a writer but there are four types that are most commonly used in the writing field.

1. EXPOSITORY ESSAY

Expository essays maybe viewed as the simplest among all the different essay types. It is mainly an essay written out of the writer’s explanations. The issue is discussed in the content of the essay even without giving a claim or an opinion. Essays like thoughts about the Olympics, a movie review and personal reply to a certain event falls in this type of essay.

                Expository essays can be used in the following areas:

• Cause and effect paper
• A report or an evaluation
• Explaining rules and regulations
• How-to Essays

In writing an expository essay be sure to create a defined thesis statement that is placed in the first paragraph of the essay. The thesis statement should be specific and clear for it to set a good and effective introduction for the essay. Provide definite transitions between the introduction, body of the essay and the ending of essay. Evidential support should be given on the second paragraph and should be generalize as the writer reaches the third paragraph of the essay.

One of the highly recognized methods in writing an expository essay is following the Five-Paragraph rule where in a paragraph is given for the introduction, three paragraphs will consist the body of the essay while the last paragraph will define the conclusion of the essay.

Expository essays give the following benefits:

• Easiest to do with enough data to prove the thesis statement.
• Widely used so examples can easily be found in newspaper, journal and magazine articles.
• It can deliver a humor by creating an essay that involves a personal anecdote.

2. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

Descriptive essays allow a student to create a writing assignment based on describing a person, a place, a situation, an emotion etc. It often takes a personal account to do and opens more of the creative freedom to a writer. Essay in descriptive type has the aim to paint a picture in a reader’s mind that is active and dynamic. The writer should be able to show the point of the essay and not just tell.

Descriptive essays can be used in the following areas:

• Autobiography
• Another person’s story
• A new policy

Writing a descriptive essay should contain five elements to label it as an effective work. Since the aim is to paint a picture in a reader’s mind, the descriptive essay should have sensory details. Sensory details refer to vivid words describing the senses’ sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. This means that the reader should be hit in either one of the senses mentioned or almost all.

Figurative language such as smile and metaphor are highly encouraged to use in making a descriptive essay. These forms of language help the readers to easily visualize what are being referred to in the sentences. A dominant impression should be highlighted as the main focus of the descriptive essay. This central idea is where the related details will lean on. For example, instead of writing an essay about travelling, have a leading impression by choosing to write about travelling at night or travelling alone.

Describe precisely meaning all description that will be given in the content of the essay is true to itself. A well-plan organization is important in writing a descriptive essay for it should take a reader to a certain route. Follow the chronological order of time, location and order of importance in outlining your paper.

Descriptive essays give the following benefits:

• The writer can put his or her emotion on the written assignment.
• Examples of descriptive essay are found mostly online or in blogs which shows convenience in finding references.
• Is open for exaggeration to plea the reader’s attention.

3. NARRATIVE ESSAY

Narrative essay follows a certain plot that should indicate characters, setting, rising action and climax. It is mostly written in the first person’s point of view and based on the writer’s personal account or experience. It should be written chronologically based on the said plot but with creativity can either begin via flash back or flash-forward.

Narrative essays can be used in the following areas:

• Unforgettable experience
• Travel accounts
• First-time stories
• Book review

All narrative theses must begin with a great thesis statement. This thesis statement reveals what the reader will be expecting to get upon reading the essay. Outline the event before writing and list down what is the setting, the rising action, the climax and the concluding parts of the topic.

Create a flashback by beginning with the past to set the mood of the readers. Flash-forward on the other hand starts with an outlook of the future and then the relating it to the present situation. Convey the significance of the event in a narrative form. Verb tense should be consistently written in entity of the essay. Dialogs are advisable too to make a better impression.

Narrative essays give the following benefits:

• Creates an involvement between the writer and readers especially if the topic falls in the same interest.
• Can also involve emotion of the writer.

4. ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Argumentative essay is the most complex among the different essay types. The essay should be able to convince the reader to believe in his accounts. It involves collecting, generating and evaluating evidences that should establish a position in the topic.

Argumentative essays can be used in the following areas:

• Research paper
• Reasoning
• Pros and Cons essay

Writing an argumentative essay is not just about giving an opinion. The opinion should stand alone by supporting details and evidences found in the essay. It should begin with a statement of assertion and its relevance to the topic of choice. Statistical, logical and experimental information will support the claim should be written directly.

The argumentative should be strong to pursue the reader’s attention. It can also give a call to action but it cannot contain feelings and emotion. Sources should also be reliable and oversimplification should be avoided.

Argumentative essays can give the following benefits:

• The challenge of writing this type of essay can test a student’s skills in reasoning out.
• The process of gathering facts is beneficial for the student to know more about the given topic.
• The freedom to choose a stand is given to the writer.

Summary:

• Essays play a vital role in a student’s academic years.
• There are four types of essays most commonly used in the writing field.
  • EXPOSITORY ESSAY- It is mainly an essay written out of the writer’s explanations.
    • USES
      • Cause and effect paper
      • A report or an evaluation
      • Explaining rules and regulations
      • How-to Essays
  • WRITER’S BENEFITS
    • Easiest to do with enough data to prove the thesis statement.
    • Widely used so examples can easily be found in newspaper, journal and magazine articles.
    • It can deliver a humor by creating an essay that involves a personal anecdote.

• DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY- It is mainly an essay that describes a person, a place, a situation, an emotion etc.

• USES
  • Autobiography
  • Another person’s story
  • A new policy

• WRITER’S BENEFITS
  • The writer can put his or her emotion on the written assignment.
  • Examples of descriptive essay are found mostly online or in blogs which shows convenience in finding references.
  • Is open for exaggeration to plea the reader’s attention.

• NARRATIVE ESSAY– It is mainly an essay that follows a certain plot that should indicate characters, setting, rising action and climax.

• USES
  • Unforgettable experience
  • Travel accounts
  • First-time stories
  • Book review

• WRITER’S BENEFITS
  • Creates an involvement between the writer and readers especially if the topic falls in the same interest.
  • Can also involve emotion of the writer.
• ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY- It is mainly an essay that involves collecting, generating and evaluating evidences that should establish a position in the topic.

• USES
  • Research paper
  • Reasoning
  • Pros and Cons essay

• WRITER’S BENEFITS
  • The challenge of writing this type of essay can test a student’s skills in reasoning out.
  • The process of gathering facts is beneficial for the student to know more about the given topic.
  • The freedom to choose a stand is given to the writer.