An
essay is a short academic composition. The word “essay” is derived from a French word
“essai” or “essayer,” which mean “trail.” In composition, however, an essay is a piece of non-
fiction writing that talks or discusses a specific topic. Presently, essay is part of every degree
program. Each subject has specific requirements for the essays to be written. Some subjects need
longer essays, while others need shorter ones, such as a five-paragraph essay. In composition, the
start is made from a five-paragraph essay. Based on the requirements, there are different types of
essays.
Narrative Essay
Narrative is a report of related events presented to listeners or readers, in words arranged in a
logical sequence. A story is taken as a synonym of narrative. A narrative, or story, is told by a
narrator who may be a direct part of that experience, and he or she often shares the experience as
a first-person narrator. Sometimes he or she may only observe the events as a third-person
narrator, and gives his or her summation.
Your favorite vacation with your family.
A trip you will never forget.
Your first day at a new school.
A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting
them, or both.
The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but
rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both,
and it should state what is to be learned from doing so.
There are two main organizing strategies for compare-and-contrast essays.
1. Organize by the subjects themselves, one then the other.
2. Organize by individual points, in which you discuss each subject in relation to
each point.
Use phrases of comparison or phrases of contrast to signal to readers how exactly the two
subjects are being analyzed.
Department stores and discount retail stores
Fast food chains and fine dining restaurants
Dogs and cats
A cause and effect essay looks at the reasons (or causes) for something, then discusses the
results (or effects). For this reason, cause and effect essays are sometimes referred to as reason
and result essays. They are one of the most common forms of organisation in academic writing.
Sometimes the whole essay will be cause and effect, though sometimes this may be only part of
the whole essay. It is also possible, especially for short exam essays, that only the causes or the
effects, not both, are discussed. See the examples below.
Discuss the causes and effects of global warming ['cause and effect' essay]
Explain the high death rate in Chernobyl ['causes' only essay]
Discuss the WTO and its effects on the Chinese economy ['effects' only essay]
A descriptive essay, as the name implies, is a form of essay that describes something. In
this genre, students are assigned the task of describing objects, things, places, experiences,
persons, and situations. The students use sensory information to enable readers to use their five
senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight to understand the topic of the essay.
Describe a lucky object.
# 8 Describe a piece of art.
Definition of Expository Essay
Expose means to uncover or lay something bare, or to discover something in a way that others
know what it is. Expository is derived from exposition, which is a noun of ‘expose.’ An
expository essay is a genre of writing which tends to explain, illustrate, clarify, or explicate
something in a way that it becomes clear for readers. Therefore, it could be an investigation,
evaluation, or even argumentation about an idea for clarification.
Explain why parents are sometimes strict.
Definition of Persuasive Essay
The term “persuasive” is an adjective derived from verb “persuade,” which means “to convince
somebody.” A persuasive essay is full of all the convincing techniques a writer can employ. It
presents a situation, and takes a stand – either in its favor, or against it – to prove to readers
whether it is beneficial or harmful for them.
Why should schools teach financial literacy?
Do all students need to go to college?
An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents arguments about both sides of an issue.
It could be that both sides are presented equally balanced, or it could be that one side is presented
more forcefully than the other. It all depends on the writer, and what side he supports the most.
Is buying a lottery ticket a good idea?
Is religion the cause of war?
Is fashion really important?
Here are the seven essay writing rules:
1. Write in complete sentences. Intentional fragments, such as “Right?” don’t belong in essays.
2. Write in third person. Talk about the subject of the essay. Don’t personalize with first person
pronouns such as I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours, ourselves. Don’t talk to the reader with
second person pronouns such as you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves. The essay is to be
objective (fair and balanced), not subjective (personalized). Rid essays of “I think,” “I believe,”
and “In my opinion.”
3. Do not abbreviate. Abbreviations are informal and serve as short-cuts, so they don’t belong in
essays. So write United States, not U.S. in essays.
4. Do not use slang, such as kids. Use official, or formal, words, such as children.
5. Do not use contractions. Again, essays are very formal, so write “do not” rather than “don’t.”
6. Do not use figures of speech. Be direct and precise in essay writing. Essays do not use poetic
devices or idiomatic expressions. For example, don’t write “He let the cat out of the bag.”
Instead, say “He shared a secret.”
7. Do not over-use the same words or phrases. For example, avoid over-use of the “to-be” verbs:
is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been.
Preparing to Write Your Essay
The old saying goes, “Those who fail to prepare prepare to fail.” Why spend time and energy
cleaning up a mess when you can avoid making one in the first place?
Make sure you understand the assignment. There’s no shame in asking your professor
to clarify. Your success depends on understanding what she wants Here are some ways to ask for
clarification.
Research and create a basic outline as you go. Roll research and the initial outlining
process into one simple step. As you research, create an info dump—a bullet-pointed list of the
topics you want to cover. Add links to articles and citations as you go so you can refer to them
easily.
Figure out what you want to say. What’s the main argument or idea you’ll express?
You need to know before you begin. In order to make a point, you have to have one.
Create a classic, canonical outline. Once you have a clearer vision for your central idea
or argument, it’s time to organize your info-dump. Prune out anything irrelevant and organize
your outline into the classic structure.
Drafting Your Essay
By the end of the research and planning process, you’ll feel energized and ready to write about
all this interesting stuff your research (or your brainstorming process, if your essay requirement
is more personal) has uncovered. Use that energy to write a draft.
The Parts of an Essay
Introduction
Your intro tells your reader what to expect from your essay. Think of it as a brief roadmap that
begins with an intriguing opening line, includes a quick summary of the topic and ideas you’ll
present, and concludes with a thesis statement.
Opening Hook
It’s important to draw your reader in from the very first sentence.
Some fathers might disapprove of their children handling noxious chemicals in the garage.
Summary of Your Topic, Ideas, or Argument
Your opening paragraph should introduce the subject matter and the points you intend to make.
They should give some background to support the thesis statement you’ll make at the end of the
introduction.
Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement comes at the end of your introduction. It states the main point of the essay,
which the author intends to make a case for. A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the
central point of your paper or essay. It usually comes near the end of your introduction.
Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you're writing. But the thesis
statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across.
Body
The introduction states what’s at stake, and the body presents the evidence. In the case of an
argumentative essay, the evidence might be research. In a more personal essay, it might be made
up of the author’s own experiences.
Write the body in a logical order. Some essays work well chronologically, where the events are
presented in the same sequence that they happened in time. Argumentative essays are often
emphatic, where the least important points are presented first and build up to the most important.
If your essay includes research, don’t be shy about including substantial statements, just make
sure they’re properly cited. (Tools like Citation Machine and EasyBib can help.)
Use Grammarly’s plagiarism checker to help you find any citations you may have missed and
properly attribute them. (Trust us—your professor will check for plagiarism and find it if you
don’t!)
Conclusion
In your conclusion, you wrap everything up in a neat package. Restate your thesis in a clear way
without repeating it word for word. Leave your reader with a takeaway or something to think
about.
