An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author’s own argument — but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have traditionally been sub-classified as formal and informal. Formal essays are characterized by “serious purpose, dignity, logical organization, length,” whereas the informal essay is characterized by “the personal element (self-revelation, individual tastes and experiences, confidential manner), humor, graceful style, rambling structure, unconventionality or novelty of theme,” etc.
Essays are commonly used as literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been dubbed essays (e.g., Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluntary expansion is central to formal essays.
Forms and styles
This section describes the different forms and styles of essay writing.
Expository essay
An expository essay explains a topic in a logical and straightforward manner. It does not only describe something, but also enlightens the reader about something that is being discussed. Most university and college students regularly need to write expository essays as part of their coursework. A typical expository essay contains the following elements:
Introduction: Introduces the main topic or thesis. It provides context and overview so the reader can understand the following discussion.
Body: Devoted to presenting and supporting the thesis, typically through different paragraphs dedicated to different points, claims, examples, etc. The body should clearly link back to the thesis laid out in the introduction.
Conclusion: Draws conclusions, restates the thesis, and summarizes the main points. The conclusion doesn’t introduce any new information and shouldn’t contain data that wasn’t discussed in the body paragraphs.
Descriptive essay
A descriptive essay aims to describe an object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. in such a way that the reader can visualize it. Here are some tips for writing a descriptive essay:
Use clear and vivid sensory details. Appeal to the reader’s five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste to describe the person, place, or thing in a vivid and detailed way. This is what brings the essay to life.
Vary sentence structure and vocabulary. Do not rely on one structure or type of description for the entire essay. Vary the sentence structure using short and long sentences and keep vocabulary varied and interesting to avoid repetition or monotony.
Use active voice rather than passive. For maximum impact, use active rather than passive verbs throughout the description. For example, use “The sun warmed the stone” rather than “The stone was warmed by the sun”.
Organize details chronologically or thematically. Provide details in a logical order such as chronological order of events or by relevance to a central theme rather than randomly.
Use linking words and transition sentences between paragraphs. Vary techniques for cohesion such as repetition, pronouns, synonyms, and related vocabulary to smoothly link each detail and paragraph together.
Conclude by relating details back to the thesis or overall descriptive point.
Narrative essay
A narrative essay tells a story from the author’s perspective. Here are some pointers for writing a narrative essay:
Establish your point of view. Decide whether to narrate the story as the character involved or as a bystander observing from the outside. First person (“I”) or third person (“he”, “she”) point of view.
Include sensory and emotional details. Describe sights, sounds, smells, feelings, etc. to make the experience visual and engaging for readers. Use vivid verbs and adjectives.
Present details in a logical sequence. Arrange plot points and anecdotes chronologically to guide readers through the experience. Provide context for events.
Show rather than tell the experience. Allow readers to understand events, actions and behaviors through rich description rather than simply stating facts.
Develop characters. Characterization through physical description, dialogue and thoughts helps readers identify with people involved.
Use an engaging introduction+body+conclusion structure. Draw readers in from the start and guide them to a satisfying and purposeful ending that ties back to the story and its lessons.
Argumentative essay
The goal of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader by demonstrating support for one side of an argument over another. Here are some guidelines for writing an argumentative essay:
Start with a clear, compelling thesis statement. This is your central argument conveyed in one sentence near the beginning of your introduction.
Use relevant evidence and data to support your position. Gather facts, stats and anecdotes from credible academic or professional sources that back your stance.
Anticipate counterarguments. Summarize dissenting arguments fairly before presenting your rebuttal and showing flaws in opposing reasoning.
Use formal, persuasive language. Avoid slang and chatty language. Employ a polite yet assertive tone rather than an aggressive one. Cite sources properly using APA, MLA or Chicago format.
Organize the essay into structured, cohesive paragraphs. Each body paragraph should support the thesis with factual evidence then analyze/explain the significance.
Conclude by restating your stance and maintaining momentum of persuasion. Leave readers convinced by your perspective and reasoning. Consider a strong call to action.
Edit carefully for grammar, flow, syntax and refinement of your persuasive skills. Substantive peer/teacher review can strengthen an argumentative essay.
Common essay types and formats
In addition to the main types of essays outlined above, essay formats can vary depending on subject, discipline or intended audience. Here are some other common formats:
Comparison essay: Compares two or more people, places, events, ideas or theories and contrasts the similarities and differences. Usually follows block or point-by-point organization.
Classification essay: Defines or sorts items into categories based on common qualities or characteristics. May group items hierarchically or spatially.
Cause and effect essay: Analyzes the reasons for (causes) and/or results (effects) of an action or event. Cause-effect essays can be organized in direct or reverse chronological order.
Process essay: Explains the stages or steps involved in completing a task or reaching a certain end point. Sequential organization emphasizes order of steps. Diagrams or visuals may complement the writing.
Reflective essay: Personal analysis of an experience and how it impacted learning and growth. Includes thoughtful consideration of the self in relation to events or ideas. May incorporate descriptive and narrative elements.
Response essay: Critiques a work by analyzing content, defending an interpretation or viewpoint. Key terms from a text serve as a foundation for the critical arguments developed.
Research paper: Formally presents the process and results of serious study and investigation into a research question, hypothesis or topic. Strict formatting follows guidelines such as APA or MLA. Must integrate credible data from various vetted sources.
Essay structure
Essays are structured using an Introduction-Body-Conclusion framework. The introduction outlines the focus and structure of the piece. The body contains logically sequenced main points and evidence supporting the thesis. The conclusion reiterates the main ideas and their significance.
The Introduction:
Opens with an attention grabber (fact, question, quote)
Provides background context on the topic
Presents the thesis as the focused perspective to be argued
The Body Paragraphs:
Each expands on a main point that supports the thesis
Uses topic sentences stating the purpose and evidence
Integrates data and explanations that back the point
Analysis shows how evidence relates back to thesis
The Conclusion:
Restates the thesis briefly
Summarizes key supporting points
Ends with a call to action or lasting impression
Doesn’t introduce new information
Other important elements are transition words linking ideas, consistent verb tense and person, and objective yet engaging tone appropriate to the topic. Finally, careful editing and proofreading ensure organization, cohesion, mechanics and readability. Following conventions like these creates a strong overall essay structure.
Essay writing process
Here are the typical steps involved in writing an effective essay:
Brainstorming and outline: Jot down important ideas, topics or discussion points related to the prompt. Organize these into a simple outline structure of an introduction, several body paragraphs and conclusion.
Research: Find credible, reliable sources of information from libraries and the internet to support discussion points. Take notes carefully logging citations.
Thesis statement: Formulate one clear, focused claim about the topic that will be proven or argued in the essay. This asserts the main argument.
Introduction: Hook the reader with an opening paragraph then state the thesis as a focal point and give context/overview.
Body paragraphs: Each dedicated to proving a supporting point with evidence. Start with topic sentence, back with sources, analyze impact.
Conclusion: Restate thesis and main takeaways. End with a impactful notion leaving lasting thoughts.
Revision: Polish content, organization, flow, vocabulary, mechanics. Seek peer/tutor feedback and improve draft.
Editing: Carefully proofread for spelling/grammatical errors, punctuation
Andrew Stroud