Types of Essays



Types of Essays

Throughout your school career, you will be asked to write several types of essays on numerous subjects. It is important that you are familiar with the most common types of essays, as well as the purpose of each.

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|Argumentative/Persuasive- An argumentative or persuasive essay requires you to win the reader over to your way of thinking. One of the most |

|important aspects to keep in mind when writing an argumentative or persuasive essay is audience. You must know who your audience is in order to |

|choose the best defense. Ask yourself, what do my readers know about this topic? What arguments would appeal to them? Remember, you must not |

|only argue and defend your main points, but also effectively anticipate and respond to any possible counter-arguments the opposition might raise. |

| |

|Cause and Effect- Cause and effect essays explore why things happen (causes) and what happens as a result (effects). These essays give reasons and|

|explanations for behaviors, events, or circumstances. It is important that your presentation is factual and believable, and that in your thesis |

|statement you explain whether you will be discussing causes, effects, or both. |

| |

|Compare and Contrast- Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more subjects and the similarities and/or differences between them. |

|The task of this type of essay is to clarify something unknown by analyzing it next to something with which the reader is familiar.  Like the |

|cause and effect essay, it is important that your thesis statement clearly states whether you will be comparing (giving similarities), contrasting|

|(showing differences), or both. |

| |

|Descriptive- In a descriptive essay, your task is to describe something to your audience, allowing the reader to fully experience the object, |

|event, or situation. Sensory details, figurative language, and powerful vocabulary can create an image in the reader’s mind, enhancing his or her|

|understanding and appreciation of the topic. This is one of the few essays in which the use of “I” may be acceptable. |

| |

|Expository- An expository essay teaches or informs your reader about a subject. This type of essay can explain how something works, how to do |

|something, the steps in a procedure, or why something is the way it is. Ultimately, the reader should have a better understanding of the subject |

|after reading your paper. |

| |

|Literary Analysis- Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a literary work. A literary work can be an article, another essay, poem, |

|short story, novel, etc. Your thesis statement should be your opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a whole. In a |

|literary analysis, you are required to use evidence from the text to support and/or prove your own ideas. It is absolutely essential that you |

|know how to choose quotes from the text, as well as how to use them in your paper. |

| |

|Reflective/Narrative- The reflective essay or personal narrative differs from most other essays in that in these types of essays, you are writing |

|about your own personal experiences and/or telling a story about what was learned from that experience. The reflective essay does not seek to |

|find answers or draw conclusions about an event, but rather seeks to explore the discoveries you made about yourself through the event. This is |

|one of the few types of essays in which the first person pronoun “I” is acceptable. |

Argumentative/Persuasive Essays

Argumentative/Persuasive- An argumentative or persuasive essay requires you to win the reader over to your way of thinking. One of the most important aspects to keep in mind when writing an argumentative or persuasive essay is audience. You must know who your audience is in order to choose the best defense. Ask yourself, what do my readers know about this topic? What arguments would appeal to them? Remember, you must not only argue and defend your main points, but also effectively anticipate and respond to any possible counter-arguments the opposition might raise.

Purpose

• Win the reader over to your side or your way of thinking

Important Aspects

• Audience

o Who will be reading your essay?

o What do they generally think/feel about the topic?

o What is the best way to appeal to and convince this audience?

o What level of language is best for this audience?

• Know Your Opposition

o How can you defend your arguments against anything the opposition presents?

o How well do you anticipate any questions or confusion about the topic?

There are several ways you can reach your audience effectively. These techniques, recognized by Aristotle more than two thousand years ago are called rhetoric, and include:

• Logical appeal: (logos): sensible arguments that are widely accepted by your audience

o facts, statistics, personal experience, expert opinion, etc.

• Ethical appeal (ethos): arguments based upon morals and values of a culture that ask the audience to do what is “right” according to what that culture deems correct

o the writer strives to appear knowledgeable, educated, credible, trustworthy, and fair towards the subject

o the writer tries to make the audience do what is “right”

• Emotional appeals (pathos): arguments which appeal to the audience’s emotions

o the writer aims to connect with his audience in some way

o the argument strives to appeal to the audience’s sense of fear, pity, needs, desires, and sympathies

To set up an Argumentative/Persuasive Essay, consider the following outline:

I. Introduction

II. Opinions and Supporting Evidence

III. Possible Objections

IV. Responses to Possible Objections

V. Conclusion

Cause and Effect Essays

Cause and Effect- Cause and effect essays explore why things happen (causes) and what happens as a result (effects). These essays give reasons and explanations for behaviors, events, or circumstances. It is important that your presentation is factual and believable, and that in your thesis statement you explain whether you will be discussing causes, effects, or both.

Purpose

• Causes for a problem, or the effects of the problem—usually not both

• Decide whether your purpose is to supply your audience with unknown or little known information (inform), or whether you are persuading your audience to believe these are the true causes (or effects).

Important Aspects

• Know your Purpose

o Are you going to inform or persuade your audience?

o Are you focusing on causes OR effects?

• The first person pronouns “I,” “me,” and “my” should be totally avoided

o DO NOT SAY: “I believe that the gun control issue is way out of hand.”

o SAY: “Lack of gun control has caused thousands of deaths in the United States alone.”

To set up a Cause/Effect Essay, consider the following outlines:

For a paper that focuses on the effects of a cause

I. Introduction—Introduce Cause

II. Effect #1

III. Effect #2

IV. Effect #3

V. Conclusion

For a paper that focuses on the causes of a certain effect

I. Introduction—Introduce Effect

II. Cause #1

III. Cause #2

IV. Cause #3

V. Conclusion

Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and Contrast- Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more subjects and the similarities and/or differences between them. The task of this type of essay is to clarify something unknown by analyzing it next to something with which the reader is familiar.  Like the cause and effect essay, it is important that your thesis statement clearly states whether you will be comparing (giving similarities), contrasting (showing differences), or both.

Purpose

• To find similarities and/or differences between two things

Important Aspects

• Know Your Purpose

o Are you comparing (finding similarities)?

o Are you contrasting (finding differences)?

o Are you doing both?

There are many ways to set up a Compare and Contrast Essay; here are four examples:

1. Introduction

2. Similarities

3. Differences

4. One Major Similarity/One Major Difference

5. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Major Similarity

a. Evidence

3. Major Difference

a. Evidence

4. Minor Similarities/Differences

5. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Difference #1

a. Contrasting evidence

3. Difference #2

a. Contrasting evidence

4. Difference #3

a. Contrasting evidence

5. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Similarity #1

a. Comparative evidence

3. Similarity #2

a. Comparative evidence

4. Similarity #3

a. Comparative evidence

5. Conclusion

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive- In a descriptive essay, your task is to describe something to your audience, allowing the reader to fully experience the object, event, or situation. Sensory details, figurative language, and powerful vocabulary can create an image in the reader’s mind, enhancing his or her understanding and appreciation of the topic. This is one of the few essays in which the use of “I” may be acceptable.

Purpose

• Use details and images to help your audience create a mental picture of what you are writing about

Important Aspects

• Audience

o Who will be reading your essay?

o What do you want your reader to feel after reading your essay?

• Organization

o Decide HOW you will organize your thoughts; there are several ways:

▪ Sensory description—describing what is seen, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled

▪ Spatial description—describing the way things are seen from your (or a narrator’s) perspective

▪ Comparison—comparing the ordinary to the extraordinary

• i.e. comparing sitting in a boring class to being locked in a 16th Century torture chamber!

To set up a Descriptive Essay, consider whether you would like to focus on an objective or a subjective description.

• An objective description describes how something looks, feels, tastes, etc.

o When describing your favorite outfit, you would focus on the fabric, colors, color combinations, fit, etc.

• A subjective description describes how you feel towards or about the topic

o When describing your favorite outfit, you would focus on how you feel (confident, comfortable, stylish, chic, thin, etc.) and why, when wearing that outfit.

Expository Essays

Expository- An expository essay teaches or informs your reader about a subject. This type of essay can explain how something works, how to do something, the steps in a procedure, or why something is the way it is. Ultimately, the reader should have a better understanding of the subject after reading your paper.

Purpose

• To explain, inform, teach or clarify a topic to the reader

Important Aspects

• Audience

o Assume that the reader knows nothing about this topic

• Task of Expository Essay

o Be sure you are clear about your goal for your essay; are you

▪ identifying the parts of an object?

▪ communicating the steps of a process?

▪ explaining the characteristics of something?

To set up an Expository Essay, consider the following outlines:

I. Introduction

II. Part #1

III. Part #2

IV. Part #3

V. Conclusion

OR

I. Introduction

II. Step #1

III. Step #2

IV. Step #3

V. Conclusion

OR

I. Introduction

II. Characteristic #1

III. Characteristic #2

IV. Characteristic #3

V. Conclusion

Literary Analysis or Response to Literature Essays

Literary Analysis- Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a literary work. A literary work can be an article, another essay, poem, short story, novel, etc. Your thesis statement should be your opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a whole. In a literary analysis, you are required to use evidence from the text to support and/or prove your own ideas. It is absolutely essential that you know how to choose quotes from the text, as well as how to use them in your paper.

Purpose

• To show your reader an understanding of a text and the connection between the text and the given topic of the essay

Important Aspects

• Include Applicable Quotations

o Provide relevant quotations to support your position

o Use quotations correctly

• Cite Your Sources

o If applicable, include author, page, line, etc.

There are many ways to set up a Response to Literature Essay; here are two examples:

I. Introduction

II. Idea #1

a. Evidence from text

III. Idea #2

a. Evidence from text

IV. Idea #3

a. Evidence from text

V. Conclusion

I. Introduction

II. Idea #1 and Idea #2

III. Evidence from text

IV. Idea #3 and Idea #4

V. Evidence from text

VI. Conclusion

Reflective/Narrative Essays

Reflective/Narrative- The reflective essay or personal narrative differs from most other essays in that in these types of essays, you are writing about your own personal experiences and/or telling a story about what was learned from that experience. The reflective essay does not seek to find answers or draw conclusions about an event, but rather, seeks to explore the discoveries you made about yourself through the event. This is one of the few types of essays in which the use of the first person pronoun “I” is acceptable.

Purpose

• To share something you have read, learned, written, or experienced, and how it has affected your life

Important Aspects

• The first person pronouns “I,” “me,” and “my” may be used to give your personal account of an event

• Organization

o include the events or details of your experiences, reading, writing, etc.

o connect these events or details with how it has effected your life overall, including opinions about others, situations, humanity, or life in general

▪ DON’T just tell a story—be sure to connect it

Reflective Essays can vary greatly in number of paragraphs and organization. Many reflective essays are organized in the following way:

I. Introduction

II. Event, Situation, or Experience

III. Result

IV. Effect/Change on Your Life, outlook on life, or view of humanity

V. Conclusion

Quiz #2 Essay Types and Organization

Part One: Paragraph Completion

Use the words in the box below to accurately complete each sentence in the paragraphs below. Each word will be used only once throughout the entire quiz.

An argumentative or persuasive essay requires you to (1) the reader over to your way of thinking. One of the most important aspects to keep in mind when writing an argumentative or persuasive essay is (2) . Remember, you must not only (3) and (4) your main points, but also effectively (5) and (6) to any possible (7) the opposition might raise.

Cause and effect essays explore (8) things happen and what happens as a result (effects). These essays give (9) and explanations for behaviors, events, or circumstances. It is important that your presentation is factual and (10) , and that in your thesis you explain whether you will be discussing (11) ,

(12) ,or both.

Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more subjects and the

(13) or (14) between them. The task of this type of essay is to (15) something unknown by (16) it next to something with which the reader is familiar.  Like the cause and effect essay, it is important that your thesis statement clearly states whether you will be comparing (giving similarities), contrasting (showing differences), or both.

Quiz #2 Essay Types and Organization (Continued)

In a descriptive essay, your task is to (17) something to your audience, allowing the reader to fully experience the object, event, or situation. (18) details, (19) language, and powerful (20) can create an image in the reader’s mind, enhancing his or her understanding and appreciation of the topic. This is one of the few essays in which the use of “(21) ” may be acceptable.

An expository essay (22) or (23) your reader about a subject. This type of essay can explain how something works, how to do something, the steps in a procedure, or why something is the way it is. Ultimately, the reader should have a better (24) of the subject after reading your paper.

Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a (25) work. A literary work can be an (26) , another essay, (27) ,

(28) , (29) , etc. Your thesis statement should be your opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a whole. In a literary analysis, you are required to use (30) from the text to support and/or prove your own ideas. It is absolutely essential that you know how to choose (31) from the text, as well as how to use them in your paper.

The reflective essay or personal narrative differs from most other essays in that in these types of essays, you are writing about your own personal (32) and/or telling a (33) about what was learned from that experience. The reflective essay does not seek to find (34) or draw (35) about an event, but rather, seeks to explore the discoveries you made about (36) through the event. This is one of the few types of essays in which the use of the

(37) person pronoun “I” is acceptable.

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analyzing answers anticipate argue article audience believable causes clarify conclusions defend describe differences effects

evidence experiences figurative first I informs literary

novel poem quotes reasons respond sensory short story similarities story teaches vocabulary why win yourself counter-arguments understanding

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