One key to mastering writing essays is familiarizing oneself with the various forms of essay writing. Each type of essay writing has a defined function and form; which mainly depends on the writing assignment given to you.
In academia, the various forms of essay writing are assigned to accomplish specific writing assignments, be it at the high school, college, or university level.
It is an unavoidable part of academic life, and before you finish your studies, you may have already written a hundred different essay writing tasks.
Before jumping on to your essay writing, you must accomplish your outline. It will help you finish your essay more efficiently.
You will be surprised how easy your essay writing process will be if you create an outline first of how your essay discussion will go.
One can better understand and ace writing assignments by making yourself aware of the different types of essays.
The four main types of essays are the following:
- Expository Essays
- Argumentative Essays
- Descriptive Essays; and
- Narrative Essays
Expository Essay
Expository essays are commonly used when there is a need to provide a clear and focused explanation of a specific topic, method, or set of concepts.
Unlike other types of essays, it does not need to prove a point or convince the reader to take a side. It merely provides an unbiased perspective on the subject matter.
Research is a vital aspect when it comes to writing an expository essay. Evidence must be evaluated without bias and expounded, and at the end of the essay, the writer must present an argument about the topic clearly and concisely.
Expository essays are typically included in exams because it gauges your comprehension of the topic through detailed discussion of it. Transitional words can help discuss the topic to ensure that the logical progression of thought is achieved.
For most expository essay writing, it requires the writer to conduct an ample amount of research regarding the topic to ensure that all areas for discussion are thoroughly covered. Assumptions are purely based on evidence that must be properly cited and paraphrased.
Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay is a type of essay written to prove a particular thesis statement. From the word itself, it functions to argue a specific side regarding a defined subject matter, which means that the writer must indicate a stance on the subject matter.
Argumentative essays are in-depth in nature as they require an objective analysis of data and evidence to convince readers to accept the stance presented.
Most of the time, writers who write argumentative essays use both quantitative and qualitative research as evidence or resources to elaborate and deepen their points.
Regarding writing assignments in school, argumentative essays are usually found in most examinations and writing assignments as it asks the student to take a side and justify it based on their comprehension of the topic.
Topics for argumentative essays are typically given in an interrogative or question form, and in some instances, writers may be asked to provide their stance on an open-ended question.
Descriptive Essay
A descriptive Essay is a type of essay that focuses on providing vivid descriptions of your assigned topic. When it comes to this form of essay, details and description are very essential, which is why most writers utilize a lot of adjectives to be as vivid as possible.
The main purpose of a descriptive essay is to paint a picture for the readers through detailed words about a specific thing, place, person, feeling, or situation.
Some descriptive essay writing assignments may ask the writer to write from personal experience. Still, other writing assignments require writers to write from the imagination or from the comprehension of an abstract concept.
This type of essay is commonly assigned in the subject of creative writing, where students are given a certain amount of freedom when it comes to describing their topic in detail.
Writing descriptive essays may not require you to conduct extensive research about the topic as opposed to expository essays, but it still follows a defined structure.
The description is a typical part of any essay, but what sets descriptive essays apart is that they focus on describing a particular topic in detail.
Narrative Essay
Narrative essays can be pretty easy to spot since they typically use the first-person point of view in writing. As the name suggests, a narrative essay provides a narrative of something that has transpired in chronological order.
This type of writing is often used in journalistic writing, where narration of events is the key element in reporting a news story. Simply put, it asks the writer to tell a story, but it must be told enticingly.
This kind of writing is usually based on the writer’s personal experience or an anecdotal or experiential topic. Aside from telling a narrative, a writer must also imply through the writing the reason for telling the story and why that particular story matters.
The biggest challenge when it comes to writing narrative essays is setting the proper atmosphere and mood through writing your essay so your readers can have a genuine experience through reading your essay.
When it comes to forming, narrative essays follow a five-paragraph essay outline. The first paragraph is an introductory paragraph, which is followed by the body, which typically ranges up to three paragraphs, and the last paragraph is allotted for the conclusion.
Takeaway
Students dread essay writing activities. However, it is an inevitable part of academic life. You will construct an essay of a specific type to test your comprehension of a particular topic.
Each essay type is different from the others. Knowing the key differences between expository, argumentative, descriptive, and narrative essays can help you get better scores in essay writing activities.
It is imperative to remember that writing essays may take time, but with a correct outline, ample research, and a proper writing mindset, you are sure to ace your essay writing assignment.
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