A definition essay is a type of essay that requires the writer to give the meaning of a term in detail to aid the reader's comprehension. The term or object could be physical such as books or cars, or abstract - care, intelligence, altruism, power, and so on 4 rows · · There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories
10 Basic Types of Essays and Examples
Published on September 4, by Jack Caulfield. Revised on October 15, An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, types of essay and their meaning, narrative, and descriptive essays.
Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type, types of essay and their meaning.
In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual types of essay and their meaning essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation. Table of contents Argumentative essays Expository essays Narrative essays Descriptive essays Textual analysis essays Frequently asked questions about types of essays. An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument.
It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence such as quotations and analysis. Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic, types of essay and their meaning. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.
The example below is a types of essay and their meaning from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more. Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation.
This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives. An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic.
Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level. The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.
A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. The invention of the printing press in changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible.
The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. See an example. A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.
Narrative essays test your ability types of essay and their meaning build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing. Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay. Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English.
If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class. Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea.
I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the types of essay and their meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different. A young man in jeans, Mr. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. Types of essay and their meaning talk free will, we looked at our own choices.
To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind. A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something.
Like narrative essays, types of essay and their meaning, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, types of essay and their meaning, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays.
You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story. A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object. On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax.
I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me. My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone.
I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters….
Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting, types of essay and their meaning. Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text e.
a speech, an essay, a political cartoon in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness. The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns. The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.
A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.
Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how. The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.
Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankensteinto learn more. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel.
This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay. Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes. An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic.
Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way. Rather, it aims to explain something e. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.
The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, types of essay and their meaning, or concept. Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essaysand similar writing skills can apply to both.
Have a language expert improve your writing. Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes. Do the check. Generate your APA citations for free! APA Citation Generator. Home Knowledge Base Essay The main types of essay. The main types of essay Published on September 4, by Jack Caulfield.
Essay type Skills tested Example prompt Argumentative Forming an opinion via research Building an evidence-based argument Has the rise of the internet had a positive or negative impact on education? Expository Knowledge of a topic Communicating information clearly Explain how the invention of the printing press changed European society in the 15th century. Narrative Creative language use Presenting a compelling narrative Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
Descriptive Creative language use Describing sensory details Describe an object that has sentimental value for you. Receive feedback on language, structure and layout Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on: Academic style Vague sentences Grammar Style consistency See an example.
What is Essay?- Definition, Meaning, Features \u0026 Forms Explained
, time: 11:0210 Most Common Types of Essays - blogger.com
A definition essay is a type of essay that requires the writer to give the meaning of a term in detail to aid the reader's comprehension. The term or object could be physical such as books or cars, or abstract - care, intelligence, altruism, power, and so on 4 rows · · There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories
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