At first sight, there are over 20 types of essays. Some of you may even believe that there are even more. The truth is different. There are 4 main types, and they are used in schools, in colleges as part of tests, or college admissions. Each one is entirely different and used for a specific purpose, as you shall see below.
Narrative essay: It is used to tell an exciting story
One of the most common types of essays is narrative. As the name suggests, you will have to tell a story. Usually, the personal story is involved, and in it, a writer must provide real-life experience, what happened, why, and how it changed him. It may sound easy, but it isn’t.
Narrative essays are more profound than they look. In one, you need to provide a critical conclusion and tell the readers why you changed yourself. At the same time, you must write in the first person singular. It makes the essay more direct and can connect readers to the writer. None of these essays is generic.
Read more about narrative essays in the following writing guide.
Descriptive essays: They are used to create a written picture
Descriptive essays are common, and they are usually similar to narrative essays with one significant difference. While a narrative essay tells a story and focuses on changes, feelings, and causes, the description describes something. It can be a person, an event, or a location.
When writing a descriptive essay, you need to paint using your words. There is no simple answer here, and you should make the reader imagine the goal of your essay without literally telling him to do so. One secret here is the fact you should use all senses. Use smell, touch, sight, and taste to paint the image.
Read more about descriptive essays in the following writing guide.
Expository essays: You will write using statistics and facts
Expository essays are one of the most popular types of essays. In this essay, you won’t write in the first person or use your emotions. It is all about the facts and evidence about a particular topic. Some examples of these essays may include how to, cause and effect, contrast essays, etc.
Keep in mind that you need to use robust evidence every single time, and as a writer, you must provide accurate information. Your essay must look and be strong in the eyes of readers, and you must answer the main point of the essay correctly. It is harder than it seems.
Always use the most persuasive facts first and then gradually move to your weakest. If you use them the other way around, a reader may lose his attention while reading weak points, which will mean he won’t read the entire essay.
Read more about expository essays in the following writing guide.
Persuasive essays: You must convince your readers
One of the most complicated types of essays is a persuasive essay. They are used when you need to persuade your readers to believe in something. For example, you will write this essay to convince other people that aliens do exist. A strange example that is just right at this moment.
To convince your readers, you must use logic, facts, and useful information. All of them must be logical, and as such, these essays are usually linked to some analysis or belief.
While these essays sound and look simple to write, they are very complicated. You must look as deep as possible, and you must change the opinion of your readers. To do that, you need to use strong sentences, actual evidence, and arguments that are so strong that readers will start to think the same as you.
Some students prefer this type of essay due to the fact they come with the most freedom. You can write about anything you want, and you can usually support any claim you like.
Read more about persuasive essays in the following writing guide.
The next time someone asks you about types of essays, you can answer there are 4 of them. You will also know to explain each type and make a clear difference between them. All other types are variations of these 4 main types. We can call them sub-types, and writing them is easier than you may believe.
