Writing an essay is not as simple as it seems. There are different types of essays and each has its own way of being written in terms of style and content. One should be careful while writing a specific type of essay because it should serve a purpose. If written improperly, all your efforts will have been in vain.
To avoid committing errors while writing a specific essay type, it’s prudent to know what these types are and the purposes they serve. Five of the most common are the argumentative, cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, definition, and narrative essay types.
An argumentative essay makes a claim and solidifies it with evidence. Usually, the evidence defends the claim with statistics and expert opinion. But before you make a claim, make sure that it is reasonable so you won’t have difficulty looking for supporting materials. Typically, an argumentative essay presents the pros and cons of an argument. After this, you need to choose a side and use evidence to refute one side while supporting the other.
A cause-and-effect essay focuses on a situation and asks why a certain condition occurred and what was its outcome. You should be careful with wording and coherence while writing a cause-and-effect essay because your main purpose is to show causal chains. If you are not able to make the readers see the connection between an occurrence and its aftermath, your essay won’t be very effective.
A compare-and-contrast essay shows similarities and differences between two topics. The comparison portion of the essay focuses on the topic’s similarities while the contrast part presents the differences. Your language should be definitive while writing a compare and contrast essay. Otherwise, the readers won’t be able to distinguish the similarities or differences you are trying to stress.
A definition essay is typically an in-depth essay about a definition, term, or concept. In this type of essay, you need to provide personal commentary on the meaning of a specific topic. While some terms are concrete and can be defined and expounded upon from their dictionary definitions, other more abstract terms are defined subjectively. You must use clear language while writing a definition essay.
Lastly, a narrative essay tells a story. When you are writing a narrative essay, you need to be a good storyteller. Coherence is a key while writing this type of essay because the sequence of events must be clearly presented. To do this, you need to use effective transitions. This type of essay is normally written in the first-person.
