Every essay is different, depending on the length, subject matter, etc. Nevertheless, we can still sort essays into four broad ‘types’: expository essays, descriptive essays, persuasive essays, and narrative essays.
There are overlaps between these essay types (e.g. a narrative essay may be very descriptive). But knowing the differences is useful when planning your work. As such, we’ve prepared this quick guide to the four main types of essay.
1. Expository Essays
Expository essays focus on explaining something. The aim is to test how well you understand a topic (and how well you can communicate that understanding). This may involve asking you to compare and contrast two ideas, or to define something and give an example. They are typically structured like this:
- An introduction that sets out the subject that you are writing about and how you will answer the essay question.
- A series of logically connected paragraphs setting out your understanding of the subject matter, along with evidence to support your claims.
- A conclusion that answers your essay question using the evidence.
This type of essay is often used for short assignments, as well as exams.
2. Descriptive Essays
Descriptive essays are less about arguing a point and more about painting a mental picture. These can be more personal and creative than other essay types (reflective essays often include a descriptive element).
However, they should still have a clear structure and you should always aim to make your work clear and concise, even if you also use detailed, vivid language.
The key is giving your reader a clear sense of what you’re describing. This is a useful skill to have in any form of writing, as it will make your work more compelling.
3. Persuasive Essays
Like expository essays, persuasive (or argumentative) essays ask you to answer a question via research. They may also be similarly structured.
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However, persuasive essays are usually longer. This is because you need to argue your point strongly, which could involve doing more research or even a practical experiment. For example, rather than just setting out and comparing two competing theories, for a persuasive essay, you might need to research different aspects of these theories, address them critically, and argue for one over the other.
A persuasive essay is thus about presenting a clear, defendable thesis (i.e. an idea or point you’re defending) and backing this up with evidence or arguments.
These essays are commonly given as end-of-module assignments at university.
4. Narrative Essays
Finally, narrative essays tell a story. This doesn’t mean that you have to write your essay as a short story, but it will draw on the conventions of storytelling.
These essays can be quite personal or anecdotal, but they should also have a point (i.e. a moral to the story or a lesson that you have learned by experience).
The language used in a narrative essay should be clear and concise, but it can also be descriptive and emotive. Using the first-person pronoun ‘I’ is common in this type of essay, too, as you will often be writing about your own experiences.