Essays are common in elementary, middle, high school and college, and you may even need to write essays in the business world (although they are usually called “reports” at that point).
An essay is defined as “a short piece of writing that expresses information as well as the writer’s opinion.”

In my work as a high school teacher I noticed the difficulties the Romanian students encounter while trying to write an essay. Consequently I tried to give them a helping hand in making them. The very first question that occurred was regarding the types of essay they were supposed to write. I started googling to find out the differences in writing matters concerning these types of writing> I came across several types:

1. Descriptive Essay

This type of essay is designed for describing details of the subject. It can be written about any object and its features. You are to describe the way it looks, smells or works. It can be compared with a detailed overview of the things you write about. In this type of essay, every detail counts.

2. Definition Essay

The ultimate goal of the definition essay is to focus on the definition of the subject. It may focus on different things or various origins. The point of this type of essay is to explain something on a higher level than dictionaries do. Here you are to delve into the subject to get the understanding of what it is, how people perceive it, what it associated with.

3. Compare & Contrast Essay

This type of essay is aimed to dwell upon on differences and similarities between two objects, events, things, etc. The reader should receive a clear understanding of what certain things have in common and what is different about them. The writer has to be well informed about both subjects in order to provide the reader with a clear comparison of the two subjects.

4. Cause & Effect Essay

This type of essay is destined to focus on the sequence of an event and the result of it. It reminds some a study where you are to show what cause has led to a particular result. In case there are more causes than results or fewer causes than results the writer has to explore them separately. The cause & effect essay requires the writer to draw a logical connection between the reasons of a certain event. To write a good essay of that type it is necessary to study the works on the similar topics to have a better understanding of how such research is done.

5. Narrative Essay

This type of essay is aimed at telling a story about a certain event in a person’s life. It may be a funny festival or a watching a good movie in the cinema, everyday activity or visiting another country. In such essay, you are free to express your personal attitude towards things that affected you, places that you liked or people you were with. It is usually written in the 1st person with a frequent usage of “I.”

6. Process Essay

When it comes to a process essay, one may find certain similarities with a cause and effect essay. This type of paper required the same level of understanding of the subject and how it works. It sometimes resembles a manual where the instructions to do something are given. To write this essay better, you are to perform the described process if possible as it is easier to tell about something you know well and good at.

7. Argumentative Essay

When it comes to this type of essay, it should be noted that it is quite useful for any student on any level of education. The ultimate goal of this essay is to persuade the reader to take the author’s viewpoint. It is not an easy thing to do as this paper is aimed at manipulating the other people’s thoughts to change their attitude towards something.

For this writing, you are to use firm language, proved facts and accurate and vivid illustrations as an evidence of your argument should be flawless. Stripped of these items your argumentative essay won’t be persuasive enough and your influence on the reader will be minimal. Skilled writers are to be completely sure about every word they write and every fact they give. There is no room for mistakes and uncertainty. What makes this type of essay more difficult is that you have to be ready to fight against opposing ideas, and your paper should contain the antidote to the critics of your viewpoint.

8. Critical Essay

This type of essay focuses on weak and strong features of something. It is aimed at giving a characteristic of the subject to make reader aware of what you consider to be good or bad about it. These papers usually dwell upon how something is done or written. Did the author manage to do it correctly or not? Was his work persuasive? Was he successful in delivering his message to the audience? These are the questions you will have to answer in your essay. The difficulty of this essay lies in the fact that you have to be well informed and have a deep understanding of the essence of the subject you criticize.

9. Expository Essay

When it comes to an expository essay, keep in mind that it is aimed at an estimation of the subject from your point of view. That is why it requires research to be carried out. It is not an easy type of essay as your knowledge of the subject has to be based not only on the information you get from someone else but mostly on your own experience. This type of essay can give you skills in organizing and manner of doing your own research. This practice is by no means very important as it can lead you to results that can be groundbreaking. It may take lots of time, but it is worth doing. Perhaps you could contribute something new to the subject and show something that was never seen before. Don’t forget that your opinion is the foundation of your essay. Though, your paper should be long extensive and well written.

10. Persuasive Essay

This type of essay is opposite to an argumentative essay. It is aimed at changing the readers’ point of view completely, taking the author’s one as an axiom. It is a stronger and more difficult type of essay as it requires a better understanding of the subject and good skills in criticizing the opponents.

In most cases, persuasive essays deal with topics that are relevant here and today. A persuasive essay should be very tough and influential. By writing it, you show that you are really good at something and that you are sure that your opinion is ultimately correct. You may lose your audience the very moment you lose your integrity.

Advice for my students:

You should always remember that your essay should be as solid as a brick because your personal traits have no influence on a reader.

The only weapons of yours are words. Your audience should want to accept your viewpoint as the only one that makes sense. It is not an easy task to do. That is why it requires much practice. It is a long way to have the ability to master your language and influence the others with it, but this skill is extremely important in many aspects of life. The writer should not worry if his or her first results will not be good enough. The more you try the better you become.

Bibliography:

Taylor Craig, Tarleton State University, member of the Presidential Honors Program and the president of the Tarleton Scholars Society.
www.unigo.com
www.wikipedia.com
https://eliteessaywriters.com
https://www.thoughtco.com
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-an-essay.html