The Art Book of Writing

Essays Essays – An essay is, in general, a piece of writing in which the author presents his or her own argument, and I would define it as ambiguous, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story.

Types – Persuasive (Argumentative) A persuasive essay is a type of essay where you have to try and convince the reader to agree with your point of view. It’s purpose is to present ideas and arguments in order to persuade the reader to agree with an opinion.

Expository (Informative) A expository essay is a type of essay that requires you to inform the reader on a specific topic. It’s purpose is to research a topic, analyze evidence, elaborate on the topic, and present a clear and coherent argument about it.

Definition or Description Process (How-to) Compare and Contrast Cause and Effect Analytical/Critical Analytical essays frequently focus on the way the article was written, such as how particular themes appear in a story. Its purpose is to make a claim or make an argument about what you're looking at.

Evaluative Interpretive Narrative (Tells a story) Narrative essays are frequently descriptive, experiential, and personal, allowing the writer to express themselves creatively and, in many cases, movingly. The purpose is to tell the reader a story.

Personal Statement/Anecdote Research A research essay is an essay in which you explain what you've discovered after thoroughly researching your topic. The purpose is to provide data from a variety of sources, including books, papers, interviews, and websites.

Timed In a Timed essay you must demonstrate discipline knowledge by providing a writing sample in a short amount of time. The purpose is usually so teachers can grade students in a short period of time.

Document Based Question (DBQ) Synthesis