Different Types of Essay Descriptive Essays

Descriptive essays rely on the effective use of language to enable the reader to visualize a scene. It is the one which requires most creative writing ability and the ability of the writer to facilitate the visualization of a scene, evoking sensory reactions and responses. Here the level of the reader’s sensory perception (e.g. a child’s, or an adult’s) is taken into consideration.

The main features:

• creates a scene in the mind of the reader;

• logical development to seize the reader’s attention and to maintain his/her stable interest;

• adjectival writing (though the use of other semantic fields, such as adverbial, is also be employed);

• the use of linguistic devices such as similes and metaphors to aid the description;

• contains both pictorial stimulation and descriptions of feelings and emotions.

Introduction. It serves as a condensed version of the entire essay and contains the promise of discovery for the reader. It usually starts with the claim of the subject’s uniqueness or a thesis statement.

Tips: arrange the description in a logical and meaningful way; release one of the exceptional or intriguing features of the subject in the opening sentences.

Main part. It is the “discovery promise” which provides a more detailed description of the subject. The paragraphs fit together and shape one solid image of the subject.

Conclusion. It is the “moment of discovery”. It presents a complete picture of the object, phenomenon, or an experience and allows the reader to step back, look at the subject from a slightly different angle, and to discover that fresh perspective, which the writer promised in the thesis statement

Argumentative Essays

An argumentative essay is a type of an essay in which the author takes a position and defends it. The author shows his/her opinion on the problem, takes into consideration all sides of the problem and makes a conclusion. The objectives are to convince the reader at a particular point of view (with a lot of attention paid to the opposite position), and clearly articulate why the author’s position is preferable.

The main features:

• well-reasoned, well structured and supported;

• includes an opposition which shows the author’s understanding of both sides of the problem.

• the author carries on a kind of internal dialogue (evaluates allegations, evidence, assumptions, hidden arguments, and internal conflicts).

This type of essay consists of the following elements: introduction, main part and conclusion.

1. Introduction includes an introductory statement (explaining the subject, its background, the purpose of the study) using known techniques (an unusual statement, an interesting quote, relevant statistic data, etc.) + a thesis statement, which in essence is the idea of the argument.

2. Main part contains:

- arguments of the author (not less than 2 or 3);

- definitions of basic concepts used in making judgments;

-the evidences (facts or examples) that support the chosen proposition and consideration of rebuttal of opposite propositions (must show how weak they are);

-an objection.

Tip: The thesis statement sounds convincing if the author provides the arguments of the opposite side, gives them critical analysis and offers a compromise decision.

3. Conclusion repeats the main statement, provides one or two sentences summarizing the main arguments in favor of judgments and gives general warning about the consequences of rejection author’s idea, underlining the usefulness of this statement.