10 Different Types of Essays to Help with Your Academic Writing

Have you ever been confused with what type of cereal suits your morning needs or what flavour of ice-cream puts you in a great mood? If you have, then choosing a particular type of essay from a host of options could be a familiar feeling. The various types of essays are just like the different flavours of ice-cream, each with a typical recipe for success. Let us learn more about the various types of essays and their uses in the sections ahead!

So What Are the Different Types of Essays?

Among the more significant dilemmas like grasping the dynamics of how to write an essay, or trying to figure out how long is an essay ideally, finding a solution to choose the most appropriate type of essay to exhibit your opinion and ideas is kind of an important issue. Worry not! Because we are here to help make it easy, so let’s dive right into it:

What Domains of Academic Writing Do the Types Cover?

Each type of essay that are to be elucidated in the upcoming segment covers a particular type of research/writing area, and exhibit a typical essay format, some are specialized for observing and answering questions such as compare and contrast essay, critical essay/analytical essay. Few types delve into the world of reasoning and argument to prove a hypothesis or argument, such as, the argumentative essay or persuasive essay, while others just describe a phenomenon in large detail such as an expository essay or a narrative essay.  In general, essays of all academic levels will be discussed upon, while concentrating our focus particularly on types of essays.

A Comprehensive List of The Different Types of Essays:

Without much further ado, let’s just jump right into it!

Descriptive Essay: Descriptive essays are detailed, insightful description of any particular event, object or phenomena. A descriptive essay usually lays all observations, specifications and other attributes, in details, of the subject of the research or study. Descriptive essay example ought to provide a complete picture of how to work with such type of writing.

• Should be detailed
• Introduction is highly impactful
• Detailed definition and analysis of the chosen subject.

Definition Essay : A definition essay, as the name suggests, deals with the objectivity and qualitative aspects of the definition of any particular concept or event or perhaps just a term. This type of essay is much more elaborate than a common dictionary and dwells in the layers of the implications of various definitions and their perception on the common people.

• Representation of accurate meaning of a word/phrase
• Implicate something on a higher level as compared to dictionaries
• Comprehending how the public perceive a word

Compare and Contrast Essay : The compare and contrast essay deals with two specific different concepts, events or objects and strives to secure a connection of differences and similarities between the two. The recorded observations are then studied in detail to provide a clarified account of comparison and how each element of the said comparison contributes to the similarities and differences observed. A writer needs to have quality knowledge on both elements of comparison to be able to present the complete analysis impeccably.

• Differences & similarities between the concerned subjects
• Compares and Contrasts ideas or concepts
• Have to be well-informed about both subjects

Cause and Effect Essay : In a cause and effect essay, an observer notes and elucidates the correlations between two events such that one is caused as a direct or indirect result of the other. This relation of interdependence is the core concept of such an essay. The writer should be able to provide concrete evidence propelling the cause and effect relationship of two events for the essay to be objective and credible in nature.

• Posits that variables are interrelated
• Reasoning for certain occurrences
• Focus on the sequence of an event and the result of the same

Narrative Essay : A narrative essay is usually written from a first-person perspective and elaborates on a certain experience, impact or feeling of the author. It might be a personal note or a public experience, but should have a flow of conscious thoughts, explaining in details, a series of events, nonetheless.  An example of descriptive essay should be binding of the aforementioned points.

• Does not require the implementation of external sources
• To approach the topic in a creative fashion
• Immerse the target audience; make them interested

Process Essay : A process essay is, in concise, a handbook or an instruction manual that dictates the chronology of steps to be followed to operate a particular object or piece of machinery. It is a step-by-step literature on how to execute and accomplish a process.

Argumentative Essay : An argumentative essay is significant for pupils of all academic levels since it is an universal type of academic writing. An argumentative essay, as the name suggests, packs an opinion or argument and presents it by backing substantial evidences, concrete facts and credible information to cement the idea. It should be critically treated as an argumentative essay is supposed to convince the readers to align their viewpoints to that of the writer’s.

• Cover with infallible evidence
• Conclude with a strong climax
• Use facts, statistics, quotes and examples

Critical Essay: A critical essay evaluates and analyses the core competencies of any published work or piece of scientific or artistic origin. The critical analyses of a subject manner, its dynamic properties and its effect on the readers are all tenets of a good critical essay. It is also called an analytical essay as it analyses and presents information on the subject matter’s crucial components. The writer needs to possess in-depth knowledge about the workings of a particular concept before writing a Critical Essay on it

• Important to streamline focus
• Support your assumptions with examples and statistics
• Analysis does not translate to retelling the story.

Expository Essay : An expository essay portrays the writer’s opinion on a subject or topic. Not only does this kind of essay have to be well researched and well studies, it should also exhibit the writer’s own thoughts and expressions based upon the facts and features of the subject matter. In this type of essay, the writer’s own reflection weighs for a substantive amount of information.

• A second-person perspective of an idea
• Personal response to an idea or event
• Provide evidence to back up data

Persuasive Essay: It is not an easy task to convince the readers to completely abolish their own perspective and make your perspective their own. In a persuasive essay, much unlike an argumentative essay, it is essential to posit your opinion on a subject matter as the end all be all to that subject. It is to be written with exuberant confidence, backed with irrevocable statistics and facts that make your point of view credible. Current essay topics and events are usually the matter under the eye of the microscope and any loose section or point is enough to lose your reader as this type of essay is rather extreme in its approach.

• To persuade the readers
• Avoid repeating your point
• A strong conclusion is a significant component

What Type Of Essay Is Appropriate For My Academic Level?

Now that we are familiar with the types of essays that generally exist in the academic sphere, let us learn more about what type of essay should be appropriate for what academic level:

Types of Essays for Middle School Level : Usually Descriptive, Narrative, Expository essays are the main components of any academic writing at middle-school level.

Types of Essays for High School Level: Much like middle-school, the academic writing syllabi is representative of descriptive writing, narrative essays, cause and effect essay analyses and compare and contrast essays, albeit at a much expansive level. At this stage the essay should be much more developed and contain critical aspects of academic writing, the essay introduction should not exceed three standard paragraphs and a single consolidated paragraph reserved for the essay conclusion section.

Types of Essays for College Level and Beyond: Types of essays for college level include the more detailed and intricate forms of writing. In-depth analyses and intricate research work on an exponential level represent academic writing at college and university level. The subject matter should be streamlined and narrow and the paper should be credible supported by referenced facts and figures which are undeniable. At this level, a research paper or a dissertation thesis could be considered as a separate type of essay.
There you go! The types of essays and its varieties, have all been forayed into in great detail and understanding. We promised that we would make it simple for you and now it is as easy as choosing the flavour of ice-cream we were talking about earlier! IF you still feel lost and need help then discover redemption below.

Looking for Help? All You Need to Do Is Just Ask the Experts!

To be completely honest, it is not an easy task to write an essay, it is further hectic to identify the requirement and choose a type of essay to express your views in (if not pre-determined). Do not fret, as the experts at EduHelpHub have got you secured regarding academic essays, dissertations, research papers of any kind. With its specialized resources and expert college essay writing service, it is easier than ever to get your academic writing goals accomplished without as much as breaking a sweat. We are ready to help!