Types of Essays
Throughout your school career, you will be asked to write several types of essays on numerous
subjects. It is important that you are familiar with the most common types of essays, as well
as the purpose of each.
Argumentative/Persuasive- An argumentative or persuasive essay requires you to win
the reader over to your way of thinking. One of the most important aspects to keep in
mind when writing an argumentative or persuasive essay is audience. You must know
who your audience is in order to choose the best defense. Ask yourself, what do my
readers know about this topic? What arguments would appeal to them? Remember, you
must not only argue and defend your main points, but also effectively anticipate and
respond to any possible counter-arguments the opposition might raise.
Cause and Effect- Cause and effect essays explore why things happen (causes) and
what happens as a result (effects). These essays give reasons and explanations for
behaviors, events, or circumstances. It is important that your presentation is factual and
believable, and that in your thesis statement you explain whether you will be discussing
causes, effects, or both.
Compare and Contrast- Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more
subjects and the similarities and/or differences between them. The task of this type of
essay is to clarify something unknown by analyzing it next to something with which the
reader is familiar. Like the cause and effect essay, it is important that your thesis
statement clearly states whether you will be comparing (giving similarities), contrasting
(showing differences), or both.
Descriptive- In a descriptive essay, your task is to describe something to your audience,
allowing the reader to fully experience the object, event, or situation. Sensory details,
figurative language, and powerful vocabulary can create an image in the reader’s mind,
enhancing his or her understanding and appreciation of the topic. This is one of the few
essays in which the use of “I” may be acceptable.
Expository- An expository essay teaches or informs your reader about a subject. This
type of essay can explain how something works, how to do something, the steps in a
procedure, or why something is the way it is. Ultimately, the reader should have a better
understanding of the subject after reading your paper.
Literary Analysis- Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a literary work. A
literary work can be an article, another essay, poem, short story, novel, etc. Your thesis
statement should be your opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a
whole. In a literary analysis, you are required to use evidence from the text to support
and/or prove your own ideas. It is absolutely essential that you know how to choose
quotes from the text, as well as how to use them in your paper.
Reflective/Narrative- The reflective essay or personal narrative differs from most other
essays in that in these types of essays, you are writing about your own personal
experiences and/or telling a story about what was learned from that experience. The
reflective essay does not seek to find answers or draw conclusions about an event, but
rather seeks to explore the discoveries you made about yourself through the event. This
is one of the few types of essays in which the first person pronoun “I” is acceptable.
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Argumentative/Persuasive Essays
Argumentative/Persuasive- An argumentative or persuasive essay requires you to win the
reader over to your way of thinking. One of the most important aspects to keep in mind when
writing an argumentative or persuasive essay is audience. You must know who your audience
is in order to choose the best defense. Ask yourself, what do my readers know about this
topic? What arguments would appeal to them? Remember, you must not only argue and
defend your main points, but also effectively anticipate and respond to any possible counterarguments the opposition might raise.
Purpose
 Win the reader over to your side or your way of thinking
Important Aspects
 Audience
o Who will be reading your essay?
o What do they generally think/feel about the topic?
o What is the best way to appeal to and convince this audience?
o What level of language is best for this audience?
 Know Your Opposition
o How can you defend your arguments against anything the opposition
presents?
o How well do you anticipate any questions or confusion about the topic?
There are several ways you can reach your audience effectively. These techniques,
recognized by Aristotle more than two thousand years ago are called rhetoric, and
include:

Logical appeal: (logos): sensible arguments that are widely accepted by
your audience
o facts, statistics, personal experience, expert opinion, etc.

Ethical appeal (ethos): arguments based upon morals and values of a
culture that ask the audience to do what is “right” according to what that
culture deems correct
o the writer strives to appear knowledgeable, educated, credible,
trustworthy, and fair towards the subject
o the writer tries to make the audience do what is “right”

Emotional appeals (pathos): arguments which appeal to the audience’s
emotions
o the writer aims to connect with his audience in some way
o the argument strives to appeal to the audience’s sense of fear, pity,
needs, desires, and sympathies
To set up an Argumentative/Persuasive Essay, consider the following outline:
I. Introduction
II. Opinions and Supporting Evidence
III. Possible Objections
IV. Responses to Possible Objections
V. Conclusion
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Cause and Effect Essays
Cause and Effect- Cause and effect essays explore why things happen (causes) and what
happens as a result (effects). These essays give reasons and explanations for behaviors,
events, or circumstances. It is important that your presentation is factual and believable,
and that in your thesis statement you explain whether you will be discussing causes,
effects, or both.
Purpose
 Causes for a problem, or the effects of the problem—usually not both
 Decide whether your purpose is to supply your audience with unknown or little
known information (inform), or whether you are persuading your audience to
believe these are the true causes (or effects).
Important Aspects
 Know your Purpose
o Are you going to inform or persuade your audience?
o Are you focusing on causes OR effects?

The first person pronouns “I,” “me,” and “my” should be totally avoided
o DO NOT SAY: “I believe that the gun control issue is way out of hand.”
o SAY: “Lack of gun control has caused thousands of deaths in the United
States alone.”
To set up a Cause/Effect Essay, consider the following outlines:
For a paper that focuses on the effects of a cause
I.
Introduction—Introduce Cause
II.
Effect #1
III.
Effect #2
IV.
Effect #3
V.
Conclusion
For a paper that focuses on the causes of a certain effect
I.
Introduction—Introduce Effect
II.
Cause #1
III.
Cause #2
IV.
Cause #3
V.
Conclusion
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Compare and Contrast Essays
Compare and Contrast- Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more
subjects and the similarities and/or differences between them. The task of this type of
essay is to clarify something unknown by analyzing it next to something with which the
reader is familiar. Like the cause and effect essay, it is important that your thesis
statement clearly states whether you will be comparing (giving similarities), contrasting
(showing differences), or both.
Purpose
 To find similarities and/or differences between two things
Important Aspects
 Know Your Purpose
o Are you comparing (finding similarities)?
o Are you contrasting (finding differences)?
o Are you doing both?
There are many ways to set up a Compare and Contrast Essay; here are four examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction
Similarities
Differences
One Major Similarity/One Major
Difference
5. Conclusion
1. Introduction
2. Major Similarity
a. Evidence
3. Major Difference
a. Evidence
4. Minor Similarities/Differences
5. Conclusion
©2006 Secondary Solutions
1. Introduction
2. Difference #1
a. Contrasting evidence
3. Difference #2
a. Contrasting evidence
4. Difference #3
a. Contrasting evidence
5. Conclusion
1. Introduction
2. Similarity #1
a. Comparative evidence
3. Similarity #2
a. Comparative evidence
4. Similarity #3
a. Comparative evidence
5. Conclusion
Essay Architect Writing System
Descriptive Essays
Descriptive- In a descriptive essay, your task is to describe something to your audience,
allowing the reader to fully experience the object, event, or situation. Sensory details,
figurative language, and powerful vocabulary can create an image in the reader’s mind,
enhancing his or her understanding and appreciation of the topic. This is one of the few
essays in which the use of “I” may be acceptable.
Purpose
 Use details and images to help your audience create a mental picture of what you are
writing about
Important Aspects
 Audience
o Who will be reading your essay?
o What do you want your reader to feel after reading your essay?

Organization
o Decide HOW you will organize your thoughts; there are several ways:
 Sensory description—describing what is seen, heard, touched, tasted,
and smelled
 Spatial description—describing the way things are seen from your (or a
narrator’s) perspective
 Comparison—comparing the ordinary to the extraordinary
 i.e. comparing sitting in a boring class to being locked in a 16th
Century torture chamber!
To set up a Descriptive Essay, consider whether you would like to focus on an objective
or a subjective description.

An objective description describes how something looks, feels, tastes, etc.
o When describing your favorite outfit, you would focus on the fabric, colors, color
combinations, fit, etc.

A subjective description describes how you feel towards or about the topic
o When describing your favorite outfit, you would focus on how you feel
(confident, comfortable, stylish, chic, thin, etc.) and why, when wearing that
outfit.
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Expository Essays
Expository- An expository essay teaches or informs your reader about a subject. This type
of essay can explain how something works, how to do something, the steps in a procedure,
or why something is the way it is. Ultimately, the reader should have a better understanding
of the subject after reading your paper.
Purpose
 To explain, inform, teach or clarify a topic to the reader
Important Aspects
 Audience
o Assume that the reader knows nothing about this topic
 Task of Expository Essay
o Be sure you are clear about your goal for your essay; are you
 identifying the parts of an object?
 communicating the steps of a process?
 explaining the characteristics of something?
To set up an Expository Essay, consider the following outlines:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Conclusion
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3
Conclusion
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
Characteristic #1
Characteristic #2
Characteristic #3
Conclusion
OR
OR
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Literary Analysis or Response to Literature Essays
Literary Analysis- Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a literary work. A
literary work can be an article, another essay, poem, short story, novel, etc. Your thesis
statement should be your opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a
whole. In a literary analysis, you are required to use evidence from the text to support
and/or prove your own ideas. It is absolutely essential that you know how to choose quotes
from the text, as well as how to use them in your paper.
Purpose
 To show your reader an understanding of a text and the connection between the text
and the given topic of the essay
Important Aspects
 Include Applicable Quotations
o Provide relevant quotations to support your position
o Use quotations correctly
 Cite Your Sources
o If applicable, include author, page, line, etc.
There are many ways to set up a Response to Literature Essay; here are two examples:
I. Introduction
II. Idea #1
a. Evidence from text
III.Idea #2
a. Evidence from text
IV. Idea #3
a. Evidence from text
V. Conclusion
I. Introduction
II. Idea #1 and Idea #2
III.Evidence from text
IV. Idea #3 and Idea #4
V. Evidence from text
VI. Conclusion
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Reflective/Narrative Essays
Reflective/Narrative- The reflective essay or personal narrative differs from most other
essays in that in these types of essays, you are writing about your own personal experiences
and/or telling a story about what was learned from that experience. The reflective essay
does not seek to find answers or draw conclusions about an event, but rather, seeks to
explore the discoveries you made about yourself through the event. This is one of the few
types of essays in which the use of the first person pronoun “I” is acceptable.
Purpose
 To share something you have read, learned, written, or experienced, and how it has
affected your life
Important Aspects
 The first person pronouns “I,” “me,” and “my” may be used to give your personal
account of an event
 Organization
o include the events or details of your experiences, reading, writing, etc.
o connect these events or details with how it has effected your life overall,
including opinions about others, situations, humanity, or life in general
 DON’T just tell a story—be sure to connect it
Reflective Essays can vary greatly in number of paragraphs and organization. Many
reflective essays are organized in the following way:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
Event, Situation, or Experience
Result
Effect/Change on Your Life, outlook on life, or view of humanity
Conclusion
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Quiz #2 Essay Types and Organization
Part One: Paragraph Completion
Use the words in the box below to accurately complete each sentence in the paragraphs below.
Each word will be used only once throughout the entire quiz.
analyzing
answers
anticipate
argue
article
audience
believable
causes
clarify
conclusions
defend
describe
differences
effects
evidence
experiences figurative
first
I
informs
literary
novel
poem
quotes
reasons
respond
sensory
short story
similarities
story
teaches
vocabulary
why
win
yourself
counter-arguments
understanding
An argumentative or persuasive essay requires you to (1)
the reader over to your
way of thinking. One of the most important aspects to keep in mind when writing an argumentative
or persuasive essay is (2)
(4)
. Remember, you must not only (3)
your main points, but also effectively (5)
any possible (7)
and
and (6)
the opposition might raise.
Cause and effect essays explore (8)
result (effects). These essays give (9)
things happen and what happens as a
and explanations for behaviors, events, or
circumstances. It is important that your presentation is factual and (10)
in your thesis you explain whether you will be discussing (11)
(12)
to
, and that
,
,or both.
Compare and contrast essays are used to examine two or more subjects and the
(13)
(15)
or (14)
something unknown by (16)
between them. The task of this type of essay is to
it next to something with which
the reader is familiar. Like the cause and effect essay, it is important that your thesis statement
clearly states whether you will be comparing (giving similarities), contrasting (showing differences), or
both.
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System
Quiz #2 Essay Types and Organization (Continued)
In a descriptive essay, your task is to (17)
something to your audience,
allowing the reader to fully experience the object, event, or situation. (18)
details, (19)
language, and powerful (20)
can
create an image in the reader’s mind, enhancing his or her understanding and appreciation of the
topic. This is one of the few essays in which the use of “(21)
An expository essay (22)
” may be acceptable.
or (23)
your
reader about a subject. This type of essay can explain how something works, how to do something,
the steps in a procedure, or why something is the way it is. Ultimately, the reader should have a
better (24)
of the subject after reading your paper.
Literary analysis papers focus on the analysis of a (25)
work can be an (26)
work. A literary
, another essay, (27)
(28)
, (29)
,
, etc. Your thesis statement should be your
opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a whole. In a literary analysis, you are
required to use (30)
from the text to support and/or prove your own ideas. It is
absolutely essential that you know how to choose (31)
from the text, as well as how
to use them in your paper.
The reflective essay or personal narrative differs from most other essays in that in these types
of essays, you are writing about your own personal (32)
(33)
and/or telling a
about what was learned from that experience. The reflective essay does
not seek to find (34)
or draw (35)
about an
event, but rather, seeks to explore the discoveries you made about (36)
through the event. This is one of the few types of essays in which the use of the
(37)
person pronoun “I” is acceptable.
©2006 Secondary Solutions
Essay Architect Writing System