Essay writing is a large part of college life and is an important skill for students to master as you move through your higher education. The root of the word essay is the Latin word exagium, which can be vaguely translated to ‘a weighing of one’s case’.

Overview

Essays are short, non-fiction compositions that outline an author’s perspective on a subject. Students may encounter essay assignments from as early as middle school with essay requirements becoming more rigorous as you advance into academia. Although essays can be formal as well as informal, academic essays are typically formal and revolve around topics relevant to your field of study.

Research and preparation are essential to producing a well-crafted essay. You must gather enough information about your subject to successfully decide upon a topic or proposition for your essay. By learning more about essays and the various types of essays, you will be better positioned to practice and master the art of essay writing.

What is an Essay?

Essays are designed to encourage students to develop and discuss your ideas regarding a certain topic. In writing the essay, you’re generally required to present credible information that supports your claims. On top of this, you are often expected to provide an analysis or comparison of multiple factors.

While there is no fixed structure for an essay, most essays contain three main sections.

• The introduction, which gives the reader a brief idea of the topic that is covered and often a thesis statement or main argument.
• The body, which includes in-depth information to support the basic premise and proof to persuade the reader to agree with the author’s point of view. Citations are essential here in establishing credible sources of academic information.
• The conclusion, which summarizes and reinforces the assertions of the essay.

Academic essays can be written in several different formats. Five paragraphs is the most frequent length for a basic essay. However, the minimum word count can vary depending on the academic level of the assignment.

Essay Types

The four most common types of essays are listed below.

• Narrative essays are essays where the author narrates a story from the first-person point of view. They aim to describe how a certain event unfolds chronologically and is often a highly subjective form of writing.
• Descriptive essays are essays where the author attempts to paint a picture and fully describe a subject using all five senses. The subject could be a place, a person, an event, or an object, and details are essential in writing a great descriptive essay.
• Expository essays are essays where the author presents facts that cover both (or more) sides of a topic in a balanced manner. They do so objectively and without bias to either side, using reliable sources.
• Persuasive essays are essays that are the opposite of expository essays. Authors present facts in an attempt to influence the reader to support your argument or point of view.

Essay writing is a skill that improves with practice. When faced with an essay writing assignment, you should start the writing process as soon as possible gain a thorough understanding of the subject, and craft an essay that is interesting and informative for the reader.

For additional resources, see the resources at the John S. Knight Institute For Writing in the Disciplines.