Types of Essays Explained: Understanding Narrative, Persuasive, Expository, and Descriptive Essays

Regardless of what type of writing you produce – essays, business documents, fiction, articles, letters, notes to yourself in a diary, your writing will always be better if you aim at your goal (Carvin, 2023). While there are many reasons why you might be putting pen to paper or tapping away on the keyboard, there are really only four main types of writing: These include expository, descriptive, persuasive and narrative. However, this blog will explore differences between essay types for your better understanding. In essence, these four writing genres are unique in their objectives. Each genre involves different writing skills (Widjaya, 2024). You may be familiar with them from college, for instance, as modes of writing. These are often referred to as rhetorical modes, with descriptive essay writing tips. Nine traditional rhetorical modes are taught in higher learning institutions. However, most written assignments will fall into one of these four types of essays.

Expository Writing

Because of the way the terms are derive from the word expose, this type of writing is referre to as expository writing as it exposes or states facts. Without a doubt, this is the most typical type of writing you will encounter in daily life or at work. For example, if you need to buy nursing essay uk an expository style of writing would have the information pass on in a logical and informative way that would not be accompanied by biased opinions.

Expository writing can be found in:

Newspapers Journalists’ writings excluding opinion and editorial pieces Business writing/technical writing Academic essays/blueprints Directions These type of writing include all the types of writing that involve providing information to the reader in some way, therefore they are all expository in nature. For e.g., Last year the municipal government of Happyville pass with an overwhelming endorsement to approve bike trails construction of sixty-two miles. This plan has come after a new tax levy that will assist the city attain sustainability and clean air goals besides cutting on traffic and congestion through the propose bike trails. Eighteen trail heads inclusive of rest rooms and picnic areas have been propose at several entry junctions. It is estimate that construction work will be ready by April 2021, according to the city government.  Since this paragraph provides information on the new bike trails and its statistics for the reader but does not give the authors opinion about it, the paragraph is expository.

Descriptive Writing

The reader is meant to be able to see a character, an event, a location, or occasionally both through the use of descriptive mode. Here the author could depict the situation in terms of as many senses as people have. Descriptive writing is comparatively a freer form of writing than expository writing is. To those who want to hire essays help, it is very important that one must transact only with a reputable company that offers expert online nursing essay help in order to ensure that the A-grade results. Descriptive writing can be found in: Fiction Poetry Advertisement Journalism and Diary For e.g., The children cycled calmly along the Happyville Bike Trail, and the chortles and hollers that wafted through the air added to the continuing warm spring season. There were wildflowers with sweet fragrances, and the ground was checker with the colors of pinks and white wild flowers, browns and greys, and the occasional yellow wild sunflower throughout the undulating terrain and the children insisted on alighting in this terrain to lay directly on the soft grassy surface.  Thus, in descriptive manner, this passage gives a reader an impression of the scene on the new bike trail.

Persuasive Writing

The purpose of persuasive writing, inclusive of argumentation is to make the reader take on the writer’s angle. The author will use I in the piece and gain ammunition in a way whereby the reader will agree to the author’s opinion. Persuasive writing can be found in: Commercial Adverts Opinion Writing Advertisements Reviews Applications for jobs For e.g., Bike trail can be classified unhesitatingly as the shining star of new facilities of Happyville. The scenic park stretches a distance of approximately 100km to cross 62km through nice terrains beside comfortable and well-equipped amenities. If you have not been to happyville bike trail, leave your car at home and go for a ride. Living in Happyville couldn’t get any better now, could it?  A number of statements in this paragraph are opinion rather than fact. The location of the bike trail is described as fabulous. The facilities are said to be well-maintained and easily accessible. The life in Happyville is claimed to be perfect. It is clear the author aimed to influence readers into using the bike trail.

Narrative Writing

The aim of narrative writing is to convey a story. It can be any story. It may be a real-life experience or a creation of the writer’s imagination. In a narrative piece, there will be characters. The reader is informed about what befalls these characters. It should be made clear that narrative writing can also include dialogue. Narrative writing can be found in: All forms of prose fiction: Novel, Short story, Novella Poetry Biography Human interest and tall tale Anecdotal For e.g., While cycling on the trail, one could hear children laughing and shouting from the corner of the trail. The sound became louder and as I went over a small hill, I smooth the bend with my bike until I reached close to where the sound was coming from. The three little girls got into the grass near a large oak tree. They seem to have been caught off guard at my presence and I kept a polite grin on my face to calm them. “Whatcha doing?” I asked. ‘Nothing,’ they sang in rapture. In this passage, the author points to the location from his or her perspective. This is known as first-person narration. In the process of exposition, both description and dialogue are used. The story that occurs is arranged with strict adherence to temporal succession.

Conclusion

As it has been pointed out, every type of essay has its own characteristics. These depend on the format, content, or style. When writers understand the special features of different essays, it becomes easier. Knowing the traits of narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive essays helps deliver messages effectively.