Types of Essay

Communication English (MPU 2212)

Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1) differentiate the different types of essay.

2) acknowledge the structure of an essay.
Types of essay

 Descriptive Essay
 Narrative Essay
 Argumentative Essay
 Factual Essay
 Descriptive essay
 This is a writer’s explanation of a short theme, idea or issue.
Gives directions or instructions about how to complete a
task, or how something is done.

 In short, you are asked to describe a person, a place, a scene

or an event.

 The key here is that you are explaining an issue, theme or

idea to your intended audience. Present subject in detail by
analysing it. It conveys information and present your points
fairly and objectively.
 For example if you decide to simply explain your personal
response to a work, a world event, political debate,
football game, work of art and so on.

 Tips: use your senses; sight, sound, smell, touch, taste in

describing the situation. This will help to you reader to
create a mental picture of what is being written.
Structure of descriptive essay

Section Info & Language

Introduction • State who/what is being described.
Body Paragraph 1 • Give detail that are interesting or special.
Detail1 • Detail should create an overall impression.
Body Paragraph 2 • Use the five sense – sight, sound, smell, touch,
Detail 2 taste.
• Use the present /past tenses.
Body Paragraph 3 • Use link words - to show position.
Detail 3
Conclusion • Give an opinion or a fact.
• Describe your feelings.
Example of topics:

 How to win an argument.

 How to make the world a better place of living.
 Ways to quit smoking.
 A famous place that you have visited.
 A person who has great influence on you.
 Narrative essay
 A narrative essay is very similar to writing a story.

 The writer concentrates on his/her memories and writes

an incident which took place with him/her or with his/her
friend. Or writing about a movie watched, a book recently
read, and or a place visited recently.

 Most of the time, narrative essays come from personal

experiences. The essays are usually filled with details that
are carefully selected to explain, support and embellish
the story.
Structure of narrative essay
Section Info & Language
Introduction • Gives information about who, what, when,
Sets the mood where and why the event is happening.
• First of third person narrator.
Body Paragraph 1 • Series of problems faced by the character.
Problem 1 • Climax/ most exciting part of story.
Body Paragraph 2 • Use emotive and descriptive language to
Problem 2 describe the characters and their feelings.
• Use the past tense.
Body Paragraph 3 • Some dialogue should be used.
Problem 3
Conclusion • Could be a happy ending or sad ending or an
Problem is solved open-ended one, that is, the story at an
exciting point.
Example of topics:

 My first day in college.

 My most embarrassing moment.
 If walls could talk.
 An unexpected encounter.
 Argumentative essay
 This is the type of essay where you try to convince the
reader to adopt your position on an issue, point of view. Or
to agree with your opinion.

 Here your rationale, your argument, is most important.You

are presenting an opinion and trying to persuade readers,
you want to win readers over to your point of view.

 In short, you are required to discuss an issue and give your

opinion or take a stand.
 This is the type of essay where you prove that your
opinion, theory or hypothesis about an issue is correct or
more truthful than those of others.

 You must make an assertion about a phenomenon based

on hard facts (along with evidence, examples, etc.)
convince the reader that your argument has merit.
Structure of argumentative essay
Section Info & Language
Introduction • Define the subject.
• Take a stand.
• Give your opinion on the issue.
• Tell what the argument is about.
• Use the first person point of view.
Body Paragraph 1 • Give reasons or points to support your
Argument 1 stand.
Body Paragraph 2 • Give relevant examples/details.
Argument 2 • Use link words.
• Use present/past tenses.
Body Paragraph 3
Argument 3
Conclusion • Restate your opinion or stand.
• Summarize the arguments given.
Example of topics:
 Dieting makes people fat. Discuss.

 People have become dependent on technology.

 The school uniform should be abolished. Do you agree?

 In view of the high number of motorcycle accidents

involving youths, the government plans to increase the
age limit for obtaining a driving license for motorcycle
from 16 to 25 years old. Do you agree? Why?
 How to write Argumentative essay?
 Choose your position; to agree or to disagree.

 Make a list of the pros and cons in your plan before you start
writing. Choose the most important that support your
argument (the pros) and the most important to refute (the
cons) and focus on them.

 The argumentative essay has three approaches. Choose the

one that you find most effective for your argument. Do you
find it better to “sell” your argument first and then present
the counter arguments and refute them? Or do you prefer to
save the best for last?
 Factual essay
 You have to inform and present facts and ideas in factual
compositions.

 Essay is written to inform and present facts.

 Each paragraph must have a distinct topic and all other

sentences must factually relate directly to it.

 The linked words or phrases are important as they help the

reader follow the flow of ideas.
Structure of factual essay

Section Info & Language

Introduction • Define the subject.
Body Paragraph 1 • Give facts about the topic to support basic
Fact 1 points.
Body Paragraph 2 • Use specific vocabulary. Use the present
Fact 2 tense.
Body Paragraph 3
Fact 3
Conclusion • Summarize the information given.
Example of topics:

 The effect of the tourism industry in Malaysia.

 The effect of air pollution to children in school in

Malaysia.

 Invention that have changed our lives.

 The impact of Internet on students.

Thank you!