5.2: Types of Essays
In a college English class, you may be asked to write several different types of essays. In this subunit, you will learn about some common essay types, including reflective essays, research essays, and expository essays.
This page lists several common types of essays. Some of this terminology can be confusing, but don’t worry; there’s no need to memorize every time of essay discussed in this subunit. In almost every case, the writing assignment will identify the type of essay you are being asked to write and give instructions about what elements should be included in your essay.
Expository writing is meant to explain and inform. Much, if not most, writing assignments you may encounter in a college-level course will ask you to complete some form of expository writing, in which you craft a clear thesis statement and support your ideas with evidence and examples. Compare-and-contrast, persuasive, and argumentative essays are all types of expository writing. Watch this short video about the elements of a typical expository essay.
- Another common type of writing assignment is reflective writing. You may not realize it, but you have completed a number of reflective writing assignments already in this course. Watch this short video for an overview of reflective writing. Then, see if you can identify a reflective writing assignment that you have completed for this course.
In a college writing course, as in many disciplines, you may be asked to write a research paper. Read this article explaining the components of a research paper.