In this article, we will define what an essay is, its types, and its characteristics. We'll also discuss how to write an essay. In an essay, the author reflects, discusses, evaluates, or analyzes a topic.
What is an essay?
The essay is a type of text in prose, generally expository-argumentative, in which an author reflects, discusses, evaluates, or analyzes a chosen topic. It is a literary genre, which subjectively addresses a theme and has a free format, in which the author uses rigorous and verified information to formulate his arguments.
Essays can deal with a wide variety of topics, in disciplines such as literature, philosophy, and economics. It is also usual that in the academic field essay writing is carried out, academic essays usually adhere to standards of objectivity, methodological rigor, and more or less established formats; within the scientific or humanistic field.
The term "essay" is also common in other artistic fields, such as film, where we speak of "film essay" to refer to a film that, instead of telling a story, develops an idea or concept. The “photo essay”, similarly, is used in photography to refer to a set of images on a subject.
Test Characteristics
The main characteristics of the test are:
- It is a writing in prose that addresses a significant topic chosen by the author.
- It must be specific and address a clear and not very broad topic.
- It can be about a large number of topics, within discipline s such as politics, economics, literature, or philosophy.
- It is often written for academic purposes or to add knowledge in a specific area of knowledge.
- It is considered a literary genre belonging to the didactics, related to the miscellany, the epistle, or the dissertation.
- Its structure is flexible since the author uses a free form to address the topic of interest, although in many cases an essay has an introduction, a middle, and an end.
- It is addressed to a wide and varied audience, so it tends to use simple vocabulary and wording.
Essay Types
The essay is classified according to the area of knowledge to which it belongs and the methodology used in its writing:
- Literary essay. It is a type of essay that uses literary resources to address the author's point of view on a certain topic within the field of letters. It is a subjective and detailed work.
- Scientific essay. It is a type of essay in which the author gives his position or opinion on some subject within the area of science. The essay usually includes objective and verified information and clear and precise arguments.
- Academic Essay. It is a type of essay that is carried out within intellectual, school, or university communities. It usually uses a formal vocabulary and is expository and rigorously methodological. It is one of the most written essays now that you can find students looking for Pricing Strategy Assignment Help for example.
- Philosophical essay. It is a type of essay that exposes and reflects on a theme of the philosophical discipline. It includes the observations, opinions, and points of view of the author.
- Sociological Essay. It is a type of essay that addresses a topic within the field of sociology. The author exposes clear and verified information and offers his reflections and opinions.
- Historical Essay. It is a type of essay that addresses a topic within the field of history. In the historical essay, the author provides information on the topic of interest and offers his reflections and arguments.
- Expository Essay. It is a type of essay in which the author seeks to publicize and explain a topic clearly and in detail so that it is understood by the reader. This type of essay is not intended to offer the author's arguments or opinions on the subject.
- Descriptive Essay. It is a type of essay in which the author describes in detail a certain element or situation, such as a person, thing, or place. It is a subjective essay in which the author gives his point of view or perspective on what he describes.
Parts of an essay
There is no single or universal way to structure an essay, but an essay is generally made up of three main parts:
- It is the part of the essay in which the bases, context, and minimum concepts are laid down so that the reader knows the theme and point of view of the writing. The introduction begins every essay and is usually brief and explanatory.
- Knot or development. It is the part of the essay in which the main ideas of the subject are presented and in which the author argues or gives his positions or points of view.
- Closure or conclusion. It is the part of the essay that offers the reader the final interpretations of what has been exposed, summarizing or reviewing the vital points and the author's position.
How to write an essay?
- Choose a theme. It is important that the chosen topic generates interest and motivation in the author so that he can develop and present his own arguments and points of view. The topic to be addressed must be limited and simple in order to carry out an investigation and a clear and consistent essay. Identifying that person saves a lot of effort as it tells you whether it's written for multiple people or made for limited people.
- Research on the topic. Qualified sources should be used to learn about the topic of interest. Knowing about the subject will allow the author to express a judgment or opinions that will be the basis of the essay. Depending on the theme chosen, it is necessary to find out in which sites it is appropriate to investigate, they can be both virtual sources and physical supports (such as books and magazines). It is also important to collect previous studies or essays on similar topics, which will help to understand the different approaches and ramifications of the chosen topic.
- Develop a point of view. Once the subject is known in its entirety, the author must put together his arguments and points of view, which he will then seek to transmit to the reader. It is essential that these arguments are original and that they generate motivation in the author.
- Make an outline. Once the information has been compiled and the main ideas of the essay are clear, a synthetic outline can be made to order the most important points.
- if you don’t know how to write an essay for yourself, using Essay For All Writers help would be helpful.
- Write the essay. During the writing of the essay, information, hard data, and personal opinions must be included briefly and clearly. All the information that supports the arguments and that helps in the assembly of the conclusions will be used. To write an essay, factors such as the use of correct punctuation and spelling must be taken into account to achieve clear and coherent writing.
