Essay

ESSAY An essay is a short non-fiction,

non-imaginary work about a subject.

It may be classified by tone and style

as formal or informal.

It has many purposes depending

on what the writer wants to write

about and how he/she wants to affect

the readers.

Three Main Parts

• Introduction

It is the opening part of the write-

up that shows the topic sentence of

the essay or the thesis statement. It

prepares the readers on the essay.

Therefore, it should be effective so

that the readers are encourage/

motivate to continue reading.

Effective introduction should

• Catch the reader’s attention, which

can be done, for example, by using a

direct announcement, a quotation, a

question, a definition, an unusual

comparison, or a controversial

position/opinion;

• Introduce the topic of the essay, (in

other words, inform the reader of and

provide a context for the topic being

discussed);

• Introduce the main idea (otherwise

known as the thesis or claim) of the

essay;

• Introduce the purpose of the essay

(will it inform, argue, persuade,

describe, narrate, classify, etc.?).

An effective body

paragraphs should

• Explain, illustrate, discuss, or provide

evidence to support the main idea

(thesis or claim) of the essay;

• Discuss only one aspect of the main

idea (whenever you move on to a

new supporting point, start a new

body paragraph);

• Body An essay includes body

paragraphs, which develop the main

idea (thesis or claim) of the essay.

• Work together with the other body

paragraphs to support your essay’s

main idea;

• Work together with the other body

paragraphs to create a clear,

cohesive paper (clarity and

coherence can be achieved through

the use of transitions)

Conclusion

An essay ends with a brief

conclusion, which brings the essay to

a logical end. An effective conclusion

should:

brief;

predicting an outcome to the

main idea

giving an opinion

quotations

• Remind readers of the primary focus

of the essay, which can be done by

restating the main idea in different

words;

• Avoid introducing new ideas;

• Avoid apologies.

TYPES OF AN ESSAY

FORMAL ESSAY

This is known as impersonal

essay. The content is

informative and scientific in

nature. The writer uses the

“aesthetic” approach in

language and style.

It is called familiar or personal

essay. It expresses personal

experiences or observation on

human nature. Its purpose is to

entertain rather than to inform.

INFORMAL ESSAY

FORMS OF ESSAY

• DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

It is an essay that illustrates by

using sensory words in order to

bring to the reader’s imagination what

is being talked about.

• NARRATIVE ESSAY

It is an essay that tells a story of

the writer or other’s story. It is usually

found in the feature writing sections

of newspaper or magazine

• EXPOSITORY ESSAY

It is an essay that explains

something so that reader can

understand.

• PERSUASIVE ESSAY

It is an essay that convinces

the reader to think in a certain way.

Elements of an Essay

• Audience- It refers to whom the essay

is intended for.

• Purpose- It refers to the intention or

goal in writing the essay.

• Subject- It is the topic discussed in

the essay.

• Point of view- It is the how the ideas

are told to the reader

• Theme- It refers to the lesson or

message of the essay.

• Mood- It refers to the feeling which

the writer would like the reader to

experience or get from the literary

work.

• Tone- It is the attitude of the writer

towards his/her subject

• Style- This is the special way in

which the ideas of the essay are

developed.