In the previous part of the article, we defined four main types of students’ papers and got an understanding how to differ various kinds of essays. In this part, you may see the tips on the structure each of the writings should have and main ideas it should include.
Basic Structures
Narrative: There usually are two types of narrative essays – short stories based on personal experiences and book or movie reviews. First of all, your writing should be in a story format and include all the needed parts, like plot, settings, characters, etc. If you need to do a book/movie review, you should make sure you are not only retelling the plot but writing a structured narrative about it. This type of essay, like any others, should also have a point, even if you’re just telling the story. These types of papers are usually written in the first person and express the ideas from the writer’s standpoint.
Descriptive: While there is no strict structure or format for this type of writings, there are some good tips and guidelines that may help you to write a sufficient essay. Better brainstorm before you begin your writing, if you need to write about your last visit to the cinema, you might want to remember all the details so not to miss anything important. Write down the related descriptive words you may use to describe the details of your story. Your main goal is to create an image of your story in your readers’ minds. It’s not enough to just mention the name of the movie you saw, use the details to give your audience vivid details about it. Include the description of the things you touched, smelled, sounds you’ve heard and emotions you’ve experienced. Again, you should concentrate on creating a picture, saying things like ’I felt sad’ won’t be enough, describe your senses: ‘My chin slightly trembled, I felt how tears flooded my eyes…’, etc. This way your essay will surely catch your readers’ attention.
Expository: To begin with, the first paragraph of such an essay should include the clear thesis statement which follows the instructions of the assignment. Usually, it includes something related to the topic specified in the guidelines given. You have to make sure there is a logic consequence between the paragraphs of your writing so your readers don’t lose the meaning and the main thought of your essay. Each paragraph should include one sub idea and the evidence to support it; if you decide to discuss a number of ideas in each chapter, it could confuse your audience so you better be careful about it. When writing the conclusion, be aware to not just repeat the thesis. It should be widened by the discussion of the revealed facts and evidence but not include any new information or ideas.
Persuasive: This type of writing is also sometimes referred to as argumentative essay. It is very similar to expository writings and usually has the same structure and principles of writing. However, while an expository essay should be based on the facts and evidence, a persuasive writing should also include these aspects, but this essay should be based more on the writer’s opinion about the idea and his or her ability to persuade.
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