Essays are often a form of presenting a writer’s opinion, argument, or explanation on a specific topic. Each type of essays will have different forms, and characteristics and serve many different purposes. So what are the most popular ways to complete an essay properly? All information will be in the article below.
What are essays?
Essays are often used to express an argument, a point of view, or the author’s reasons for a certain topic. In general, each essay will have different characteristics, purposes, and presentation. However, essays will have the following basic characteristics:
- Thesis Statement: Every essay requires a central thesis or idea that the writer intends to analyze in depth. Based on this factor, you will develop the direction of your essay.
- Outline: The essay must build a well-organized outline or strict structure with a complete introduction, body, and conclusion. Based on that, you can arrange or argue ideas coherently.
- Argument: Essays will present arguments, and then use them to prove, develop, and reinforce them.
- Elements of coherence and flow: Essays need to maintain cohesion, coherence, and flow throughout the entire essay. This will help readers effectively grasp the writer’s intentions and desires.
More specific requirements will be presented in detail, depending on the type of essays, field of study, and target audience. Below is how to write an essay properly that you should not ignore.

Top 10 popular types of essay
Narrative Essay – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
The first popular type of essays can be considered: a narrative essay. This is a form of writing or telling a personal story. In it, the author will share special experiences, events, stories, or anecdotes in his life.
Therefore, some characteristics of a narrative essay will include:
- Personal point of view: First person is often used to convey personal experiences or stories.
- Storytelling elements: Characters, personality, characterization, setting, conflict, climax, resolution.
- Descriptive language: Use vivid and attractive words and descriptions to attract readers.
- Emotional impact: Convey events with emotional impact on the audience.
- Chronological order: The stories are arranged in a certain chronological order, according to the sequence of development of events.
Main goals that narrative essays often mention are:
- Entertainment: Bring entertainment and attract readers with unique and attractive stories.
- Reflection: Essays will cleverly weave personal thoughts to better understand life.
- Share an experience: You can share a series of experiences or a specific series of events with your audience.
- Persuasive factor: Even though it is not as strict in terms of persuasion as persuasive essays or narrative essays, it still makes an impact on the reader.
Examples of narrative essays for you to understand this type of essay:
Ex1: Narrating the experience of a special event that had a great impact on the author’s life.
Ex2: Sharing about travel experiences, journeys to explore the promised land, and lessons learned after each trip.
Ex3: A story about growth, the process of self-discovery, and innovation in different stages of life.
Descriptive Essay – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
The descriptive essay will have the role of describing things, events, people, objects, experiences, or emotions vividly. The effectiveness of a descriptive essay will depend significantly on the writer’s ability. Through expressive and colorful language, you will give readers profound and memorable experiences.
Therefore, some characteristics of the descriptive essay will include:
- Sensory elements: Essays describe in detail the senses such as sight, smell, touch, hearing or touch. This will give readers a realistic and emotional experience.
- Figurative language: The writer will skillfully apply figurative language to create colorful and flexible images such as comparison, metaphor, personification, etc. In addition, you should also avoid figurative, general, abstract language that should only focus on specific language.
- Complete structure: This type of essay is often built in a structure with a reasonable chronological and spatial order.
- Emotional impact: Conveys emotions and demonstrates the connection between the writer and the subject.
Main goals that descriptive essays often mention are:
- Create a brilliant picture, from there, readers can immerse themselves in the story.
- Promote emotions, and evoke the depth of the reader’s soul.
- Capture meaning: Capture important meanings for topics related to people, objects, places, animals, moments,…
Examples of descriptive essays for you to understand this type of essay:
Ex1: Write a descriptive essay mentioning a place to memorize your childhood in the locality. Highlight the emotions, sounds, or sights associated with that thing.
Ex2: Share about a companion who has left many marks and brought you many memorable experiences.
Ex3: An essay describing a valuable inheritance, worthy of respect not only materially but also spiritually.
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Expository Essay – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
An expository essay is a type of writing that aims to explain, present, or clearly describe a specific topic. It provides sufficient information, analyzes concepts, or clarifies certain processes without expressing the writer’s personal opinions.
Key characteristics of an expository essay include:
- Clear Thesis Statement: Begins with a concise thesis to define the essay’s purpose.
- Evidence and Examples: Uses facts, data, and examples to support the main idea.
- Objective Tone: Maintains a neutral and unbiased writing style.
- Logical Structure: Organized into three parts—introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Clear and Concise Language: Prioritizes simplicity and clarity over complex language.
The main goals of expository essays are:
- To explain and inform: Enhancing the reader’s understanding of a topic.
- To clarify concepts: Simplifying complex ideas for easier access.
- To capture meaning: Highlighting important meanings in topics about people, events, objects, animals, places, etc.
Examples:
- Explaining the cultural and historical significance of a historical movement.
- Discussing the impact of climate change on humans, ecosystems, and endangered species.
- Clarifying the process of photosynthesis and the roles of sunlight, chlorophyll, and CO₂.
This type of essay focuses on delivering clear, factual, and informative content.

Persuasive Essay – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
This type of essay will utilize logic, arguments, or convincing evidence to provide readers with confidence about a certain issue. Usually, these essays will have a certain influence on the reader’s perspective. From there, it encourages them to slowly see and accept the writer’s point of view.
Therefore, some characteristics of a persuasive essay will include:
- Thesis statement clearly: This is one of the important elements of this article.
- Clear evidence, and convincing examples: Statistics, data, examples, or arguments are presented in this section.
- Rebuttal: Provide potentially resolved acknowledgments and counterarguments to strengthen the persuasive essay.
- Clear structure: Build a clear, coherent, and complete essay structure with 3 parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Combine emotions and ethical standards: Incorporate emotional and ethical elements to better connect with readers.
Main goals that persuasive essays often mention are:
- Convince readers: Make readers believe in arguments through a specific action.
- Creating influential opinions: Forming opinions to persuade and shape the opinions of readers.
- Support changes: Provide support for changes.
Examples of persuasive essay for you to understand this type of essay:
Ex1: The essay provides arguments about the benefits of exercise in terms of physical and mental health.
Ex2: Arguing for the need to transition to renewable energy sources. Analyze the significance of this action in addressing environmental concerns and reducing dependence on limited resources.
Ex3: Explore the concept of enforcing strict gun control laws in rural areas. Clearly state the impact of this problem on social order and safety.
Argumentative Essay – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
An argumentative essay is a type of essay in which the writer takes a specific stance. Then adds arguments or evidence to convince the reader of its validity. Usually, this essay will mainly explore a controversial opinion topic.
Therefore, some characteristics of a persuasive essay will include:
- Thesis statement clearly: Aims to state the writer’s main point of view on the chosen point of view/topic.
- Clear evidence, convincing examples: With full statistics, data, examples, and specific evidence.
- Rebuttal: Addresses counterarguments, demonstrates thorough understanding and strengthens arguments.
- Logical reasoning: Use logical arguments to connect with evidence and make a thesis statement.
- Combine emotions and ethical standards: Incorporate emotional and ethical elements to better connect with readers.
Main goals that persuasive essays often mention are:
- Convince readers with a point of view or stance.
- Create controversy, and encourage critical thinking or debate.
- Analyze and evaluate evidence and arguments.
Examples of persuasive essays for you to understand this type of essay:
Ex1: Is social networking as good as you think? What are their consequences worth considering for users’ physical and mental health?
Ex2: Should university tuition be free for everyone? How can this contribute to social equality and economic development?
Ex3: Should smoking be banned in public places? This essay should build an argument about the harmful effects of tobacco on active and passive people. More specifically, clearly state their implications in the public environment.
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Type of essay: Compare and Contrast – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
A compare and contrast essay will tend to explore the similarities and differences between two or more topics. At that time, critical thinking and analytical skills will be significantly improved.
Therefore, this type of essay will include:
- Thesis statement clearly: Aims to state the writer’s main point of view on the chosen point of view/topic.
- Set clear, specific transitions throughout the reconciliation process. From there, building an essay structure is easier.
- Evidence, examples: The essay provides evidence, examples, or specific details. This will help readers better understand the similarities or differences between the subjects.
- Rebuttal: Addresses counterarguments, demonstrates thorough understanding, and strengthens arguments.
- Logical structure: The essay is presented in a clear logical structure, ensuring systematicity for analysis.
Main goals that persuasive essays often mention are:
- Clarify differences or similarities between two or more different subjects.
- Critical thinking is developed by requiring analysis and evaluation of the writer.
- Have a comprehensive view and in-depth understanding of people and other topics.
- Highlight the meaning and importance of similarities in topics.
- Logical reasoning: Follows a logical structure to make the analysis coherent.
Examples of persuasive essay for you to understand this type of essay:
Ex1: Compare the literary value of the two classic works Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein.
Ex2: Compare the social impact of two historical figures Mahatma Gandhi and John F Kennedy.
Ex3: Compare travel experiences in famous Asian tourist destinations such as Bali island and Japan’s capital – Tokyo.
Cause and Effect Essay – Characteristics, Purposes, and Examples
This type of essay is an academic article that explores the relationship between events, phenomena, or situations. Then, this essay will present a specific cause that leads to a different effect/result. This essay will stimulate critical thinking and skills in analyzing relationships between factors.
Therefore, some characteristics of a persuasive essay will include:
- The thesis statement identifies the main cause-and-effect relationship.
- Set clear transitions to increase effectiveness between paragraphs and ideas. From there, readers can follow and analyze causes and effects more fluently.
- Evidence and specific examples to support the cause-and-effect relationship.
- Logical structure: The essay is presented in a clear logical structure, ensuring clear ideas.
Some main goals that persuasive essays often mention are:
- Explain why certain events, situations, or phenomena occurred and what the results were.
- Analyze the consequences and results of specific causes.
- Understand the patterns and relationships between different factors.
- Highlight the meaning and importance of similarities in topics.
- Identify potential solutions to minimize negative impacts.

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