The procedures for knowing how to write an essay are simple. After all, it’s an organized way of expressing your own ideas about a topic. Typically, this is done from a critical perspective. Therefore, essays represent a powerful pedagogical tool for the possibility of provoking polemics or well-argued debates.
Likewise, the essay It is considered a literary genre written in prose that contains a thesis based on personal experiences. and the writer’s opinions. Likewise, in this type of text the use of literary figures and ornamental resources is totally valid. That is why – in the specific case of the literary essay – it is usually described as poetic or artistic.
Test types
In addition to the literary, There are other types of essay to be considered before deciding to write one. Below they are briefly described:
- argumentative essay
It is a kind of essay very common in political articles or in discussions related to the economy. While all essays are argumentative, this class is specifically mentioned because the explanations are more objective (compared to the literary essay). Well, the essayist must rely on the accepted theories of other experts to make his point. In this area, he notably stood out Jose Marti.
- scientific essay
It is distinguished by its academic rigor and structure based on a scientific methodology. Accordingly, it leads to greater argumentative depth and an indexed support when supporting each idea presented. The purpose of the scientific essay is to study a topic or circumstance and then present a synthesis.
- expository essay
It is a very suitable test modality for the scrutiny of difficult-to-understand questions and explanations for didactic purposes. Then, the essayist prepares a very descriptive and meticulous text, able to reveal all the details of a subject and leave it explained in detail.
- philosophical essay
As its name implies, it reflects on different philosophical deliberations. Consequently, it addresses themes of existential speculation such as love, the meaning of life, faith, death or loneliness, among others. For these reasons, it is a kind of essay with a more subjective stance and transcendental exaltation.
- critical test
Despite having many similarities with the argumentative essay, the critical test is more rigorous with regard to the handling of evidence. In this sense, previous studies and background collection imply a rigor comparable to that of a scientific essay.
Sociological essay
These are texts in which the essayist delves into considerations related to social problems and/or cultural manifestations. Although in the sociological essay there is room to reason with the author’s private thoughts, they must be supported by serious academic scholarship. For this reason, this type of essay is seen as a branch of the scientific essay. Terenci moix excelled in these types of essays.
Historical essay
In this type of essay, the author expresses his opinion about some historical event of interest. Typically, the text contains a comparison between two or more historical sources. Based on them, the essayist explains which one seems more correct. The only immovable rule in the argument is don’t comment on events that don’t have verifiable support (but, you can clarify when you’re guessing).
Test features
- It is a versatile and flexible text, without thematic limitations. So you can combine different styles of composition – as long as consistency is maintained – as well as various rhetorical, scathing, satirical, critical or even melodic and lyrical tones.
- It serves to show the author’s personal opinion on the subject addressed. Usually with a persuasive, informative or entertaining purpose.
- Mandatory, the author must master the topic discussed before expressing his conclusions to capture correct descriptions.
- Every idea must have a support based on an investigation.
- The author reserves the way he approaches the subject (irony, seriousness, unfinished content, individual or collective expectations, to generate controversy)…
- The essays are not very long texts, therefore, the ideas expressed are as clear and concise as possible.
