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How to Know What Kind of Essay Youre Writing a la Shmoop.

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Starting a new essay is like building something out of LEGOs.

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You have all your blocks you have a general idea of what youre doing but

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you have no idea how theyre going to fit together unless you know what the

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end product looks like.

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Is it a hovercraft The Batmobile A horse and carriage The last thing you want

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is a horse-drawn hovercraft with Batman at the helm.

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Okay actually that sounds kind of awesome.

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But with essays you need a clear idea of what kind of essay youre going to write.

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Is it Argumentative Analytical Or descriptive If youre being asked to prove a point on

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one side of an issue or the other its argumentative.

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You could be asked to choose between sugar and high fructose corn syrup side with

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the Montagues or the Capulets...

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or debate the use of stem cells for growing human body parts.

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Or if your teacher is really sadistic all three.

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Whatever the question you need to take a stand and stick with it.

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A common method for writing an argumentative essay is the five-paragraph approach.

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The first paragraph includes your thesis.

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Three body paragraphs include your evidence.

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And a conclusion readdresses your thesis.

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If youre asked to analyze or unpack a piece of writing a film or an

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event in history youll write an analytical essay.

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You might be asked to analyze the motivations behind the workers in the Pullman car

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strike analyze the similarities between the real world and the futuristic world depicted in a

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sci-fi film or analyze the theme of poverty in The Grapes of Wrath.

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Or again all three.

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Theres research involved here too.

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You must break the topic down into specific parts and provide evidence.

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Finally if you are describing an event or object in detail youre writing a descriptive essay.

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Youll want to pick something with tons of depth and details.

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You probably dont want to describe a rock.

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You want to focus on details.

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Your reader should see hear smell feel and taste whats going on in your scene.

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The devil is in the details.

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Especially if youre writing a descriptive essay about Dantes Seven Circles of Hell.

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The five-paragraph format works for this too.

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Pick three vivid details put them under your microscope and zoom in.

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Some essays do deviate from the standard five paragraph format.

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A research essay is going to be much more thorough than a simple five paragraphs can contain.

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Its like having a huge Thanksgiving meal you have to undo your belt a couple of notches.

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And a creative essay can take on any format it wants.

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If your words are being creative might as well be creative with the format.

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You wouldnt go to a fashion show in a potato sack and you wouldnt write

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a creative essay in a standard format.

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Take a good long look at your essay and choose the right one for the occasion.

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Argumentative analytical or Descriptive Writing the right essay can be the difference between winning the

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race and failing to get off the starting line. NOTE end of file

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