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• The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples

Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type. 

In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.

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Table of contents

Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of essays.

An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.

Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.

The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:

• The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
• The body presents your evidence and arguments
• The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance

The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.

Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.

The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.

A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.

Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.

A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.

Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.

Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.

A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.

Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

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Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.

Rhetorical analysis

A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.

The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.

The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.

The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Literary analysis

A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.

Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.

The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.

Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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IELTS Essays: Five Types of IELTS Essays

There are 5 types of IELTS essays which can appear in IELTS writing task 2. These types of essays are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. Below you will find sample essay questions for each type of essay and links to model answers.  Please note that IELTS teachers sometimes divide essays into different categories based on how they teach.

1) IELTS Opinion Essay

This type of essay is where you are presented with someone else’s opinion and you are asked if you agree or disagree with it. The opinion is often flawed or extreme in its views. Some teachers call this the Argumentative Essay. The instructions can be written in a number of ways. Below are a few examples:

• To what extent do you agree?
• Do you agree?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• What is your opinion?

No matter how the instructions are written, you can take any position you want: agree, disagree or partial agreement (balanced view). Below is an example essay question:

Opinion Essay Question:  Some people think that only electric cars should be allowed on the road by 2040. Do you agree?

2) IELTS Discussion Essay

This type of essay presents you with a statement and you must present the two sides. This might be two sides of the same issue:

Some people think there should be free health care for all people, but others disagree. Discuss both sides.

Or it might be two separate issues which you need to discuss:

Some people think that urban spaces should be used for parks rather than for housing. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

3) IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essays

There are two types of questions in this category.

i) Advantage and Disadvantage Essay

This is similar to a discussion essay where you are given a statement must present the positive and negative side of the issue:

Some people think it is good for students to take a gap year before going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?

ii) Outweigh Essay

This is by far the most difficult of the two essay types in this category. It requires you to present an opinion and explain your opinion.

Some people think the world will eventually have only one language. Do you think the advantages of having one global language outweigh the disadvantages?

4) IELTS Solution Essays

There are a number of types of possible questions in this category:

i) Solution Only

Some children have serious weight problems. What are the possible solutions?

ii) Cause Solution

Children in rural areas are being left behind in their academic development. Why is this is the case? What solutions can you suggest?

iii) Problem Solution

More and more people are moving to cities to look for work. What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?

5) Direct Questions Essays

Some teachers call these the Two Question Essay. However, these types of essay questions might contain one, two or three questions for you to answer. Below are some examples.

Pollution around the world is becoming a serious problem. Do you think this is a problem that should be solved internationally or on a local level?

In the question above, you are asked one specific question. Your whole essay must tackle this question only.

More and more people are choosing to work from home. Is this a positive or negative development?

This essay question has just one issue and one question. You must explain what type of development you think working from home is.

Some people spend a lot of money on weddings. Why do they do this? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on weddings?

Above, you will see you have been presented with two questions to answer: reasons and opinion (evaluating if it is good or not.) 

News editors decide what to print in newspapers and what to broadcast on TV. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more news was reported?

As you can see there are three questions to answer in this essay question. It is not common to get three questions. If you get three, just tackle them one at a time in a logical order.

Practice Essay Questions for IELTS

You can find over 100 essay questions to practice on this page: 100 IELTS Essay Questions . The questions are divided first into topics and then into essay types. This way you can get lots of practice before your actual test day.

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Hello, I’m gonna take up IELTS test in about 10 days. Firstly I thank you for helping me a lot through your work. In the outweigh essay, should I show contrast between why this is advantageous than the other and then present my opinion which means 2 body paragraphs Or else one body paragraph as advantages and second body paragraph as disadvantages and 3rd body paragraph as why advantages outperform the disadvantages and my opinion. Finally conclusion. Kindly help me with this

When you show which is more than the other, that is your opinion. Your opinion isn’t something different. When you say “I believe X is more than Y” you are expressing your opinion. See this page to review all my free model essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ and if you need training to understand in depth, get my advanced lesson in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi!!!! I’m gonna write my ielts test withing 10 days. Firstly I would like to thank you for your enormous support as I’ve learnt a lot from this website. So if the ielts writing question is like this – Discuss both sides and give your opinion. Should I write it with 3 body paragraphs like discussion on 1 side and then the other side and finally my opinion followed by conclusion. Or 1 body paragraph with both the sides and the next body paragraph with my opinion. Kindly help me with this

It depends if your opinion is the same as one of the sides given. If your opinion is the same, you can’t have a separate paragraph because you would be repeating the same points of agreement. So, in that case, just express that this is the part you also agree with. If your opinion is specific and doesn’t fully agree with either side, then you must have your own body paragraph to explain your opinion. Good luck in your test! If you struggle with any other writing, see my advanced lessons in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

hi liz, i am taking the ielts next month, so i sincerely hope u can answer my question soon. What about tasks that asks u to give both reasons and opinions? For example, “Research say fewer consumers are influenced by adverts nowadays. Why is this the case? Do you believe this to be a positive or negative development?” So what should be my approach to this question type? Should i focus on detaling the causes and state my opinion briefly at the end or should i dedicate one paragraph to each question?

As you see, your task contains two questions. You can’t decide that one question is more important than the other. They are both equally important. You must have a body paragraph that states the causes and you must have a body paragraph that explains why you think it might be more positive and less negative or more negative and less positive. Always approach IELTS in a logical manner.

Hi Liz, I will take the test very soon but have some doubts regarding the Reading and Listening section. If in these sections, I write the wrong noun form, will my score be reduced? Suppose the answer is ‘bag’ but I have written ‘bags’, is it wrong?

And also, if the answer is ‘not relevant’ but I have written ‘irrelevant’, will it be wrong?

Either your answer is 100% correct or it is wrong. If you write a singular noun but the answer is plural, your answer is wrong. You also can’t paraphrase answers. The answer must be written precisely as you hear it in the listening test or see it in the reading passage.

Hello, Liz! I wonder can we hold a neutral view in “positive or negative” essays? I’ve found some questions that we really can have a balanced opinion online, so at this point what should I do?

The biggest problem people have is understanding the words “balanced view”. A balanced view is definitely NOT neutral. Not at all. If you take a neutral position for an opinion essay you will fail on Task Response and get a low score. A balanced view means you don’t have an extreme view, such as fully agree or fully disagree. It is more like a partial agreement, where there are aspects you are agreeing with, but not fully. Or it is a specific view point that is unique to you. But it not neutral. You must have a very clear opinion every time you are asked to give an opinion or to choose. See my advanced lessons if you struggle with it: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Thank you, Liz, but I’m afraid I didn’t make it very clear, I just wonder could we say both “negatives” and “positives” in such an essay? As in your model you just mentioned the positivities or negativities if I don’t make it wrong.

I’m sorry. I understand you. Yes, giving both positives and negatives is possible but not by sitting on the fence. You must still present them within your opinion. If you think the positives are more important then you make sure that is clear in your body paragraph and in that case you will also believe that the negatives, whilst existing, are less important – you also make that clear as well. Does that help? Let me know if I’ve miss understood your point.

Yeah, that’s very clear to me. Thank you again for your patience, Liz! That’s totally reasonable to me now!

Hello Liz, I just saw my test results and wanted to tell you about the questions they asked me here in Australia.

In Task 1 of the writing section, they presented a table and a graph. The main topic was the number of internet searches made between 2004 and 2010. The table showed the total searches in 2004 in billions and the number of searches in 2010, also in billions. It was a line graph where the vertical axis showed the percentage and the horizontal axis showed the years (moths with years). The lines represented the different search engines like Google, Yahoo, and two others that I can’t remember.

Regarding Task 2, the essay was about the issue of overweight. Some people think it could be solved by increasing the prices of fattening foods, and the question was how much I agreed with this. They asked for examples from personal or close experiences.

Honestly, I didn’t achieve the required score, but still, this is an excellent source for studying, and I will continue using it to achieve the score I need. Thank you so much, Liz!

Thanks for sharing 🙂 Wishing you the best of luck with your target score!!

Hi Liz, I hope you are doing well. I really do not understand what kind of question is it. I think it is an opinion essay but sill have some doubts. Could you please tell me how to solve this kind of questions? “Many countries are experiencing population growth and need more homes. Should these new houses be constructed in existing cities or should new towns be built in the countryside?”

This is a Direct Question Essay with only one question. It is asking you for your opinion about two possible options. Your task is to decide if you think there should be housing rather than new towns or whether you think there should ne new towns instead of housing. You present your view and then explain it.

Thank you so much Mam.

Hii dear liz, First of all thank you very much for providing us such kind of informative content. I have lot of learn things from your videos and written materials. I have an issue in grammer. Could you please give me any idea which would assist me to overcome my grammatical error….please let me know as soon as possible

I understand. Grammar is counts for 25% of your marks in IELTS writing. This is the reason I put together my Grammar E-book for Writing task 2. You can find it in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Thank so much Mam

Response to opinion based essay:

Electric cars are progressively replacing non-electric cars by the end of 2040. While it is possible that electric ones will eventually replace the other cars, it is unlikely that they will end up serving the same purpose. This essay will discuss why only few electric cars will be carried out by people.

Electric cars may eventually replace non-electric cars that are not compatible for the environment. Many people think that only electric powered vehicles should be allowed on the road because they emit far less emissions,and less maintenance is required. In China, for example many non-electric motors have been replaced by plug-in vehicles that are more environment friendly and budgeted. For these reasons, cars that can be replaced by electricity will be replaced.

Conversely, there are multiple factors that only electric cars will not be allowed only. Put simply, these factors include affordability and infrastructure development. A necessary framework including charging stations, grid capacity must be required. Without charging stations, drivers may face anxiety and hesitant to switch to electric cars. Additionally, switching completely to electric ones will increase a demand of charging from the grid stations.

It is increasingly likely that powered vehicles will end most non-powered cars. In most of the countries, traveling will be done entirely by electric cars; however, where the money and development are major issues they will always exist. Ultimately, addition of very few electrical cars is valuable but it is not a complete replacement of other cars.

Please get my advanced lessons to learn the correct way to write an IELTS essay: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Each advanced lesson takes 1 hour for me to explain how to write one type of essay. It isn’t something I can explain in a short message. An IELTS essay has specific requirements which you need to learn about. If I could give you small pointers, I would. But you really need to learn the right way in detail.

dear Liz i am very grateful to u for presenting helpful notes here. they are truly informative. i downloaded your series of grammar book last year and learned quite good topics that i used to find challenging. do you have any grammar notes for IELTS beginners?

Sorry, I don’t have anything for beginners. My Grammar E-book basically covers everything I can thing of. Is there something specific you are interested in? If you let me know, I could plan to create something.

Hlo mam ..I am not able to use proper grammer in task 1 ..and to be honest I don’t know which grammer is to be use in different graphs charts etc could u plz tell me mam..r can u plz tell me the accurate souce where ..would I find ..proper … instructions tht how to or what grammer we should use in task 1..I would be very helpful if u rply…??

I don’t have one page or one lesson which focuses on all aspects of grammar for all types of task 1 writing. I suggest you review all my model answers and make notes on sentence structure, tenses, prepositions, articles, noun phrases, clauses, word order etc etc. Model answers can be used for more than only studying structure or general content. Then review all practice lessons and also pay attention to the grammar being used. There’s a lot of free materials to study: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

hy liz i want to sample answers of ielts academic writing task 2

Model essays and tips for writing task 2 are found on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hello Liz, please I want to be receiving updates to enable me prepare for my IELTS exam.

There are over 300 page of practice lessons, tips, model answers and topics on this website which you should be using now for your IELTS preparation. Go to the HOME page to learn how to use this website. I post new lessons and tips once or twice a month because my website already has so many tips and lessons.

Hello mam, thank you for your great note in this important topic. In concern of how to organize the body of the essay writing I think it is hard to follow the arrangement of the question you gave on the note. Can use each paragraph for each opinion and add an introduction and a conculsion for that to develope my essay writing ?

You can find free model essays, tips etc on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ You can find advanced lessons and e-books in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi Liz, Do I write and underline my headings for example, do I write an introduction underline, and do the same with other headings?

My second question is do I write an introduction, overview, Paragraphs 1&2, then conclusion for task 2, essay writing?

As you can see from my model essays, no titles or headings are required for your essay. The paragraph format you can find tips for on the main writing task 2 page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ You’ll also find model essays on that page.

Hi Liz, Kindly advise which are the two top essay types that frequently appears on the test day. I am expecting to take IELTS test two weeks from now and think I do not have enough time to practice all 5 question types. In addition, I assume that each question types are not equally tested. Thank you for your kindness.

No matter what people tell you, all the types of essays are possible. Focusing on only two is really taking a risk. You have two weeks before your test which is quite a lot of time to review the five types and ideas for topics as well. If I had to pick two types of essays, it would be the Opinion Essay and the Discussion Essay – but it really could be any type. Here is my advice, get my three advanced lessons for writing task 2, together they will cover three types of essays in three hours all together. This is a link to my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . For the other two types of essays, review my model essays on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ , also review the linking words, how many paragraphs and other tips as well. Good luck!!

Hello Liz, is it okay to use templates for writing task 2 that is available online some say it decrease our band score while others say it will increase our band scores. I am really confused at the moment.

If you are aiming for a low band score, it’s fine. If you are aiming for a higher band score, it won’t help. The examiners are trained to spot the difference between a templated essay with memorised language in it and an essay that shows your own level of English.

I learnt a lot from Your lessons and only because of You I achieved the score I was aiming for. Honestly, thank You very very much. You are doing a wonderful job.

Best wishes from Lithuania!

I’m glad to hear you got the score you needed. Well done 🙂 Greetings to all in Lithuania!

I just want to ask, in the opinion essay, should we always present both sides? For instance, if the question only asks for our opinion on the matter (no mention of discussing both sides) should we still do it? Alternatively, can we just structure the essay to show our opinion and each paragraph elaborates on reasons why that is our opinion? Will doing it this way (not mentioning both sides) adversely affect our band score? Thank you!

I suggest you get my Advanced Lessons to learn properly. I generally don’t teach how to write an Opinion Essay in a short message. It takes me nearly an hour by video to do this. Here’s a link to my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Thank you so much Liz. This video has been helpful. I have a question.

In Britain, when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Is this an opinion essay which will follow exactly the structure you just taught or a discussion essay.

This is a Direct Question essay. Please remember that each teacher gives different names for essay types. I call this the Direct Question Essay because you are being given a direct question to answer. It might be one question, two or even three questions. Your whole essay explains your answer.

Hi Liz Do you think this is a positive or negative development? What type of essay is this please?

I’ve just added it to the page above. Take a look.

Hello Liz: I recently came across this essay. My question is what type of essay is this? Do you have any model essays on this type of essay? The essay is: In your view, what is the most important thing for governments to spend money on: education, health, transportation, or something else? Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

You said that you “came across” this essay question. Where did you come across it? Did you find it in one of the IELTS Cambridge test books? Only use authentic test questions. If you don’t use proper sources for your IELTS preparation, you will easily get confused about the test and this won’t help your preparation.

Thanks, Liz! This is now clear to me as I came across the question from a ‘model IELTS Essay topics’. published by a local company.

That sounds like the problem. You ought to use the IELTS Cambridge test books which are real test published by IELTS. I have collected over 100 essay questions over the years and they are also safe to use. You can find them linked to the main writing task 2 section of this site: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Thank you, Liz, for your comments and the link. I wish you good health and happiness!

Hope you are keeping well. I am not able to score more than 6.5 in my writing test. I have scored 8.5 in Listening, Reading & Speaking but writing disappoints every time. Where can I find model answer to evaluate where am I lacking? I have taken 2 computer based tests for far and scheduled 3rd one in 5 days. I need band score 7 in Writing to achieve my target.

You can find some model answers in the main writing task 2 section my website along with other essential tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . I also have paid advanced lessons which might help you understand where you are going wrong. They can be bought in my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Each lesson focuses on one specific essay type and explains paragraph by paragraph what to do.

Liz, thank you so much for your help. Two weeks ago I took the IELTS exam and surprisingly get 9 in Reading section!

Fantastic!! Well done to you 🙂

Hi Liz,I really need help with opinion essays especially for the part that asks to what extent do you agree or disagree?am I supposed to discuss both sides,thank you

I suggest you get my advanced lessons for the opinion essay: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . It isn’t something that can be taught in a short message.

Your materials and videos have sincerely been helpful. Thank you very much for such a selfless act. My exam is in a week time, I have only 10days to prepare for my IELTS GT. I would give you an update on how it goes. Cheers

Hi Liz! I am preparing for my IELTS and I have found your website very helpful, very precise information is given and it talk to the point. thank you for providing good content. keep up the great work.

reagrds Neha Shah

You’re welcome 🙂

Thanks a lot Liz . Your materials and tutorials helped me a lot in my preparation for my IELTS . Followed your tips and videos for 3 weeks . Able to score 7.5 overall.

Thank you again for the great help you provide.

Wonderful news! Very well done 🙂 It’s a great overall score!

Thank you so much Liz for the work you do. Your videos, website and materials helped me in my preparations. I just got my results, it was a band 8 overall. Have a splendid 2022.

Wonderful !! A great result! Wishing you all the best for 2022 !! 🙂

Hi Liz I’m from Sri Lanka. Thank you for all your guidance. Today I sat for IELTS academic paper. Task 1 was a bar chart, percentage of young people in higher education in for countries in 3 years. Task 2- news has no connection with people’s life so it’s a waste of time to read best from newspaper and watch news program on tv. To which extent do you agree. I hope these will help you. Waru

Hi Liz, I follow all your videos and they are very helpful. I gave my speaking exam last week. But now I think the cue card question was to describe a leisure activity I enjoy and I talked about a leisure activity I am planning to enjoy. I am really worried if it will affect my band score. But my talk was fluent . Can you give me your insights?

It won’t make any difference to your score. As long as your talk is based on the main topic (leisure activity), it’s ok. Your score won’t be negatively impacted in any way at all.

Hi Liz, Im Janet from kenya. thank you for the good work you are doing. im preparing for my exams in 4 weeks time. your content is very helpful and I like the way you explain things. im a slow learner and i find your pace very good for me. Thank you again. keep up the good job.

Good luck with your preparation and test 🙂

Thank you Liz

Hi Liz, hope you are doing well. Liz I have silly question I know but I’m really stuck in this problem and I was wondering if you can help me with this issue.. The problem is writing a topic sentence, you said in advanced lectures that topic sentence should be written carefully because it is kind of more important .. Please can you tell me that among these 2 topic sentences of BP1, which one is okay and looks relevant?

1] Although we are living in prosperous times, with people in many countries enjoying a higher standard of living than ever before, there are still millions of people in the world who are living in poverty.

2] Instead of wasting lots of money on exploration of space, governments ought to focus on local problems such as poverty eradication. There are millions of……

Essay statement; Space exploration is a luxury that we cannot afford. Instead of spending billions of dollars on space programs, governments should use this money to fight global problems such as poverty, disease and climate change. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion.

Kind regards

The first step is to underline the key words in the essay question: space exploration, spending billions, fighting global problems (examples). Now make sure your topic sentence covers those aspects. Neither of the topic sentences you have listed really works because, while the second one is obviously more carefully connected to the essay question, it doesn’t leave room for any other paragraph as you are tackling all problems in one paragraph. Also it switches from global problems to local problems which is confusing. However, in terms of which of your sentences connects to the essay question properly, it is the second one. This essay is all about funding for space exploration and whether it is relevant in today’s world or not given all our global problems.

I love your lessons and tips. They are really helpful and you are extraordinarily devoting. Here I have a question about the answer you left under Khola’s comment. What do you mean by “no room left for other paragraphs as you tackled all problems in one paragraph”?

Looking forward to your response.

Sincerely, Ella

It means that if you put all your ideas into one paragraph, you won’t have any more ideas for other paragraphs. By choosing one main focal point for one paragraph, you have the ability to use other ideas for other paragraphs. So many people say “I can’t think of how to make my essay long enough”. The answer is to be more careful about how you use your ideas. First, brainstorm ideas. Then select the best ideas. Then decide carefully which ideas can go into which paragraph. Then pay attention as to whether some ideas should go together or some ideas should be separated into different paragraphs. There is a lot to think about in the planning stage. It is crucial to plan carefully and strategically.

Electric cars are currently being developed by many well-known automotive companies. Many people still question whether electric cars are a feasible replacement for petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles. In this essay, I will explore the opinions for and against the use of electric cars and their replacement of petrol and diesel-fuelled cars.

On one hand, electric cars are environment friendly. They require no non-renewable energy and are clean to run and maintain on the road. To support this opinion, recent studies show that the use of electric cars helps to curb pollution in urban and rural areas. Clearly, electric cars are one way to tackle ecological concerns and support a ‘greener’ environment.

On the other hand, electric cars are inconvenient to maintain and to dispose of. The driver of an electric vehicle must recharge his car approximately every 100 kms. In addition, the plutonium battery of an electric car is toxic to the environment and must be safely disposed of through expensive means. In brief, scientists are still exploring ways to produce these types of vehicles so that they are easier to manufacture, maintain and use safely.

To sum up, it’s evident that there are both pros and cons of electric vehicles. Despite the expense of development and the inconvenience of recharging electric cars, I still believe strongly that it is well worth the investment to continue research and production of these vehicles. To conclude, we should remain open, supportive to the use of electric cars and to their development in the future.

Recently i sat for IELTS exam, and the GT Writting Task 2 was about transport and they asked “ Do you think it has more advantages or more disadvantage?”

For this would it be option question or Adv/Disadv question? How is the structure for that type?

I wrote both sides and gave my opinion in the conclusion… but not sure if its right… i got 6.5 for writing.

Also, if you can advise how they ask the questions to determine what type of essay it would be so it can easy for us to identify.

Thanks and appreciate all your help.

That is an “outweigh” essay – do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Hi Liz I have my exam this week and searching for model questions for April 2021. I checked on your site but model essay questions were available till March so if you can recommend me to follow something for latest Also, can you please share me the link for model answers of March Model Essay Questions?

I am eagerly waiting to hear from you.

The model essays are to be used for all years of the test. The topics are often recycled and the techniques for essay writing are 100% the same as always. The test format hasn’t changed and neither has the marking. All pages of this site are 100% relevant to the test today.

I have purchased material from you in 2019 but somehow because of my system crash I could not recover anything. Please can you share the link to access the notes that will be very grateful as I want to reattempt IELTS again. Because of Corona, I was not in my town to connect with you regarding this.

I’ve just resent your access link. Check both your inbox and spam folder.

Hi I booked my test in May 2021 I was just wondering which one is latest book i can refer? I have heard Cambridge books are best but I’m not aware about which version i should go for. Your help would be really appreciated

The IELTS Cambridge books are numbered, at present, from 1 to 15. Number 15 is the most recent and was published in 2020. However, all the books provide useful practice. The general format of the test has not changed. I personally would recommend books from 7 to 15. In July 2021, book 16 will be published.

Hello Liz, this is my first message ever. I would like to thank you for your devotion. Can I start a “ solutions” body in the problem solution essay with “ to get around these problems “ as I found this linking device from the “ new scientist” journal whose translation is seemingly appropriate to that, at least to me.

This means a way to avoid the problem rather that solve the problem. So, it wouldn’t be appropriate for an IELTS essay which asks for solutions. It is better to use: The most effective way to tackle this problem is… X is the way to deal with this issue The answer to solving this problem is ….

Hi Liz, In my exam I got the question of “Are there more advantages or more disadvantages” Is it similar to “Do advantages outweigh disadvantages” ?

Yes, it is 100% the same.

Thanks mam these are quite useful essays.

In the public version of the IELTS writing marking criteria, some linkers are called mechanical and it limit your band score. Some teachers say words like firstly,On one hand,on the other hand are example. I notice you use such words or phrases in ur sample essays. Are they really mechanical? Can you enlighten on what the band descriptors calls mechanical linker

The linkers themselves are not mechanical. All the linking words you have written are suitable for IELTS up to band score 9. The problem is how people use them. It is there use that becomes mechanical. If you have three paragraphs and each one starts with a linking words: Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, it is similar to a machine that always does the same thing each time. So, to avoid this you must be flexible. So, use all suitable linking words, but use them flexibly. The mechanical use of linking words is typical of a band 6 in Coherence and Cohesion. This means that if you are aiming for band 7 and above, you need to use signposting more flexibly.

Your website and materials helped me a lot in my preparations for my ielts test.

I scored a band 8 overall after about 4 weeks of regular practice.

Thank you Liz for the work you do.

Great news! Very well done 🙂

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The Different Types of Essays

There are various opinions on how to categorize essays and how many types of essay there are. The simplest interpretation says that there are only four types of essays:

1. Narrative essays 2. Descriptive essays 3. Expository essays 4. Persuasive essays

I personally think this is a bit of an oversimplification. I also think there are overly complicated classifications of essays, so to keep things relatively simple, we’ll stick to 10 types. Feel free to disagree with me if you like!

Descriptive Essays

In this type of essay, you’re painting a word picture. You can certainly include some facts, but you’ll focus on the experience, what it feels like, looks like, smells or sounds like. Your aim is to draw the reader in so he or she can experience what you are writing about in the same way you experienced it.

Definition Essays

A definition tells you what something is. Although a definition is short, a definition essay discusses a complex concept in much greater depth than you would get from a few lines. They’re most often used to discuss philosophical or abstract topics.

Compare and Contrast Essays

You’ll be given two similar-seeming yet different things to compare. To write this essay, I suggest that you prepare carefully. Which elements are the same? Which ones are different? Once you are sure you know what information you want to include, you’re ready to go.

Cause and Effect Essays

Although the name seems self-explanatory, we need to remember several causes can contribute to a single effect, and conversely, one cause could result in several effects. For example, several factors contributed to the US involvement in the First World War (multiple causes, single effect). However, being in the war had several effects on the US (single cause multiple effects).

Narrative Essays

If you like creative writing, these will be among your favorite essays. In a narrative essay, you tell a story. Remember, it has a beginning followed by a number of events that lead up to an ending. Plan carefully!

Process Essays

This type of essay involves a step by step explanation of how something happens or is done. Getting your steps in the correct order is important if you don’t want to turn your process into a muddle. Write your process essay in chronological order.

Argumentative Essays

Are you opinionated? Good! The argumentative essay explains your opinions and the reasons why you believe they’re right. You can even look at some possible counter-arguments and why you believe they’re wrong. Ultimately, you’re trying to get your reader to agree with you, so the more facts you can present to support your points, the better.

Critical Essays

You don’t have to criticize the thing you’re writing about unless you think there is reason for it, but you’ll be evaluating it critically. You’ll provide reasons why you think something was well done or badly done. If you think it was great, why did you think so? Are there any faults that bothered you? Why did they bother you? What evidence can you present to support your opinion?

Expository Essay

You could sum this type of essay up as follows, “Get all the facts, and then interpret them!” You must reach a conclusion , and this has to be supported by your research or personal experience. In higher education, you have to show your ability to research your topic, and you’ll probably be citing experts along the way. In the end, you give your own opinion, but you’ll point out how several sources contribute to it. As long as there is logic in that, your answer can’t be wrong. These essays are exciting because even when you use existing knowledge, you may find yourself obtaining a new perspective or reaching a novel conclusion.

Persuasive Essays

In a way, these are similar to argumentative essays, but they’re not quite the same. An argumentative essay will hit people with the facts, while a persuasive essay has a softer touch and may appeal to moral values or emotions. See it as the difference between winning a debate and winning someone over to support a cause. There are differences, but also similarities.

What Type of Essay to Write?

When looking at an instruction or exam question, study the VERBS your teacher has used. Circle them and think about what they imply. If you’ve just been told to name or list things, give nothing but the facts.

Other words indicating that you should usually give nothing but the facts:

In addition, you want to look for words indicating that you should give your opinion:

• In your opinion…
• What do you think about…
• How do you feel…

If you have any doubt about the type of essay you should be writing, ask. While your teacher likely won’t tell you when assigning, she will explain the correct type of essay to write for the particular situation and how you can figure that out. This should prove beneficial so you can deduct the correct type to write in future situations.

I don’t understand why we even have to write essays. I think it’s just a device teachers have come up with to torture us. Nobody would ever voluntarily write an essay!

So, what would you write? What would improve your writing skills? And why do you see writing as torture?

My husband who is a biochemist has to voluntarily write grants in order to have the government give him money to do his job. Also, learning how to write makes you sound smarter.

Very good blog post. As a student teacher, it’s important for students to understand the wide variety of essays and the appropriate one to use with each assignment. I absolutely love this site. Keep it up!

what about the reflective essay?

Reflective! Excellent point. I have a much longer list than this (I am an English teacher), but reflective is not on it — well, it wasn’t until now!

Such mind numbing article for befuddle mind like me.

How can I detect this essay types in comprehension passage test readings?

I love it but how can I distinguish between them in the exam 🤧I’m so confused

Are you really love me like the character in the narrative essay?

Same problem here 🐱

How will I construct or plan an essay when writing an essay, I really want to understand.

An essay that reviews a book is called… what? Please someone help me with this question. Thanks!

It is typically called a book review.

It would be called a critical or analytical essay.

my teacher send me to chose event from the article after that i will write essay and tell me some question like how did this happen like it it ,how could this event happen in 2020,2021? i need to know what kind of essay i will write

Essay writing is a skill, the more you write the better. Thank you! for sharing this content.

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What are the seven different types of academic essay?

This is the third and final chapter about Essays . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Discuss why essays may vary in type

– Describe the seven different essay types

– Provide example essay questions for each type

Chapter 1: What is an academic essay?

Chapter 2: What are the six different essay lengths?

Chapter 3: What are the seven different types of academic essay?

Before you begin reading...

• video and audio texts
• knowledge checks and quizzes
• skills practices, tasks and assignments

There are many different  essay types   that you may be required to write throughout your university education, and each type will generally depend upon the task you’ve been set – which is often indicated by the essay question . Of course, the type of essay you’re required to write can depend on the level of education you are in (secondary vs. tertiary) and the courses you are studying (skills vs. content, or arts vs. sciences). The following seven essay types are likely the most common types that you’ll find in academic writing courses.

1. Cause and Effect Essays

The purpose of a  cause and effect essay   is usually to explain to the reader the connection between an event or situation (the cause) and the result that such an event or situation has created (the effect). Such essay types may well include an evaluation of that cause as well as the general implications or wider impact of those effects – such as what would happen to a select group of people or a particular country in those circumstance. Below is one possible essay question :

2. Compare and Contrast Essays

The main purpose of a compare and contrast essay  is to take two or more concepts, events or ideas and compare them for similarities or contrast them for differences. Such essays may cover any kind of topic, although are usually determined by the subject that the student is studying. One such compare and contrast essay question might be:

3. Descriptive Essays

Descriptive essays are often described as being the essay type which brings a topic ‘alive’ for the reader by describing that topic in significant detail. The idea is that the writer explains a topic in such a level of detail that the reader will be able to hear, see or feel what’s being described. Such essays then will clearly draw on the five human senses and may be more poetic or reflective in nature (and perhaps therefore more restrictive in the types of essay question possible):

4. Evaluative Essays

Evaluative essays are intended to help the writer present their opinion through criteria and evidence. Although similar to persuasive essays in that the writer will provide a stance on an argument, the focus of an evaluative essay is instead that the writer provides their overall opinion on a topic, a judgement of that opinion (such as its strengths and weaknesses), criteria for arriving at that conclusion, and evidence to support that particular viewpoint. Such essay questions for this essay type are varied, but might look somewhat similar to the following:

5. Persuasive Essays

Persuasive (or argumentative) essays tend to demonstrate that there are two (or possibly more) opinions to any given topic and provide evidence for both sides of the argument. Commonly, the writer will take a stance in this essay type and provide more evidence for one side of the debate than the other. Despite the writer’s overall opinion, persuasive essays should always include counter arguments  to the writer’s argument so as to remain objective, as would be necessary for the following question:

6. Problem-Solution Essays

The purpose of a problem-solution essay is so that a problem (which may be the writer’s choice or at the discretion of the tutor) may be identified and possible solutions determined for that issue. This essay type usually involves also providing an evaluation of those solutions (such as their strengths, weaknesses and viability) as well as evidence to support them. One such problem-solution essay question might be similar to the following:

7. Process Essays

The final, and perhaps easiest, type of common academic  essay is the process essay ,  the purpose of which is to explain to the reader how something happens or how to replicate a process themselves. Also known as a ‘how-to’ essay, this essay type involves the writer explaining a particular process either through defining it, by showing the particular processes in a step-by-step manner, or by describing in detail how something works. Such essay questions for this type might be as follows:

Please note that although listed separately here, it is possible that an essay could have aspects of more than one of these seven essay types. Having an understanding of these types will therefore help you to utilise them and hopefully improve your writing. If you’d like to check comprehension of these concepts as explained in Chapters 1 to 3, consider downloading our beginner-, intermediate– and advanced-level worksheets for this topic.

To reference this reader:

Academic Marker (2022) Essays . Available at: https://academicmarker.com/academic-guidance/assignments/essays/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).

• Harvard Writing Center
• Leeds University Library
• Purdue Online Writing Lab

Downloadables

Once you’ve completed all three chapters about essays , you might also wish to download our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets to test your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks .

Our essays academic reader (including all four chapters about this topic) can be accessed here at the click of a button.

Gain unlimited access to our essays  beginner worksheet, with activities and answer keys designed to check a basic understanding of this reader’s chapters.

To check a confident understanding of this reader’s chapters, click on the button below to download our  essays   intermediate worksheet with activities and answer keys.

Our essays  advanced worksheet with activities and answer keys has been created to check a sophisticated understanding of this reader’s chapters. 

To save yourself 5 Marks , click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our essays chapters and worksheets. The All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter in this reader, as well as our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets in one handy PDF.

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IELTS Task 2 Essays Understand the 5 Different Types

There are 5 main types of IELTS Task 2 essays:

1)    Opinion Essays  

2)    Discussion Essays

3)    Problem Solution Essays

4)    Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

5)    Double Question Essays

Most questions fit one of these categories. However, questions can be written in many different ways, which can make it difficult to determine which type they are.

On this page, I want to give you an overview of all 5 IELTS Task 2 essay types, with samples questions to help you recognise some of the different wording often used. I’ve also included a basic structure for each that you can use to as a guide for essay planning, a vital step in the writing process.

I go into each type of question in more detail on its own page.  Click the links above or at the bottom of this page to see these. 

First, here’s the basic 4 part structure I recommend that you use for Task 2 essays:

1)  Introduction

2)  Main Body Paragraph 1 

3)  Main Body Paragraph 2 

4)  Conclusion

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

The sort of information you include in each of the 4 sections will vary depending on the question type and that’s what I’m now going to outline for you.

These easy to learn structures will enable you to quickly plan and write any IELTS Task 2 essay.

The structures below are not the only ones you could use but they are the ones I recommend because they’re simple and give proven results.

1) Opinion Essays

These are sometimes called ‘agree or disagree’ or ‘argumentative’ essays and are one of the most common types of IELTS Task 2 question.

The first part of the question will be a statement. You will then be asked to give your own opinion about the statement. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

• What is your opinion?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here is an example of each:

• Choose one side of the argument.
• State your opinion clearly in the introduction.
• Keep the same opinion throughout the essay.
• Give reasons why you hold this view.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you take or even that you agree with it. Choose the one you can develop the best argument for.

Don’t change your opinion part way through the essay and don’t give reasons for the opposing idea.

Essay Structure

1) Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• Give your opinion
• State two supporting reasons

2) Main body paragraph 1

• Topic sentence – outline 1st reason for supporting this view
• Explanation – explain this idea
• Example – give an example

3)  Main body paragraph 2

• Topic sentence – outline 2nd reason for supporting this view
• Summarise opinion and key reasons

2) Discussion Essays

In discussion essays, you have to discuss both sides of an argument. Usually, you will be asked for your own opinion as well.

The easiest way to approach this type of IELTS Task 2 question is to choose one point of view to agree with and one side to disagree with.

Here are 3 examples of discussion essay questions:

• Develop both sides of the argument.
• Talk about the view you don’t agree with first.

A big mistake many students make is to fully develop only one point of view. This leads to an unbalanced essay and a low score for task achievement. 

It is easier to begin by discussing the opinion you don’t agree with and then present the reasons for your opposing view.

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Negative Viewpoint

• Topic sentence – outline the view you don’t agree with
• Explanation – explain why this view is held by some people

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Positive Viewpoint

• Topic sentence – outline the view you do agree with
• Summarise the key points and state your opinion

3)  Problem Essays  

These are sometimes called ‘causes and solutions’ or ‘problems and solutions’ essays. This type of IELTS Task 2 question starts with a statement, then asks you to discuss the problems or causes and the solutions.

• Don’t list lots of causes and solutions.
• Choose just one or two and develop them fully.
• Be sure to link each problem/cause and its solution.

A common mistake is for candidates to list all the problems/causes and solutions they can think of, not necessarily linking them together.  They also fail to explain any of them in detail and don’t include any examples.

The wording of this type of essay question can vary considerably.  Here are 3 examples of problem essay questions:

• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

• Topic sentence – state the problem or cause
• Explanation – give detail explaining the problem or cause

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Solution

• Topic sentence – state the solution
• Explanation – give detail explaining the solution

4)  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

The first part of the question will be a statement. You will be asked to write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the idea stated.

Here is some typical wording that might be used:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of….?
• Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.

Here are 3 examples of advantages and disadvantages essay questions:

Each of these different types of questions fits into one of two slightly different essay structures. We’ll look at these in detail on the main IELTS Task 2 Advantages & Disadvantages Essays page. For now, I’ll give you the basic structure.

• Outline the view or views stated the statement

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Advantage

• Topic sentence – state 1 advantage
• Explanation – give detail explaining the advantage
• Result – state the result

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Disadvantage

• Topic sentence – state 1 disadvantage
• Explanation – give detail explaining the disadvantage
• Summarise the key points
• State your opinion if required

5)  Double Question Essays

This type of IELTS Task 2 question is sometimes called a ‘direct question’ or ‘two questions’ essay. It has one statement with two different questions after it. The questions may or may not be linked.

• You must answer both questions fully.
• Don’t confuse it with an opinion or a discussion essay.
• Be careful that you don’t end up with too many ideas to write about.

Here are 3 examples of double question essay questions:

• Outline sentence – state your answer to both questions

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Answer question 1

• Topic sentence – state your answer
• Explanation – explain why you think this

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Answer question 2

• Summarise both questions and answers

I hope you’ve found this information useful. You can learn lots more about writing the 5 different types of IELTS Task 2 essay and see sample answers on these pages:

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

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More help with ielts task 2.

IELTS Writing Task 2  – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

Understanding Task 2 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay  – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction  – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs  – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid. 

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions  – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria  – Find out how to meet the marking criteria for IELTS Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

Other related pages:

IELTS Writing Test  – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

• IELTS Writing
• Task 2 Essay Types
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4 Major Types of Essay with Examples

Writing various sorts of essays effectively has become important to academic success. Essay writing is a regular school task, a requirement on college applications, and an element of standardized tests.

Choosing the proper sort of essay to write in response to a writing prompt is crucial to answering the question correctly on examinations. Clearly, students cannot afford to be puzzled about the many forms of essays.

It’s easy to become perplexed because there are over a dozen different varieties of essays. However, rest assured that the figure is more manageable. There are four basic categories of essays, with variations accounting for the remaining.

Argumentative and Expository Essays are concerned with delivering facts and making clear arguments, but Narrative and Descriptive Essays are concerned with expressing oneself creatively and writing in an engaging manner. Argumentative essays are the most prevalent sort of essay at the university level.

You must know how to write an essay before knowing the 4 major types of Essays.

Here are the 4 Major Types of Essays for you to Learn, Once you are Clear with the Structure of an Essay.

1. narrative essay :.

The writer of a narrative essay presents a story about a real-life experience. While it may appear that narrating a tale is simple, the narrative essay requires students to think about and write about themselves.

When writing a narrative essay, authors should make the story as vivid as possible in order to engage the reader. Because narrative essays are frequently written in the first person, the reader is more engaged.

Readers will feel as if they are a part of the tale if you use “I” statements. A well-written narrative essay will also progress toward a conclusion or a personal statement.

The Christmas Cake

“First of all, let me clarify that I have grown up to be a complete amateurish in cooking. My parents performed their jobs quite efficiently and they always baked those perfect cakes for me every Christmas. That night, it was me, the inexpert chef, who took the initiative to make a Christmas cake and surprise them.

To today’s date, I’ve only made several hamburgers on my own. Unfortunately, I had no clue about baking a cake. All I knew were the ingredients that I would use throughout the process. He dived completely in-depth into the recipe reflected on a book and started to set for the Christmas cake.

Then I cleaned the kitchen first and made a huge bowl sit in front of me to mix the essentials. I was excited and tensed at the same time, as it was something I tried for the first time…”

Guidelines for Writing a Narrative Essay :

These are the most basic guidelines for writing an excellent narrative essay:

• Use conversations in your article to make it more realistic.
• When structuring the document, keep the chronological sequence in mind.
• In the first paragraph of your essay , there must be a purpose.
• To interest your readers, use highlighted descriptions and sensory data.
• All of the characters, storylines, and the beginning, or climax, must be significant.

All of these factors work together in your article to accurately depict the entire scene in front of your readers’ eyes. So, if you want to write a good narrative essay, make sure you follow these rules to the letter.

2. Descriptive Essay:

A descriptive essay, like that of a narrative essay, uses words to create a picture. A writer could describe a person, a location, an item, or even a memorable memory. This is not, however, a descriptive essay for the sake of description. The goal of a descriptive essay is to convey a deeper meaning through description.

Through the use of vivid words and sensory details, the writer should show, not tell, in a descriptive essay. The finest descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, producing a vivid effect.

“Moving up to our north cabin and spending time there had always been something that I enjoyed and looked up to. It was a nice, beautiful, and serene place. It offered a lot in terms of peace and serenity that you will not find in cities. We used to look forward to our summer vacations.

So that we can go up north and experience things that we cannot do in the city. Even though time has changed and things are not as they used to be, the memory is still fresh. The atmosphere up north was quite different than in the city. When in the cabin, I marvel at how different the atmosphere and life here are then the cities.

Life in the city is full of noise and tension. You have to get up for work, and the noise of traffic would never let you relax and enjoy nature. Only if you are lucky to have it around. Things up north were different, you can enjoy the sunshine and greenery, and there is no hustle-bustle.

The air was fresh, healthy, and clean. The nights are quiet, and you can hear the animals coming out to hunt for food. Cities are filled with polluted air. This abundance of polluted air is mainly due to the heavy traffic and factories.

The air is thick due to smoke, smog, and other types of air contaminators that no one wants to breathe in. Getting clean air in a city is next to impossible…”

Guidelines of Writing a Descriptive Essay:

• Make a decision on a certain issue. Descriptive essays that are well-written stay focused at all times.
• Gather information.
• Make a rough sketch.
• Write the first paragraph of your essay.
• Body paragraphs should be written.
• In the final paragraph, summarize the essay .
• Look for methods to make your language more lively.

3. Argumentative Essay :

An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that offers a lengthy, evidence-based case. It necessitates a solid thesis statement—a well-defined viewpoint on your subject. Your goal is to persuade the reader of your argument by providing evidence like quotes and analysis.

Argumentative essays put your abilities to investigate and convey your own point of view on a subject to the test. At the undergraduate level, this is the most prevalent style of essay—almost every paper you write will include some form of argumentation.

Students Who Study Abroad Achieve Greater Success

“Much of our learning takes place outside the classroom. We learn how to maintain budgets, forge friendships, develop business relationships, and more. Imagine extending those skills on a global level.

We would immediately cease to believe the world only contains the people and things we can see but, rather, a wide variety of opinions, customs, beliefs, and ethics. This is why every college-level student must study abroad during their undergraduate years. They will learn more in that semester abroad than in any other academic year.

According to IES Abroad, a company that encourages students to become international leaders, students who study abroad are more likely to be accepted into the graduate degree program of their choice. In fact, 90% of students who studied abroad with IES are admitted to their first or second choice for graduate school.

Imagine walking into an interview and being able to discuss preparing the most popular dish in India or organizing the best route to take from Sydney, Australia to Perth. Not only does this strike up a memorable conversation, but it also demonstrates a student’s fierce independence and determination.

All this makes someone who has studied abroad a more desirable candidate for their dream job. As if IES Abroad’s statistic above was not astounding enough, it has been proven that 97% of students who study abroad find employment within 12 months of graduation…..”

Guidelines of Writing an Argumentative Essay:

• The thesis that is well-structured. The introduction to the argument is the first step in writing an argumentative essay.
• Body Paragraphs that support the thesis statement.  The essay has three body paragraphs that support the thesis’ statements.
• Arguments in opposition.
• A conclusion that is persuasive.
• Phrases that bridge the gap.

4. Expository Essay:

An expository essay is a piece of writing that provides a balanced overview of a subject. In an expository essay, the writer uses facts, data, and examples to illustrate or clarify a topic.

Expository writing includes a variety of essay types, including comparison and contrast essays, cause and effect essays, and “how to” or process essays . Expository essays do not show emotions or write in the first person since they are based on facts rather than personal feelings.

“This morning at 9 am, a school bus collided with a car at the intersection of Jones and Heard streets. There were no injuries on the school bus, but medical personnel performed checks on each student and the driver before those students were transported to their schools.

The driver of the car sustained slight, non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the local hospital. The accident is still under investigation at this time.

Advances in science and technology have made the use of “green” energy possible. In places where climate conditions permit, people are able to use solar energy or wind energy for power. Solar energy is the use of sunlight for energy and power.

Humans are able to harness the energy of the sun by installing solar panels on their homes or businesses . Humans have also found ways to harness the power of the wind by using wind turbines to capture wind energy. Both of these forms of “green” energy are being used more and more.

The school science fair was a success again this year! We had 15 teams participating, and they all had amazing projects. Each team consisted of two students who designed a science experiment to test a hypothesis, created a display of their experiment and results, and presented their display to the judges.

The winners this year are Sarah Jones and Mark Gordon, who hypothesized that students get into less trouble in the classroom on days when it is sunny outside.

The judges were very impressed with their data collection methods, which included asking teachers to share information on how many students earned stars at the end of each day. They correlated this information with their own data about the weather-sunny, cloudy, or rainy…”

Guidelines for Writing an Expository Essay:

• Choose the essay structure
• Start with an outline
• Verify point of view requirements
• Focus on clarity

Now that you know how to write an essay and the different types of essays, what are you waiting for? Start writing your essay today itself. Oh, do not worry about the errors and mistakes. We always have your back for that. You can close your eyes and rely on editing and proofreading services to make your essay completely immaculate.

-Isabell S.

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The 4 Main Types of Writing Styles and How to Use Them as a Writer

Understanding the 4 main types of writing styles can help you grow as a writer and attract an audience for your written work. Here’s how to identify each style of writing and tips for using each of the 4 common writing styles to develop your written skills.

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One of the things that can help you grow as a writer is to learn the 4 main types of writing styles and use the characteristics of each to further develop your own personal voice as a writer.

By learning how to use the different writing styles in your work, you will not only improve your skills as writer, but also learn ways to better connect with your audience of readers.

In this post we’ll cover the 4 main types of writing styles and how to use them as a writer to create compelling books, stories, essays, poetry, articles and more.

What are Writing Styles?

Writing styles are basically another way of saying the form or type of written work you are creating. Think of it as a classification for being able to identify what kind of writing you are creating.

For example, if you are writing a cookbook, that is a completely different style of writing than if you were writing a steamy romance novel!

Each writing style has a different purpose – and therefore, different characteristics are present when you are writing each type of different work.

Now that we understand what a writing style is – let’s talk about the 4 main writing styles which are commonly talked about amongst writers and literary educators.

The 4 Main Writing Styles & What They Mean

The four main writing styles which are commonly recognized are expository , descriptive , narrative , and persuasive .

Style #1: Expository

The definition of expository is this: “intended to explain or describe something.”

Most types of written work that fall into this category explain something in more detail, or provide insight and instruction in regards to a particular topic.

What types of writing fall into this category of expository writing style?

While there are many different types of written work which can be categorized as expository style of writing, you can often identify this type of writing by noticing the purpose of the work.

• Does the work intend to explain something in more detail?
• Does the written piece inform?
• Does the written piece answer questions such as “what, how and why?”

Here are some examples of the different types of writing pieces which can fall into the category of expository writing:

• Newspaper and Magazine Articles {not including editorials}
• Non-Fiction Books
• How-To Books
• Self Help Books
• Writing about Hobbies & Interests
• Recipes & Cookbooks
• Instructional Guides
• Scientific Research
• Textbooks & Educational Resources
• Business Articles & Books
• Medical Research, Journals and Articles

When you write expository style pieces, your main goal as a writer is to inform your readers with insight and facts that pertain to the subject of your piece.

For example, if you are writing about the history of ice cream, you would be including a lot of research and fun facts into your piece.

Note that this type of writing style is not intended to persuade or influence your audience. In writing your piece on the history of ice cream, you would NOT be trying to persuade your readers.

You would not want to say things like “Everybody should eat ice cream!” and “These 5 reasons will convince you forever to choose strawberry swirl flavored ice cream as your favorite flavor.”

Sometimes it can be confusing on whether an article is expository or persuasive. For example, an article called “The 5 Unexpected Health Benefits of Ice Cream” – would not fall into expository writing, even though it is providing information.

The word “benefits” has a positive connotation to the title. If you were to be writing an article on possible health benefits on ice cream, it would be very important that you as the writer keep your opinion separated from the facts and information if you plan for it to be an expository style piece. To be expository in nature, you would want to use a title such as “Scientists Research The Health Effects of Ice Cream.”

Books and articles that explain how to do something are also very popular examples of expository writing. Cookbooks are very popular, as they explain to others the tips, techniques, and recipes on how to cook something. How-to books for hobbies and crafts are also a good example of this type of writing.

Style #2: Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing goes deeper than expository writing. While expository writing might have some descriptive details and factual information, descriptive writing will make use of many writing elements and literary devices such as metaphors and similes.

The purpose and goal of descriptive writing is to bring your reader into the written work as if the reader were to be experiencing it first hand.

Most fictional pieces fall under the category of descriptive writing, and even some non-fiction pieces such as memoirs and creative non-fiction can fall under the category of a descriptive writing style.

If you are writing fiction, the more descriptive you can be with your words, the more relatable your story will be to the reader.

For example, we recommend that writers ask their characters questions as one way to really intimately understand the details about a character. Details about the setting, events, and people present in a story will help your readers be able to imagine and understand the piece.

This style also includes poetry. If you browse through some of our poetry writing prompts , you will see there is a lot of attention put on using details to create a scene or feeling in writing a poem!

Here are some examples of types of descriptive writing pieces:

• Poetry & Prose
• Travel Diaries
• Personal Journals
• Lyrics in Music and Songwriting

Most pieces using only a descriptive writing style are not very long. It is uncommon for a fictional novel to be 100% fully descriptive without getting into our next writing style, which is narrative writing.

Style #3: Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is far more complex that simple descriptive writing.

While a poem for example may describe a scene or even events or people – generally you do not get into the deep inner thoughts of the characters or even get a full story with a clear middle, beginning, and end complete with conflict and dialogue.

Nearly all fiction novels fall into the case of narrative writing, as well as longer epic poems and sagas.

In narrative writing, there is a story to be told – a clear plot complete with setting, characters, dialogue, conflict and resolution. A narrative piece often has a timeline or sequence of events which further build to the point of conflict and resolution.

Here are some examples of the works which would be considered to have a narrative writing style:

• Fiction Novels
• Memoirs & Biographies
• Screenplays
• Myths, Legends, and Fables
• Historical accounts
• Essays which talk about a lesson learned or valuable insight from an experience

Narrative writing pieces are generally easy to identify, although sometimes it can be confused with descriptive writing styles. The key difference in determining which one a written work might be is whether or not there is a developed storyline or plot.

If there is a well developed plot and storyline, you are most likely reading narrative writing.

Style #4: Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is a type of writing style where the purpose is to influence someone into believing or doing something. As the word “persuasive” suggests – your goal is to persuade someone’s actions or thoughts to align with your own goals as the writer.

The persuasive writing essay is a popular homework assignment for many kids. For example, a student might be assigned to write an essay to convince their parents of something. “Why We Should Get a Pet Rabbit” and “5 Reasons You Should Not Make Me Clean My Room”.

Persuasive writing is intended to convince someone of something, and so it usually needs to have a good bit of research and logical analysis – but also should attempt to make an emotional connection to the desired audience as well.

A classic piece of writing which serves as an example of persuasive writing is Thomas Paine’s book Common Sense , which was written in the Colonial times of the American Revolutionary War, urging citizens that separating from England was of utmost importance.

Here are some examples of types of writing which are persuasive writing:

• Editorial & Opinion pieces in Newspapers and Magazines
• Essays on a specific belief or “hot button” topic
• Letters written to request an action or file a complaint
• Advertisements {Convincing you to buy something}
• Copywriting {Note, copywriting is different from copyright!}
• Company Brochures
• Business Proposals
• Political speeches

When the intention of the work is to convince the audience of something – this falls into persuasive writing.

How to Use the 4 Main Different Writing Styles as a Writer

Now that we know the different types of writing styles, you may be wondering how do you use each style?

The first thing to do is think about what you are planning to write and what the intention is. What is your goal and what type of message are you trying to communicate to your readers?

Expository Style Writing:

In this type of writing your goal is to inform your readers about research or data.

When writing expository style pieces, follow these guidelines:

• Avoid using words which have a positive or negative connotation
• Do not insert your opinion or attempt to persuade your audience into thinking, feeling, or doing something based on your beliefs
• Use research and cite your sources
• When writing online, link to additional resources or websites
• Use quotes, illustrations or informative graphics to highlight the information
• Give concise and clear directions

Descriptive Writing Style:

This type of writing has the goal to describe something and bring into your reader’s imaginations

Here are some tips for writing with descriptive writing styles:

• Use literary devices such as metaphors and similes.
• Use well thought out adjectives and adverbs to describe nouns and verbs.
• Bring attention to small details
• Use the 6 senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, sound, and feeling

Narrative Writing Style:

In narrative writing style, your goal is to convey a storyline to your readers.

Here is how to achieve this type of writing style:

• Outline a storyline, plot or timeline sequence of events
• Include detailed descriptions of your characters and scenes
• Give your readers insight into the inner thoughts or behind-the-scenes information to elements of your story
• Answer the 6 W questions in your writing: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why?
• Make it so your piece of work conveys an important lesson or insight – what is the moral of the story? What was the outcome of this experience?
• Use concrete language which gives readers a specific image to visualize and relate to

Persuasive Writing Style:

When you are writing to persuade, your intention is to convince your readers to side with you. This can be as simple as convincing them to buy your latest new product, or even writing about important social and humanitarian issues.

Here are some tips for writing persuasively:

• Include information, data, and facts to back up your argument
• Cite your sources and give readers access to additional information
• Appeal to your readers on an emotional level – how will siding with your opinion connect with them and make them feel?
• Take into consideration your reader’s needs, wants, and desires and how your message will help your reader achieve these.

Understanding Writing Styles Can Help You Be a Better Writer

No matter what type of writing you enjoy creating – understanding the basic main 4 types of writing styles can help you become a better writer.

If you are writing a how-to article for example, you will be able to understand what types of elements to ensure your piece of work includes. If you’re writing a descriptive poem, knowing what type of language to use can help convey your message for abstract concepts.

Use these different writing styles as a fun writing exercise!

Even if you typically only write for one style, it can be a lot of fun to push yourself to try to write for the different types of styles. For example, try writing a persuasive essay, and then a descriptive essay on the same topic. It can also be fun to write a descriptive poem and then turn it into a narrative essay or short story.

Not sure what to write about using these different writing styles? We have TONS of ideas for you with many different writing prompts! Check out our list of 365 writing prompts ideas which are sure to inspire your creative muse!

Using prompts is a great way to help you start writing in different writing styles and push yourself to a new exciting challenge for your writing skills!

I hope this article about the different writing styles and how you can use them as a writer will be helpful for you in building and developing your written skillset.

What types of writing styles do you enjoy writing the most? Have any tips for writing in expository, descriptive, narrative or persuasive styles of writing? We’d love to hear your ideas and experiences in the comments section below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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Identifying the 5 types of IELTS essays

Get familiar with the different types of ielts essays..

Updated: August 25th 2023

Among IELTS teachers there are often considered to be five patterns or five types of IELTS essays. In this post, we will look at how to spot them.

Before you begin writing your essay the first thing you must do is analyse the task by looking at the instruction words. I have underlined the instruction words in the tasks below, these indicate what type of question it is.

Analysing the task question is a crucial step because if you do not take the time to do this, or if you are unclear about anything, you could write a completely different essay. See more here.

The 5 types of IELTS essays

1. advantages and disadvantages essay 2. opinion essays (sometimes called an argument essay) 3. discussion essay 4. two-part question essay (sometimes called a direct question essay) 5. problem solution essay / causes solution essay, useful links, model answers for the 5 types of ielts essays., planning your ielts essay., how to think of ideas for essays., strategies and tips for paraphrasing the question., how to write a good thesis statement., 3 types of advantage disadvantage essays., take a look at these question types for ielts essays, can you guess what type of essays they are.

I have underlined the ‘instruction words’ , these tell you what kind of essay it is and what to write about.

1. Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Opinion essay: In this question, it asks to what extent do you agree or disagree? this means ” how much do you agree or disagree? ”  In other words: do you completely agree? completely disagree? partly agree? neither agree nor disagree. The thesis statement you write should state 2 reasons for your opinion. Each main body paragraph ten covers each reason with an example to support your view.

The essay should have 2 main body paragraphs with your opinion in the introduction, main body, and the conclusion.

2. Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Discussion and opinion essay: Here you need to discuss both points of view in the question and give your own opinion. So you need 2 body paragraphs covering each point of view and examples with details and your opinion. You could also have a third body paragraph with your own specific opinion if you prefer.  Your opinion should also be in the introduction as well as each body paragraph and the conclusion.

3. As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual well-being. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Two-part or double question essay: In main body one you should write about the factors that make up job satisfaction. In main body two, it is asking your opinion, so you would write your opinion about whether, realistically, everyone can expect to be happy in their jobs. In my view, this is not realistic so I would state that as my opinion and explain why I hold that view.

4. Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake. In your opinion what should be the main function of a university?

Opinion Essay: It looks like a discussion essay as there are 2 views being presented; however, if you check the instruction words it does not ask you to ‘Discuss both sides’ 

First of all, paraphrase the task question then include your opinion in the thesis statement. There should be 2 main body paragraphs and each main body states your opinion with reasons for your opinion and an example.

5. In some countries, the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Problem Solution Essay: You need to state the causes of the problem in the first main body paragraph and possible solutions in the second main body paragraph. Also, note that you do not have to give a direct personal opinion here, it is asking for a possible way the issue can be solved.

6. Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Advantages disadvantages essay:   The keyword here is ‘ outweigh’ it means ‘are the advantages stronger than the disadvantages?’. Body paragraph 1 should focus on one or two advantages and body paragraph 2 should focus one or two disadvantages with explanations and examples.

This is a special type of ‘Advantage Disadvantage’ essay, it actually asks for your opinion here. You must write what you think is stronger, the advantage or disadvantage?. The whole essay will reflect your opinion .

7. Some people think a crime should always have a fixed punishment like life for murder, while others believe you should take the circumstances of the crime into account. Discuss both views .

Discussion essay. The instruction words say: “Some people think… while others believe”.. and also “Discuss both views”…These are the keywords that show it is a discussion essay.

Some people believe ….while others think… Many people say…… whereas others think….. Some say …….whereas others argue….

You will need to state the public/ general opinion and give examples and detail in this type of essay. Did you notice that the question does not ask for your opinion? Usually, discussion essays ask for your opinion so this type of task is quite rare.. click here for a lesson on language for discussion essays.

8. In recent times, more people prefer to communicate via messaging apps and email instead of face-to-face. Why do you think this is? When is face to face to face communication necessary?

Two-part or double question essay: This question is asking for a direct opinion because the words ‘Do you think..’ indicates that it wants your own opinion. You need to answer the first question in body paragraph 1, explain the issue and give an example. Then answer the second question in body paragraph 2, explain and give an example.  The conclusion is just a summary of your key points with your opinion again.

See this lesson about 3 types of Advantage Disadvantage essays

For model answers on these types of essays click this link here, leave a comment below if you have any questions., leave a comment cancel reply.

18 Text Types (with Examples) – Writing Styles Explained

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Texts types, also known as genres or text forms, refer to categories of texts with different purposes. Depending on the purpose, each type of text will have have a different convention of style and structure.

It is essential to understand text types and their conventions because:

• Interpretation: It helps us understand the text’s intentions, trustworthiness, and bias
• Text Creation: It helps us to create texts that are most effective, depending upon the purpose

Below is a list of the most common text types and their key conventions, style, structure, and purpose.

Text Types Examples

1. narrative.

Purpose: A narrative text aims to tell a story to the reader. It isn’t always just about telling a story for entertainment, though. The purpose of narrative text also lies in its capacity to engage the reader’s imagination, impart a moral lesson, or just simply pass on a tale through generations. For example, narrative stories are used in folklore and folktales to pass-on cultural values and stories.

Style: The style of a narrative text is distinctive. It employs a chronological sequencing of events. Coherent, right-branching sentences, varying in length, create rhythm and draw the reader into the unfolding story. Active voice is favored to maintain directness and immediacy, bringing scenes alive.

Structure: Beginning with an orientation, it introduces characters, setting, and time. Short initial sentences establish the context. The complication, the next part, presents problems or conflicts. A series of sentences, varying in length and complexity, takes the reader through ups and downs. Ultimately, the story reaches a resolution, where the achievement or solution is laid out.

2. Descriptive

Purpose: A descriptive text is designed to describe something in a detailed manner. The writer attempts to paint a vivid image in the reader’s mind, often by intricately describing an object, person, place, experience, or situation.

Style: Adjectives play a significant role in a descriptive text. They enrich the text, adding depth to the description. Similes, metaphors, and other figurative language might also be used for more creative descriptions. The sentences can be diverse, ranging from concise statement of facts to long, detailed depictions .

Structure: A descriptive text often starts with a short, general overview of what is being described. Then, it delves into details, exploring appearance, characteristics, functions, and other aspects. It closes with a brief summary or a final remark on the described subject.

3. Expository

Purpose: The main goal of an expository text is to inform or explain. It aims to provide the reader with comprehensive information about a specific topic. This type of text gives out facts and provides deep insights, explaining complex concepts or procedures in a manner that the reader can understand.

Style: The style of an expository text is systematic and straightforward. It has an emphasis on clarity. It avoids ambiguity and confusion.

Structure: Beginning with an introduction that briefly outlines the topic, an expository text then offers a well-structured exploration of distinct aspects of the topic. Each paragraph introduces a different point related to the topic. The conclusion summarizes the main points and offers final insights.

Read More: Expository vs Argumentative Essay Writing

4. Argumentative / Persuasive

Purpose: An argumentative or persuasive text is structured to persuade the readers by presenting a point of view. It defends a position regarding an issue or topic, using reasoned arguments, facts, statistics, and real-life examples to convince readers and lure them into adopting this point of view.

Style: These texts should be precise, logical, and grounded in evidence. The use of rhetorical devices like ethos, logos, and pathos can help persuade and appeal to the reader’s sense of ethics, logic, or emotions.

Structure: Key here is to map out a clear and structured argument, often presenting the most compelling points at the beginning and end of the piece. Consider using an essay plan. Your piece may start with a clear statement of the thesis or position. Then, provide supporting evidence and arguments, section by section. Each paragraph can offer a different reason or piece of evidence supporting the thesis. A conclusion is then needed to sum up the argument, restate the thesis, and call the reader to action.

5. Instructional

Purpose: An instructional text serves to provide instructions or directions on how to do something. It aims to guide the reader through a sequence of steps to achieve a certain goal or complete a task efficiently.

Style: Unlike persuasive texts, instructional texts should not try to convince anyone of anything. Your job is to strictly provide facts. The language is direct, to-the-point, and unambiguous.

Structure: Instructional texts usually start with an overview of the task or goal, and possibly, what the end result should look like. Following that, a list of materials or requirements would come next. After this, a step-by-step guide detailing how to accomplish the task is written.

6. Procedural

Purpose: Procedural texts are designed to guide the reader through a sequence of actions or steps necessary to accomplish a specific task. These tasks might be related to cooking, science experiments, emergency procedures, or machinery operation, among others.

Style: Procedural texts are characterized by precise and unambiguous language. It is critical that the wording is exact to ensure clear communication of instructions.

Structure: Procedural texts should be written with the same goal in mind as instructional ones: begin with an overview of the task, followed by any necessary materials or preparation steps. Next, a detailed, step-by-step procedure is included. It often concludes with any necessary follow-up instructions or warnings.

Purpose: The purpose of a recount text is to retell past events, usually in chronological order. It serves to provide a detailed account of an event, experience, or historical occurrence.

Style: A recount is usually descriptive and personal, involving a chronological presentation of events, with expressive language to convey emotions or impressions that the writer felt during the events.

Structure: A typical recount text starts with the introduction, setting the scene, and often specifying the time, place, and participants involved. The series of events then unrolls in the order they occurred. Finally, it concludes with a personal comment, reflection, or evaluation of the event.

Purpose: Report texts are written to present information about a subject. The subject could range from real-world entities like animals, humans, or natural phenomena to abstract concepts like principles, theories, or ideas.

Style: Reports are communicated objectively without the use of personal pronouns or subjective language. They contain facts, statistics, and specific information related to the subject, presented in a clear, systematic manner.

Structure: A report usually begins with an introduction, defining the topic and offering a brief overview. A series of sections or subheadings then ‘chunk’ the content to make it easy to navigate, each covering different aspects of the topic. A conclusion or summary often ends the report.

9. Discussion

Purpose: A discussion text is intended to present multiple perspectives on a specific issue, allowing the reader to consider all angles before forming their own viewpoint. It aims to deepen understanding and foster a broader perspective by objectively exploring diverse opinions and arguments related to a topic.

Style: Discussion texts use neutral, unbiased language. The writer presents all sides of the argument fairly and objectively, without leaning towards supporting one over another.

Structure: The text begins with an introduction of the issue at hand. This is followed by presenting point and counterpoint for each aspect of the issue, examining arguments in favor and against it. An effective discussion text ends with a conclusion or summary that encapsulates the multiple perspectives without indicating a personal preference.

10. Response

Purpose: A response text serves to provide a personal interpretation or reaction to a piece of content, such as a book, film, article, or speech. It aims to deepen the understanding of the original content, examine its components, and express personal thoughts, feelings, and reactions to it.

Style: Response writing is subjective, reflecting the opinion and personality of the writer. Despite the writer’s personal voice being apparent, a good response should maintain an even-handed and critical approach.

Structure: Commence with an overview of the content being responded to, including its title and creator. Next, give a brief summary or description of the content. Following this, present your personal reactions, impressions, and points of critique. Lastly, conclude by summarizing your views and stating your final thoughts.

Purpose: The purpose of a poetic text is to convey emotions, experiences, concepts, and ideas using creative and imaginative language. It’s a form of verbal art that uses aesthetics and rhythmic qualities to charm and engage readers.

Style: Poetic language heavily incorporates figurative and connotative language. It frequently uses devices such as similes, metaphors, rhyme, rhythm, assonance, and alliteration to create a specific mood or emotion.

Structure: The structure of a poem can vary vastly – it may adhere to a specific form (like sonnets, haikus, or limericks) complete with rules regarding rhyme, meter, and stanza length, or it may be free verse, with no such rules.

12. Journalistic

Purpose: Journalistic texts aim to report news stories to inform readers, viewers, or listeners about events happening locally or globally. These texts provide factual information about real-world event in a balanced, fair, accurate, and comprehensive manner.

Style: Journalistic writing requires use of clear, concise, and direct language. The language is primarily factual and explanatory, striving to be impartial and unbiased.

Structure: Journalistic texts usually adopt the “inverted pyramid” structure. The most crucial information is presented first – summarizing the ‘who, what, where, when, why, and how’ of the story. Following paragraphs provide further details and context, with the least important information towards the end.

See Also: Informational Texts Examples

13. Transactional

Purpose: Transactional texts serve to communicate an intended message between individuals or organizations. Common examples include emails, reports, proposals, business letters and memos.

Style: The tone and style of transactional texts depend on their intended audience and purpose. Formality levels may vary – generally, they are written in clear, straightforward language.

Structure: Transactional texts usually start with a salutation or an introduction, followed by the body containing the key message or information. They end with a closing, which may include a call-to-action, a closing remark or a sign-off.

14. Exemplification

Purpose: Exemplification texts are those which use examples to make a point, stress a point, or clearly present a pattern or form. These texts aim to make abstract ideas concrete, clarify concepts, or provide evidence supporting statements or theories.

Style: The language of exemplification texts is straightforward and facts-based, leveraging detailed examples to make concepts clearer and more understandable.

Structure: They start with a thesis statement or main idea. Next, they introduce and elaborate various specific examples to exemplify and prove the thesis statement. Finally, a conclusion wraps up the discussion and reiterates how the examples support the main idea.

15. Compare and Contrast

Purpose: The purpose of a compare and contrast text is to examine the similarities and differences between two or more subjects, such as concepts, items, people, or events. It aids in understanding and scrutinizing the association between the subjects.

Style: This kind of writing is analytical and require a balanced and objective presentation of facts, making sure to avoid bias or favoritism.

Structure: Such texts generally follow one of two structures: block or alternating. In the block method, all about the first subject is described, followed by all about the second. In the alternating method, corresponding points about the first and second subjects are alternated for comparison.

Read More: Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

16. Cause and Effect

Purpose: Cause and effect text is written to identify and explain the reasons or causes for an event or behavior and the resulting effects or outcomes. It establishes a relationship between variables and events.

Style: Clarity is particularly important in cause and effect writing because it should aim to lucidly explain causal chains where one thing leads to another.

Structure: Generally, the text starts with an introduction to the event. This is followed by the ’cause’ section explaining its origins or reasons. Then comes the ‘effect’ section detailing the outcomes, consequences, or results. Lastly, a conclusion synthesizes the major points and may contain author’s opinion on the event.

Read More: Cause and Effect Examples

17. Diary/Journal Entry

Purpose: A diary or journal entry is written to express personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences, making them a form of autobiographical writing. The objective is self-reflection, documentation of life events or ideas, and emotional exploration.

Style: Being highly personal, these texts don’t normally adhere to strict stylistic protocols. Language is informal and conversational, representing the writer’s voice.

Structure: Diary or journal entries do not follow a strict format. They often start with the date and proceed with the entries. Entries can range from brief notes to detailed narratives.

18. Critical Review

Purpose: A critical review analyses, interprets, and appraises a text or other work (like a film or play). It’s meant to provide an evaluation of the item’s merit, significance, value, or relevance, based on careful examination and evidence-based claims.

Style: Even though a critical review presents the writer’s opinion, it should be a balanced, logical, and professional examination of the work.

Structure: A traditional critical review includes an introduction summarizing the key details of the work being reviewed, the body containing the evaluation, and a conclusion summarizing the review.

Read More: Critical Analysis Examples

Full List of Text Types and Genres

• Descriptive
• Argumentative / Persuasive
• Instructional
• Journalistic
• Transactional
• Exemplification
• Compare and Contrast
• Cause and Effect
• Diary/Journal Entry
• Critical Review

Understanding text types allows you to effectively communicate ideas and information to your target audience. It provides a structured framework that guides the writing process, enhancing clarity and coherence. Additionally, it aids in comprehension, helping readers navigate and understand the text in its intended way. Lastly, knowledge of text types helps improve critical reading skills, enabling readers to discern the underlying purpose and structure of various texts.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
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Dear Professor Drew,

My name is Ana de Mesquita and I am from Brazil. I have been teaching English, French and Brazilian Portuguese as a second language since 2008. I really appreciated your article about texts. It is quite helpful. Best regards,

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5 Types of IELTS Essays with Questions and Samples

In IELTS Writing Task 2 (both General and Academic), there are 5 different types of essays:

• Discussion essay (Discuss both views essay)
• Agree/disagree essay (Opinion essay)
• Advantage/disadvantage essay
• Problem/solution essay
• Two-part question essay (Direct question essay)

Note that no matter what type of IELTS essay you have to write, you need to make sure that you always follow the instructions and write at least 250 words.

IELTS Discussion Essay Questions

IELTS discussion essay asks you to "Discuss both views/sides and give your opinion".

For example:

Some people think that wild animals should not be kept in zoos. Others believe that there are good reasons for having zoos.

Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

See also: Discussion Essay Sample

IELTS Agree/Disagree Essay Questions

IELTS agree/disagree essay, also known as an opinion essay, asks you "Do what extent do you agree?", "Do you agree or disagree?", "What is your opinion?".

Medical procedures for cosmetic purposes should not be allowed.

Do you agree or disagree?

See also: Agree/Disagree Essay Sample

IELTS Advantage/Disadvantage Essay Questions

IELTS advantage/disadvantage essay asks you "What are the advantages of this?", "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?".

Today more and more tourists are visiting places where conditions are difficult, such as the Sahara desert or the Antarctic.

What are the benefits and disadvantages for tourists who visit such places?

See also: Advantage/Disadvantage Essay Sample

IELTS Problem/Solution Essay Questions

IELTS problem/solution essay asks you "What can be done about this problem?", "How could this situation be improved?".

Even though doctors all over the world agree that fast food is bad for people's health, more and more people are eating it.

Why are more people eating fast food?

What can be done about this problem?

See also: Problem/Solution Essay Sample

IELTS Two-part Question Essay Questions

IELTS two-part question essay, also known as direct question essay, asks you to write in response to two or more direct questions.

Millions of people every year move to English speaking countries such as Australia, Britain or America, in order to study at school, college or university.

Why do so many people want to study English?

Why is English such an important international language?

See also: Two-part Question Essay Sample

See more useful IELTS essay resources:

• How to write an IELTS essay?
• How to Improve IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay?
• Essay vocabulary
• Linking & cohesive words

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Whether you have any questions, want to leave feedback or discuss cooperation possibilities, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help and will answer as soon as possible. In the meantime, discover our site and let it help you smooth your IELTS journey and make your studies more efficient.

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16 Types Of Writing Every Writer Should Master

Discover our guide with types of writing you can use in your next writing assignment; there are many different forms of writing to explore today!

As someone who makes a living writing for other people’s websites, I often adapt my writing style for different audiences and situations. The way I write conveys meaning beyond the words I use or what I say. Some forms of writing paint a picture, convince readers to act, or communicate facts using reliable sources. Choosing from the different types of writing and adapting to the requirements of a professor, business, or client is crucial to writing success.

Below, I’ll share the different types of writing you can practice and learn how to become a better writer .

1. Expository Writing

2. narrative writing, 3. persuasive writing, 4. descriptive writing, 5. technical writing, 6. diary writing, 7. business writing, 8. copywriting, 9. content writing, 11. critical writing, 12. scientific writing, 13. travel writing, 14. blogging, 15. technical writing, 16. academic writing, the final word on types of writing, how do i choose the right writing style for a piece, how can i learn to write in various styles.

Expository writing focuses on providing facts and research about a given topic. With some forms of writing like this, you’ll explore an idea in detail and expand on that idea using factual statements. 

When writing an expository essay, you don’t seek to prove a point, persuade, or evoke emotions. Your goal is to explain something in an objective and balanced way. Read our guide to the best essay writing topics . Here are some examples of expository writing you’re probably familiar with, whether you’ve written them or read them:

• Journalistic articles
• How-to manuals
• Assembly instructions

Stories are everywhere around you and provide ample opportunity to express your imagination.

In forms of writing like narrative writing, you tell a story that’s 100 percent truthful, primarily factual but embellished for reader enjoyment or fiction. Stories are everywhere around you and provide ample opportunity to express your imagination.

Examples of the narrative style include:

• Biographies and autobiographies
• Short stories
• Narrative journalism

The journalist Hunter S. Thompson popularized this type of writing in his articles and essays, whereby his journalism often reads like a novel. If you’d like to learn more about this style, read our guide to narrative essays .

In a persuasive essay, your goal is to convince the reader to agree with you through strategic argumentation. To accomplish this, you employ various argumentation techniques like presenting supporting evidence for your argument, laying out points logically that slowly generate buy-in from the reader, and telling a story that evokes emotion to make the case. Politicians and leaders use persuasive writing to popularize ideas like Barack Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope . If you’d like to learn more, read our guide to persuasive essays .

Examples of persuasive writing include:

• Advertisements and marketing campaigns
• Cover letters
• Letters of recommendation
• Business proposals
• Persuasive essays
• Persuasive social media posts
• Persuasive journalism

Descriptive writing is a type of writing style that overlaps with others in this list. It’s one of the most common types of writing, as students often write descriptive essays in school. One of the essential concepts in descriptive writing is to “show, not tell.” Rather than simply saying what happened, explain the how and the why behind it to paint a picture. If you’d like to learn more, read our guide to descriptive essays . You’ll use numerous literary devices to accomplish this, such as:

• Foreshadowing

For this writing style, you’ll choose a point of view to relate to readers. The POV can change the tone of the piece, with the third-person often sounding more formal and objective, while the first and second can seem informal. You may need a combination of more than one POV for the piece to work. Examples of POV usage:

• First-person – I, We 
• Second person – You, Understood You 
• Third-person – He, She, It, They

Technical writing involves communicating something complex in a way the audience can understand. To accomplish this, the technical writer must have in-depth knowledge of the topic they’re explaining and an understanding of the audience’s experience level. Technical writing is devoid of personal opinions. Instead, it explains a topic or concept step-by-step or logically. If you’d like to learn more, read our guide explaining how to become a technical writer . Examples of technical writing include:

• Research papers
• Legal documents
• Some textbooks
• White papers
• Academic writing
• Medical journals
• Technical documentation for products and software

 Diary writing is a more personal form intended to log events in a person’s life and often their emotions. If you think you might be famous someday, keeping diaries could one day be resource materials for your auto-biography! Read our guide explaining the differences between a diary and a journal .

That point aside, many people use diaries as an external way to process how they’re feeling to deal with anger, regret, grief, fear, jealousy, and sadness. It’s cheaper than therapy. Diary writing can be a positive experience. People often write about what they’re grateful for, express their joy around fortuitous events, or set life goals and celebrate accomplishments.

Examples of diary writing include:

• The Diary of Anne Frank
• Leonardo Da Vinci’s diaries
• Charles Darwin’s diaries
• Marie Curie’s notebooks

Business writing is a commonly misunderstood type of writing. Many consider business writing stuffy and formal, but it’s a stimulating and well-paying field. A business writer follows a company style guide to convey an idea or concept for internal and, sometimes, external use.

For example, a business writer could take notes from an executive and turn them into a compelling business case for the wider team. They could also articulate the values of a business in everyday concise language for a presentation, pitch deck or company manifesto.

Copywriting describes using words to sell products and services to a target audience. A copywriter produces copy for websites, sales pages and email funnels. They aim to convince readers to act, for example, opting in for a lead magnet with their email address, taking out a trial or buying a product. A copywriter can also branch into social media and content writing. Copywriters can earn high-five and even six figures annually by providing this service to companies or clients.

The art of copywriting involves holding the attention of readers. For this reason, it’s a valuable skill for those writing online. A good copywriting formula can help a writer finish an article or blog post quickly. Learn how to become a copywriter .

Content writing is similar to copywriting. A content writer produces blog posts, articles, ebooks and guides for companies or online businesses. They may also write YouTube video scripts and social media posts.

A content writer typically charges clients a per-word rate, usually between four and ten cents, depending on the complexity of the topic. Content writing has become more popular for freelancers because most online businesses thrive on content.

A well-run niche website, for example, publishes a set number of SEO-optimized articles each month to increase traffic and revenue. The owner of this site depends on a team of knowledgeable content writers to achieve their publication and revenue goals. If you’d like to try this discipline, read our guide explaining what does a content writer do ?

Poetry is something most writers try for fun. It’s a surprisingly rewarding discipline as a writer can play around with words, imagery and sensory language. Usually, an aspiring poet isn’t trying their hand at this type of writing to supplement their income. Instead, it’s a creative challenge .

Perhaps the most accessible type of poetry to start with is Haiku. It’s a type of Japanese poetry whereby the first line contains five syllables, the second 7 and the third 5. Haiku is only one form of poetry to explore. Read our guide to the most common types of poetry . For example, consider this ancient Haiku by Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō:

An old silent pond A frog jumps into the pond— Splash! Silence again. – Matsuo Bashō

A critic considers a piece of popular media and analyzes it for a general audience. The most obvious example is a film critic who watches a film and then explains whether readers should watch it in newspaper articles or online.

Critical writing is often subjective rather than objective because it’s written from the reviewer’s point of view. After all, one person’s art is another’s trash! However, writing reviews requires deep knowledge and understanding of the topic or medium in question… or at least an ability to entertain readers with your point of view. Popular forms of critical writing include:

• Film reviews
• Game reviews
• Music reviews

Scientific writing involves writing literature reviews, peer-reviewed journal papers, and grant proposals. They read the prevailing literature about a topic, review current thinking and then provide a synopsis and evaluation. A scientific writer backs up their argument or points with evidence and citations. Ideally, a scientific writer demonstrates precision, clarity and objectivity.

However, they’re usually writing for an expert audience who understands the topic, prevailing literature or works in the field. Therefore, a scientific writer doesn’t always have to explain basic concepts and ideas as they can assume their audience knows the basics.

Travel writing describes writing about your experiences while visiting a country, city or location. It sounds like a glamorous profession because you get paid to go on holiday! However, professional travel writers are often under strict deadlines and must see and do as much as possible quickly. That often cuts out any socializing. Travel writers also face competition from locals who can write about a location with more expertise than a visitor. Travel writers can earn a nice side income by blogging and writing about their trips online. For more, read our guide explaining how to become a travel writer .

Blogging is an immensely rewarding form of writing that started in 1997. If you’re going to start a blog today, expect competition. Reportedly, over 600 million blogs exist worldwide.

However, a writer can find success more easily if they write within a specific niche about topics readers are searching for, rather than their day or personal lives. The best blogs are self-hosted on WordPress and monetized through display advertising, affiliate promotions, and digital products. To learn more, read our guide to blogging for writers .

Technical writing is a specialized skill where writers take complex information and display it in a way that’s easy for readers to understand. Often, technical writing involves creating diagrams, graphs, charts and visuals to help explain the topic. Various sectors like finance, technology, IT, healthcare and STEM utilize technical writers to create articles and guides on specific topics. For more, learn how to get paid to write reviews .

Academic writing is used for all scholarly contexts, like school essays or college dissertations. It will almost always follow a structure and usually follows formatting guidelines like MLA or APA. Writing for academic purposes will involve research and narrative in a passive or third-person voice to maintain objectivity. Many resources are available to help with academic writing; check out our guide with the best essay-writing apps to get started.

Writers can explore many different styles, from creative to commercial. Selecting the right one depends on the reader, editor, publication, and writing goals . If you’re bored with one style, you can always try another for fun or to flex your creative muscles. 

FAQs About Types Of Writing

Consider your audience and the style guide for the publication in question. Identify what type of writing the editor expects for this topic, publication, situation, or brand. Consider how your piece can inform, educate, inspire or entertain readers.

Reading their examples is one of the best ways to learn writing styles. Notice how the writer grabs your attention, unfolds their main points, and communicates with you. Then practice, and ask someone–preferably a writer–to give you some feedback.

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Types of essays to expect in your IELTS Writing Task 2

Preparing for IELTS Writing? Read this article on the different types of essays you are likely to encounter in the test.

Content Tags

In Task 2 of the IELTS Writing test, you are asked to write an essay of at least 250 words in both the Academic and General training modules.  However, should you use the same approach to all essay questions?  The answer to this question is ‘no’ as there is more than one question type to consider when writing your answer. It is important to understand what the task requires from you because you may lose marks unnecessarily, even if you have good grammar and vocabulary.  Let’s have a look in more detail.

Opinion Essay

Here is a sample opinion essay question:

With traffic jams and pollution increasing every year in big cities, some people say that public transport should be free in big cities to help reduce these problems which are caused by cars. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In the introduction to the essay, you can provide some background information, but importantly, make sure you paraphrase the input language (the words from the question) and indicate your position on the matter.  For example:

With the growth of middle classes around the world, ownership of motor cars has become much more common, particularly for those who reside in large urban areas.  It has been argued that free public transport should be provided in these metropolises as a method to curb the amount of polluted air and traffic congestion. This essay will explain why this approach should not be undertaken for cost and mobility reasons.

When it comes to your body paragraphs, it is important to have one core idea that you extend and develop.  You can do this by mentioning further explanation about a particular point, an example, a consequence or possibly a concession.  Let’s compare the two paragraphs below:

Paragraph A

The reasons for not providing free public transport for urban residents are diverse.  Firstly, there would be a significant cost for the government to pay for this, meaning they would have no option but to raise taxes for individuals rather than for industry which produces more pollution.  Secondly, this would be unfair for those who need to use vehicles for more door-to-door travel, such as people who live far from train and bus stations or those who need to carry many things with them.  Furthermore, if public transport is free, there would be overcrowding on trains and buses, meaning that people simply replace one type of inconvenience for another.

Paragraph B

Looking at the argument from a cost perspective, even though there is an initial financial advantage for commuters with savings made on fuel, at some point down the track this would be lost, as municipal governments would have no choice but to raise taxes to pay for the construction, management and maintenance of public transport facilities.  If the funds allocated to this were invested in how to make vehicles greener instead, such as with electric cars, the issue of air pollution would be addressed in a more cost-effective way. For example, the city of Taiyuan in China now has better air quality partly due to the investment they made in electric taxis and buses.

Paragraph A addresses the question, but it does have some issues:

1. There is no topic sentence.

2. There are too many ideas. It is better to have one core idea which is expanded or extended rather than making a list of separate items.

The reasons for not providing free public transport for urban residents are diverse. Firstly, there would be a significant cost for the government to pay for this, meaning they would have no option but to raise taxes for individuals rather than for industry which produces more pollution.  Secondly, this would be unfair for those who need to use vehicles for more door-to-door travel, such as people who live far from train and bus stations or those who need to carry many things with them. Furthermore, if public transport is free, there would be overcrowding on trains and buses, meaning that people simply replace one type of inconvenience for another.

Paragraph B is better developed than Paragraph A because:

It has a clear central topic (money)

The topic is extended with:

A concession

A consequence

Lastly, it is useful to end your essay with a conclusion.  This is where you can review your answer (your position plus the main points from the body paragraphs) and finish off with a final thought or suggestion.  For example:

To summarise, free public transport is not a viable option to reduce road blockages and improve air quality, as there are better cost efficient ways to do this and the mobility issues it can cause.  Moving forward, cities around the world should adopt greener transport options whether they be public or personal to ensure better traffic flow with fewer impurities in the air.

Discussion Essay

Here is a sample discussion essay.

Some people say that children should learn a foreign language when they are at kindergarten, but others feel that it is better for children to do this when they are teenagers. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

The main thing to understand in a task like this is that there are 3 parts to the answer:

Discuss both of these views (1st and 2nd part)

and give your own opinion (3rd part)

When it comes to your introduction, it is important to mention both of these views, plus indicating your position can also be a good approach. For example:

Given that the world has become more globalised, the need to be able to use foreign languages has increased.  As a result, there are those who believe that a child’s kindergarten years should be when another language is introduced, while the opposing view is that it is more ideal to wait for when a youngster reaches adolescence.  This essay will reflect on both of these viewpoints before concluding with why the infancy argument is more valid.

When you ‘discuss both of these views’ in your body paragraphs, make sure you avoid mentioning your personal view.  This can avoid any confusion between what you think and what they views of others are.  Here are some introductory parts to the body paragraphs when discussing both views:

Looking at the kindergarten perspective firstly, the key reason why some claim this is a beneficial approach is …

With regards to waiting for the teenage years, supporters of this view argue that …

You will see that the writer has used phrases like ‘some claim’ and ‘supporters of this view’ to make sure that his/her own opinion is clearly separated.  When introducing your own perspective, you can clearly mark it as follows:

On balance, my personal view is to support the former view because …

Weighing up both sides of the issue, despite the confusion a second language can cause youngsters in their development, I am of the belief that...

Two-part Questions

Another question type you may see in your IELTS Writing test is one where you have two separate prompts you need to answer. Here are a few examples:

These days, many cities have problems when they grow quickly, such as accidents and traffic jams. Why do these problems occur? How do these problems impact people who travel for work or study?

A trend in current times is the need for many workers to spend time outside of company hours on answering text and e-mail messages for their job. What problems does this cause for the worker? What can be done to reduce the impact of these problems?

It is becoming very common these days for students to take courses over the Internet instead of in face-to-face classrooms. Why are more students choosing this way of learning? Is this a positive or a negative development?

In this type of task, you can write a body paragraph on each of the two questions, but it is important to fully understand what you focus should be. Try to match these tasks (A, B or C) with the type of response required:

Task Type                      Sample Question

1. Cause + opinion:           A, B or C?

2. Cause + effect:              A, B or C?

3. Cause + solution           A, B or C?

We can look at these sample questions in more detail now:

Why do these problems occur? = cause

How do these problems impact people who travel for work or study?   = effect

Therefore, this matches Type 2.

What problems does this cause for the worker?   = effect

What can be done to reduce the impact of these problems?   = solution

Therefore, this matches Type 3.

Why are more students choosing this way of learning?   = cause

Is this a positive or a negative development?   = opinion

Therefore, this matches Type 1.

We hope you found this article useful in helping you better prepare for the different types of essays you are likely to encounter in the IELTS Writing test.

Achieve your desired band score in IELTS Writing

The IELTS Writing test is considered as one of the toughest sections of the IELTS test. It doesn’t have to be when you have the right tools to boost your preparation and be confident on your test day. Check out these articles to learn more about the IELTS Writing test: 

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to understand IELTS question prompts  

How to paraphrase and boost your IELTS Writing Score  

Edit your IELTS Writing to avoid mistakes  

The A to Z of IELTS

Find the list of related articles you need to improve your speaking, writing, and reading skills. Now, prepare and aim for a high band score

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Published on March 07, 2023

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How many types of essays are there in PTE?

Broadly speaking, there are four types of essay topics in the PTE test. This post will discuss this matter with some examples for each topic.

1. Argument type

In this type of PTE essay topic, you are presented with two options and you are supposed to stick to one side and support it. For example;

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals. Do you agree or disagree?

2. Discussion type (Advantage or disadvantage)

In this type of essay, PTE candidates are supposed to write about a particular part of a topic that the content writer highlights. The following is a good example.

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This could be good news for individuals but it may have negative consequences for our society. What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?  

3. Problem-solution type

As the name implies, PTE candidates are presented with a problem and they are supposed to write about possible solutions to it. Here is an example:

Some people say that the Internet is responsible for destroying social skills of teenagers and young adults. Why do you think the Internet is seen as dangerous in this way and what can we do to ensure that it does not harm the social development of teenagers and young people?  

4. Opinion type

As it says on the tin, PTE candidates need to express their opinion on a particular topic. The following topics are real PTE essay topics:

Who do you think is the most influential person in the world? Support your choice with examples.

What do you think is the most important invention of the last century? Give reasons and examples where necessary.

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In order to learn the tricks of how to ace the PTE academic test, do a free scored PTE mock test and practice real PTE materials on our PTE practice platform, visit our website at www. the pte.com , where you can also book a free online PTE coaching with one of our Melbourne-based expert PTE trainers via the zoom app.

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What are the Different Types of Argumentative Essays? (Answered)

by  Antony W

April 7, 2022

Argumentative writing is by far one of the moist common types of essay assignments that you’ll have to complete in college.

It requires you to look at an issue, present each side of the issue, but make a strong case for one side in particular.

We’ve covered quite a lot on argumentative essay writing already.

Our goal with this guide is to give you more insight on the different types of argumentative essays, which your instructor may ask you to base your assignment on.

What are the Main Types of Argumentative Essays?

There are three types of argumentative essay that your instructor may require you to make. 

These are as follows:

1. Classical Argumentative Essay

Developed by Aristotle , a classical argument convinces a reader to look into a specific point of view.

In an argumentative essay, the classical model requires you to look into both sides of an argument. As you analyze each side, you’ll pick one and use clear authenticity academic and statistical evidence to prove it right.

A classical argument doesn’t require you to prove if something is factual or otherwise. Instead, it invites the utilization of authenticity, emotion, time and logic to persuade an audience to agree with your point of view and accept your side on an issue.

The elements of a classical argument include an introduction to the essay, a presentation of your perspective on a claim, an explanation for and against the other side of the argument, evidence that your claim is true, and an overall conclusion.

Parts of a Classical Argument in an Argumentative Essay

A classical argumentative essay has five parts.

Introduction

Center the introduction on the subject of the argument . Make sure you provide sufficient background information to create awareness of the problem you’d like to address in the essay.

More importantly, the introduction should communicate your specific position on a claim. 

And don’t forget to write a thesis statement for the argument as you close up this section.

The Confirmation

Your audience expects more than just a reason to accept your side of the argument. Using both artistic and inartistic arguments to support your position can be enough to meet the expectation of the kind of proof your audience needs.

If your audience must consider your position, you must present arguments that support your thesis in a way that will get them to agree with your claim(s).

As you provide your artistic and inartistic proof to defend your side, try to focus on the evidence that they can respond well to.

The Concession/Refutation

This is a two-part section where you have to agree and counter argue the subject under discussion.

For concession, include points that will draw your audience’s attention and make them want to listen to you. Only make sure the points you provide don’t come close to weakening your own side of the argument.

To make a solid concession, you’ll have to implement pathos and ethos to create a conducive environment for not only listening but also learning.

For refutation , use facts, reasons, and even testimony to show that the opposing points are inaccurate or based on insufficient evidence. 

The Conclusion

A classical argument without a good conclusion, or no conclusion at all, isn’t going to be nearly as helpful. It makes sense to learn how to conclude an argument so that you can do it properly.

To be clear, the conclusion isn’t the section to restate the thesis or repeat your topic sentence. Rather, your focus should be on answering the "so what" question without introducing a new topic to the argument.

You may have to spend some time in this section before you come up with a relevant conclusion for the classical argument.

2. Rogerian Argumentative Essay

Named after the famous American psychologist, Carl Rogers , the Rogerian type of argument is the ideal structure to use if you want to discuss the most controversial subjects.

Using this approach, you can easily discuss sensitive matters and get the audience to agree with or against your position without creating an environment for hostility.

This type of argument seeks to present an issue in a respectful way and find a compromise without hurting any person’s emotions.

Unlike with the middle ground argument, the Rogerian presents an optimal position for the opposing side and, at the same time, finds a compromise that both parties can agree with.

The Rogerian argument has a structure that’s completely different from the classical argument.

The outline should highlight the following sections:

• The Introduction : give your audience a reason to care about the subject in question
• Opposing view : give a summary of the opposing view, making sure you clearly cover why the audience care about the subject.
• Your position’s statement : make your audience understand why you care about the issue you wish to discuss in the subject
• Resolution : should consider all sides, try to give objective suggestions on what you think should be done to resolve the issue at hand 

3. Toulmin Argumentative Essay

With the Toulmin approach, you’ll break your arguments into claims, backing, rebuttal, grounds, warrant and qualifier.

You’ll start with the primary argument, provide factual evidence to support the claim, and then link a warrant to the claim in question.

While backing, rebuttal, and qualifier elements aren’t quite common in the Toulmin argument, it doesn’t mean they aren’t important. You’re free to add them when and if necessary.

Do keep in mind that by using these elements fully, with claim, grounds, and warrant being the most significant options to focus on, you can easily come up with a well-constructed argument that your audience will easily agree with.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

How Many Types of Essays are there in IELTS Writing Task 2?

In the IELTS writing task 2, you are given an essay question which must be written in minimum 250 words and for this, you are given 40 minutes time. There are different types of essays asked in the IELTS writing task 2. Let us discuss the different types of IELTS essays in detail:

Discussion and Opinion Based Essay

This is one of the common IELTS writing task 2 essay questions. In this type of essay, you are required to discuss two opinions given in the question statement and also you have to give your personal opinion. For example,

Some people think that using animals for food and transportation should be completely banned. On the other hand, other people believe that using animals for meat and experiments is fair.

Discuss both the views and give your own opinion.  

Agree/Disagree Essay

Another type of IELTS writing task 2 essay is the one where you are given a statement and then you need to explain whether you agree or disagree on it. You can also partially agree and partially disagree on that statement. However, it is better to give strong and clear opinion. For example,

Crime rate has increased with the advancement of technology.

To what extent do you agree or disagree on this statement?

Do you agree or disagree on this view?

Two Parts Essay

In this IELTS writing task 2 essay type, you get question in two parts. There are two different parts of the question which you must answer. For example,

Many children have become habitual about excessively using mobile applications day and night.

Why do you think this is so?

What parents can do to avoid this situation declining further?

Compare and Contrast Essay

Another type of IELTS writing task 2 essay is the one where you are to make comparisons between two objects by listing out similarities and differences between the two. For example,

Some people prefer living in houses as compared to others who believe apartments are better than houses.

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of living in houses and apartments.

Problems and Solutions Essay

The other type of IELTS writing task 2 essay is the one where you are required to list out problems associated with a particular topic and then you need to suggest solutions to those problems. For example,

Traffic congestion has become one of the major issues in cities.

What are the problems people face due to traffic?

Discuss the possible solutions of overcoming it.

Causes (Reasons) and Solutions Essay

Another type of IELTS writing task 2 essay similar to problems and solutions essay is causes (reasons) and solutions essay which can be explained in three parts of causes, reasons and solutions or two parts of causes and solutions. For example,

Pollution has drastically increased with more and more people switching to personal vehicles.

What are the causes of pollution?

Discuss the solutions to overcome the problem of pollution.

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

In this type of IELTS writing task 2 essay, you will be writing about advantages and disadvantages of something. You must answer both in order to meet the task requirement. For example,

Online payment is increasingly becoming the most preferred method of payment than cash or other payment methods.

What are the advantages of making online payment?

What are its disadvantages?

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Types of Writing Genres: A Short Guide

• Post author By admin
• October 11, 2022

In this blog, we will discuss the different types of writing genres. Every genre of writing has its mindset and set of expectations. Genres are the tool for creativity and provide various perspectives to tell your story in different ways. 

As a writer, your work will fit into a certain genre whether you want it or not, and that is purely based on what you are creating. On one side, some work may fit into one Genre. On the other hand, some may have different genres.

There are three different types of writing genres that we will take a look at in this blog. We have separated writing genres like Professional Writing, Literary Writing, and, lastly, Academic Writing.

If you’re wondering which one is right for you then this is the right place for you. 

Here we will discover different writing genres that you need to know!

So, without further ado, let’s dive into it!

Table of Contents

What is the Need for Types of Writing Genres?

They Help Writers Sort Out Their Ideas and Feelings : When writers know what kind of writing they are doing, they can use the rules of that kind of writing to help them organize their writing. This can speed up the writing process and help writers make work simpler and more sense.

They Help People Know What to Expect From a Piece of Writing : When a reader knows the genre of a piece of writing, they can guess what they know about it to guess what the piece is about. This can help people read faster and better understand what they are reading.

They Help Writers Connect With the People Who Read Their Work : When writers choose the right type for their readers, their writing is easier to understand and more interesting to read. This can help writers connect with their readers and reach their goals for dialogue.

Aside From These General Benefits: there are other reasons to use different types of writing. For example, expository writing can help writers explain complicated ideas clearly, while descriptive writing can help writers paint detailed pictures in the minds of their readers. Narrative writing can help writers tell stories that entertain and teach, while persuasive writing can help writers persuade readers to do something.

They Can Help a Writer Find His or Her Voice : By trying different types of writing, writers can find the type that fits their style and attitude the best. This can help writers find their style, which will help them connect with their readers.

They Can Help Writers Come Up With Better Ideas : Writers can stretch their creative skills and develop new ideas if they try to write in different styles. This can make writers more creative and help them develop more original ideas.

They Can Help Writers Get Better at What They Do :  Writers can improve their skills by learning the rules of different types of writing. This can help writers write better and make their work look more polished.

In the end, there are different types of writing because they are used for different things. If writers know the rules for each type, they can choose the right one for their purpose and audience. This will help them write in a clear, powerful, and interesting way.

What are Writing Genres?

The writing Genre is mostly called the name of Literary Genre. It is a type of narrative that can be used or written. Mostly, it is used for one purpose only to share emotions, ideas, and news with other people. Writing Genre is used to tell the story interestingly. 

Writing within each Genre will reflect a whole new story and share several features like rhyme, image, and stylistic devices. The main focus of each Genre is to describe the events, theory, and several ideas in certain ways. In other words, the aim of each writing genre is how the elements are conveyed and described. 

What are the Different Types of Writing Genres?

Three main types of Writing Genres are as follows:

• Professional Writing.
• Literary Writing.
• Academic Writing.

Professional Writing Genre (Types of Writing Genres)

Social media .

Social Media is a growing genre in business communication. The level of discussion in social media may vary depending on the topic and audience. Well-considered successful post on social media to help understand how it’s used to reach a wider target audience.

Business Letters

It can be both formal and informal. A perfectly written business letter shows the reader why it is important. If you want successful communication, then a structured approach is very important.

Memos 

Well, Memos provide a clear summary, and the most crucial information is given at the beginning, but Paper Memos are no longer used nowadays. A positive tone is used to help the reader understand what the author is trying to say, making it appropriate for the users. 

In the past, memos were considered the best business correspondence. The Main Guideline of the memo still exists, even if the median of the paper memo has been changed. 

Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes include dates, times, attendees, and location. This is the standard format of Meeting Minutes. It is also important to record the most crucial details to avoid any misunderstanding later.

As a result, there are many ways involved in recording meeting minutes. The minutes should be uniform with the location and names. Unnecessary information should be avoided so that it can not cause any difficulty later.

This is the end of the Professional writing genre. Now we move to the Literary writing genre, and lastly, we will continue with the Academic Genre. 

Literary Writing Genre (Types of Writing Genres)

Mystery .

This Genre is mostly associated with crime, mainly murder, but it does have to be. Any story which involves the unraveling of a secret or mystery would be considered within this Genre. 

This Genre often describes a criminal investigation or legal case. Well, the most popular novel is The Sherlock Holmes Story. Mystery novels are a genre that typically has a problem to solve. 

Category of Mystery Genre:

• Locked-room mysteries.
• Historical mysteries.
• Police procedural whodunit. ( A story about a murder in which the identity of the murderer is hidden at the end )

Literary nonfiction

Literary nonfiction is all about real events and people. Nonfiction can be found in magazines like The Atlantic, The New York, and Harper’s Magazine. 

This type of Genre is associated with creating feelings of fear and dread. Some of you might think of this Genre as full of “blood and gore”. Anything which creates negative feelings about something will come under the category of Horror. 

Horror is the genre of film, literature, and TV shows. The main aim of the horror genre is to create fear. 

Gothic novels are an example of ancient horror literature. On the other hand, Stephen King is considered the father of modern horror literature. Well, nowadays, new writers have pushed the boundaries of horror stories. Writers include John Langan, Stephen Graham Jones, and many more.

In the Historical Genre, the story takes place in the past. Sometimes real people are included to interact with the fictional character to create a sense of realism. 

Romance 

This Genre deals with the love stories between two people. The element of romance can be found in many types of literature. Romance has been there since ancient times, but time travels so fast, and the paranormal romances have become more popular nowadays. 

Science Fiction

As the name suggests, Science Fiction is the genre that deals with science and technology in society. Science fiction is a special type of Genre that includes elements of time travel, futuristic societies, and space. People often call Science Fiction ( Sci-Fi ) . 

Magical realism

Magical realism is a type of literature in which the real world is depicted with an influence of magic and fantasy. In magical realism, the stories may occur in the real world but with some supernatural elements. Magical realism has close ties with Latin American Authors. Magical realism is used by literature from around the globe.

Fantasy novels are fiction stories that are set in imaginary universes. This Genre is inspired by folklore and mythology that is enjoyed by both children and adults 

Dystopian novels are about futuristic and oppressive societies. In other words, the Dystopian novel features some political and social unrest. It can help us examine real types of fear like mass surveillance by the government.

Graphic Fiction

Graphic Fiction is the category of Graphic Novels and Comic Books.

Short Stories

Well, this type of Genre may fit into any number of genres. In Short stories, there is only one plot to it, no subplot in this Genre. 

Tall Tales stories are not realistic or don’t try to become realistic. 

Academic Writing Genre (Types of Writing Genres)

Analytical writing.

In Analytical writing, the author has a chance to include persuasive writing. A common layout uses the structure of methods, results, introduction, summary, and discussion. 

Professional Writing 

Professional Writing is a wide category that includes emails, studies, reports, business letters, and summaries. If you are writing for a client, then it is beneficial for you to follow the style rule of the company. 

Argumentative Writing

Argumentative writing is a type of academic essay. In this, the writer breaks down an idea into its parts and then offers evidence for each part. This writing is mostly based on understanding and reading fiction or nonfiction texts. 

Argumentative writing has three sections:

• Evidence or supporting point.
• Conclusion.

Most Common Types of Writing Genres That You Should Know

Descriptive writing .

In Descriptive writing, the author writes about every aspect of the person, place, or event and describes all aspects in detail. 

Example of Descriptive Writing:

• Narrative Nonfiction.
• Fictional Stories.

Expository Writing

Expository writing is used to educate the reader. So the main goal of expository writing is to teach the reader rather than entertainment.

Example of Expository Writing:

• Technical Writing.
• Recipes writing.

Narrative Writing

Narrative Writing is used to tell people what happens somewhere or with someone. Narrative Writing includes Fiction and nonfiction. Whereas nonfiction is based on real events, and fiction writing is completely made up. 

Example of Narrative Writing:

• Short-story.
• Presentations
• Speeches, and many more.

Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is used to convince the reader about something. This type of writing is written when the author has a strong opinion on something. It is used to encourage people to take action regarding any issue. 

Example of Persuasive Writing:

• An opinion piece in the newspaper.
• Sales writing.

Read more about writing styles: Different Types Of Writing Styles

Now you know the different types of writing genres and their most used forms. So which Genre or form is close to you, and which one do you use the most. In this blog, we provide you with a short guide to types of writing genres, with the most common Genre that you should know. 

I hope you like it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.what are the seven styles of writing.

The seven most common types of essay writing Narrative Descriptive Expository Persuasive Compare  Reflective Personal

Q2. What are the three main genres of literature?

The three major genres are: Drama Poetry Prose

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How to Use Transition Words for Essays + Examples

Transition words play a key role in essay writing. They connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, helping readers follow your text easily. These words do many jobs, from comparing things to showing cause and effect. They turn scattered thoughts into a clear story.

Learning to use transition words for essays isn't just about making your writing sound better. It's about making your ideas clearer and easier for readers to understand. Let's look at transition words and how to use them well in your essays.

Understanding Transition Words for Essays

Transition words for essays are like road signs. They guide readers through your ideas. They help show how your thoughts connect, making your writing easier to follow.

The Purpose and Placement of Transition Sentences

Transition sentences do several important things:

• They make your ideas flow better
• They help readers grasp your main point
• They link sentences and paragraphs
• They show how ideas relate to each other
• They make your writing easier to read

Where you put transitions matters. They're often used:

• Between parts of an essay to sum up or introduce new ideas
• Between paragraphs to show connections or changes in focus
• Within paragraphs to link related thoughts

Here's an example: 

"The Industrial Revolution brought many new technologies. On the other hand, it also caused social problems."

In this case, "On the other hand" shows a contrast between the good and bad effects of the Industrial Revolution.

Putting transitions in the right places helps your ideas flow smoothly. For instance, transition words to start a paragraph in an essay can signal a new point or a shift in focus, preparing the reader for what's next.

Types of Transitions Words

There are different types of transition words for essays, each with its own job. Knowing these types can help you pick the right words for different parts of your writing.

• Adding information: "Also," "In addition," "Furthermore"
• Showing contrast: "But," "However," "On the other hand"
• Showing cause and effect: "So," "As a result," "Therefore"
• Showing order: "First," "Second," "Finally"
• Giving examples: "For example," "Such as," "To illustrate"

Using different transition words can make your essay flow better and be more coherent. Aithor can suggest good transition words based on what your essay is about, helping you improve your writing.

Creating Smooth Transitions in Your Writing

To make your transitions smooth:

• Use your essay's structure to find logical connections between sections.
• Put transitions where they best show how ideas relate.
• Don't use too many transition words, or your writing might sound forced.
• Try not to use the same few transitions over and over.

Remember, sometimes less is better. Using too many transition words can make your writing sound unnatural. Writing tools like Aithor can help you find places where transitions might make your essay flow better, suggesting good transition words based on your essay's content.

List of Transitions

Let's look at different types of transition words and phrases you can use in your essays:

1. Addition

Transition words to start a paragraph in an essay that add information include:

• Furthermore
• Additionally
• In addition

Example: "The new policy aims to cut down on carbon emissions. Also, it encourages the use of energy from renewable sources."

2. Contradiction

To show contrast, you can use:

• Nevertheless
• On the other hand
• In contrast
• Despite this

Example: "Many people thought the project would fail. On the other hand, it did better than anyone expected."

3. Condition

Conditional transitions include:

• Provided that
• In the event that

Example: "The company will grow bigger if the market stays good."

4. Emphasis

To highlight important points, use:

• Undoubtedly

Example: "The experiment gave surprising results. In fact, it made people question many old theories in the field."

5. Similarity

Transition words for the second body paragraph showing similarity include:

• In the same way

Example: "The novel explores themes of love and loss. In the same way, the author's previous work dealt with complex human emotions."

To show outcomes or consequences, use:

• As a result
• Consequently

Example: "The team worked very hard on the project. As a result, they finished it early."

7. Conclusion Transitions

Transition words for the conclusion paragraph include:

• In conclusion
• To summarize

Example: "In conclusion, the study shows that social media greatly affects how consumers behave."

8. Sequence

To show order or progression, use:

• First, Second, and Third
• Subsequently

Example: "First, we'll look at the data. Then, we'll explain what it means. Finally, we'll make conclusions based on what we found."

9. Location

Spatial transitions include:

• Adjacent to
• In the vicinity of

Example: "The rare plant was found growing nearby the river bank."

As you start writing, remember this important tip: use transition words carefully. While these words help make your writing easy to read, using too many can confuse your reader. Think of transition words like spices in food — they make it taste better, but too much can ruin the dish.

Your goal is to help your reader easily follow your ideas, not to create a maze of connecting words. So, when you write your next essay, remember: when it comes to transitions, often using fewer is better. Use them thoughtfully to make your argument clear, and your writing will be easy to understand and follow.

If you want to get even better at writing essays, Aithor has special features that can help you choose the best transitions for what you're writing about, making sure your essays flow smoothly from start to finish.

Happy writing!

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Top 10 Free Essay Writing Tools for Students in 2024

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Writing an essay seems less challenging once all relevant sources and ideas are in place. Several essay writing apps can help you generate an outline for essays. Moreover, you can use these apps to write your essay. In this article, we have listed the top ten essay writing tools that can help you improve your essay and get good grades.

When discussing essay writing apps, we mean essay writing and editing tools that improve your work, not apps that provide readymade essays. Many of the free essay writing tools available online are powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). We do not encourage copying essays as that can bring about unsavory results. 

So, none of the tools that have made it to our list of top ten essay writing tools will help you cheat. They will, of course, help improve your essay to make it your best work. So, if you’re looking for a list of the best essay-writing tools, read on for detailed information.

Get an A+ with our essay editing services! Learn more

Top ten essay writing tools

Our top ten essay writing tools are a diverse list. They help you in various essay writing tasks such as planning your essay, writing it, improving it, and getting feedback when it’s complete. Here are the top 10 essay writing tools in 2024, including the best AI essay writing tools:

1. MyEssayWriter.ai

This is an AI-powered essay writing assistant designed for students. It provides personalized essays tailored to students’ specific topics and needs. As part of free services, the tool offers artificial intelligence-based essay outliners and writers. 

If you want a custom essay, you can place an order, and an expert will draft your essay for a fee. The rates depend on the academic level, urgency, and word count a student requires.

A high-school-level essay of 300 words returned within 7 days costs around $22. 

2. EssayService.ai

This is a user-friendly platform that offers various tools to improve essay quality. It includes real-time grammar and structure feedback and tone and style adjustments. It gives multiple essay generation options, with a free essay grader for students to have their essays checked.

The platform also offers a paid essay writing service, where you can calculate the charges by inputting information like essay type, number of words, and deadline, among others. 

A high-school-level essay of 300 words returned within 7 days costs around $22.

This is an AI writing tool offering various content formats, including essays. It allows users to choose topics, outlines, and writing styles for AI-generated essays. You can also brainstorm ideas and generate essay outlines. 

This tool helps you overcome writer’s block in the early stages of essay writing. All you need to do is create an account on the platform and start writing. 

The free version allows you to generate up to 10,000 words, while you can generate unlimited content for $7.5 per month as part of the “Unlimited” plan.

4. Writesonic

This is a content-creation tool, but it offers essay-writing features as well. It can generate essay outlines, introductions, and body paragraphs based on your input. The platform states that it provides plagiarism-free content. 

Writesonic can speed up the initial essay writing process and offer a basic structure for your essays. If you use this college essay writing tool judiciously, you can generate excellent essays that can get you the score you want. 

Chatsonic, which costs $12 per month if billed annually, offers a chat option with features similar to ChatGPT. 

5. Grammarly  

Grammarly is one of the best essay editing tools, offering users a choice between American and British English. Its AI helps you fix problems with spelling, punctuation, grammar, and style, enabling you to write better essays.

The free version highlights basic grammar mistakes while the paid version optimizes your use of language. This means that it flags things like repetitive phrases, vague wording, and excessive use of words.

Grammarly is available as both a download for MS Word and as a Chrome extension for Google Docs or other online formats.

Grammarly Premium costs $12 per month when billed annually. 

A powerful AI language model, ChatGPT can help you draft essays with a few clicks. It can generate essays based on prompts and instructions for various topics. ChatGPT can also help you create essay outlines and arguments.

This is an ideal tool for brainstorming and exploring different writing styles. However, it is crucial to verify the content it generates to ensure factual inaccuracies do not go unnoticed.

ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month with access to multiple versions of the platform.

7. Jasper.ai  

Jasper.ai is an AI writing assistant with features for creating various content formats, including essays. The copywriting tool allows users to write essays of all types, tailoring them to suit varied target audiences and writing tones. 

Since it offers long-form content generation with plagiarism checks , you can generate content of a certain depth. However, we recommend essay checking and editing to ensure quality.

Jasper’s “Creator” plan costs $39 per month for one-person access.

8. CollegeEssay.org

CollegeEssay.org offers an AI-powered essay writing tool designed to simplify the essay writing process for students. This tool uses advanced AI algorithms to generate free essays. It also offers grammar and plagiarism checks, in addition to a content paraphrasing tool . 

The platform also gives you the choice to order custom essays as part of paid essay writing services. However, free AI essay writing tools should do the job well if you are a student. 

A high-school-level essay of 300 words (considered one page) costs $11.

9. MyPerfectWords

This is an essay writing service with grammar and plagiarism checks, where you need to key in the topic and the relevant prompt. The essay writer then refers to multiple resources to write an essay using AI. 

Its citation tool can seamlessly integrate references relevant to your essay to ensure zero attribution issues.

It’s certainly a great tool for any essay writer!

Merlin brings users a comprehensive suite of writing tools, including essay writing. The tool asks you to specify the word count and academic level of the topic at hand, along with the essay-writing approach you wish to take. 

You can also review the generated content and modify the prompt/s to get different results. The platform shares pointers with users on how to ensure the integrity and accuracy of their content. 

Merlin’s free plan is quite beneficial for students since they allow 102 queries per day, and this limit resets every 24 hours. If you are interested in a paid plan, they offer the “Pro (Unlimited)” at a discounted price of $19 per month. The standard price without discount is $29.

Can writing tools help improve your essay?

Well, the short answer is that these tools certainly help. However, automated software might not always understand writing like human beings do. Hence, a human editor overseeing the job AI tools do can introduce more reliability to the essay writing process. This is because there’s no replacement for thorough research, critical thinking, and effective essay editing.

While you can use free AI tools to write your essay, seek essay editing and proofreading services offered by a company like PaperTrue. Once you’re done with your essay, just send it over to us for feedback before your submission deadline.

Want to keep reading? Here are the newest articles we’ve worked on:

• How to Write an Essay Outline
• Tips on How to Structure an Essay
• How to Write an Essay Header
• How to Format a College Essay
• How to Write an Expository Essay

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i choose the right essay-writing tool, how can i avoid plagiarism when using essay writing tools, are there any potential disadvantages of using essay writing tools.

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Thank you for sharing this valuable list of essay writing tools. I appreciate the focus on ethical writing practices and self-improvement. Thank you for the insightful post!

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