TOPIC 5: ESSAY GENRES UHB 20302:

ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION
WHAT IS AN ESSAY?
An essay, or personal-opinion paper requires:
critical thinking
organization
research.
COMMON TYPES OF ESSAYS
 Expository: Uses evidence, examples, or facts to
explain a concept or to inform about a topic with a
thesis as its base; the information must be
presented fairly and in a non-biased manner. Ex:
How to Stop Smoking
Descriptive: an essay that describes something or
someone by appealing to the reader’s senses: sight,
sound, touch, smell, and taste.
COMMON TYPES OF ESSAYS
Process: Shows how to complete a process, usually
in steps. Ex: Steps to Making the Perfect Pumpkin
Pie
Comparison-Contrast: Shows the similarities and
differences between ideas, people, objects, places,
and so forth. Ex: Dogs and Cats Are More Alike
Than Different
EXPOSITORY ESSAY
Originally used as an essay to explain, Expository is now a general term.
builds on critical thinking and research.
foundation for all other types of academic writing.
common college assignments
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY
Defined and narrowed thesis in introduction
Evidence, examples, statistics, or facts in each paragraph in the body of the
paper to support the thesis
Information presented fairly and in a non-biased manner, showing both sides
of the topic
The use of third-person rather than I or me
STRUCTURE OF AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY

Introduction (including the thesis statement)

Supporting body paragraphs
Conclusion
THESIS STATEMENT
The thesis statement conveys your opinion about a topic—the main idea of your
essay. The thesis is part of the introduction of your essay, usually positioned at or
near the end of the introduction.

INTRODUCTION
The introduction also includes:
 pertinent background information
 definition of unfamiliar terms
 other information your audience must know in order to understand your position.
An introduction needs to grab the attention of your readers and make them want to continue reading.
BODY AND CONCLUSION
Your thesis must be supported by facts, examples, reasons, and other objective
research in the body of your essay. The essay ends with a conclusion that neatly
wraps up your essay.
DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

A descriptive essay is simply an essay that

describes something or someone by appealing
to the reader’s senses: sight, sound, touch, smell,
and taste.
STEPS TO WRITING AN EFFECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
ESSAY:
1. Select a subject - Observation is the key to writing a good description. For
example, if you are writing about a place, go there and take notes on the sights,
sounds, and smells. A descriptive essay paints a picture for the reader, using
descriptive devices and the senses.

2. Create a thesis statement – A thesis statement is simply a sentence that tells the
reader what you are going to be talking about throughout the entire essay

• You’re thesis statement should never begin with phrases like, “I am going to be
talking about. . .”
STEPS TO WRITING AN EFFECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
ESSAY (CONT.)
• Since this is a descriptive essay, create a thesis that informs the reader of who or
what you will be describing.

Ex: “My bedroom is an ocean sanctuary”

Ex: “My family vacation to Disney World was a magical week of fun, laughter, and
sun-filled happiness.
 STEPS TO WRITING AN EFFECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
ESSAY (CONT.)
3. Select dominant details
- Make sure you are only writing about things that specifically support your thesis.

For example, if your thesis statement is talking about your sun-filled trip to the beach, don’t bore
the reader with meaningless details about your swimsuit. . . You should be describing the beach
itself, and perhaps some of the events that took place there (e.g. building a sandcastle, boogie-
boarding, parasailing, etc.)
STEPS TO WRITING AN EFFECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
ESSAY (CONT.)
4. Use descriptive words – do not use vague words or generalities (such as good,
nice, bad, or even beautiful).

• Think about it. . . Which sounds better?

“I ate a good dinner.”

Or
“I devoured a steaming hot, cheese-filled pepperoni pizza for dinner.”

See the difference?

STEPS TO WRITING AN EFFECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE
ESSAY (CONT.)
5. Provide sensory detail
- Smells that are in the air (the aroma of freshly brewed coffee)
- Sounds (traffic, honking horns, waves crashing)
- Sights (“The sun scattered tiny diamonds across dew-covered grass as it peeked out
from beyond the horizon.”)
- Touch (“The texture of the adobe hut’s walls resembled coarse sandpaper.”)
-Taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, tart (“Giant goose bumps formed on my tongue when I
accidently bit into a sliver of lemon.”)
6. Draw a logical conclusion - The conclusion may also use descriptive words;
however, make certain the conclusion is logical and relevant.
INSTRUCTIONAL ESSAY
A process essay explains
how to do something or
how something occurs.
An obvious example of
process writing is a recipe.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PROCESS WRITING
 Strict chronological order
 If the steps described are repeated, the same outcome should always be
achieved.
 Fixed order
 Clarity extremely important
 Transitions essential
TWO TYPES OF PROCESS WRITING
1. Instructions:
– Enables readers to perform a process
– A recipe, a handout, an operating manual are
examples of instruction writing.
– Use imperative mood.
– Subject of sentences is “you” understood; speak
directly to reader.
2. PROCESS EXPLANATION
• Purpose is to help reader understand how a process is carried out.
• Use either 1st person or 3rd person; not second person or imperative
mood.
• May be in present or past tense, depending on whether the writer is
explaining a process that takes place regularly or one that occurred in
the past, and on whether the writer or someone else carried out the
process.
 First Person
“After I place the chemicals in
Present the tray, I turn out the lights in
Tense the darkroom.”
(habitual process performed
by the writer)
“After I placed the chemicals
Past in the tray, I turned out the
Tense lights in the darkroom.”
(process performed in the
past by the writer)
Third Person
“After photographers place the
chemicals in the tray, they turn
out the lights in the darkroom.”
(habitual process performed by
someone other than the writer)
“After the photographer placed
the chemicals in the tray, she
turned out the lights in the
darkroom.”
(process performed in the past
by someone other than the
writer)
USING PROCESS WRITING
College writing for science, literature, history, or any
other subject.
Use process writing to persuade or to inform.
A process essay should have a clear thesis statement
that identifies the process and tells why it is
performed.
STRUCTURE OF PROCESS ESSAY
Introduction: identifies the process and indicates why
and under what circumstances it is performed.
 Includes thesis
 Introduces whatever materials or preliminary steps may be
needed.
STRUCTURE OF PROCESS ESSAY, CONT.
Body of essay
one major stage of the process in each
body paragraph.
Each stage may involve several steps
Formal Conclusion
 May not be necessary in very short, simple process essay.
 Briefly reviews the procedure’s major stages
 Reinforces the thesis by summarizing the results of the process, or explaining
its significance.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY
Contrasts draw out differences between two subjects.
Comparisons outline both similarities and differences between two
subjects.
Demonstrates how one subject is superior in some way to the other.
Demonstrates how two subjects, which appear dissimilar, are actually
similar.
Instead of judgmental, may be informational.
HOW DO I PREPARE TO WRITE A COMPARISON
AND CONTRAST ESSAY?
Brainstorm everything about two subjects.
Identify points that are relevant to both subjects.
Establish a dominant idea after examining points of
similarity and difference. This is the basis of the
comparison/contrast.
Select those traits to focus upon based upon the
dominant idea.
Be sure these traits are subject to the purpose —
desired accomplishment.
 HOW DO I WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT FOR
A COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAY?

Decide to what extent the similarities between subjects will be stressed, and to
what extent their differences will be stressed.
Create a thesis statement that reflects that decision.
 EXAMPLES: WEAK THESIS STATEMENTS

They are both somewhat alike and somewhat different.

I can see some similarities and some differences too.
Both of them involve (only a single similarity, no differences).
EXAMPLES: BETTER THESIS STATEMENTS

Ralph and Jack have very different leadership styles and

motivations which leads to the eventual chaos and anarchy on the
island.
In order to make a decision between the Honda Civic and the BMW,
consider the following criteria: price of the vehicle, average mileage,
and price of insurance.
SHOULD I USE BLOCK OR ALTERNATING
ARRANGEMENT?
Block: Treats all of the elements for each subject
separately.
Alternating: Treats each element with respect to each
subject sequentially.
If the comparison is short (a paragraph or two), then
the block method is fine.
Alternating is usually preferable for longer
comparisons; there is a risk that a block essay will
sound like two separate essays weakly connected
with a transitional paragraph or sentence.
PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION
--BLOCK--

Price Mileage Insurance

BMW
→→
2nd
Paragraph

Honda
Civic
→→
rd
3
Paragraph
OUTLINE -- BLOCK METHOD
I. Introduction III. Honda Civic
a) Hook a) Price
b) Background Information
b) Mileage
c) Thesis
c) Insurance
II. BMW
a) Price IV. Conclusion
b) Mileage
c) Insurance
a) Emphasize Major Ties
b) So What? Evaluate
c) Clincher
PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION
--ALTERNATING--

2nd Paragraph 3rd Paragraph 4th Paragraph

Price Mileage Insurance
BMW ↓ ↓ ↓
↓ ↓ ↓
Honda ↓ ↓ ↓
Civic
↓ ↓ ↓
OUTLINE -- ALTERNATING
I. Introduction IV. Insurance
a) Hook
b) Background Information a) BMW
c) Thesis b) Honda
II. Price
a) BMW IV. Conclusion
b) Honda a) Emphasize Major Ties
III. Mileage b) So What? Evaluate
a) BMW c) Clincher
b) Honda
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THUMB WITH
COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS?
Be sure to discuss both subjects equally in terms of coverage.
Be sure to discuss the same elements for each subject; do not
discuss one element for one subject and not do so for the other!
Decide either upon block or alternating arrangement; do not
mix.
Have a clear purpose to achieve in the comparison/contrast.