(WW) Lesson Topic 1: The Big Four
Lesson Topic 1: The Big Four
The Essay
An essay is a piece of writing on a particular subject. What you want to say as a writer depends on the type of essay you end up writing. As you embark upon your educational career, you will be writing several types of essays. This unit will not only introduce the many kinds of essays you may write, but you will also learn how to set up every paper you write in MLA format.
An essay has many parts. The thesis statement is a major part of an essay because the thesis statement reveals the subject of the entire essay. All of the ideas, or thoughts and opinions that the writer has on the subject, must relate to the thesis statement. Ideas that relate to each other will be grouped into paragraphs.
Practice
Before we move ahead, use the slideshow below and write down the vocabulary words and definitions in order to become more familiar with the terms you will see in this unit.
Expository Essays
The expository essay requires writers to explain or inform the reader about a certain subject. Certain types of essays can fit under the category of expository. Writers can create a comparison and contrast essay that reveals the similarities and differences regarding a topic; they can also define an idea or show cause and effect within an essay. For example, a writer can take two characters in a story and write about how they are similar and different--this would be an expository essay.
Descriptive Essays
Descriptive essays provide vivid imagery describing an object, person, place, experience, emotion, or situation. With descriptive essays, the writer becomes an artist by painting pictures with words. Writers should use words that create imagery, so the reader can see, smell, taste, touch, and hear the description the author provides.
Narrative Essays
Narrative essays appear as though the writer is telling a story. These types of essays can be creative writing, but they can also involve personal experiences from the writer's life to get a point across. Although the narrative essay is more like a story, there should still be a reason for the essay because you do not want the ideas to appear random.
Persuasive Essays
Persuasive essays are also known as argumentative essays. With this type of essay, you will create a paper that argues your opinion about a topic or idea. These essays need support to prove your ideas are correct and believable. Persuasive essays are similar to expository essays, but persuasive essays require more research and support than expository essays.
Practice
Now, you will have a chance to practice your knowledge of the types of essays. Match the subject matter with the type of essay the topic corresponds to.
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