Types of essays

Help, you have to write an essay! But what does an essay actually look like? That depends on the kind of essay you are writing. Do you have to write an argumentative essay, a contemplative essay or a narrative essay? We will explain what these types of essays entail and how to properly construct each of them.

Of all the types of essays, the argumentative essay is the most common. This essay revolves entirely around a particular point of view you take. With arguments, you try to convince your reader to agree with your stance. On the one hand, you present arguments that support your point of view. On the other, you refute arguments that counter your point of view. 

Substantiation is very important in an argumentative essay. You show why and how an argument supports your point of view using statistics, facts, outcomes from scientific research, and other types of evidence.

A contemplative essay is different. The aim here is to inform the reader about different views on a topic. You name both pro and con arguments and also give your own opinion. You conclude a contemplative essay with a summary of the different points of view.

This type of essay does not aim to convince the reader of your opinion. The aim is for the reader to form their own opinion based on the different views you present. 

A narrative essay is less common. As the name suggests, you write this essay in the form of a story. That means you tell a story from the point of view of a particular character. This could be yourself (by writing from the 'I' persona) or you can use another character. Several characters emerge in the essay. The essay also has a clear storyline, often written in chronological order.

Of course, a narrative essay is not just a nice story. The story should support a specific point of view. Make this connection clear in the introduction and also end with a clear conclusion.

The structure of an essay depends on the type of essay you are writing. An argumentative essay is the most common. This one has a fairly fixed form. You start with an introduction, in which you also present your point of view. Then, you state arguments for and against your point, and refute the counter arguments. You end with a conclusion. 

In a contemplative essay, the structure is more or less the same. The difference is that you discuss multiple arguments and views side by side in the middle section. After all, you highlight more than one point of view. The conclusion here is more a summary of the different viewpoints than a chance to firmly underline your point of view once more.

A narrative essay is structured like a story. It has an introduction (including your point of view), a middle section with a plot, and a conclusion. In the middle section, you tell the story, often chronologically.

Whatever type of essay you write, it can be quite stressful to hand in your work. Is the writing style appropriate? Is the structure correct? Does the point of view (or points of view) come across well? 

AthenaCheck editors can check all that for you. They will give you feedback on your structure and common thread, and evencheck the essay for proper language and spelling.