TY P ES O F ESS AY

N arrative Essays
In anarrative essayyou tell a story, but you

also make a point. So, it is like a story told for a

reason.
All narrative essays follow the authors main
purpose of telling a personal experience or
anecdote that constitutes the topic of the essay.
Narrative essay, though written in the authors
point of view, should be engaging to the
readers.
It should have a clear and focused intent that is
written in the essays introduction.

Elem ents ofN arrative Essays

he focus of a narrative essay is the plot,

which is told using enough details to

build to a climax. Here's how:
It is usually told chronologically.
It usually has a purpose, which is usually

stated in the opening sentence.

It may use dialogue.
It is written with sensory details and vivid
descriptions to involve the reader. All these
details relate in some way to the main point
the writer is making.

Tips on w riting N arrative essays

When writing a narrative essay, remember that you are

sharing sensory and emotional details with the reader.

Your words need to be vivid and colorful to help the reader

feel the same feelings that you felt.

Elements of the story need to support the point you are
making and you need to remember to make reference to that
point in the first sentence.
You should make use of conflict and sequence like in any
story.
You may use flashbacks and flash forwards to help the story
build to a climax.
It is usually written in the first person, but third person may
also be used.
Remember, a well-written narrative essay tells a story and
makes a point.

Exam ples ofnarrative essays

Learning can be scary

This excerpt about learning new things and new
situations is an example of a personal narrative
essay that describes learning to swim.
Learning something new can be a scary
experience. One of the hardest things I've ever
had to do was learn how to swim. I was always
afraid of the water, but I decided that swimming
was an important skill that I should learn. I also
thought it would be good exercise and help me
to become physically stronger. What I didn't
realize was that learning to swim would also
make me a more confident person.

Cont .
New situations always make me a bit nervous,
and my first swimming lesson was no exception.
After I changed into my bathing suit in the
locker room, I stood timidly by the side of the
pool waiting for the teacher and other students
to show up. After a couple of minutes the
teacher came over. She smiled and introduced
herself, and two more students joined us.
Although they were both older than me, they
didn't seem to be embarrassed about not
knowing how to swim. I began to feel more at
ease.

The M anager.The Leader

The following excerpt is a narrative essay from a story
about a manager who was a great leader. Notice the
intriguing first sentence that captures your attention right
away.
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always
in a good mood and always had something positive to say.
When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would
reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a
unique manager because he had several waiters who had
followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The
reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his
attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was
having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how
to look on the positive side of the situation.

The Clim b
This excerpt from the climb also captures your
attention right away by creating a sense of mystery.
The reader announces that he or she has "this fear"
and you want to read on to see what that fear is.
I have this fear. It causes my legs to shake. I break
out in a cold sweat. I start jabbering to anyone who
is nearby. As thoughts of certain death run through
my mind, the world appears a precious, treasured
place. I imagine my own funeral, then shrink back at
the implications of where my thoughts are taking
me. My stomach feels strange. My palms are
clammy. I am terrified of heights.

Cont
Of course, its not really a fear of being
in a high place. Rather, it is the view of
a long way to fall, of rocks far below
me and no firm wall between me and
the edge. My sense of security is
screamingly absent. There are no
guardrails, flimsy though I picture
them, or other safety devices. I can
rely only on my own surefootedness
or lack thereof.

D isney Land
The following narrative essay involves a
parent musing about taking her kids to
Disney Land.
It was a hot sunny day, when I finally
took my kids to the Disney Land. My son
Matthew and my daughter Audra
endlessly asked me to show them the
dream land of many children with Mickey
Mouse and Snow-white walking by and
arousing a huge portion of emotions.

Cont
Somehow these fairy tale creatures can
make children happy without such
small presents as $100 Lego or a
Barbie's house in 6 rooms and garden
furniture. Therefore, I thought that
Disney Land was a good invention for
loving parents.

Expository Essay
One type of essay,

anexpositoryessay, gives
information to the reader that is not
clouded by the writers opinions. It
may compare, discuss, analyse, or
tell a story. The main focus is to
explain the facts.

Tips on W riting an Excellent Expository

Essay
The wording needs to concise and clear.
Write the essay in the second person perspective

(you).
Decide on your method of development: define,
compare and contrast, analyze, cause and effect, or
classify. This will define your writing style and is one
of the most important tips on writing an excellent
expository essay.
Write a thesis statement and have topic sentences for
each paragraph.
A successful essay will have the important points
emphasized, will be factual and not subjective, and
have valid information.

 Conclusions can restate the argument,

summarize your facts, or give the next step

needed to further the research.
Keep your writing concise and brief.
Each paragraph should cover one topic and each
sentence should present a new idea.
Use transitory words and sentences to make your
essay flow smoothly. Connect sentences with
words like: however, for example, or such as.
Connect paragraphs by having the topic
sentence refer back to the preceding paragraph
or the thesis statement.

W hy teenagers runaw ay from hom e

Adolescence is the time when a person is no

longer a child, but not an adult either. This, in

connection with hormonal imbalances and
social adaptation, often causes teenagers to
do things which they later regret, or which
cause inconveniences and regular
disturbances to their parents. One of such
things is running away from home. Although
in a number of cases it can be caused by a
harmful environment or a traumatizing
experience, it also happens even in
prosperous and harmonious families.

 Running away is considered to be a serious

problem in developed countries in the U.S.,

in particular. According to the National
Runaway Switchboard an organization that
provides psychological assistance to children
who already have run away from home, or are
planning to do so approximately one
teenager out of seven (the range of age is 1018 years usually) will at least once run away,
or make an attempt. Currently, there are up to
three million children and teenagers living on
the streets in the U.S. (Kids Health).

 Specialists distinguish between episodic and chronic

running away. Episodic running away mostly occurs after

some significant event that has happened to a teenager,
and directly or indirectly affected their decision to leave
home. It may also be connected to a teenagers attempt
to avoid some consequence, humiliation or
embarrassment. Chronic running away is a more serious
and complicated problem. It may be a part of acting out,
or of a teenagers strategy to gain power over the
members of his or her family a kind of manipulation or
revenge. It is like a threat, If you make me do that, Ill
run away. In fact, this is their main problem-solving skill:
if something goes wrong, they run away, thus feeling
that a problem disappears (EmpoweringParents.com).

 Although it is impossible to get into another

persons mind, the good news for parents is that

there are ways to detect is something is wrong
with their teenager. Usually, potential runaways
demonstrate a drastic change in their usual
behavioral patterns, or the way they live. For
example, a teen might suddenly stop eating (or on
the contrary, begin to overeat), sleep all day,
spend all their time outside with friends or on their
own, and so on. It is important to remember that
sudden mood swings mean restlessness
something is worrying such a teenager, and they
might be planning a runaway act.

 Then, teenagers may start behaving in a

rebellious way: breaking things at home, fighting

(with peers or even family members), using
explicit vocabulary, and so on. Sometimes, they
might disclose their intentions, or give a hint to
their parents about what they want to do (for
example, If I was not around anymore, youd
start caring about me/wouldnt even care, and so
on). Also, a teen may start accumulating money
and possessions to live on while away from home.
Keeping a bag with packed things in a closet is a
direct sign that a teen is planning an escape
(National Runaway Safeline).

 Teenagers running away from homes pose a significant

problem for developed countries in particular, the

U.S. Up to three million teenagers aged 10-18 live
homeless because of committing a runaway. Usually,
the cause of a teenager running away is specific (in this
case, it is considered an episodic act). However, if a
teen uses running away to manipulate their family
members or solve problems, then it is considered
chronic. Fortunately, parents can usually notice signs
that their teenager is preparing an escape:
misbehavior, rebelling, hints, and the accumulation of
money and possessions may be the signs of a planned
runaway.

M ajor cause ofstress am ong students

Youth is often considered to be the best

period of life. However, from a certain

viewpoint, youth is also one of the most
difficult periods in the life of an individual; the
reason for this is the lack of experience,
maximalism, treatment from adults, their
expectations, and so on. And certainly, one of
the hardest periods in youth is college.
College is a perfect stress environment, as it
usually incorporates multiple major stress
factors, and throws it at a student all at once.

 College freshmen are, perhaps, the most vulnerable

category of students. This is due to the fact that they

face the social challenges that involve leaving their
whole support structure friends, parents, hometown,
habits behind. Freshmen have to create new social
networks, deal with having to solve their problems on
their own, without parents assistance, and so on.
Naturally, this leads to stress. Additionally, bad
roommates, their homework load, part-time jobs, and
dealing with the dynamics of young adult relationships
is incredibly difficult for young people yet in their teen
years (About Health).

 Lifestyle is also one of the major factors causing

stress in students. Whenever we say student life,

we usually imply unhealthy eating habits, late night
parties, alcohol, a lack of sleep in favor of extensive
studying and social activity, and so on. No doubt,
all this negatively affects the physical (and
psychological) health of students. Chronic fatigue
causes students to feel exhaustion, and negatively
influences their performance or attendance in
class. They have less energy for academic
exercises, and may choose to skip classes or do
homework less thoroughly, which can become an
additional stress factor on its own (Livestrong.com).

 Poor work and priorities organization is yet another

scourge for many young men and women living and

studying on campuses. They are on their own now no
teachers, parents, or relatives are going to tell them
what, how, and when to do. Because of the lack of
experience, students cannot figure out what to pay
attention to, and what is not urgent at the moment;
how to organize their routine; how to spend less time
doing mundane tasks; how to keep a balance between
private and academic life, and so on. This causes
frustration, poor performance, and stress. Effective
ways to help it might be keeping records on what and
how you do. After you see how much time this or that
activity takes, you can start planning (IFR).

 Being young is not only fun, but also

stressful, especially when you are a

college student. New social challenges
combined with the absence of a habitual
support network (like family or old
friends), poor and unhealthy lifestyle, and
the lack of organization, often cause
frustration and stress in students. The
stereotype that youth is the greatest time
in ones life might simply be a fallacy.

D escriptive Essays
A descriptive essay simply describes

something or someone by appealing

to the readers senses: sight, sound,
touch, smell and taste

Basic steps in w riting descriptive essays

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. Create a
thesis statement that informs the reader who
or what you are describing. Examples: The
wooden roller coaster in Coney Island is a work
of art. My bedroom is an ocean sanctuary.

2. Select dominant details

Select only the details that support the
dominant impression (your thesis
statement).
3. Organize details
The paragraphs in a descriptive essay can
be structured spatially (from top to bottom
or from near to far) or chronologically
(time order) or from general to specific.

 4. Use descriptive words

Do not use vague words or generalities

(such as good, nice, bad, or beautiful).
Be specific and use sensory,
descriptive words (adjectives).

 5. Draw a logical conclusion

The conclusion may also use

descriptive words; however, make
certain the conclusion is logical and
relevant.

BurjKhalifa W orlds Tallest Building

Living in the 21st century means living in the

age of technological wonders considering, at

least, that you are living in a first-world or
second-world country. Technological progress
manifests itself in the surroundings of a modern
individual, starting from coffee machines and
ending up with larger-than-usual skyscrapers.
Speaking of the latter, they have evolved
greatly from the times of the Home Insurance
Building in Chicago the first skyscraper ever
built. Today, the most technologically advanced
skyscraper is the famous Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

 The Burj Khalifa (or how it was called until

2010, Burj Dubai) opened on January 14,

2010. Even before the building construction
was finished, starting from 2007 it had
become the highest skyscraper in the world.
Its exact height is 2,722 feet, or 829,8
meters, and it obviously can be seen from
any point in Dubai. The number of floors,
however, is a bit fewer than some might
expect Burj Khalifa totals in 163 floors,
which is 162 (about 5 meters) for each floor.

 Burj Khalifa looks like a stalagmite,

which means that it resembles

vertical minerals growing from cave
floors. Stalagmites usually have a
shape of a cone, and so does Burj
Khalifa; if you look at it from a
distance, it will remind you of a
gigantic sharp cone made of glass
and steel.

 The most impressive aspect about Burj Khalifa is

that it had been planned to be a so-called city

within the city; this means that inside the tower
you can find parks, alleys, districts, fountains, and
so on. The glass of the towers surface always
shines, because it is washed every single day, and
the make of concrete of which the tower was built
from was invented specifically for Burj Khalifa.
There are three entrances to the tower, because it
is so huge that one or two would not be enough.
At the foot of the skyscraper, there is a big
artificial lake that measures up to 12 hectares.

 Inside, the building is as magnificent as it

is from the outside. The interiors were

projected by famous designers for
example, the interior of the Armani hotel,
located on the floors from first to 39th,
was designed by Giorgio Armani himself.
The air inside Burj Khalifa is conditioned
and flavored it is said that the flavor was
also designed exclusively for the tower; 57
elevators work 24/7 to transport visitors
between floors.

 Writing about Burj Khalifa is a thankless

job. The existence of this building is a

miracle itself considering how it
stands against the winds, gravity, and
other natural forces. With a truly
oriental luxurious scope, Burj Khalifa
was designed and built to embody the
impossible. And one can bravely state
that nothing like this skyscraper has
ever been built on Earth before.

Argum entative essays

The argumentative essay allows

writers to express their opinion on a

topic and support that opinion with
strong logic and evidence.

Stages in w riting argum entative essays

Prewriting
Find a good topic
Consider both sides of your topic and take a position
Gather evidence

Writing

1. Introduce your topic and assert your side

As in any essay, thefirst paragraphof your

argument essay should contain a brief explanation

of your topic, some background information, and
athesis statement. In this case, your thesis will be a
statement ofyour positionon a particular
controversial topic.

Tips for Your Essay:

Avoid emotional language
Know the difference between a logical

conclusion and an emotional point of view

Don't make up evidence
Cite your sources
Make an outline
Be prepared to defend your side by
knowing the strongest arguments for the
other side. You might be challenged by
the teacher or by another student.

Exam ple
Since the turn of the new century, a theory has

emerged concerning the end of the world, or at

least the end of life as we know it. This new theory
centers around the year 2012, a date that many
claim has mysterious origins in ancient
manuscripts from many different cultures. The
most noted characteristic of this date is that it
appears to mark the end of the Mayan calendar.
But there is no evidence to suggest that the Maya
saw any great relevance to this date. In fact, none
of the claims surrounding a 2012 doomsday event
hold up to scientific inquiry.The year 2012 will
pass without a major, life-altering catastrophe.

2. Present both sides of the controversy

The body of your essay will contain the meat of your
argument. You should go into more detail about the
two sides of your controversy and state the strongest
points of the counter-side of your issue.
After describing the "other" side, you will present
your own viewpoint and then provide evidence to
show why your position is the correct one.
Select your strongest evidence and present your
points one by one. Use a mix of evidence types, from
statistics, to other studies and anecdotal stories. This
part of your paper could be any length, from two
paragraphs to two hundred pages.