the descriptive essay
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The Descriptive EssayLife is experiential. We use our senses to see, touch, smelland taste. We encounter our environment through our
senses, and those encounters connect us to the world. Adescriptive essay puts those encounters into words through
vivid details.
Rather than stating an argument and proving it with threesupporting details, the writer builds a scene to lead the reader
to his desired conclusion.
We walked through the field for the first time since the flood waters hadreceded. It was muddy, and the grass had grown very tall.
Start with prewriting. Consider which sensory details wouldbest express your ideas; chart or list according to the sensesOrganize spatially (top to bottom; left to right),chronologically, or logically (following the natural flow ofideas)Use vivid details to show rather than tell
Telling:
Showing: Heavy steps propelled our ragtag group through the mud. Eachfootfall brought a hearty squelch, a rhythmic reminder of the
rains that had kept us indoors for weeks.
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Be sure to include a mixture of the two
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The Narrative EssayThe narrative essay tells a story that doesn't just answerwho, what, when, where, why and how. It also answers
this question:
Why does any of this matter?
The story sets the scene and creates an emotional
connection between the reader and the writer. Once
the events of the story have been revealed, the writer
draws a connection between the story and the overall
message.
use vivid details to show instead of tell
use the standard elements of plot
(exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, and resolution)
use dialogue to build your characters
Not SoFormulaicThe Comparison Essay
The five paragraph works if you have one issue to explore: onesimilarity, one difference, and one evaluation of the impact. Thecomparison/contrast form allows the writer to explore several
different ideas and possibilities without restriction.
There are two basic ways to structure: point by point, in which the writer chooses points of
comparison or contrast and addresses them individually by group, in which the writer discusses the similarities
first and the differences later (or vice versa)
Begin by prewriting. Gather your details in a Tchart or
Venn diagram and look for associations. How are they
alike? Different? How do those similarities and
differences impact the bigger picture?
In your opening, start with a quotation vignette or
interesting statement. In your body paragraphs, use
plenty of specific details. In your closing, offer a final
idea or summarize your thoughts
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The Definition Essay
A definition essay can be as simple or complex as the writerdesires. For a simple definition piece, the author includes
specific facts about the topic and includes any relevant details. A more complex definition essay includes analysis of the topic,
or comparison of the subject to another idea.
In "What is Poverty," Jo Goodwin Parker fuses severaldifferent essay types. She tells her story (narration)
through vivid details (description). She shares the cause(poverty) and its effect (increasing poverty). Finally, sheprovides a comparison of her situation (abject poverty) tothe attitudes of those who have not lived it (why can't youjust pull yourself out?). This is what makes the definition
essay so versatile.
To build a definition essay, use personalexperience, other people's opinions on the topic,
or comparisons to similar ideas. You can also breakdown the parts of a whole or explain what the idea is
not
A definition essay defines an idea. It gives the reader an
understanding of a topic from several different angles
not just the dictionary definition.
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The Cause and Effect EssayCause and effect essays explore why something happens by
providing a behind the scenes look at a topic. They arecommon in academic settings (like textbooks) or media
venues (such as magazines or newspapers).
The writer must first recognize the connection betweenthe cause and its effect. Then the essay explores thatrelationship through a focused look at the cause, the
effect, or both.
The first step is to make sure your topic lends itself
to this kind of writing. Find something that interests
you, and determine whether there is a clear cause
and associated impact.
First, prewrite. Charts allow you to lay out the cause nextto its effect, then consider the impact. Then:
establish the cause and effect relationshipdiscuss the individual causes and their associatedeffectsindicate the impact of the cause and effectrelationship