A descriptive essay will generally have a tighter focus than a narrative essay. While a narrative essay will tell a story (probably with a beginning, middle, and end) a descriptive essay might simply focus on describing a more limited location or event.
Both essays allow for more creative license than many other types of academic essay, especially in the use of descriptive language.
Quillbot’s Notepad is an invaluable resource for keeping notes as you research and write, whatever type of essay you are writing or researching.
Read this FAQ: What is the difference between a descriptive essay and a narrative essay?
An expository essay is different from an argumentative essay. Although both types of essay require careful planning, an argumentative essay takes a stance on a debatable issue with at least two different sides, and an expository essay explains a topic without arguing a position.
For example, an argumentative essay might take one of these two stances:
- Elementary schools should scale back on computer-based assignments and focus on traditional hand-written assignments.
- An elementary school education should include computer-based instruction to prepare students for the workforce.
Examples of an expository essay topic include:
- Causes and effects of the Dust Bowl
- Similarities and differences between two short stories by the same author
Whatever type of essay you are writing, Quillbot’s Notepad is an invaluable resource for keeping notes as you research and write.
Read this FAQ: Is an expository essay the same as an argumentative essay?
The most common type of essay at university is the argumentative essay, although it varies in different academic programs and parts of the world. In most universities in the US, the required first-year English courses (e.g., Composition I and Composition II) focus on teaching you how to write this genre.
In an argumentative essay, you take a stance on a debatable topic with at least two different positions. The purpose is to convince your readers that your argument has value or to persuade readers to take a specific action. You do this by developing three or more reasons for your argument and supporting those reasons with evidence from credible sources. The basic format is a separate body paragraph for each reason.
Most argumentative essays need correct citations, especially if you use outside sources. With Quillbot’s Citation Generator, the task of citing sources becomes much easier.
Read this FAQ: What is the most common type of essay at university?
