8 Types of Essays in English with Essential Tips and Best Ideas Exclusively Just for ESL Learners!

In this modern world, essay writing has been one of the requirements in education, whether formal or informal. Essay writing in English is common for ESL learners to train them how to improve their writing skills. ESL students have to write something about a particular topic using the English language.

Writing essays in English is quite challenging. No matter how good or well-versed you are, you still have to consider a lot of things to achieve a high-quality result for your readers. Are you an ESL learner aspiring to be an English essay writer? How do you write your essays in English? Let’s talk about it in this article.

What is an Essay?

An essay is a piece of writing that expresses the writer’s thoughts based on their selected topic. An essay can be personalized but it has to set an appropriate tone to persuade readers to read it.

An essay can be any topic a writer is interested in writing about, whether it is a personal experience, a political opinion, a step-by-step guide, or a descriptive narration of an event. Essay topics are general but you can be more informative based on your desired target.

Essays in English are usually written in the first-person and third-person points of view. In some situations, like the academe, students are tasked to write essays in English based on the prompt given by their instructors. Sometimes, they are part of their homework or projects in school.

As an ESL learner, you must be doubtful about what types of essays in English are appropriate for you to write. Think about your purpose and your interest. For you to be guided, we have listed here some types of essays in English.

Types of Essays in English

There are different types of essays in English. As a writer, your purpose is to write an essay corresponding to the type of essay you want to write. Below are the types of essays in English and their brief description.

Argumentative Essay – this type of essay focuses on the writer’s aim to persuade readers to boggle their minds based on the topic of the essay. In argumentative essays, you cite pieces of evidence for your claim or use factual information to justify it. As an argumentative essay writer, you have to persuade your readers that your claim is stronger and more convincing. Thus, it needs to be debatable.
Descriptive Essay – this essay is simply describing something, usually a person, an event, a scenery, and the like. Writers of this essay type focus more on giving detailed information on their chosen topic.

Narrative Essay – this is more personal and usually answers a prompt. Being creative and going out of your shell is an additional point in writing a narrative essay. This is less formal, so you can use figurative language or some flowery words to catch the attention of your readers.

Expository Essay – this essay type is used to demonstrate a writer’s expertise or knowledge about a particular topic, often factual. Writers of expository essays in English don’t use emotions or opinions.

Process Essay – as the name itself says, a process essay discusses a certain process of something. In short, it talks about how to do something or how something works. An example of a process essay is “how to bake a cake.” The introductory words like, first, then, next, and lastly are often used in this type of essay.

Compare and Contrast Essay – also called the comparative essay, this essay discusses two things or subjects. Sometimes, writers discuss the similarities and differences between two subjects. This type of essay is commonly used in the academe.

Cause and Effect Essay – this essay talks about the reason and result of a particular happening or situation. Writers discuss the reasons why something happened and what the outcome was. This essay explains the aspects of what caused the incident to happen and whether it resulted in a positive or a negative outcome.

Reflective Essay – this essay focuses more on the writer’s personal experiences where they reflect and consider their own perspectives based on the topic. Usually, the content of reflective essays is to relate and share their own experiences about the topic, or sometimes about a movie or story they read.

Informative Essay – this essay talks about a particular topic that gives specific information about something. Say, for example, a new product was launched and you are interested in giving your readers information about that product, then you can write an informative essay about it. Simply, this type of essay is more on giving factual information rather than opinion.

There are other types of essays in English, but their primary purpose is to catch the readers’ attention and give them the liberty to make a comment or relate to the topic.

Is writing essays in English difficult or easy?

In studying English, essay writing has been an essential part of checking students’ progress and writing skills. Thus, many teachers require their students to write essays in English according to the topic or prompt they provide. Whether it is easy or not, it always depends on your interest as a writer.

For some language students, essay writing is easy whilst for some it’s difficult. Recently, essay writing has been easy for ESL students because of the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is easy and convenient for students to write essays in English with just one click. Despite its advantages, writing essays in English with the use of AI technology has a negative impact on learners’ learning ability and skill improvement.

AI has the power to create appealing essays in English, but you must be knowledgeable of the different types of essays to make sure you convey your intention to the right audience and focus on the content of your article.

What are the parts of an essay?

Essays in English have a title, an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. They are defined as follows:

Title – especially eye-catching, this is what usually catches the attention of the readers and tempts them to read it.
Introduction – this contains the introductory statement and the main idea of the whole essay. Sometimes, the introduction poses a question that is discussed in the body and answered in the conclusion.
Body – the body is the heaviest part of the essay because this is where the writer discusses their thoughts and opinions, as well as laying down their evidence to justify their claims. The body contains the following:
- Thesis – the thesis is simply called the advantages or the cons of the topic discussed. Here, the writer discusses the good things about the subject and lays down the positive sides. Supporting documents are included here, if necessary.
- Anti-thesis – this is the opposite of the thesis. This is written in another paragraph where it discusses the negative side or negation to the thesis statement. It’s more on the disadvantages of the topic discussed. Evidences are also provided when necessary.
Conclusion – usually you can find the question posed in the introductory part here in the conclusion. The answer is also found in this part. This is a general affirmation or discussion of the topic discussed; or sometimes the result of the thesis and anti-thesis.

How to write a stellar essay in English?

English essays are not purely articles where you just write an introduction, body, and conclusion. Just blandly writing essays in English and expressing yourself confidently are not enough to improve your English writing skills. It requires much courage, effort, determination, and diligence to produce a quality craft.

To write a good essay, you must consider various things. Below are some essential tips for your reference.

Choose a topic that you are confident to write on.
Research ideas from various reliable sources.
Make a rough draft of your essay. Include an outline of your sub-topics.
Pick an “eye-catching” title for your essay.
Check your grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling from time to time.
Observe good coherence between paragraphs.
Use context-appropriate vocabulary words and always consider your readers.
Write a strong thesis statement as well as conclusion.
Make sure to check for plagiarism.
Re-read, re-write, and proofread your essay. Seek help from experts.

Writing stellar essays in English is like challenging yourself in a battle. Essays in English are masterpieces that recreate the writer’s thoughts and communicate with the readers. Having a good English essay requires determination, strong passion, attention to detail, and constant practice.

Ready to craft your essay?

Whether you are a beginner in English or at the B2 level, you can kick-start your essays in English according to your desired topics and target audience. You don’t have to be a professional writer to produce well-crafted essays in English. To help you start, here are some suggested topics for you to be familiar with.

A recent holiday experience
Jobs and occupation
Countries to visit in Summer
Beautiful places in your country
Things to do during a vacation
English language study
University entrance examination
How to prepare your favorite dish
How to apply for a job
Things to consider when applying for a job
What to do when studying English abroad
Favorite movies
Hobbies or recreational activities
Social media
Childhood memories
Technology and invention
Festivals and celebrations
Goals and aims in life
How I see myself in 10 years time
My favorite book and author

When it comes to choosing a topic for your English essay, the possibilities are endless. Whether you draw inspiration from personal experience or recommendations for your readers, the key is to choose a topic that excites and inspires you. So go forth, kick-start your creativity, and create essays in English that will attract and engage your readers from start to finish.