This list represents the basic types of expository essays:
Descriptive:
- In a descriptive essay a writer relies on adjectives and will appeal to the senses to make the situation or subject come alive.
Narrative:
- A narrative is a writer’s own account of an event or experience, usually written in first person point of view.
Compare/Contrast:
- To understand two subjects, writers will often show how they are alike (compare) and show how they are different (contrast).
Process Analysis:
- Here a writer explains how a thing or a process works or “how to” do something.
Cause/Effect:
- Cause/effect writers try to explain the relationship of a subject and its cause.
Problem/Solution:
- A writer explains a problem and offers a solution.
Definition:
- The writer chooses a subject to define completely.
Persuasive:
- In this type of essay, a writer supports his or her opinions with facts, examples, reasons.