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Essay writing has many forms and styles. Depending on the goal and ability of the writer, an essay will have a certain form and style used to convey information and provide the author's point of view. The effectiveness and power of an essay depends on the right choice of form and style. Below are the major forms and styles of essay writing.

Cause and Effect

The scientific approach to writing essays, cause and effect is all about establishing chronology and causation. It tries to explain an event based on reasons and consequences. A historian might go about writing an essay on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire by using a cause and effect style.

Classification and Division

Classification is the grouping of small parts to form a larger picture while division is the breaking down of the large picture to see the individual parts. This style of writing is more frequently encountered in inductive and deductive educational essays.

Compare and Contrast

This style is effectively used when the things being compared and contrasted have very marked differences. It is more easily used when writing an essay about two systems of thoughts or two opposing events or people.

Critical

A critical essay is an exercise in critical thinking. These types of essays are usually heavy on analysis and short on emotionalism. The objective of the essay is to present an essay that has strong internal logic and unassailable structure. This type of essay requires intensive research and in-depth analysis. Each argument must be supported by sufficient evidence and must be able to stand on their own when inspected in separation from other arguments.

Descriptive

A descriptive essay is an account wherein the five human senses of touch, taste, hearing, seeing, and smelling are used extensively to provide a detailed report of what the author has seen. Commonly used in news and journalistic essays.

Dialectic

A dialectic essay is a form of writing wherein the writer plays both the proponent and opponent of an argument. He proposes a theory and supports this thesis with an argument but he also supplies the counterargument for his own thesis. The writer plays devil's advocate with himself, so to speak.

Exemplification

As the word suggests, exemplification is all about providing examples. The best example of an exemplification essay is an anecdotal essay. In this type of essay, an anecdote is used to prove a point or an argument.

History or Thesis

A history or thesis essay focuses on historical events and will base its theme on the historical event it tackles. It is important in this type of essay to provide accurate information and factual background. References, evidences, and arguments must all be gathered and cited in order to write a history essay.

Narrative

Essay writing of a narrative nature resembles storytelling to a great degree. There's a plot, transitions, and a climax. Other storytelling tools such as flashbacks and flash-forwards are also used to a great degree. Dialogue, storyteller point of view, and other elements of storytelling can also be found in narrative essays.