Professional Communication Skills Practice Test: Writing - Essays — Flashcards

An essay is a short piece of writing that presents a writer's perspective or story. Essays can be formal or informal, and formal essays are often academic and tackle serious topics. 

Some common types of essays are:
Persuasive essays: These essays attempt to convince readers to agree with the author's opinion on a topic. The writer must create a strong argument and use reasoning and evidence to support their point of view.
Critical response essays: These essays are used by instructors to gauge students' ability to read critically and express their opinions.
Descriptive essays: These essays provide a detailed description of a topic to the reader. They can describe an object, person, event, emotion, situation, or place.
Definition essays: These essays define a term or concept. They usually cover a wide range of topics and provide in-depth analysis and explanations.
Argumentative essays: These essays are written to convince readers to accept the writer's perspective as truth. They present arguments and can be introduced as a debate on paper.
Expository essays: These essays require the writer to investigate an idea, piece of literature, or moment in history, evaluate evidence, and expound upon it. The goal is to explain a topic in a straightforward and digestible way.
Narrative essays: These essays are similar to short memoirs, and relate a personal experience of the writer in a few pages.
College admission essays: These essays are a creative way for students to express themselves through writing. Admission officers consider these essays before accepting an applicant.