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Everything you Need to Know About Essay Formats

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Essays are one of the most common and fundamental forms of academic writing. Writing an essay is about presenting cohesive content full of ideas, information, arguments, analysis, and explanations, all wrapped in an engaging narrative. All essays aim to inform & impress the audience, but the manner or approach differs for different essay types.

In this article, we will look at the formats of some of the most common essay types across high school & college. You will learn everything about the essay structure & the writing process, along with many handy tips.

Let’s start right away.

The Generic Five paragraph Structure

The Narrative Essay Writing Format

Narrative essays recount a story or inform readers about some subject. You will have to craft an engaging narrative through which you will have to relay ideas and information. Take on the role of a storyteller and recount an engaging tale about a person, place, phenomenon, scene, situation, etc., in detail.

In narrative essays, the emphasis is on showing rather than telling. You will generally write in the first person and in a mildly informal manner to help readers visualise & grasp the essay’s essence better.

If you are about to embark on a narrative essay writing journey, here’s a quick rundown of the writing format.

Develop Thesis Statement

  • An essay’s thesis statement (and any other kind of essay) has two primary components – the primary argument or claim and the chief supporting details.  
  • The argument is the chief claim or assertion of the piece. It must be testable & debatable, can be an observation, analysis, or inference but not a fact, and can be based on some generalisation.

For narrative essays, the thesis statement relays the writer’s chief viewpoint on the subject. Set the tone and atmosphere of your write-up using the thesis statement.

  • The supporting details are there to reinforce the claim. The essay body elaborates upon them, but the most prominent supporting details must be placed in the thesis statement.
  • Remember that you may need to modify the thesis statement as you develop your write-up.

The Introduction

The intro provides vital background information, relays the essay’s purpose, and provides a roadmap for the discussion in the body.

  • Define, identify, and describe the custom essay writing topic, theme or concept.
  • Talk about the importance of the discussion in the essay. How does it help your audience in particular?
  • Include the thesis statement.

The Body

This is the meat of the essay.

  • Narrate your own opinions, perspectives, and ideas. Make it personal by laying down your subjective viewpoint and analysis of the subject.
  • Illustrative examples and sensory details in descriptions are essential in narrative essays. This will make it easy for your audience to follow your writing and accept your claims.

The Conclusion

The conclusion wraps things up.

  • Be concise and reiterate the key points laid down in the essay.
  • As you review the main points, talk about their relevance.
  • Do not include any new information in the conclusion.
  • Close the essay with something that keeps your readers thinking.

Narrative essays can be really fun to work on. Follow the above format to craft exceptional narrative essays.

Now, let’s move on to the next essay format, descriptive essays.

The Descriptive Essay Writing Format

As the name suggests, these essays present vivid and mesmerising written descriptions of people, places, objects, events, experiences, emotions, situations, etc. Descriptive essays provide a lot of creative freedom. Writers have a lot of leeway in presenting striking descriptions filled with substantial sensory details.

So, what’s the format for writing a distinctive descriptive piece? Here are some handy pointers.

Drafting The Essay

Once you are ready to write free, answer the following questions.

  • What details must you include to help readers visualise the subject clearly and vividly?
  • How can you imbue emotion, empathy, and a definite perspective into your write-up?
  • What sensory details must you add to create crystal-clear descriptions? Sights, sounds, textures, taste, smell, etc.
  • What details are irrelevant?
  • There are different ways to add descriptive details to your content. You can use nouns, verbs, similes, adjectives, adverbs, etc. The more specific you want your descriptions to be, the more details you must add and the more interesting, engaging, and effective your writing will be.
  • Descriptive writing is creative as you must indulge your imagination and develop aesthetic descriptions. There are myriad ways to conjure striking descriptions.
  • Similes are one of the common ways to describe something in terms of another. They have been and are still used extensively in both prose & poetry across languages and cultures.
  • Another intuitive way to present vivid descriptions is to present concrete details. This involves presenting every minute detail to paint an accurate picture of the subject of description.
  • The right diction is especially important for descriptive essays. The 1000 words of your essay must create a striking picture of different aspects of the subject in the audience’s mind. Using the right words for descriptions is vital.

Expand and train your vocabulary as part of your narrative essay preparation procedures.

Organising The Essay

Most descriptive essays work with the generic five-paragraph essay structure. The introduction hooks & informs, while the thesis statement sets the tone and atmosphere for the audience. The body is where the descriptions are fleshed out, while the conclusion keeps readers thinking about the vivid descriptions., long after they are done reading the piece.

The Introduction

Use a hook to grab the audience’s attention instantly.

  • Present necessary background information in the middle.
  • et the thesis statement highlight the importance of the essay and develop the setting for the rest of the write-up.

The Body Paragraphs

Present elaborate and vivid descriptions through the body paragraphs.

  • Employ figurative language, mention concrete details, adjectives, adverbs, vivid verbs, and comparisons to make your descriptions come alive.
  • Expressive, emotive, and perspective – every descriptive essay must strive for these features as only then can they leave a long-lasting impression in a reader’s mind.

The conclusion wraps things up. Lay down your final thoughts and highlight the most striking aspects of your essay writing help here.

Let’s move on to the next essay type – the scholarship essay writing format.

The Scholarship Essay Format

Scholarship essays have the tough task of impressing ab evaluating committee. The stakes here are much higher. Your essay must tick all the right boxes to convince the committee that you deserve a scholarship.

Scholarship essays generally require writers to recount the most striking moments & accomplishments of their career. They may also ask one to discuss their career choices and why they deserve the scholarship. No matter the topic, these essays must be written carefully. You have to bring your A-game and articulate your thoughts, views, perspectives, experiences, etc., in the best way possible.

Here are some formatting and writing tips to help craft the perfect scholarship essay.

Scholarship Essay Formatting

You will have to follow the specific instructions laid down by the scholarship organisation. However, if there are no explicit guidelines, follow the generic formatting rules for drafting official scholarship essays.

The basic formatting guidelines for university scholarship essays are as follows.

  • Use 1-inch page margins.
  • Make the font size 12.
  • Add double spaces between words. (You can also write 1.5-spaced sentences.)
  • Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman with the default black colour.

You won’t make a good impression with unorthodox formatting. Don’t experiment with fonts, font sizes, or font colours if you want that scholarship.

A Scholarship Essay Outline

Scholarship essay outlines and structure is much different than any other essay type. Their unique purpose and the cruciality of their content require a clearer and more engaging structure.

Here’s a sample essay outline that shows the structure and the organisation of information.

Introduction

  • Add your personal and academic/professional credentials.
  • State the name of the course program you are targeting and the scholarship you are applying for.

Academic Objectives & Career Goals

Talk about why you chose a particular major.

  • Explain in detail your motivations and ambition.
  • Why did you choose a certain academic institution?
  • What are your long-term academic and professional goals?

Talk About Yourself In Brief

  • Add some quick background details.
  • Present a vivid but concise picture of your academic career.
  • Mention your most striking accomplishments.
  • What are your ambitions?
  • What’s most important to you?
  • Present concrete examples and describe certain experiences that reflect your personality, character, strengths, and unique traits.
  • Include some striking information about your extracurricular activities, hobbies, and anything that makes you stand out.

Why Do You Need A Scholarship?

Make it clear why you need the scholarship. Provide tangible and believable reasons. Articulate them in a way to make the best impression on the committee.

  • Be confident but not desperate. Do not come across as a badgering and coercive individual looking to save some money.
  • Show how the scholarship will make a difference in your career goals.
  • The body of a scholarship essay deals with laying down and elaborating upon the chief reasons behind the need for a scholarship. Describe and discuss in detail.
  • Do not add anything irrelevant or go off on a tangent. Scholarship committees are only interested in learning about the primary reasons and key aspects of your career & personality.

Don’t try to present a story about your life or any extraneous information.

Conclude with Conviction

Don’t conclude too long.

  • Do not reiterate the same things. Instead, highlight why you need it and how it will help your career.
  • You can thank the committee for considering your application.
  • Try NOT to come across as lofty, over-idealistic, or unrealistic.
  • End on a positive and confident note.

Refrain from being too wordy or extravagant. Please keep it simple and precise. Focus and highlight your strengths.

Now, it is time we looked at the next essay type.

The Persuasive Essay Format

Persuasion is an exceptional skill. Not everyone can be a successful persuader, and that’s why persuasive writing is so challenging. Below is the outline of a persuasive essay followed by universities all over and some effective tips.

The Outline

You can follow the generic five-paragraph essay structure. The introduction starts by hooking the audience, laying down background information, clarifying the purpose, and highlighting the most potent persuasion points.

The Introduction

  1. Start with some interesting quotes, facts, statistics, and questions, or by making a controversial claim to hook readers instantly.
  2. Present pertinent background information and then present your claim or position clearly & confidently via the thesis statement.
  3. Choose the three strongest arguments and logic & mention them briefly to support your thesis statement.

The Body

Elaborate on the first argument and use effective persuasive techniques to convince your readers.

  • Persuasive writing is a tad different from its argumentative counterpart.  
  • Persuasive write-ups need to convince readers and coerce them to change their minds. They blend information, emotion, and arguments to establish validity and correctness.

The single-minded goal of a persuasive essay should be to show that only your arguments & perspectives are sensible & correct.

  • Use strong examples & evidence, logically sound explanations, and information from authoritative sources to make things more credible & effective.
  • Elaborate on your arguments separately in each body paragraph. You can increase the number of body paragraphs as per your arguments. Be mindful of the word count, though.
  • Add transition sentences for smooth flow. Keep it tight and cohesive, & pay attention to how the entire argumentative structure is shaping up.

The Conclusion

Restate the thesis statement and summarise key aspects of your arguments differently. Add a closing statement and tie it with the essay question & thesis statement.

Tips and Instructions

  • Know your audience well.
  • Employ tactful, coercive, but courteous language. Remember not to come across as rude, offensive, or overbearing.
  • Make sure your thesis statement aligns closely with your views & perspective. Remember to tie in key arguments.
  • State the subject of your persuasion clearly in the thesis statement and tell whether you are arguing for or against it.
  • Provide facts and concrete examples to support your claim & arguments.
  • Refer to authoritative sources to substantiate your observations, statements, and arguments.
  • Predict the consequences or results of choosing different perspectives and threads of interpretation, including your own. But make sure not to exaggerate.
  • Make sure to address opposing perspectives and refute them with authority. Highlight their flaws & limitations and show why they are wrong,
  • Add relevant examples and insights from authoritative sources to enhance quality & credibility.
  • Decide the order in which to present information and arguments. Often, theemphatic order, where you end with the most prominent & effective reason, is the best choice for persuasive writing.  
  • Use transitions to help readers to follow your train of thought.

Now that we are done with persuasive essays let’s move on to the next essay type.

The Argumentative Essay Format

Like persuasive essays, argumentative essays are all about presenting arguments and claims. However, unlike their persuasive counterparts, you do not need to concern yourself with coercing and convincing readers.

The main objective of argumentative essays is present an argument with logical explanations & concrete examples and via an emphatic narrative. The writer aims to get readers to acknowledge their perspective through these things.

Here’s a look at the format of an argumentative essay.

The Introduction

  • Set up the context of the essay.  
  • State your claim clearly.
  • Start with a hook to grab attention. Make things interesting to pull in the audience quickly.
  • Add enough background information to establish the context and help readers grasp your arguments.
  • The thesis statement must contain the primary argument.

The Background Paragraph (Optional)

If the topic is complicated & extensive, add one to two paragraphs after the intro to elaborate further on the background. Use this as a foundation for your argument. Explain key terms, key explanations, and summarising major works on the subject.

The Body Paragraphs

The Primary Argument Paragraph & The Supporting Argument Paragraph/s

  • Present the arguments as the topic sentence.
  • Justify them using explanations, evidence, and examples.
  • Break down and analyse ideas, facts, & observations in a way so that your audience finds it easy to understand everything.
  • Remember to thread your arguments, explanations, and examples together. Elaborate on the connections if necessary.

The Counter-Argument Paragraph

Anticipate potential objections & opposing objectives and address them here.

  • Think of the most possible and strongest counter-arguments. Be mindful of any chinks and weak links in your arguments.
  • End the paragraph by reasserting your claim.

The Conclusion

The Summary Paragraph

Reiterate the main arguments and why they are valid. Point out the most +-authoritative examples and explanations. Restate your claim.

The ‘So What’ Paragraph

Wrap up by illustrating how you analysed the subject critically. The conclusion of any argumentative essay must showcase a deeper understanding of the subject. Show how all the research and analysis enhance your ideas & understanding.

Use your primary argument and the strongest analytical points to leave a long-lasting impression. Highlight the broader inference that you have developed.

Now, it is time to move on to the next essay type.  

The Analytical Essay Format

As evident from the name, critical and in-depth analysis is the primary objective of these essays. You will have to dissect and dig deep into the subject of analysis. To do that, you will have to engage your critical thinking and analytical skills & carry out an unbiased, objective study of the subject.

There are no specialities associated with the structural outline of an analytical essay. It is the level of research and analysis that differs substantially.

Here are some pointers for the analytical essay format.

  • Analyse the subject in-depth. Identify key ideas & underpinning concepts and their relationships,
  • Each body paragraph must address key features and concepts.
  • Organise everything so readers understand the underlying aspects and how they contribute to the subject.
  • Be flexible and ready to modify & change the parts of your essay as necessary.
  • Develop an analytical framework to organise, structure, and group information. It may be reflective of reality or your interpretation of the subject.
  • Craft a strong thesis statement that acts as a guide and anchor for the entire essay.

Analytical essay formats and writing processes can be quite challenging. Seek assistance from the experts of MyAssignmenthelp.com if you think you are struggling.

Now, let’s move on to the next essay type.

The Expository Essay Format

Expository essays will task you with investigating and expanding upon an idea. You will have to dig deep into an ideal, uncover underlying concepts, evaluate evidence & real-life phenomenon, compare & contrast, etc.

You can follow the generic five-paragraph structure. Develop a clear outline to determine the number of paragraphs.  

Here are key things that keep an expository essay together.

  • Develop a clear and concise thesis statement. Like in all other cases, it communicates your perspective and lays down the primary claim or argument.
  • EXPLANATIONS with proper EVIDENTIAL SUPPORT — this is the essence of an expository essay. Dig deep into the subject and uncover all underpinning concepts, dependent & independent variables, relationships, and implications.
  • Add clear-cut explanations and solid examples. Factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal – add as many variations of explanations and evidence as possible.
  • Clear and logical transitions among ideas & paragraphs are vital.

Next up, we look into the format of reflective essays.

The Reflective Essay Format

Reflective essays, too, follow the classic five-paragraph essay format. However, their nature is more akin to critical analysis or review papers. True reflection does more than describe; it goes deeper and uncovers causes & implications. It looks into the WHYs, HOWs, and WHATs.

That’s why we often employ interdisciplinary reflective models for in-depth reflection. Develop a flexible outline for your essay using the information you gather from the reflective models. Two of the most common reflective models of analysis are à 

Gibbs Reflective Cycle

Description: Describe the subject.

Feelings: Think about how it made you feel.

Evaluation: Evaluate the impact.

Analysis:Analyse why you felt like that. What sense did you make of the situation? Look into all internal and external factors.

Conclusion: What general and specific conclusions did you draw?

Action: What will you do next?

4Rs model of Reflective Thinking

Report about the issue and incident. Lay down your primary observations, express your initial opinion, and present the questions that cropped up in your mind.

Relate and draw connections. Use your knowledge and skills to investigate.

Establish the reasoning behind the event through careful analysis. Highlight key factors and details and show how they are important in understanding the issue.  

Refer to relevant and authoritative sources & theories to support your explanations and observations. Do remember to address different perspectives.

Bring together your entire reflection and reframe/reconstruct the context of the issue in light of your reflections. How would you do things differently? Are there other options that you can address? Does theory support your ideas?

Connect with our essay-writing experts today if you need more help with reflection essay formats.

We wrap up this write-up with a look at the compare & contrast essay format.

The APA, MLA, and Chicago Essay Formatting Rules

Need to submit an APA and/or MLA format essay? Looking for some quick tips on the Chicago essay format? Read on for handy insights.

The APA Style

  • Use (8.5-inch by 11-inch) paper
  • Have a 1-inch margin on every side
  • Have a title page, a referencing list page, and a byline
  • Use easy-to-read fonts like Calibri or Times New Roman
  • Double-space all words
  • Use left-hand-side alignment.
  • Indent the first line of every paragraph by 0.5 inches
  • The abstract should be on a separate page.
  • Capitalise the first letter only of every heading.

The MLA Style

  • Use (8.5-inch by 11-inch) paper
  • Opt for common, easily understandable fonts such as Times New Roman.
  • The font size should be 12.
  • Leave a space after any punctuation mark.
  • Have 1-inch margins on all sides,
  • Indent the first line of paragraphs by half-an-inch
  • Have a separate page to list the works cited.
  • No need to make a separate title page unless specified.
  • No specific instructions for headings and sub-headings.

The Chicago Style

  • One-inch margins on the sides, top and bottom.
  • Use the Times New Roman font with size 12.
  • Double-space the entire paper.
  • Use left-justified text.
  • Use a 1/2″ indent for the first line of every paragraph, block quotes and bibliography.
  • Number the pages in the top right corner of the paper, beginning with the first page of the text.

And that finally brings us to the end of this essay format guide & compilation. I hope it comes in handy for anyone looking for some quick & accurate reference. Contact our experts today if you need any further with essay formatting or writing.

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Frequently Asked Questions-

How Long Is The Essay Format?

There’s no specific length or range of length. It varies as per the type and topic of the essay as well as the designated word count.

Why Is Formatting An Essay So Important?

Proper formatting is essential if you want your essays to make the right impression. Formatting makes it easy for the audience to follow your content and grasp the message/arguments/explanations/descriptions that you are trying to put forth.

How Do I Compose A Proper Essay Format?

Use the information in this guide and go through essay format templates & examples.

What Is The Difference Between Essay Format And Mla Format?

Essay formats define the outline, organisation, and essay development process. The MLA format lays down certain guidelines for formatting the structural components of your essay. It also defines the rules for citing different information sources.

What Is MLA Style Formatting?

MLA style formatting is a set of rules for formatting written content such as essays and assignments. It defines font style & size, word spacing, margins, punctuations, bullet points, titles, headings, & sub-heading, etc.

How To Properly Format An Essay?

Go through this guide minutely to know the ins & outs of formatting different essay types. If you still need help, connect with the experts of MyAssignmenthelp.com today.

How To Format A Book Title In An Essay?

Write book titles in italics or underline them.

Can You Use Footnotes In Narrative Essay Format?

You can if you format your essay using the Chicago style. The Chicago referencing rules require adding in-text citations as footnotes.

What Is The Purpose Of The Essay?

The purpose of any essay is to present well-written content that fulfils a specific purpose. You may present an argument, narrate an event, provide detailed descriptions, or persuade readers about your views. No matter what, be sure about the purpose of your writing.

Henry Lee

Hi, my name is Henry Lee. I am 26 and an active tech blogger based in Adelaide. Well, that’s something I do out of passion. To earn a livelihood, I work as a full-time English writing expert at myassignmenthelp.com. I write academic blogs, mainly focused on English and Literature writing. I have 4+ years of experience of guiding students on essays writing on different categories of topics. Apart from this, I love to keep myself updated on the latest happenings in technology. I love new gadgets as much as I love writing. So, when I am not writing, you’ll probably find me indulged in a gaming session or researching about the latest trend in technology. 

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