Types of essay

-
Image by Lola la Torre. Tagxedo
This post is to clarify some doubts concerning the difference between an article and an essay.  As you know, one of the tasks in the Writing Paper may include an article to be published in a magazine or a newspaper. Remember to read the instructions for the task carefully and ask yourself these two questions:
  • What is the aim of the task?
  • Who is going to read my article?


 What is an article?
  • An article is a piece of writing intended for publication in a magazine, a journal or a newspaper. 
  • An article is another label for an essay.
  • It can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience.

How many different types of article or essay are there?
There are very many different types depending on the purpose (to entertain, to inform, to persuade....) and the audience (general public, specialised audience, children, young people...).

Depending on the purpose an article can
  • present an opinion (opinion essay)
  • compare and contrast (advantages and disadvantages / pros and cons essay)
  • offer suggestions and/or solutions (problem-solution essay)
  • provide information (report)
  • describe an experience, a place, a person (descriptive essay)
  • offer advice
For a list of different types of essay click on  Types of essay on this page from Birbeck college.

I hope you find this page useful. Let me know how you get on.

Good luck tomorrow, and please, do not panic!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ADVANCED C1:Describing works of art

-
Image
Art beyond sight Look at the painting by John Sloan and answer the questions below: John Sloan. Sunday, Women drying their hair, 1912 What is the focal point (the place your eyes are drawn to? What can you see in the foreground? What can you see in the background on the right? and on the left? What is happening in the painting? Do you think there is a story behind the painting? If so, what is the story? Which of these words would you use to describe the light in the painting?                      bright         dazzling         harsh          rich          glowing       warm                     dim             gloomy          faint           soft                   7. Which of these words would you use to describe the mood or atmosphere ?           peaceful        relaxed        joyful             cheerful        happy depressed      gloomy       miserable      somber agressive       angry          distressing    frightening boring         
Read more

Prepositions

-
Image
Public domain Many students of English complain about how difficult it is to learn English prepositions. I agree. I remember, as an undergraduate, I had to memorise never-ending lists of prepostions, adverbials, phrasal verbs...I found it an impossible task. Look at the picture on your left. What is the meaning of   at your own risk ? Click on this dictionary and check. Listening An embarrassing anecdote This is from a VOA (Voice of America) recording. The presenter talks about a friend, a non-native English speaker, who tried to tell someone "you will hear from me" meaning he would get in touch. But instead of saying "I'll get back to you" , he said "I'll get back at you" which means "I'll take revenge". The wrong preposition sent a completely different message with embarrassing consequences. Listen to What difference does a preposition make? In this interview the presenters talk to Professor  David Thatcher. Tip:  I
Read more

Civil rights movement

-
Image
Martin Luther King Jr. Do you know that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in America on 20th January? He is one of the greatest and most influential figures in the American civil rights movement. We had the pleasure of listening to a visiting American speaker who came to our school to give a talk on the history and the impact of the civil rights movement. He talked about Martin Luther King Jr., but also about those who are not so well-known but paved the way for freedom . His life How much do you know about Martin Luther King Jr? Click on this BBC link and take notes. A bit of history of the civil rights movement. Reading and Speaking Look at the photos below. Do you know who they are? What did they do to pave the way for African-Americans? Click on the history of the civil rights movement and learn about the timeline of the civil rights movement in America. Takes notes. You are going to report your findings in class. The beginning of the civil rights
Read more