compare and contrast descriptive and narrative essays

Narrative vs Descriptive Writing: Understanding the Key Differences

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on May 13, 2023

Categories Storytelling , Writing

Narrative and descriptive writing are two of the most common writing styles used in literature. Both styles are used to convey a story, but they differ in their purpose and approach. Narrative writing is designed to tell a complete story, while descriptive writing conveys an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative writing involves telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It is often used in novels, short stories, and memoirs. Narrative writing can entertain, inform, or persuade the reader. It is a powerful tool for writers to convey their message and connect with their audience.

On the other hand, descriptive writing creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind. It is often used in poetry, descriptive essays, and travel writing. Descriptive writing allows the writer to use sensory details to create a picture in the reader’s mind. It is a powerful tool for writers to create a mood or atmosphere. Descriptive writing can entertain, inform, or persuade the reader.

Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is a style of writing that tells a story or describes an event. It can be fiction or non-fiction and is often written in the first-person point of view. The purpose of narrative writing is to entertain, inform or persuade the reader.

Narrative writing aims to engage the reader by telling a story that captures their attention. Narrative writing is often used in fiction writing, but it can also be used in non-fiction writing, such as memoirs or personal essays. The purpose of narrative writing is to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind and make them feel like they are part of the story.

Narrative writing has several key elements that help to create a compelling story. These elements include characters, plot, point of view, narration, chronological order, action, setting, and theme. Characters are the people or animals that are involved in the story. The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told. Narration is how the story is told, such as first-person or third-person narration. Chronological order is the order in which events occur in the story. Action is the events that take place in the story. The setting is the time and place in which the story takes place. The theme is the underlying message or meaning of the story.

Examples of narrative writing include novels, short stories, and narrative essays. In fiction writing, the protagonist is the main character who drives the story forward. In a narrative essay, the writer tells a personal story that has a point or lesson to be learned. Narrative writing often uses first-person narration to create a more personal connection between the reader and the story.

In summary, narrative writing is a style of writing that tells a story or describes an event. It has several key elements that help to create a compelling story, including characters, plot, point of view, narration, chronological order, action, setting, and theme. Narrative writing can be used in fiction and non-fiction and is often used to entertain, inform, or persuade the reader.

Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is a type of writing that aims to provide a detailed description of a person, place, object, or event. It uses sensory details to create an image in the reader’s mind. The writer tries to make the reader feel like they are experiencing the scene.

Descriptive writing aims to create a vivid and detailed picture in the reader’s mind. It is often used to set the scene in a story or to provide a detailed description of a character or place. Descriptive writing can also create an emotional response in the reader.

Descriptive writing uses sensory details to create an image in the reader’s mind. It should be written in a logical order, so the reader can easily follow along. The following elements are commonly used in descriptive writing:

• Sensory detail (smell, taste, sight, sound, touch)
• Appearance and characteristics of the subject
• Description of the place or object
• Exposition of the subject
• Figurative language (metaphors, similes, onomatopoeia)

Here are a few examples of descriptive writing:

• The sun was setting over the mountains, casting a warm glow across the valley. The air was filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers and birds singing in the trees.
• The old house sat at the end of the street, its peeling paint and broken shutters a testament to its age. The front porch creaked as I stepped onto it, and the door groaned as I pushed it open.
• The chocolate cake was rich and decadent, with a moist crumb and a smooth, velvety frosting. Each bite was like a little slice of heaven, the flavors blending perfectly.

In conclusion, descriptive writing is a powerful tool for creating vivid and detailed images in the reader’s mind. The writer can transport the reader to another time and place using sensory details and logical order.

Narrative vs. Descriptive Writing

Differences.

Narrative writing and descriptive writing are two distinct forms of writing that have different purposes. Narrative writing is used to tell a story, while descriptive writing is used to describe something in detail. The following table summarizes some of the key differences between the two:

In narrative writing, the writer is trying to convey a specific message or theme through the story they are telling. In contrast, descriptive writing is more concerned with creating a sensory experience for the reader. Descriptive writing often uses figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to create vivid images in the reader’s mind.

Similarities

Despite their differences, narrative writing and descriptive writing also share some similarities. Both forms of writing require the writer to use descriptive language to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Both can also be used in both fiction and non-fiction writing.

Another similarity is that both forms of writing can create emotional connections with the reader. In narrative writing, this is achieved by creating relatable characters and situations. Descriptive writing is achieved by using sensory details to create a visceral experience for the reader.

In conclusion, while narrative writing and descriptive writing have different purposes, they require the writer to use descriptive language to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Understanding the differences and similarities between these two forms of writing can help writers choose the appropriate style for their writing project.

Narrative Writing Techniques

Narrative writing is a form of storytelling that conveys a series of events or experiences through a particular perspective. This section will explore some of the key techniques used in narrative writing.

The narrator is the voice that tells the story. They can be a character within the story or an outside observer. The narrator’s perspective can greatly affect the reader’s interpretation of events. For example, a first-person narrator may provide a more personal and subjective account of events, while a third-person narrator may offer a more objective perspective.

Dialogue is the spoken or written words of characters within the story. It can reveal character traits, advance the plot, and provide insight into relationships between characters. Effective dialogue should sound natural and reflect the character’s personality and background.

Point of View

Point of view refers to the perspective from which the story is told. It can be first-person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. The choice of point of view can affect the reader’s understanding of the story and its characters.

The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. It should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with each event building upon the previous one. A well-crafted plot should be engaging and keep the reader interested.

Characterization

Characterization is the process of creating and developing characters within the story. This can be achieved through various techniques, including dialogue, actions, and inner thoughts. Effective characterization should create characters that are believable and relatable to the reader.

In conclusion, narrative writing techniques are essential for creating a compelling and engaging story. Using techniques such as a well-developed narrator, natural-sounding dialogue, and effective characterization, writers can create stories that captivate and entertain their readers.

Descriptive Writing Techniques

Sensory details.

One of the most critical aspects of descriptive writing is the use of sensory details. This means including information that appeals to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Sensory details help the reader experience the scene or object being described, making the writing more vivid and engaging.

For example, instead of simply stating that a flower is beautiful, a writer might describe the vibrant colors of its petals, the sweet fragrance it emits, and the soft texture of its petals. This level of detail allows the reader to fully imagine the flower and feel like they are experiencing it themselves.

Logical Order

Descriptive writing should also be organized in a logical order. This can mean starting with a general description and moving on to more specific details. For example, describing a room starts with an overview, then moves on to describe individual items.

It’s also important to consider the perspective of the reader. For example, if describing a landscape, the writer should consider the reader’s viewpoint and describe the scene from left to right, top to bottom, or in another logical order that makes sense for the reader.

Descriptive writing should create a clear mental image in the reader’s mind. This can be achieved through the use of vivid imagery and figurative language. For example, a writer might describe a sunset as a “golden blanket draped over the sky” or a forest as a “lush, green cathedral.”

It’s important to balance detailed descriptions and allow readers to use their imagination. The goal is to provide enough detail to create a mental image but not so much that the reader feels overwhelmed or bored.

Finally, descriptive writing should aim to evoke emotions in the reader. This can be achieved through descriptive language conveying a mood or feeling. For example, a writer might describe a storm as “fierce and unrelenting,” creating a sense of danger and foreboding.

It’s important to consider the emotions that the reader should feel based on the subject being described. For example, if describing a peaceful meadow, the writer should use language that conveys a sense of calm and relaxation.

By using these techniques, writers can create engaging and vivid descriptions that allow the reader to experience the scene or object being described fully.

Narrative vs. Descriptive Essays

When it comes to writing essays, there are two main types: narrative and descriptive. While they may seem similar, they have distinct differences in purpose, structure, and examples.

The purpose of a narrative essay is to tell a story. It typically includes characters, a plot, and a setting. It is meant to engage the reader and create an emotional response. Narrative essays can be based on real-life experiences or fictional stories.

On the other hand, the purpose of a descriptive essay is to provide a detailed description of a person, place, or thing. It is meant to paint a picture in the reader’s mind and create a sensory experience. Descriptive essays can be based on real-life experiences or imaginary scenarios.

Narrative essays typically have a chronological structure, meaning they follow a timeline. They often include dialogue and sensory details to create a vivid picture for the reader. The structure of a narrative essay can vary depending on the story being told.

On the other hand, descriptive essays typically have a spatial structure, meaning they describe something in a specific order. They often use sensory details and figurative language to create a vivid picture for the reader. The structure of a descriptive essay can vary depending on the topic being described.

A narrative essay example could be a personal experience, such as a memorable vacation or a life-changing event. It could also be a fictional story, such as a short story or novel.

A descriptive essay example could be describing a favorite place, such as a beach or a park. It could also be a description of a person, such as a family member or a celebrity.

In conclusion, narrative and descriptive essays have distinct differences in purpose, structure, and examples. It is important to understand these differences when deciding which type of essay to write.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays are a type of writing that requires the writer to take a position on a topic and defend it using evidence and reasoning. This type of essay is often used in academic settings, such as in college courses or on standardized tests like the GRE or SAT.

An argumentative essay aims to persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view. To do this, the writer must present a clear and compelling argument supported by evidence. The writer must also anticipate and address counterarguments to strengthen their argument.

An argumentative essay typically follows a five-paragraph structure, which includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should include a clear thesis statement that states the writer’s position on the topic. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports the thesis statement. The conclusion should summarize the essay’s main points and restate the thesis statement in a new way.

Rhetorical Analysis

To write an effective argumentative essay, it is important to consider the rhetorical situation. This includes the audience, purpose, and context of the essay. The writer should also consider using ethos, pathos, and logos in their argument. Ethos refers to the writer’s credibility, pathos refers to emotional appeals, and logos refers to logical appeals.

Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the most important part of an argumentative essay. It should be clear, concise, and specific. The thesis statement should state the writer’s position on the topic and provide a roadmap for the rest of the essay. It should also be arguable, meaning there should be evidence and reasoning to support the writer’s position.

Expository Essays

Expository essays are a common type of academic writing that aims to inform or explain a topic to the reader. This section will discuss the purpose, structure, and examples of expository essays.

The purpose of an expository essay is to present a balanced analysis of a topic or issue. The writer aims to explain or clarify the topic to the reader, using evidence and facts to support their arguments. Unlike narrative or descriptive writing, expository writing is focused on presenting information clearly and concisely.

The structure of an expository essay typically follows a five-paragraph format. The first paragraph is the introduction, which includes a thesis statement that summarizes the essay’s main point. The following three paragraphs are the body, which presents the evidence and arguments to support the thesis. Finally, the last paragraph is the conclusion, which restates the thesis and summarizes the essay’s main points.

Here are some examples of topics that could be covered in an expository essay:

• The causes and effects of climate change
• The history and significance of a particular event or invention
• The benefits and drawbacks of a particular technology or practice
• The process of learning a new skill or language

In conclusion, expository essays are academic writing that aims to inform or explain a topic to the reader. They follow a five-paragraph structure and present a balanced analysis using evidence and facts.

In conclusion, narrative and descriptive writing are two important styles of writing that serve different purposes. Narrative writing tells a story and conveys events, while descriptive writing paints a vivid picture of a person, place, or thing. Both styles can be used in various types of writing, such as fiction, poetry, biographies, and human interest stories.

When it comes to narrative writing, it is important to consider the basic elements of a story, such as the characters, plot, setting, and theme. Dialogue can also be used to add depth and realism to the story. On the other hand, descriptive writing focuses on sensory details, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

It is important to note that narrative and descriptive writing are distinct styles, but they can also be used together to create a more engaging and compelling piece of writing. For example, a narrative essay can include descriptive elements to enhance the reader’s understanding and emotional connection to the story.

Overall, the key to effective narrative and descriptive writing is to use clear, concise, and engaging language. By mastering these styles, writers can create powerful and memorable works that resonate with readers long after they have finished reading.

The Ultimate Guide to Narrative Essay vs Descriptive Essay

Narrative Essay is a personal experience narrated by the author. Whereas the descriptive essay requires an author to describe something like a place, object, experience, and more.

Still confused between the narrative essay and the descriptive essay? Don’t worry, you have an exciting ‘narrative essay vs descriptive essay’ coming up in this exciting blog post. So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Comparison Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

Narrative essay.

A narrative essay tells a story. It could be based on your own experiences or from your imagination. You need to make sure it has a plot, characters, setting and a start, middle, and end. The main aim is to get the reader to connect with the story, so you need to include things like dialogue, and vivid descriptions and the events must be in order. That way it will create an emotional connection with the reader.

Descriptive Essay

A descriptive essay focuses on giving the reader a vivid sensory experience through details that appeal to their senses. The writer uses descriptive language and imagery to create an atmosphere that allows the reader to visualize and experience what is being described. Unlike a narrative essay, a descriptive one doesn’t necessarily tell a story in a particular order, but instead focuses on delivering sensory impressions.

Key Differences

Purpose:  Narrative essays tell a story with a moral or message, while descriptive essays create a vivid picture of something by using sensory details.

Structure:  Narrative essays have a story with people, events, and a specific order. Descriptive essays are all about the words and senses, usually not sticking to an exact timeline.

Emphasis:  Narrative essays try to get the reader involved and make them feel something through telling a story. Descriptive essays try to make the reader really experience it by giving them images to look at in their head.

Narrative essays are great for captivating readers with a good story, while descriptive ones can make readers feel like they’re really there with the help of detailed descriptions. It all comes down to what the writer wants to convey and which one will have the desired effect on the audience.

Narrative Essay Example

The Journey Home

The rain was pouring down hard as I dragged my feet down the street, my bag filled with textbooks and my head weighed down with stress. I had taken this route so many times, but that night felt different. Every step brought back memories – the laughs, the disagreements, the experiences that made up my college years. As I made my way along the familiar path, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to change, and an era was coming to an end.

Descriptive Essay Example

The Abandoned Carnival

The carnival was totally deserted, a spooky quietness filling the air where there had once been a lot of noise. The rickety swings creaked in the breeze, their metal chains showing the wear of the years. The booths were faded and worn, only hinting at the exciting, lively scenes they’d once seen. There was a musty smell in the air, mixed with a faint memory of the sound of kids laughing, now replaced by a creepy silence. Nature had started to take over, weeds sprouting up through the concrete and claiming back the forgotten amusement park.

In a narrative essay, the focus is all about the narrator’s personal experience, like the journey home that brings on all kinds of emotions and reflections. It has a beginning, middle, and end that tells the story of something that happened in the author’s life.

Basically, the descriptive essay takes you into the abandoned carnival and really makes you feel like you’re there. It doesn’t necessarily tell a story or go in order, but it brings the place alive with all the sensory details, and it’s meant to make you feel something about the setting.

Elements of a Narrative Essay

Plot/Storyline:  A narrative essay has a plot that starts at the beginning, goes through the middle, and ends at the conclusion. It’s like a story that’s told in chronological order.

Example:  As I stepped onto the train platform, I never imagined that chance encounter would change the course of my life. It was a typical morning until.

Characters:  In a narrative essay, characters take on different parts, whether they’re people, animals, or representations of feelings or ideas.

Example:  Sarah, with her infectious laughter and unwavering optimism, was the guiding light through the darkest moments of my journey.

Setting:  The backdrop gives you an idea of the situation and kind of puts you in the space where everything’s happening.

Example:  The quaint little cafe nestled in the heart of the bustling city became our sanctuary, where conversations flowed as freely as the aromatic coffee.

Conflict/Resolution:  Typically there’s a problem or struggle that helps move the story along, ultimately resulting in a solution or some kind of growth.

Example:  The decision to leave home was daunting, but the sense of adventure overshadowed my fears, propelling me toward unknown horizons.

Point of View:  The story is usually told from the point of view of the person telling it, which allows the reader to get close to what the narrator is going through.

Example:  I gazed out of the window, watching the world pass by, pondering the twists of fate that brought me to this moment.

Elements of a Descriptive Essay

Sensory Details:  Descriptive essays put lots of emphasis on using the senses to create an image for the reader.

Example:  The warm, golden rays of the sun danced across the emerald meadow, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that bathed everything in a soft, ethereal glow.

Vivid Language/Imagery:  Using a ton of detail and colorful words helps to create a feeling you can almost touch.

Example:  The air was heavy with the aroma of freshly baked bread, and the sound of crackling firewood filled the cozy cottage, embracing me in a comforting embrace of home.

Emotional Appeal:  Descriptive essays try to stir up emotions by giving lots of details.

Example:  The abandoned, dilapidated house stood as a haunting reminder of forgotten memories, evoking a sense of melancholy that lingered in the air.

Emotional Appeal:  Essays that try to paint a picture with words and get you feeling something through detailed descriptions.

Focused Description:  This essay delves into one particular topic, person, location, or event, going into great detail.

Example:  The ancient oak tree, with its gnarled branches reaching toward the heavens, cast a protective shadow over the tranquil pond below, a sanctuary for weary travelers.

Organized Structure:  Although not necessarily chronological, descriptive essays usually have an organized structure that permits the reader to easily visualize the topic.

Example:  From the top of the hill, the sprawling city unfolded like a tapestry, each building a testament to human ambition and progress. The skyline glittered against the setting sun, offering a breathtaking panorama of urban life.

Narrative essays and descriptive essays are two very different academic activities. Often at times, students get confused between the two. That’s where we felt the need to address the issue in this exciting narrative essay vs descriptive essay blog post. Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of the differences between the two.

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10.7 Comparison and Contrast

Learning objectives.

• Determine the purpose and structure of comparison and contrast in writing.
• Explain organizational methods used when comparing and contrasting.
• Understand how to write a compare-and-contrast essay.

The Purpose of Comparison and Contrast in Writing

Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different. A compare-and-contrast essay , then, analyzes two subjects by comparing them, contrasting them, or both.

The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison or contrast is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities. For example, if you wanted to focus on contrasting two subjects you would not pick apples and oranges; rather, you might choose to compare and contrast two types of oranges or two types of apples to highlight subtle differences. For example, Red Delicious apples are sweet, while Granny Smiths are tart and acidic. Drawing distinctions between elements in a similar category will increase the audience’s understanding of that category, which is the purpose of the compare-and-contrast essay.

Similarly, to focus on comparison, choose two subjects that seem at first to be unrelated. For a comparison essay, you likely would not choose two apples or two oranges because they share so many of the same properties already. Rather, you might try to compare how apples and oranges are quite similar. The more divergent the two subjects initially seem, the more interesting a comparison essay will be.

Writing at Work

Comparing and contrasting is also an evaluative tool. In order to make accurate evaluations about a given topic, you must first know the critical points of similarity and difference. Comparing and contrasting is a primary tool for many workplace assessments. You have likely compared and contrasted yourself to other colleagues. Employee advancements, pay raises, hiring, and firing are typically conducted using comparison and contrast. Comparison and contrast could be used to evaluate companies, departments, or individuals.

Brainstorm an essay that leans toward contrast. Choose one of the following three categories. Pick two examples from each. Then come up with one similarity and three differences between the examples.

• Romantic comedies
• Internet search engines
• Cell phones

Brainstorm an essay that leans toward comparison. Choose one of the following three items. Then come up with one difference and three similarities.

• Department stores and discount retail stores
• Fast food chains and fine dining restaurants
• Dogs and cats

The Structure of a Comparison and Contrast Essay

The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader. Take the following thesis as an example that leans more toward contrasting.

Thesis statement: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny.

Here the thesis sets up the two subjects to be compared and contrasted (organic versus conventional vegetables), and it makes a claim about the results that might prove useful to the reader.

You may organize compare-and-contrast essays in one of the following two ways:

• According to the subjects themselves, discussing one then the other
• According to individual points, discussing each subject in relation to each point

See Figure 10.1 “Comparison and Contrast Diagram” , which diagrams the ways to organize our organic versus conventional vegetables thesis.

Figure 10.1 Comparison and Contrast Diagram

The organizational structure you choose depends on the nature of the topic, your purpose, and your audience.

Given that compare-and-contrast essays analyze the relationship between two subjects, it is helpful to have some phrases on hand that will cue the reader to such analysis. See Table 10.3 “Phrases of Comparison and Contrast” for examples.

Table 10.3 Phrases of Comparison and Contrast

Create an outline for each of the items you chose in Note 10.72 “Exercise 1” and Note 10.73 “Exercise 2” . Use the point-by-point organizing strategy for one of them, and use the subject organizing strategy for the other.

Writing a Comparison and Contrast Essay

First choose whether you want to compare seemingly disparate subjects, contrast seemingly similar subjects, or compare and contrast subjects. Once you have decided on a topic, introduce it with an engaging opening paragraph. Your thesis should come at the end of the introduction, and it should establish the subjects you will compare, contrast, or both as well as state what can be learned from doing so.

The body of the essay can be organized in one of two ways: by subject or by individual points. The organizing strategy that you choose will depend on, as always, your audience and your purpose. You may also consider your particular approach to the subjects as well as the nature of the subjects themselves; some subjects might better lend themselves to one structure or the other. Make sure to use comparison and contrast phrases to cue the reader to the ways in which you are analyzing the relationship between the subjects.

After you finish analyzing the subjects, write a conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay and reinforces your thesis. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample compare-and-contrast essay.

Many business presentations are conducted using comparison and contrast. The organizing strategies—by subject or individual points—could also be used for organizing a presentation. Keep this in mind as a way of organizing your content the next time you or a colleague have to present something at work.

Choose one of the outlines you created in Note 10.75 “Exercise 3” , and write a full compare-and-contrast essay. Be sure to include an engaging introduction, a clear thesis, well-defined and detailed paragraphs, and a fitting conclusion that ties everything together.

Key Takeaways

• A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both.
• The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
• The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both, and it should state what is to be learned from doing so.

There are two main organizing strategies for compare-and-contrast essays.

• Organize by the subjects themselves, one then the other.
• Organize by individual points, in which you discuss each subject in relation to each point.
• Use phrases of comparison or phrases of contrast to signal to readers how exactly the two subjects are being analyzed.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Guide to Different Kinds of Essays

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An essay is a paper that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person ( I ), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, she, it, or they pronouns).

There are many different kinds of essays. The following are a some of the most common ones:

Descriptive Cause/Effect Argumentative Definition Narrative Critical Compare/Contrast Process

Descriptive:

Examples: A descriptive essay could describe . . .

The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described.

Definition:

Examples: A definition essay may try and define . . .

A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.

Compare/Contrast:

Examples:A compare/contrast essay may discuss . . .

The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.

Cause/Effect:

Examples:A cause/effect essay may explain . . .

The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event.

This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

The example below shows a cause essay, one that would explain how and why an event happened.

If this cause essay were about a volcanic eruption, it might go something like this: “Pressure and heat built up beneath the earth’s surface; the effect of this was an enormous volcanic eruption.”

The next example shows an effect essay, one that would explain all the effects that happened after a specific event, like a volcanic eruption.

If this effect essay were about a volcanic eruption again, it might go something like this:

“The eruption caused many terrible things to happen; it destroyed homes, forests, and polluted the atmosphere.”

Examples:A narrative essay could tell of . . .

The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called a “short story.” Generally, the narrative essay is conversational in style and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I ). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a mundane daily experience.

Examples: A process essay may explain . . .

A process essay describes how something is done. It generally explains actions that should be performed in a series. It can explain in detail how to accomplish a specific task, or it can show how an individual came to a certain personal awareness. The essay could be in the form of step-by-step instructions, or in story form, with the instructions/explanations subtly given along the way.

Argumentative:

Examples: An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that . . .

An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer’s point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion. The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.

Examples: A critical essay may analyze . . .

A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, and methods of someone else’s work. Generally, these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work’s meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

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Home » Language » Difference Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

Difference Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

Main difference – narrative vs descriptive essay.

Though there is a difference between narrative and descriptive essay, these two types of essays are often confused to be the same. Both narrative and descriptive essay can be written by any age group, as they do not contain many facts or information. They are usually used in creative writing activities for students. The main difference between narrative and descriptive essay is that a descriptive essay describes a certain person, an object or a scene while a narrative essay narrates a story .

What is a Descriptive Essay

Descriptive essay is a piece of writing that includes lot of descriptions. A descriptive essay can be about a person, a place, an object, or a feeling. In this type of essay, we can describe sensory details (sights, smells, sound, taste, touch). A good descriptive essay writer can describe his subject in such a way that vivid images are created in readers’ mind. Common descriptive essay topics include my pet, my family, my favorite place, my best friend, etc.

Extract from a Descriptive Essay:

“My best friend is my own cousin. Her name is Lily Adams and, she is in the same age as me. She is a pretty, tall girl with long black hair. Her deep green eyes like emeralds. Lily is a very talkative girl and she loves to help poor people. She often carries extra food in her bag to give to the poor people she meets on the road……”

What is a Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay is a piece of writing that narrates a story. A narrative essay can describe a writer’s personal experience or an imaginary incident. A good narrative essay writer can make the readers feel that he is writing about a true incident. First point of view is generally used in this type of an essay. A narrative essay also contains a plot, setting, and characters. Some narrative essay writers use dialogues as well. Some examples for narrative essays topics are an unforgettable day, my first day at school, an experience that changed, A day at the beach etc.

Extract from a Narrative Essay:

“….As I started to swim in the warm ocean, jumping over waves, I left others behind. I was still wearing my long back skirt which was quite heavy in the water, but my feet was touching the ocean floor, so I was not worried. But at one instant, I felt my feet could not touch the ocean floor anymore and I was  plunged into the water, weighed down by my clothing. Giant  waves kept coming and I was getting sucked into the depths every time they came. I tried to call out to my friends, but no sound came out my mouth……”

How to Write a Narrative Essay

As described above, the main difference between narrative and descriptive essay is their purpose. A narrative essay is written to narrate a certain incident or experience while a descriptive essay is written in order to describe a person, a thing, or a place. In a narrative essay, first person point of view is generally used and both first and third points of views are used in a descriptive essay. A narrative essay uses a logical, more often a chronological order, but a descriptive essay does not take time factor into account. Another significant difference between narrative and descriptive essay is that a narrative essay has a plot, setting and characters as it tells a story. In addition, a narrative essay can also contain dialogues.

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“trialsanderrors” by konen uehara: waves, ca. 1910  (cc by 2.0)  via flickr.

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Hasanthi is a seasoned content writer and editor with over 8 years of experience. Armed with a BA degree in English and a knack for digital marketing, she explores her passions for literature, history, culture, and food through her engaging and informative writing.

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Difference between a descriptive essay and a narrative essay?

Okay, so here's my problem: I am trying to write an essay from a prompt that uses the word "describe", but what I'm being asked to describe is not a single person or object, rather it's more broadly a process, relationship, or how I came to hold a certain belief.

Is this asking for a descriptive essay or a narrative essay?

• description

2 Answers 2

As a native speaker and writer of American English, to "describe a process" is a valid usage, but the result is more of a narrative than the description you'd get from "describe an object." Obviously, you can't give the color, shape, texture, aroma, etc. of the process of becoming a Christian, or your relationship with your mother -- though the latter is closer to a "descriptive" essay than the former, because you can tell how a relationship makes you feel, what you gain and give, and so forth.

If you have the ability to ask the instructor for clarification, I'd start by doing that. If you assignment is primarily about your distinguishing between descriptive and narrative essays, there are likely to be clues in your lecture notes or text on how your instructor wants you to accomplish this. To me, without additional information this assignment appears likely to be about the "gray area" (note American spelling) between description and narrative.

Unfortunately, usages vary tremendously between different versions of English -- Americans and Canadians often disagree on subtle points, never mind Londoners, Australians, Indians from different pradesh , those who learned English as a native language in Hong Kong before the return to China or those who learned it there after. English is one of the most difficult languages to learn fluently as a second language because it is so internally inconsistent. If you're not in an American college, my answer may not be much help.

Description : - discourse intended to give a mental image of something experienced - a statement or account giving the characteristics of someone or something Narrative : - something that is narrated : STORY, ACCOUNT - the representation in art of an event or story

Your essay will use both, but focus on the description, because that's what your assignment calls for. Your telling the tale creates a narrator, but the narrator is not your focus.

Description is the evoking of images. Narration is the process by which you evoke the images and tell the story.

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Comparing and Contrasting

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.”

Introduction

In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them.

Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments

Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples:

• Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression.
• Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the causes, development, and outcomes of the wars.
• Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major differences in their poetry?

Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others only for contrast, and others for both.

But it’s not always so easy to tell whether an assignment is asking you to include comparison/contrast. And in some cases, comparison/contrast is only part of the essay—you begin by comparing and/or contrasting two or more things and then use what you’ve learned to construct an argument or evaluation. Consider these examples, noticing the language that is used to ask for the comparison/contrast and whether the comparison/contrast is only one part of a larger assignment:

• Choose a particular idea or theme, such as romantic love, death, or nature, and consider how it is treated in two Romantic poems.
• How do the different authors we have studied so far define and describe oppression?
• Compare Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression. What does each imply about women’s collusion in their own oppression? Which is more accurate?
• In the texts we’ve studied, soldiers who served in different wars offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings both during and after the fighting. What commonalities are there in these accounts? What factors do you think are responsible for their differences?

You may want to check out our handout on understanding assignments for additional tips.

Using comparison/contrast for all kinds of writing projects

Sometimes you may want to use comparison/contrast techniques in your own pre-writing work to get ideas that you can later use for an argument, even if comparison/contrast isn’t an official requirement for the paper you’re writing. For example, if you wanted to argue that Frye’s account of oppression is better than both de Beauvoir’s and Bartky’s, comparing and contrasting the main arguments of those three authors might help you construct your evaluation—even though the topic may not have asked for comparison/contrast and the lists of similarities and differences you generate may not appear anywhere in the final draft of your paper.

Discovering similarities and differences

Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you’re considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesn’t overlap; in those areas, you can list the traits that make the things different. Here’s a very simple example, using two pizza places:

To make a chart, figure out what criteria you want to focus on in comparing the items. Along the left side of the page, list each of the criteria. Across the top, list the names of the items. You should then have a box per item for each criterion; you can fill the boxes in and then survey what you’ve discovered.

Here’s an example, this time using three pizza places:

As you generate points of comparison, consider the purpose and content of the assignment and the focus of the class. What do you think the professor wants you to learn by doing this comparison/contrast? How does it fit with what you have been studying so far and with the other assignments in the course? Are there any clues about what to focus on in the assignment itself?

Here are some general questions about different types of things you might have to compare. These are by no means complete or definitive lists; they’re just here to give you some ideas—you can generate your own questions for these and other types of comparison. You may want to begin by using the questions reporters traditionally ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? If you’re talking about objects, you might also consider general properties like size, shape, color, sound, weight, taste, texture, smell, number, duration, and location.

Two historical periods or events

• When did they occur—do you know the date(s) and duration? What happened or changed during each? Why are they significant?
• What kinds of work did people do? What kinds of relationships did they have? What did they value?
• What kinds of governments were there? Who were important people involved?
• What caused events in these periods, and what consequences did they have later on?

Two ideas or theories

• What are they about?
• Did they originate at some particular time?
• Who created them? Who uses or defends them?
• What is the central focus, claim, or goal of each? What conclusions do they offer?
• How are they applied to situations/people/things/etc.?
• Which seems more plausible to you, and why? How broad is their scope?
• What kind of evidence is usually offered for them?

Two pieces of writing or art

• What are their titles? What do they describe or depict?
• What is their tone or mood? What is their form?
• Who created them? When were they created? Why do you think they were created as they were? What themes do they address?
• Do you think one is of higher quality or greater merit than the other(s)—and if so, why?
• For writing: what plot, characterization, setting, theme, tone, and type of narration are used?
• Where are they from? How old are they? What is the gender, race, class, etc. of each?
• What, if anything, are they known for? Do they have any relationship to each other?
• What are they like? What did/do they do? What do they believe? Why are they interesting?
• What stands out most about each of them?

Deciding what to focus on

By now you have probably generated a huge list of similarities and differences—congratulations! Next you must decide which of them are interesting, important, and relevant enough to be included in your paper. Ask yourself these questions:

• What’s relevant to the assignment?
• What’s relevant to the course?
• What’s interesting and informative?
• What matters to the argument you are going to make?
• What’s basic or central (and needs to be mentioned even if obvious)?
• Overall, what’s more important—the similarities or the differences?

Suppose that you are writing a paper comparing two novels. For most literature classes, the fact that they both use Caslon type (a kind of typeface, like the fonts you may use in your writing) is not going to be relevant, nor is the fact that one of them has a few illustrations and the other has none; literature classes are more likely to focus on subjects like characterization, plot, setting, the writer’s style and intentions, language, central themes, and so forth. However, if you were writing a paper for a class on typesetting or on how illustrations are used to enhance novels, the typeface and presence or absence of illustrations might be absolutely critical to include in your final paper.

Sometimes a particular point of comparison or contrast might be relevant but not terribly revealing or interesting. For example, if you are writing a paper about Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Coleridge’s “Frost at Midnight,” pointing out that they both have nature as a central theme is relevant (comparisons of poetry often talk about themes) but not terribly interesting; your class has probably already had many discussions about the Romantic poets’ fondness for nature. Talking about the different ways nature is depicted or the different aspects of nature that are emphasized might be more interesting and show a more sophisticated understanding of the poems.

Your thesis

The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so they don’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague reports of your general topic (for example, “This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in some ways and different in others,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference”) with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, “Pepper’s and Amante have similar prices and ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart.”

Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looking for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is “So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper’s and Amante are different in this way?” One might also wonder why the writer chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John’s, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here’s a revision of the thesis mentioned earlier:

Pepper’s and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper’s makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture.

You may find our handout on constructing thesis statements useful at this stage.

Organizing your paper

There are many different ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay. Here are two:

Subject-by-subject

Begin by saying everything you have to say about the first subject you are discussing, then move on and make all the points you want to make about the second subject (and after that, the third, and so on, if you’re comparing/contrasting more than two things). If the paper is short, you might be able to fit all of your points about each item into a single paragraph, but it’s more likely that you’d have several paragraphs per item. Using our pizza place comparison/contrast as an example, after the introduction, you might have a paragraph about the ingredients available at Pepper’s, a paragraph about its location, and a paragraph about its ambience. Then you’d have three similar paragraphs about Amante, followed by your conclusion.

The danger of this subject-by-subject organization is that your paper will simply be a list of points: a certain number of points (in my example, three) about one subject, then a certain number of points about another. This is usually not what college instructors are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those similarities or differences matter. Thus, if you use the subject-by-subject form, you will probably want to have a very strong, analytical thesis and at least one body paragraph that ties all of your different points together.

A subject-by-subject structure can be a logical choice if you are writing what is sometimes called a “lens” comparison, in which you use one subject or item (which isn’t really your main topic) to better understand another item (which is). For example, you might be asked to compare a poem you’ve already covered thoroughly in class with one you are reading on your own. It might make sense to give a brief summary of your main ideas about the first poem (this would be your first subject, the “lens”), and then spend most of your paper discussing how those points are similar to or different from your ideas about the second.

Point-by-point

Rather than addressing things one subject at a time, you may wish to talk about one point of comparison at a time. There are two main ways this might play out, depending on how much you have to say about each of the things you are comparing. If you have just a little, you might, in a single paragraph, discuss how a certain point of comparison/contrast relates to all the items you are discussing. For example, I might describe, in one paragraph, what the prices are like at both Pepper’s and Amante; in the next paragraph, I might compare the ingredients available; in a third, I might contrast the atmospheres of the two restaurants.

If I had a bit more to say about the items I was comparing/contrasting, I might devote a whole paragraph to how each point relates to each item. For example, I might have a whole paragraph about the clientele at Pepper’s, followed by a whole paragraph about the clientele at Amante; then I would move on and do two more paragraphs discussing my next point of comparison/contrast—like the ingredients available at each restaurant.

There are no hard and fast rules about organizing a comparison/contrast paper, of course. Just be sure that your reader can easily tell what’s going on! Be aware, too, of the placement of your different points. If you are writing a comparison/contrast in service of an argument, keep in mind that the last point you make is the one you are leaving your reader with. For example, if I am trying to argue that Amante is better than Pepper’s, I should end with a contrast that leaves Amante sounding good, rather than with a point of comparison that I have to admit makes Pepper’s look better. If you’ve decided that the differences between the items you’re comparing/contrasting are most important, you’ll want to end with the differences—and vice versa, if the similarities seem most important to you.

Our handout on organization can help you write good topic sentences and transitions and make sure that you have a good overall structure in place for your paper.

Cue words and other tips

To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you’ll want to be sure that your transitions and topic sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of the points you’ll be making and the organization you’ll be using, but you can help them out with some extra cues. The following words may be helpful to you in signaling your intentions:

• like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on the one hand … on the other hand.

For example, you might have a topic sentence like one of these:

• Compared to Pepper’s, Amante is quiet.
• Like Amante, Pepper’s offers fresh garlic as a topping.
• Despite their different locations (downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro), Pepper’s and Amante are both fairly easy to get to.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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What Are the Different Types of Essays and Why Use Them

Essays are not just short stories describing action or process (Like the beloved “How I spent this summer” essay). The work is much more complex. People use essays as a way to analyze, discuss some topics, persuade readers or prove ideas. So each custom essay should be specific and unique depending on purpose and type.

Purposes or essays differ. A list of the most commonly used types of them in the English language looks like this:

• Argumentative;
• Persuasive;
• Descriptive (Sensory);
• Definition;
• Compare/Contrast;
• Cause/Effect;
• Expository.

Each type has its rules and unique features. Understanding the structure, style, or anything else in a particular kind, and how it differs from another will help to write better essays and spend less time on doing the preparation and work itself. Now let’s start learning, shall we?

Argumentative Essay (Convincing the reader that you are spot on)

Several students find the concept of  writing argumentative essays appealing, though it can be quite an arduous task. Argumentative essays give you the ability to write your own exclusive opinions and thoughts and then find relevant evidence to back your argument. The real challenge lies in coming up with the right evidence and effectively learning how to defend your viewpoint. The best argumentative essays focus on just one aspect of a debate. For a detailed explanation of how to write an argumentative essay, visit here.

You should persuade the reader at some point. By giving proper argumentations, examples, etc., you convince them, that, for instance:

• Earth is round (It may sound funny today, but people in the past died trying to prove that);
• Coffee has greater taste than tea;
• Using an essay writing service is a good thing (And it is!)

We don’t try to convince you that an essay of this type should be 100% serious and has no space for humor or anything like that. You can make a funny essay but a persuasive one. However, it has to follow the structure. It looks something like this:

• Stating the point;
• Proving it with the right argumentation/examples;
• Stating the point once again. This time much more confident.

Academic works, like dissertations, coursework, or whatever are similar to argumentative essays from this perspective. Think about it.

What is the purpose of this essay?

The main purpose of an argumentative essay is to defend a debatable position on a certain issue with the ultimate goal to encourage a reader to accept the argument. In other words, your goal is to decide whether to agree or disagree with an essay subject, take a side, and develop an argument to demonstrate why you’re right. Of course, to show your argument is valid it needs to be supported by evidence.

What are the elements/parts of the essay?

• Introduction – starts with an attention-grabbing hook, provides background information on the subject, and announces the thesis statement (argument you’re going to discuss)
• Developing the argument – the body of the essay, divided into paragraphs containing a claim and evidence. Each paragraph should be dedicated to one claim (reasons why you’re right) and evidence to support it. Avoid writing multiple claims in one section. The number of paragraphs isn’t defined, but most students stick to 3-4 depending on the subject, word count etc.
• Debunking opponent’s arguments – there’s always the opposite side of the issue. This section addresses opposing arguments and demonstrates why they’re wrong
• Conclusion – restates the primary premise or argument, provides a general warning of the consequences that could happen if the main premise isn’t followed i.e. explains why we need to take action and solve some major problem

What are the methods?

Since argumentative essay and other types of academic writing should be written in a precise manner, you have to be careful not to overdo it with figures of speech. The purpose of figures of speech is to emphasize the argument, not to lessen its impact. Useful figures of speech to add moderately include:

• Metaphor – an implied comparison between two similar things that have something in common
• Personification – an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human abilities
• Simile – a stated comparison between two things, people, ideas
• Alliteration – repetition of an initial consonant sound

Form of writing

The argumentative essay uses formal, academic writing style to discuss a certain subject. A writer focuses on developing the argument in a manner that keeps the reader glued to the paper to the very end.

Point of view

Even though the argumentative essay requires a writer to take a stand and back it up with evidence, it should be written from a third-person perspective. First-person writing can downplay the importance of facts and evidence while third-person writing emphasizes them.

Tone of the essay

This type of academic writing requires an authoritative and formal tone, but it should also appeal to the reader. Take into consideration the audience and avoid writing “big” words randomly.

Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a form of academic writing wherein a writer tries to convince the reader that one idea is more legitimate and accurate than the other. Nowadays, a persuasive essay is used as a synonym for argumentative papers, but they’re not the same. Argumentative essays use logic and reason while persuasive essays may involve a writer’s emotions and feelings too.

The purpose of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader that the assertion, claim, or opinion of the writer is valid. The goal is to try to persuade the audience to adopt your view on the matter. While it can involve emotions, the paper also needs evidence to make your “persuasion” even stronger.

• Introduction – grabs the reader’s attention, makes audience relate to the subject, and announces thesis
• Body paragraphs – each paragraph features one reason/claim and evidence to support it
• Conclusion – short summary of the subject, benefits to the reader, and call-to-action in one paragraph

The power of persuasion is an art form and there are different ways to make it stronger. Careful use of figures of speech and other stylistic methods can intensify your arguments. Useful methods to use include hyperbole for extravagant statements, irony, metaphor, imagery, simile, puns (but avoid clichés), you name it.

The persuasive essay focuses on an in-depth assessment of the subject in order to defend your claims and make them appear superior to others. While it involves one’s emotions and passions, it’s crucial not to overdo it.

Although the power of persuasion comes down to a person’s beliefs and passions, the essay requires third-person writing. It’s important to stay away from first-person writing because it can lessen the significance of evidence you include.

A formal type of writing that uses sarcasm and irony to emphasize strong voice and opinion.

Critical Essay

Don’t think you should criticize someone or something in this type of work. The idea is to analyze strengths and weaknesses, meanings, methods or even their absence. It can be a movie, a play, a speech, or even another person’s essay (Essay that analyzes essay that analyzes another essay that…). Or anything else, examples:

• What are the pros and cons of pastarians’ perception of God (No religious feelings are meant to be offended);
• Strengths and weaknesses of “American Pie’s” plot;
• Morality issues of my friend Stephen’s action. What will be the punishment for toilet papering our teacher’s house?

The structure of such types of essays is more complex and has more variations. It should resemble this:

• Asking a question;
• Proving strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons. You can write some points first and then the opposite to them or vice versa. Contrasting them, like good-bad, good-bad is also possible. Alternatively, you can create your own way of doing it. It may be a great plus.
• Answering the question. You should decide if Stephen is a great guy or should his parents lock him in his room. Never leave the issue unsolved.

Critical essays are the hardest ones. It is crucial to make vast research before starting it. Shortness of knowledge on the topic may lead to making false statements in the conclusion of the work.

Narrative Essay (Imagine you are a storyteller)

In narrative essays, you are basically writing about a real-life episode or experience that has occurred in your life. It may appear easy, and numerous students choose this essay type thinking it would be a piece of cake; however, a narrative essay is quite challenging to write. This is primarily because students are not well versed with writing about themselves.

If you opt to write a narrative essay, ensure that you utilize all your senses wherever possible. Writing about sights, thoughts, feelings, and sounds will engage the interest of the readers and give them the feeling that they are present with you while you narrate your experience.

Beloved “How I spent this Summer” is a great example of a narrative essay based on personal experience. You just tell a story about something, you’ve experienced, or create it on your own. Titles of such works:

• How Drrrhgraalllgarr defeated evil orcs;
• A trip to Vegas with my dog that didn’t end well…;
• How I stopped smoking and started believing in myself.

People often call them short stories as they have the simplest structure:

• Introduction (Why I/they did it and what are the reasons);
• Main body (What happened);
• What lesson is learnt from it.

Nothing hard nor fancy, if you can tell an interesting story to a friend, this task won’t be a challenge at all.

The purpose of a narrative essay is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events. Of course, the narration is non-fictional but it still allows students to explore their creativity. The narrative essay can be experiential, anecdotal, etc.

• Introduction – starts with an attention-grabbing hook, describes significance of the subject, and ends with a thesis statement
• Body paragraphs – include the background of some event, characters (people involved), short anecdote or foreshadowing, onset of the event, climax, and ending or resolution
• Conclusion – moral of the story, significance of the overall subject, call-to-action (if applicable)

Bearing in mind narrative essays revolve around telling a story, a writer can use multiple figures of speech to add more “soul” into the content. Anaphora (repetition of the same word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses) can be very useful for cases when you want to make a big impact. Other figures to use include simile, metaphor, hyperbole, imagery, litotes (an understatement wherein an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite), personification, and others.

Although narrative essay revolves around telling a story, it should still convey and send a strong message about a certain subject. A writer uses personal experiences to get the point across.

Unlike other types of essay writing, this paper encourages the use of the first person.

The tone should be engaging, approachable, storytelling, but you should still avoid using clichés, abbreviations, slang, etc.

Descriptive Essay (Pretend that you are a Painter of a Picture)

Quite similar to narrative essays, descriptive essays paint a picture utilizing the words you jot down. You may opt to write a descriptive essay about an individual, place, event, or object. Several students end up struggling with this type of essay because despite the fact that you are effectively describing something, you are not merely writing the essay for the purpose of describing something. You must find a deeper value and meaning and eventually communicate that to the reader through your description. The most excellent descriptive essays enliven a single object in all the magnificent details that it possesses.

“Yesterday I ate a chocolate bar. It was tasty and had peanut butter stuffing…” You got the idea. Simple description of something. Of course, it should not be as short and generalized as an example provided in the previous paragraph. Use as much details as possible, try to express in your work every aspect of something. There are no limitations on what it should be about. It may be stuff like:

• Your favorite toothbrush;
• Abandoned house on street you live on;
• New Lego set you bought for yourself;
• And anything that exists in multiverse.

It’s structure has tons of variations. It can be a story-like description, similar to narrative essays, a list of traits. Anything that comes to mind.

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Definition Essay

In definition essays you do not only explain meaning of words or terms, you try to analyze why is called that way. An abstract concept or something more specific.

• Toyota Corolla;
• Cleaving knife;

Defining of an object usually goes in three steps:

• You tell readers, what are you going to define;
• Give them basic information about it (similar to what is given in the dictionary);
• Examples, facts and other things needed for deeper analysis of object itself. Or why people named it that way.

It’s up to you how to handle this type task. You can define by different criteria: function, structure, by comparing something to other things. Even by telling readers, how your subject is not defined as.

It may seem as an easy task, but it’s a trap. Especially when you write about some abstract concept, like “Good” or “Evil”. Such things are subjective thus your point of view may differ from readers’. If you are not persuasive enough, it will spoil an essay you’ve worked so hard on.

Comparative Essay

You may compare two places, techniques, concepts, goals, works of literature, etc. Find similarities, and differences and discuss them in your work. It is possible to add a third object or even a fourth. We believe that two is more than enough to create a great comparative type essay. It is a bad idea to compare incomparable like the Moon and Peter’s left hand. The contrast is too strong. Different cars, colleges, pens, cities, people, would be nice to use in an essay. The idea is not to just name things that objects have in common but to come up with a conclusion on which is better. Or that they are basically the same, like left and right shoes.

Compare and contrast essay looks at the similarities and differences between two or more objects, events, or ideas. This type of an essay is particularly common at the university where lecturers test their understanding of the subject by asking students to compare and contrast two theories, historical periods, methods, characters in a novel, etc. Sometimes students are asked to compare or contrast only, but in other instances, they are required to do both within a single essay.

The purpose of compare and contrast essay is not to state the obvious, but to illuminate unexpected similarities or unexpected differences. A writer has to dig deep below the surface to analyze the subject and use evidence to confirm both similarities and differences.

• Introduction – introduces the main topic and specific ideas or subjects the paper will compare/contrast, announces the thesis statement
• Body paragraphs – each paragraph starts with a topic sentence focused on the aspect you’re about to compare/contrast. After the topic sentence, it’s important to introduce the evidence you obtained while researching
• Conclusion – summary of the topic, specifies the significance of the subject, provides a short evaluation of future developments

Compare and contrast essay is the perfect opportunity to use figures of speech such as simile and metaphor as they allow you to compare two objects/ideas both directly and indirectly. The use of oxymorons can also be practical when done correctly.

The focus of this paper is to connect two subjects or ideas in a meaningful way. Drawing distinctions between two (or more) elements within the same category enhances the understanding of the subject and demonstrates the writer’s critical thinking skills and the ability to evaluate a topic from different angles.

Although you are the one who chooses key similarities/differences, it’s necessary to stick to the third-person writing.

The tone of the essay

This type of essay requires a clear and authoritative tone. Depending on the subject, a humorous tone can also be fitting.

Cause/effect Essay

This type of work is a symbiosis of two: cause essay and effect essay. Cause essay explains why something happened. For instance:

• Why I am so handsome (could be an essay for your biology class, where you explain how you inherited features from ancestors);
• Why Neo from “Matrix” appeared to be the chosen one;
• Why Earth is moving around its orbit.

Effect essay tells readers about things that happened after particular event:

• How my handsomeness affects my life since I was born;
• How people defeated machines in “Matrix” after rebels found Neo, the chosen one;
• How Earth’s movement made it possible for life forms to develop on the planet.

Multiple causes may lead to one effect and. Multiple effects can be caused by one cause. Talking about Earth, its movement did not lead only to life forms creation. It made it possible for us to have daytime and nighttime, water waves, strong atmosphere and many other pleasant things. Talking about multiple causes, your handsomeness (Yes, you are handsome), is not only caused by genes you’ve inherited. Nutrition, exercising, even weather conditions, all of that contributed to your well looking. While working on a cause/effect paper, we recommend you to get ideas for every part of it on the first place. Then combine them in one well-written work.

Such an attitude will help you to:

• Find all possible causes and effects of particular event, process or action;
• Have a better structured work;
• Understand the matter better.

You may even decide to divide work in two essays and get two good marks instead of only one. It’s up to you.

The main purpose of a cause and effect essay is to demonstrate your ability to connect reasons and their consequences in an evidence-based and logical fashion. It’s not uncommon for students to confuse this type of writing for compare and contrast essay. The main difference here is that you don’t analyze similarities/differences, but evaluate causes and effects or results of some actions, ideas, behaviors.

• Introduction – sets the tone, catches reader’s attention, announces thesis statement
• Causes/effects paragraphs – there is no limit here, you can write as many paragraphs as necessary to discuss causes and effects you want. Remember, one cause/effect requires one paragraph, second cause/effect needs a separate paragraph, and so on. This is the section where you include research notes and back up all your claims with strong evidence
• Conclusion – restates the topic, summarizes key causes and effects, includes call-to-action (if applicable)

Bearing in mind the cause and effect essay requires a logical flow of events and an in-depth analysis of the relationship between some events and their consequences, too many figures of speech could lessen the impact of your argument. When using these “devices” one should be careful because they can distract the reader. In order to achieve heightened effect one can use hyperbole, but with caution. Metaphor and simile can also be useful when used in moderation.

A writer focuses on the deductive analysis of the existing data to provide a logical reasoning for some event.

Cause and effect essay requires third-person writing. Imagine yourself as a bystander who’s witnessing some event or development and reporting it and its consequences to his/her audience.

This paper requires causal chains, logical flow of events, systematic order of happenings.

Process Essay

It may be a tutorial on how to do things, a story depicting changes in one’s world perception or anything like that. Structure of such essay is simple. You need to describe the process in the natural order of events. If you decide to describe morning routine (very interesting topic, we know, but it is a great example), then it would look like that: 1. Describe how you got up; 2. You cleaned your teeth; 3. Made breakfast; 4. Finally put on pants with flowers printed on them so that your roommate stopped freaking out; 5. Went to classes. A great idea is to write about things that actually changed after the process. Life lesson you’ve learnt or if you write a tutorial/instruction for something, describe what a person should get after the work is done.

Expository Essay (Merely state the facts)

Expository essays are common at the college level, and they are primarily research papers. You accumulate facts and information and then successfully organize them in a manner that is logical, so that you can demonstrate your findings to your readers. You commence with an idea and then effectively present the research findings and data, following which you draw a conclusion on the basis of your findings. It is vital to note that your personal opinions, feelings, and thoughts should not be a part of this type of essay.

When you work on expository type essay, you are required to investigate some idea, event or fact. For example, you decided to write about some urban legends of your town/city. You need to do a proper research, go to the location, where the event took place and make conclusions from it. Arguments in an essay should be persuasive and informational. The idea is to make people believe in legitimacy of a conclusion and have no doubts about it. The more facts you use the better. It is recommended to use five-paragraph structure for expository essays.

• A paragraph, where you introduce idea or whatever you are going to investigate;
• Three paragraphs, where you present facts and evidences;
• Closing paragraph (conclusion).

The purpose of the expository essay is to “expose” and explain some subject in a straightforward manner. A writer carries out extensive research to approach the topic from different angles, analyze obtained information, and compose an essay. It is a fair and balanced analysis of a subject and it is strictly based on facts.

• Introduction – a brief overview of the subject and announcement of thesis statement
• Body paragraphs – each paragraph discusses a specific topic within a given subject. It should contain facts and evidence that support them followed by their analysis
• Conclusion – summary of key points, reestablished significance of the subject

Bearing in mind that expository essay is based on facts only, using figures of speech could decrease their influence. It would be ideal to keep this essay concise and specific from top to bottom, without adding words and phrases that aren’t necessary

The expository essay focuses on obtaining information and analyzing gathered data. A writer takes the role of a documentary narrator who just describes what is shown on screen. The paper doesn’t set a pro or con argument that persuades the reader to adopt a certain idea.

Ideally, you should use third-person writing to compose an expository essay.

An expository essay is written in a logical and concise manner. A writer should be unbiased and avoid taking sides on the issue/subject.

Tips, advice, and explanations

We did not include all the structures that are being used for essays due to various reasons. To begin with, there are more of possible ways to format essays, including Dalmatians infamous movie (101). More to that, the main principles of structuring an essay are the same in every work of the kind. Even children know this “10-80-10” rule which means how much information should be included in each of the essay parts.

If you have any troubles with classification essay types, you can always find an example of compare-and-contrast, narrative, definitive, or any other kind of worksheets, written by professionals on our sites.

We will publish guides on different types of essays occasionally and hope that you will love them. Our advice is to try to get pleasure from the things you are doing. Writing papers is also a form of art, you can express yourself here using different styles, approaches, or anything else that could possibly make an essay interesting for you.

Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Related posts:

• ESL Essay: Unboxing an ESL Essay with Topics and Examples
• How to Write a Book Review
• How to Create Expository Essay Outline
• Creating Understandable and Coherent Paragraphs for Your Essay

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• Comparing and contrasting in an essay | Tips & examples

Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on August 6, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

Comparing and contrasting is an important skill in academic writing . It involves taking two or more subjects and analyzing the differences and similarities between them.

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Table of contents

When should i compare and contrast, making effective comparisons, comparing and contrasting as a brainstorming tool, structuring your comparisons, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about comparing and contrasting.

Many assignments will invite you to make comparisons quite explicitly, as in these prompts.

• Compare the treatment of the theme of beauty in the poetry of William Wordsworth and John Keats.
• Compare and contrast in-class and distance learning. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

Some other prompts may not directly ask you to compare and contrast, but present you with a topic where comparing and contrasting could be a good approach.

One way to approach this essay might be to contrast the situation before the Great Depression with the situation during it, to highlight how large a difference it made.

Comparing and contrasting is also used in all kinds of academic contexts where it’s not explicitly prompted. For example, a literature review involves comparing and contrasting different studies on your topic, and an argumentative essay may involve weighing up the pros and cons of different arguments.

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As the name suggests, comparing and contrasting is about identifying both similarities and differences. You might focus on contrasting quite different subjects or comparing subjects with a lot in common—but there must be some grounds for comparison in the first place.

For example, you might contrast French society before and after the French Revolution; you’d likely find many differences, but there would be a valid basis for comparison. However, if you contrasted pre-revolutionary France with Han-dynasty China, your reader might wonder why you chose to compare these two societies.

This is why it’s important to clarify the point of your comparisons by writing a focused thesis statement . Every element of an essay should serve your central argument in some way. Consider what you’re trying to accomplish with any comparisons you make, and be sure to make this clear to the reader.

Comparing and contrasting can be a useful tool to help organize your thoughts before you begin writing any type of academic text. You might use it to compare different theories and approaches you’ve encountered in your preliminary research, for example.

Let’s say your research involves the competing psychological approaches of behaviorism and cognitive psychology. You might make a table to summarize the key differences between them.

Or say you’re writing about the major global conflicts of the twentieth century. You might visualize the key similarities and differences in a Venn diagram.

These visualizations wouldn’t make it into your actual writing, so they don’t have to be very formal in terms of phrasing or presentation. The point of comparing and contrasting at this stage is to help you organize and shape your ideas to aid you in structuring your arguments.

When comparing and contrasting in an essay, there are two main ways to structure your comparisons: the alternating method and the block method.

The alternating method

In the alternating method, you structure your text according to what aspect you’re comparing. You cover both your subjects side by side in terms of a specific point of comparison. Your text is structured like this:

Mouse over the example paragraph below to see how this approach works.

One challenge teachers face is identifying and assisting students who are struggling without disrupting the rest of the class. In a traditional classroom environment, the teacher can easily identify when a student is struggling based on their demeanor in class or simply by regularly checking on students during exercises. They can then offer assistance quietly during the exercise or discuss it further after class. Meanwhile, in a Zoom-based class, the lack of physical presence makes it more difficult to pay attention to individual students’ responses and notice frustrations, and there is less flexibility to speak with students privately to offer assistance. In this case, therefore, the traditional classroom environment holds the advantage, although it appears likely that aiding students in a virtual classroom environment will become easier as the technology, and teachers’ familiarity with it, improves.

The block method

In the block method, you cover each of the overall subjects you’re comparing in a block. You say everything you have to say about your first subject, then discuss your second subject, making comparisons and contrasts back to the things you’ve already said about the first. Your text is structured like this:

• Point of comparison A
• Point of comparison B

The most commonly cited advantage of distance learning is the flexibility and accessibility it offers. Rather than being required to travel to a specific location every week (and to live near enough to feasibly do so), students can participate from anywhere with an internet connection. This allows not only for a wider geographical spread of students but for the possibility of studying while travelling. However, distance learning presents its own accessibility challenges; not all students have a stable internet connection and a computer or other device with which to participate in online classes, and less technologically literate students and teachers may struggle with the technical aspects of class participation. Furthermore, discomfort and distractions can hinder an individual student’s ability to engage with the class from home, creating divergent learning experiences for different students. Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

Note that these two methods can be combined; these two example paragraphs could both be part of the same essay, but it’s wise to use an essay outline to plan out which approach you’re taking in each paragraph.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

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Some essay prompts include the keywords “compare” and/or “contrast.” In these cases, an essay structured around comparing and contrasting is the appropriate response.

Comparing and contrasting is also a useful approach in all kinds of academic writing : You might compare different studies in a literature review , weigh up different arguments in an argumentative essay , or consider different theoretical approaches in a theoretical framework .

Your subjects might be very different or quite similar, but it’s important that there be meaningful grounds for comparison . You can probably describe many differences between a cat and a bicycle, but there isn’t really any connection between them to justify the comparison.

You’ll have to write a thesis statement explaining the central point you want to make in your essay , so be sure to know in advance what connects your subjects and makes them worth comparing.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

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Saturday 18 January 2014

Compare & contrast, descriptive, and persuasive essays.

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How to Get ChatGPT to Write an Essay: Prompts & Tricks

If you’re a student, you probably know how to write a good essay. But what if you need a little assistance with a tricky task? Well, in that case, you can use AI tools like ChatGPT to find inspiration, decide on the paper’s structure, and create model samples.

When you use the chatbot this way, there’s one thing you need to remember – the prompt is everything. The quality of the tool’s responses directly depends on how good your prompt is, so you need to be smart about it.

How? Read this article to find out!

Here, our experts will:

• Share the best ChatGPT prompts for essay writing,
• Discuss what to avoid when you use AI for academic assistance,
• Explain how to make the chatbot write an essay of any type.
• ✍ ChatGPT’s Writing Capabilities

⚖️ Ethical Issues with ChatGPT Essays

• 🤔 So, Should You Generate Essays?
• 🚀 How to Use AI to Write an Essay
• 📚 Prompts for Different Genres

💡 Key Takeaways

🔗 references, ✍️ chatgpt’s essay writing capabilities.

First, let’s talk about ChatGPT’s capabilities and how it can help you write a great essay.

The chatbot is generally used for various language-related tasks such as translating, summarizing, or creating text. Its ability to generate fluent and well-written content makes it popular among students.

But why is ChatGPT so good at writing?

Well, it’s designed to understand and process natural language . The chatbot is trained on huge amounts of data and is capable of recognizing words and grammar patterns. All this allows the algorithm to analyze the prompt and generate natural-sounding, coherent responses.

Essays created by ChatGPT are also well-structured. Their introductions contain catchy hooks and clear thesis statements, while each paragraph has a topic sentence and linkers.

All this makes the chatbot a great academic writing assistant.

Can ChatGPT Write an Essay with References?

One of the most common mistakes students make while working with ChatGPT is using it to create references.

Well, that’s a terrible idea.

Despite being an advanced AI tool with an extensive database, the chatbot can’t cite real sources. And what’s worse, it tends to come up with nonexistent citations and pretend they’re real.

Here’s an example of what the generated references may look like:

A quick fact-check will show that none of these articles actually exist. They even look suspicious, with names repeating and one person named “Fluorescence.”

If you ask the chatbot about them, here’s what it will have to say:

Trust us: you shouldn’t take everything the chatbot produces at face value and delegate every single aspect of essay writing to it.

What Else ChatGPT Can’t Do

Aside from fake citations, the chatbot has many other limitations and cons that you should know about:

• Biased answers and information. Because ChatGPT was trained on internet data, it may give prejudiced responses on controversial topics.
• Lack of individuality. While texts created by the chatbot sound human-like, they are still artificially generated by combining cliché patterns and trite ideas.
• Limited knowledge of subjects. ChatGPT’s database is enormous, but the tool still lacks genuine expertise in niche or fast-evolving academic fields.
• No knowledge of recent events. The chatbot is also limited by the date of its latest update (January 2022,) so it might not have all the up-to-date information on the subject.
• Unreadable texts. Whenever ChatGPT tries to write a formal text, it makes it overly lengthy and redundant. The repetition of difficult words and complex sentences makes such texts hard to comprehend.
• Lack of originality. While ChatGPT’s responses sound original, they’re actually derivative since the tool rehashes existing texts to create them. For that reason, using AI to generate academic papers is considered cheating .

Stealing ideas from copyrighted texts is not the only ethical issue with AI usage – keep reading to learn more about them.

One essential aspect of using ChatGPT in your studies is that, in most cases, it’s seen as an unethical practice. There are many reasons for that, such as:

• Lack of real effort from the student,
• Unfair advantage over those who write their assignments themselves,
• No attribution to the text’s original author,
• Presence of made-up facts and false statistics.

Of course, there are ways to use the chatbot ethically but many students choose to ignore them and generate entire paragraphs or even essays. This is seen as academic dishonesty and can have serious consequences, from failing a class to getting expelled.

The fluency of AI texts can trick people into believing they won’t be caught if they submit a generated paper. The truth is, there are plenty of advanced AI-detecting tools that can identify texts written by ChatGPT. Even if you paraphrase every sentence of the essay, it doesn’t mean you won’t get caught cheating.

🤔 So, Should You Generate Essays with ChatGPT?

At this point, you may be wondering if creating essays with ChatGPT is even worth it.

Well, it is if you do it the right way .

Artificial intelligence can indeed create well-written texts, but it doesn’t mean you can copy and submit them as your own. This practice won’t get you an A+ or make you smarter. It will only put you at risk of being punished or even expelled from school.

But there’s another way of using ChatGPT that is both safe and beneficial. You can freely use the chatbot as an assistant and a source of inspiration for writing your own paper. This way, you’ll make the writing process easier and get an authentic, high-quality text in the end.

All you need is the correct prompts . Without them, you will get irrelevant results that won’t be of any help. In contrast, a well-written prompt will help you get exactly what you need.

Want to know how to develop the best possible prompts? Keep reading!

🚀 How to Use ChatGPT to Write an Essay in 5 Steps

To get the best out of AI-assisted essay writing process, follow the five steps:

• Generate essay topics,
• Find the necessary sources,
• Create an outline ,
• Generate samples ,
• Adjust the resulting texts .

In the following sections, we will tell you all about these steps and show you examples of effective prompts that you can use.

1. Ask ChatGPT to Generate Topics

If you were not assigned a specific topic for an essay, you can use AI to brainstorm ideas. For better results, give the bot as many details as possible, such as:

• the type of essay you need to write,
• the general subject you plan to write about,
• the academic level your essay should have.

You may also ask the tool to add descriptions to the generated topics. This will allow you to have a clear starting point for your research.

To get the best topic ideas, you can use prompts like these:

Now, you can choose the idea you like best and modify it however you wish.

2. Ask the Chatbot to Find Sources

After you’ve chosen a topic, the next step is to find suitable sources. ChatGPT can’t provide sources with links, so you’ll have to look for them on your own. However, the tool can still suggest the works you can study and use as references.

When creating a prompt, you can specify what kind of sources you need.

For instance:

These prompts will yield results including real titles of existing works.

Tip: What if you want to include a quotation from a source, but you’re not sure about its meaning? In that case, feel free to use our quote explainer .

3. Use AI to Create an Outline

Now, you have all the necessary information to create an outline. Structuring an essay is one of the most challenging tasks for students. If that’s the case with you, ChatGPT will once again come in handy.

To get a good outline, specify the number of words and the topic of your essay in your prompt. We also recommend mentioning the main aspects you want to discuss in your work.

Here are prompt examples you could use:

Now, all you need to do is write your own essay plan based on what you’ve generated.

We strongly discourage you from using AI-made outlines as is since they may contain irrelevant information or be too for your word count. For example, if you look at the 500-word smoking essay outline above, you will notice that the first body paragraph includes as many as six discussion points. There’s no way you’ll be able to review them all in 100 words.

Tip: Want to get a customized outline without having to write a detailed prompt? Try using our essay outline generator .

4. Generate a Sample Essay

After you finish your outline, you can finally use ChatGPT to create a sample essay. Remember that you should use the generated text as an inspiration only. Instead of copy-pasting the sample, use it as a blueprint to write your own paper.

The easiest way to get a great sample is to include the outline in your prompt and ask the tool to write an essay based on it. Describing the essay’s contents in detail will ensure that the generated text is exactly what you need it to be.

It’s also possible to use simpler prompts, such as these:

Keep in mind that if you choose to use simple prompts like the ones above, you can’t be so sure of the results and how relevant they will be. We recommend taking your time to develop an outline and then use it to generate a sample essay.

5. Change the Generated Essay

The last step is to edit and improve the sample. While ChatGPT is capable of generating a complete essay, it may miss important details or include parts that are irrelevant.

Luckily, you can add or remove information by continuing your conversation with the chatbot. Just explain the tool what changes you want to make.

Suppose ChatGPT didn’t discuss the importance of the relationship between co-workers in an essay about the workplace environment. To add this information to your paper, you can use a request like this:

We also recommend you highlight the part you want to edit and click the “reply” button that will appear. The selected text will be automatically quoted in your prompt. This way, you will give the tool a clear idea of what exactly you want it to change without copying and pasting anything.

And there you have it – a customized essay sample on your topic. Use it to compose your own paper, and make sure to add a personal twist to it.

Tip: Our AI-based tools will help you make your essay perfect:

• Is your text too short? Use an essay extender to make it longer.
• Checking your paper’s structure and flow will be easier with our “ read my essay ” tool.
• To ensure the final version of your paper has no traces of generated text, scan it with our Chat GPT essay detector .

How to Get ChatGPT to Write a Narrative Essay

The main goal of a narrative essay is to capture readers’ attention with its story. That’s why a prompt for such an essay needs to include:

• Information about the readers,
• What the essay should be about,
• The aim of your paper.

Suppose you want to inspire your audience or convey a particular message. Here are two good examples of prompts that will help you achieve this:

Both of these prompts:

• Identify a paper’s intended audience (teenagers in the first one and graduate students in the second one.)
• Mention the narrative’s theme (passion as a cartographer and the importance of ethical leadership.)
• State the purpose of an essay (inspiring and teaching a lesson.)

How to Make ChatGPT Write a Descriptive Essay

Compelling and memorable descriptions are crucial when writing a descriptive essay . ChatGPT can help you with that, but there is one important thing you should keep in mind to get the best results.

If you simply ask the AI tool to write a descriptive essay on your topic, you’ll get an unreadable text filled with awkward metaphors and corny descriptions like this:

Example: As I wrap myself in the comforting embrace of the quilt, I am enveloped in a cocoon of emotions. Joy mingles with sorrow, nostalgia with longing, creating a bittersweet symphony that resonates deep within my soul. In this moment, I am not just reliving memories, but experiencing them anew, each stitch a thread connecting past and present, heart and soul.

Terrible, right?

What you need is a more natural-sounding sample. So, how can you achieve this?

First, you need to choose a well-written descriptive fragment from a literary work you like. We chose this passage from Nabokov’s story “First Love”:

“In the early years of this century, a travel agency on Nevski Avenue displayed a three-foot-long model of an oak-brown international sleeping car. In delicate verisimilitude it completely outranked the painted tin of my clockwork trains. Unfortunately, it was not for sale. One could make out the blue upholstery inside, the embossed leather lining of the compartment walls, their polished panels, inset mirrors, tulip-shaped reading lamps, and other maddening details. Spacious windows alternated with narrower ones, single or geminate, and some of these were of frosted glass. In a few of the compartments, the beds had been made.”

Now, we will ask ChatGPT to point out the text’s distinctive features using a prompt like this:

After that, you can include the features ChatGPT described in your essay prompt. Here’s what it can look like:

The result will be a readable descriptive text that you can slightly improve and use as a foundation for your essay.

Tip: Any descriptive essay needs to open with a great attention grabber. Feel free to use our hook generator to develop a catchy opening sentence.

How to Prompt ChatGPT to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

To write a comparative essay , you first need to identify the parameters according to which you’re comparing two or more things. ChatGPT can help you find them quickly and efficiently.

For instance, to compare fiction with non-fiction, you can use this prompt:

Now, you have your points of comparison: content and purpose. You can use this information to develop a brief outline and later use it in your prompt to generate an essay sample.

For a compare-and-contrast outline, specify what each part should cover:

• The introduction will include a thesis statement explaining the subjects’ similarities and differences.
• The body paragraphs can compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction books based on their content and purpose.
• The conclusion can summarize the main points and express the final thought.

Next, copy the outline and add it to your prompt, like this:

Tip: You can generate a similar paper tailored to your needs with just a couple of clicks using our compare and contrast essay generator .

Best ChatGPT Prompts for Writing Persuasive Essays

Persuasive essay’s main goal is to convince the audience that the opinion or idea expressed in the paper is the right one. For that reason, persuasive essays are created with their audience in mind.

To write a good prompt, you must mention:

• The paper’s purpose,
• The opinion you want your audience to take,
• The message you would like to convey,
• The actions you aim to inspire.

Here’s a pro tip:

Before you start, try asking ChatGPT what persuasive strategies are best suited for your topic. Your prompt may look like this:

These strategies can be included in your prompt to get a better answer.

This is what your final prompt may look like:

Tip: Try our persuasive essay maker to generate a sample paper in seconds.

ChatGPT Prompts for Argumentative Essay Writing

The most important thing for an argumentative essay is to have a strong argument and counterargument. That’s why it’s best to take your time and develop these elements before generating a sample essay.

You can start by asking ChatGPT to help you develop counterarguments for your essay:

You may also ask the chatbot how to make your main argument more compelling:

Finally, you need to combine your arguments, counterarguments, and persuasive strategies in your prompt. The chatbot will generate a fantastic essay that includes everything you want:

Tip: Another way to generate a customized text of this type is to use our argumentative essay maker .

We also recommend using the following AI-powered tools to help you ace other types of assignments:

• Analytical essay maker ,
• Case study solver ,
• Rhetorical device finder generator ,
• Informative essay maker ,
• AI scholarship essay writer .

ChatGPT can be super beneficial if you’re writing an essay and need a model paper on your topic for inspiration.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you decide to use this AI tool for assistance:

• The chatbot can be helpful if you use it ethically.
• To generate a high-quality sample, you need a well-written prompt based on your paper’s outline.
• It’s best to consider the type of essay you are working on and pay attention to its specific features when generating samples.

Thanks for reading our article! We hope it helped you learn how to generate excellent essay samples with the power of AI. Have you tried using the chatbot this way? Tell us in the comment section!

Check out our guide on using ChatGPT for literature review writing to enhance your studies even further.

• How ChatGPT (And Other AI Chatbots) Can Help You Write an Essay: ZDNet
• Should I Use ChatGPT to Write My Essays?: Harvard Summer School
• How to (Correctly!) Use ChatGPT for Essay Writing: eSchool News
• ChatGPT and Fake Citations: Duke University Libraries
• ChatGPT Can Write Your Essays, but Should You Use It?: Android Authority
• Writing an Essay with ChatGPT: Machine Learning Mastery
• How to Ethically Use ChatGPT to Write an Essay: Lifehacker
• The Ethics of College Students Using ChatGPT: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• AI Ethicist Views on ChatGPT: Forbes
• How to Use ChatGPT and Still Be a Good Person: The New York Times
• Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Generative AI (i.e. ChatGPT) on Campus: Santa Clara University
• How to Use ChatGPT to Write Essays That Impress: Beebom
• How to Use ChatGPT for Research and Essays: MakeUseOf
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Compare-Contrast Essay - Narrative VS Descriptive Essay

User Generated

Description

Compare-Contrast Essay – Rough Draft In Chapter 6, you learned about different types of personal writing, which include descriptive essays and narrative essays. You were also able to use these techniques in the essay you wrote during Week Two. For this week’s essay, you will be writing a Compare-Contrast Essay on the similarities and differences between a narrative essay and a descriptive essay, ending with a persuasive statement on which style of essay you believe is superior to the other, based on the examples you selected. For more information on how to write a persuasive statement, please refer to Chapter 7 of your text. To assist you in writing this Compare-Contrast Essay, you were asked to choose one descriptive and one narrative essay to use from a list of possible essays. In the Week Two assignment, you wrote a draft of an essay that utilizes the techniques implemented by these authors. During your discussion forums this week, you identified similarities and differences between the essays you chose. Now, you will use those items to create a Compare-Contrast Essay. Chapter 6 from Essentials of College Writing references two ways to organize this type of essay. In your essay, you will present several points of comparison and contrast in either block arrangement or point-by-point organization. In your draft:

• Present several points of comparison and contrast in either block arrangement or point-by-point organization. Make sure to address the structural components of each essay.
• A quote from one of the chosen essays.
• A summary of a section of one of the chosen essays.
• A paraphrase of a section from one of the chosen essays.
• Conclude with a persuasive statement about which style of essay is superior, based on the examples you selected. Make sure to address how the structure of the essay contributes to its superiority.

Explanation & Answer

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