Learning Commons Resources

13. Four Basic Types of Essays

An essay is a short formal piece of writing dealing with a single subject It is typically written to try to persuade the reader using selected research evidence. In general, an academic essay has three parts:

1. An introduction that gives the reader an idea of what they are about to learn and presents an argument in the form of a thesis statement
2. A body, or middle section, that provides evidence used to prove and persuade the reader to accept the writer's particular point of view
3. A conclusion that summarizes the content and findings of the essay

Below is the four basic types of essays.

Four Basic Types of Essay