In academic writing, descriptive and narrative genres are less common than persuasive and expository genres. However, the skills used in these genres may still be utilized in certain approaches or particular assignments.
Descriptive writing uses vivid language to describe a person, place, or event so that the reader can picture the topic clearly in their mind.
Some qualitative research methods call for data collection through such rich descriptions (e.g., phenomenological protocols, narrative re-storying). Although it is unlikely for a student at Saybrook to receive an essay prompt requiring a descriptive approach, the skill is useful for describing personal observations. Note that within academic writing, descriptive writing should remain neutral and use clear and concise wording.
Narrative writing tells the reader about a particular event(s) that took place. Common works of narrative writing include personal essays (such as those found in a blog post), practicum logs, and case reports.
This form of essay writing is less common in graduate level writing within the fields offered at Saybrook University. However, a student may still encounter essay prompts that suggest a narrative approach. For example, a professor may ask you to analyze a theory or concept in light of a personal experience.
Reflection paper.
A reflection paper relies on the writer's anecdotal experiences and personal reflections to convey an idea, an experience, or a concept. Although not dependent on externally derived evidence, such as scholarly literature, reflection papers still require clarity, logical organization, and basic rhetorical skills for effective execution.
For more information on narrative writing, consult the hyperlinks provided below.
Descriptive and narrative writing may be easily confused because both allow the writer to express themselves using more creative and personal methods. While both use similar writing skills, there are some distinct differences. Table 2 provides a description of traits of each genre of writing.
Traits of Descriptive and Narrative Writing
Traits of Descriptive Writing | Traits of Narrative Writing |
Describes scenes, persons, things, or feelings. | Reflects on personal experience. |
Uses sensory details to paint a picture (touch, smell, etc.). | Tells a story. |
Samples: novels, plays, biographies, historical narratives. | Samples: written works about nature, travel, a memory, oneself, others, etc. |
This section provides resources for other common assignments provided within courses at Saybrook University.
Annotated bibliographies.
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The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.
This handout includes a brief introduction to the following genres of essay writing: The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the ...
Academic Writing. These OWL resources will help you with the types of writing you may encounter while in college. The OWL resources range from rhetorical approaches for writing, to document organization, to sentence level work, such as clarity. For specific examples of writing assignments, please see our Common Writing Assignments area.
An exploratory essay is, in essence, a retrospective of your writing and thinking process as you work through a problem. It describes when, how, and why you completed certain types of research. This kind of writing is about how you work through problems that require writing and research. You will have to be introspective and think about your ...
The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Please note: Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are similar, but the argumentative ...
Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement. 1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing: An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.; An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.; An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies ...
What is a descriptive essay? The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student's ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic ...
The Online Writing Lab (the Purdue OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out ...
Informal Writing. 5. Now follow each numbered step in the "Suggested Outline Format and Sample" below. Sample answers have been provided for "I. Introduction" and "II. First Cause.". A complete sample outline can be seen here. A complete sample informative essay can be seen here.
When you write an expository essay, you are exposing the main ideas of the subject, expounding on a topic in detail, or explaining the meaning of a topic, idea, or phenomenon. You will typically be expected to have an introduction, body, and conclusion, plus a strong thesis statement to keep your ideas focused.
The structure of your expository essay will vary according to the scope of your assignment and the demands of your topic. It's worthwhile to plan out your structure before you start, using an essay outline. A common structure for a short expository essay consists of five paragraphs: An introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Purdue OWL - Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Expository/Persuasive Essay ... Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Expository/Persuasive Essay. Introduction. The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions: What is this? Why am I reading it? What do you want me ...
The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.
Welcome to the Purdue OWL ... Organizing You Expository/Persuasive Essay. How can I effectively present my argument? Use an organizational structure that arranges the argument in a way that will make sense to the reader. The Toulmin Method of logic is a common and easy to use formula for organizing an argument.
Expository writing is a genre of writing that describes, explains, or investigates an idea, reason, or steps in order to inform or illuminate a particular subject for the reader (Baker, Brizee, & Angeli). Like all kinds of academic writing, expository essays have a clear thesis statement that is supported by sound evidence and reasoning.
Webpage: Expository Essays (Purdue OWL, n.d.) Webpage: How to Write an Expository Essay ( Caulfield, 2020) Webpage: What is Expository Writing? (Nordquist, 2019) Webpage: How to Write an Expository Essay (Scribendi, n.d.) Persuasiv e vs. Expository Writing. Persuasive and expository writing may share similar traits.
Observe the place you are writing about. Sit down with a notepad or your phone and write down your sensory experiences (what you smell, hear, see, taste, and touch). You can even listen to conversations and observe people. Vividly-written details and personal experience make your expository paper stand out. Research by looking at past issues of ...
In short, the main difference between the expository and argumentative essays is that one is objective (expository) while the other is subjective. (argumentative). Argumentative. Expository. Chooses a position either for or against something. Explores multiple viewpoints of a topic in a neutral way. May be written in the first person (as ...
Welcome to the Purdue OWL This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/). When printing this page, you must include the entire legal ... The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning ...
Section 1 Essay structure An essay is a piece of writing made up of a number of paragraphs. Each paragraph has a specifi c role in an essay. In a fi ve-paragraph essay, the fi rst paragraph is an introduction; the second, third, and fourth paragraphs form the body of the essay; and the fi fth paragraph is a conclusion (see diagram on page 4).
This page is brought to yourself per the OWL at Purdue University. Available printing this page, you must enclosing the entire legal detect. ... What is an expository essay? The expository dissertation is a species from essay that requires the student to investigate with idea, grade evidence, expound about the idea, and set forth an argument ...
Angeli). Like all kinds of academic writing, expository essays have a clear thesis statement that is supported by sound evidence and reasoning. Expository essays take the following forms (but are not limited to): definition, process, cause-and-effect, or pros-and-cons (opposing sides). Successful and effective expository essays should
Purdue OWL - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The document provides an overview of different types of essays that students may encounter, including expository, descriptive, narrative, and argumentative essays. It discusses the purpose and structure of each genre in detail. For expository essays, it describes the typical five-paragraph structure of an ...
his week students need to research a current event and/or recent... School name. North Florida Community College