Characteristics of an Essay

What is an essay and how to write it: illustrative examples of writing

From other types of essays, essays are distinguished by specific features:

Acute topicality of the topic. The issues touched upon must be relevant here and now.
Subjectivity of judgment. In the essay through the attitude to the problem and individualized evaluations should be clearly expressed the personality of the author.
Movement in the narrative from the particular to the general. Is write my essay legit? Often the role of point of reference is a quote, which can be taken in the epigraph. From a single case, the author gradually moves to generalizing analytical or philosophical arguments about the problem posed at the beginning of the essay. Due to the lack of writing standards, the composition can also be inverse – from global conclusions to confirming them in the final parable, proverb, a wise quote of a classic, an indisputable fact.
Small volume. There are no rigid limits, but usually essays take from two to ten pages of printed text.
Concreteness. Only one issue is addressed within the essay – there can be no multitude of topics or ideas.
Free composition. This type of essay does not tolerate any formal framework. Often, the narrative is conducted illogically, submitting to random associations, the semantic connections are thought out by the author himself.
Tendency to paradoxes. One of the tasks of the essay genre is to surprise, amaze the reader. Often, a bright, caustic statement or polemical definition that sets the tone for the rest of the story becomes a starting point for reflection.
The informality of the narration. The text should not be incomprehensible terms and unnecessarily complicated constructions. The author must try to gain the confidence and sympathy of the reader, entice with simple and capacious phrases and sentences.
Dialogicality. Conversation with the reader does not imply framing the essay in the form of replicas, as it is done in the play. In order to achieve the effect of a polemical conversation, rhetorical questions are often used, which require a mental answer that does not always coincide with the one offered by the author.
Meaningful unity. Despite the compositional freedom, the key theses and arguments must be consistent and not contradict the judgments expressing the author’s personal position.
Despite the casualness of the narrative, the language of the essay should be taken seriously. Slang, colloquialisms, and abbreviations should be avoided.

English essay topics and types with examples
How to write a proper essay in Polish universities
How to Write an Excellent English Essay: Rules, Points and Structure
English essay structure