Types of essays

Essay

• a short form of writing on a topic
• from French"essai" meaning "trial, attempt"
  • and Latin exagium for "weighing, or a weight"
    • ex- out or from + agere "to set in motion"
• "essay" also relates to "trying" or "effort"
  • the verb "essay" means "to put to test or experiment"

Argumentative

takes a position for or against something

Expository

• from Latin exponere for "set forth"
  • in the sense of explaining
• also called "commentary"
• takes non-argumentative approach
  • but necessarily takes a position on a topic

Journalistic

• explains or describes an issue, situation, event, etc. from a third-party point of view
  • IOW, it describes another experience, perspective, or point of view

Narrative

• tells a story

Polemic/ polemical

• a form of argumentative that focuses on opposing another or alternative points of view
• generally addresses controversial topics
• "polemic" is from Greek polemikos for "war"