Browse
Essay samples by type.
Same library, sliced by rhetorical mode. Useful when you've been assigned a specific essay type and want to see how the form actually works on the page.
Argumentative
1Essays that take a clear position and defend it with evidence and reasoning. The most-assigned essay form in U.S. education.
Analytical
1Essays that break a subject into parts and examine how those parts relate. Core academic mode for literature, history, and the social sciences.
Critical
0Essays that evaluate a text, theory, or work by interpreting evidence, weighing strengths and weaknesses, and reaching a judgment.
Compare & Contrast
0Essays that examine two or more subjects side by side to reveal similarities, differences, and the meaning of the comparison itself.
Persuasive
0Essays that aim to convince the reader to adopt a position or take action, blending logical argument with emotional appeal.
Expository
1Essays that inform and explain a topic clearly and objectively, without taking a side. Also called informative essays.
Narrative
0Essays that tell a story, often drawing on personal experience, to make a larger point about a theme or idea.
Descriptive
0Essays that paint a vivid picture of a person, place, object, or moment using concrete sensory detail.
Cause and Effect
0Essays that examine why something happened (causes) or what followed from it (effects), and the logical chain that connects them.
Research
0Essays grounded in original research and synthesis of secondary sources, with formal citations and a defined methodology.