Narrative Essays

Narration means you're telling a story from a certain viewpoint, and there is usually a reason for
the telling. All narrative essays have characters, setting, a climax, and most importantly, a plot.

The plot is the focus of the story and is usually revealed chronologically, but there are sometimes
flash-forwards and flashbacks. If you're looking to write a personal narrative essay, here are
some tips to get you started.

When writing a narrative essay, remember to:

 Include sensory and emotional details, so the reader will experience the story, not just
read about it.
 Allow the story to support the point you're making, and make reference to that point in
the first sentence.
 Write in the first or third person.

Examples of Narrative Essays

Ready for a little storytelling? Here are four excerpts to light your creative fire.

"Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick
one that leaves me with the fabled "warm and fuzzy feelings." As the daughter of an Air Force
major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the
monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon and have
jumped on the beds at Caesar's Palace in Lake Tahoe."

"The day I picked my dog up from the pound was one of the happiest days of both of our lives. I
had gone to the pound just a week earlier with the idea that I would just "look" at a puppy. Of
course, you can no more just look at those squiggling little faces so filled with hope and joy than
you can stop the sun from setting in the evening. I knew within minutes of walking in the door
that I would get a puppy… but it wasn't until I saw him that I knew I had found my puppy."

"Looking for houses was supposed to be a fun and exciting process. Unfortunately, none of the
ones that we saw seemed to match the specifications that we had established. They were too
small, too impersonal, too close to the neighbors. After days of finding nothing even close, we
began to wonder: was there really a perfect house out there for us?"

The following is an example of a famous narrative written by John Updike, Hub Fans Bid Kid
Adieu.

"The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned on--always a
wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the
gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the
seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the
plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous
appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded."

Descriptive Essays
Descriptive essays describe the traits and characteristics of people, objects, events, and feelings
in intricate detail. What's being described will be thoroughly examined. For example, if you were
describing roses, you might want to detail:

 Their origin
 Their appearance
 Their color
 Their fragrance

When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader's senses and emotions. For
example, you could say, "I got sleepy." Or, you could write, "While I waited for Santa, my
eyelids grew heavy, the lights on the tree began to blur, and my head began to droop." The
second excerpt provides vivid detail, allowing readers to feel like they're there.

Examples of Descriptive Essays

Ready to dive into the details? Here are three excerpts rife with detail.

"Like his twisted feathers, his many scars, the reliable old owl chose the gnarled, weather-beaten,
but solid branch often - it being a companion to the wise alone with the night and the last branch
to creak in the heaviest wind. He often came to survey the fields and the clouds before his hunt,
to listen to the steady sound of the stream passing through reeds under the bridge, while combing
his feathers for the unwanteds - whatever they might be."

A student at Roane State Community College managed to spice up a first visit to a diner. Watch
how descriptive things get.

"When entering the door at Lou's, two things are immediately noticeable: the place is rarely
empty and seems to consist of a maze of rooms. The first room, through the door, is the main
part of the restaurant. There is another, rarely used, dining room off to the right. It was added
during the oil well boom of the seventies. Through the main dining room is yet another room; it
guards the door leading into the kitchen. This room contains the most coveted table in the place.
The highest tribute Lou can bestow on anyone is to allow them access to seats at this table. This
table is the family table; it is reserved for Lou's, and her daughter Karen's, immediate family and
treasured friends."

Like the diner essay above, this sample excerpt from a student at St. Cloud State spruces up
something as everyday as a local pawn shop.

"Billy Ray's Pawn Shop and Lawn Mower Repair looked like a burial ground for country auction
rejects. The blazing, red, diesel fuel tanks beamed in front of the station, looking like cheap
lipstick against the pallid, wrinkled texture of the parking lot sand. The yard, not much larger
than the end zone at General G. Patton High School on the north end of town, was framed with a
rusted metallic hedge of lawn mowers, banana seat bicycles, and corroded oil drums. It wasn't a
calico frame of rusted parts, but rather an orchestra of unwanted machinery that Billy Ray had
arranged into sections. The yellow-tanked mowers rested silently at the right of the diesel fuel.
Once red, now faded orange, mowers stood at attention to the left. The oil barrels, jaded and
pierced with holes, bellared like chimes when the wind was right. The bikes rested sporadically
throughout the lot. In the middle of it all was the office, a faded, steel roof supported by cheap
two-by-fours and zebra paneling. Billy Ray was at home, usually, five blocks east of town on
Kennel Road."

Expository Essays
Expository essays compare, explore, and discuss problems. While there's a bit of a storytelling
element to them, their purpose is greater than that. It's always to explain some integral concept to
the reader. As such, they inform, describe, and explain.

When writing an expository essay, the text needs to:

 Be concise and easy to understand.

 Offer different views on a subject.
 Report on a situation or event.
 Explain something that may be difficult to understand.

Examples of Expository Essays

Ready to dive deep into a specific issue? Here are three excerpts that'll show you how it's done.

"This family was a victim of a problem they could have avoided-a problem that, according to
Florida park rangers, hundreds of visitors suffer each year. "Several times a month," Ranger Rod
Torres of O'Leno State Park said, "people get scared and leave the park in the middle of the
night." Those people picked the wrong kind of park to visit. Not that there was anything wrong
with the park: The hikers camped next to them loved the wild isolation of it. But it just wasn't the
kind of place the couple from New Jersey had in mind when they decided to camp out on this
trip through Florida."

This sample expository essay from Thoughtful Learning relies heavily on facts and statistics to
explain the important concept of cheating.

"Did you know that 7 out of 10 students have cheated at least once in the past year? Did you
know that 50 percent of those students have cheated more than twice? These shocking statistics
are from a survey of 9,000 U.S. high school students. Incredibly, teachers may even be
encouraging their students to cheat! Last year at a school in Detroit, teachers allegedly provided
their students with answers to statewide standard tests."
The University of Victoria uses this sample essay to demonstrate the importance of
straightforward clarity in an expository essay.

"Throughout history and through a cross-section of cultures, women have transformed their
appearance to conform to a beauty ideal. Ancient Chinese aristocrats bound their feet as a show
of femininity; American and European women in the 1800s cinched in their waists so tightly,
some suffered internal damage; in some African cultures, women continue to wear plates in their
lower lips, continually stretching the skin to receive plates of larger size. The North American
ideal of beauty has continually focused on women's bodies: the tiny waist of the Victorian
period, the boyish figure in vogue during the flapper era, and the voluptuous curves that were the
measure of beauty between the 1930s and 1950s. Current standards emphasize a toned, slender
look, one that exudes fitness, youth, and health. According to psychologist Eva Szekely, "Having
to be attractive at this time... means unequivocally having to be thin. In North America today,
thinness is a precondition for being perceived by others and oneself as healthy." However, this
relentless pursuit of thinness is not just an example of women trying to look their best, it is also a
struggle for control, acceptance and success."

Argumentative Essays
In an argumentative essay, the writer is trying to convince the reader of something. He or she
will demonstrate the validity or falsity of a topic. The writer's position will be backed up with
evidence, including statistics or the opinion of experts. In these essays, the writer isn't merely
offering an opinion, but making an argument for or against something, and supporting that
argument with data.

To write an argumentative essay, it's important to research and back up what you say in the text.
For more detail, here are some argumentative essay writing tips.

Examples of Argumentative Essays

When it's time to stand your ground and make a strong case, allow these excerpts to help get you
started.

"Gun control has been a controversial issue for years. A vast majority of citizens believe that if
gun control is strictly enforced, it would quickly reduce the threat of crime. Many innocent
people feel they have the right to bear arms for protection, or even for the pleasure of hunting.
These people are penalized for protecting their lives, or even for enjoying a common, innocent
sport. To enforce gun control throughout the nation means violating a person's Constitutional
rights. Although some people feel that the issue of gun control will limit crime, the issue should
not exist due to the fact that guns are necessary for self defense against crime, and enforcing gun
control is violating a citizen's second amendment right to bear arms."

An argumentative essay from Bogazici University offers a bit of a dramatic flair, which is
important to making a strong argument.
"Throw out the bottles and boxes of drugs in your house. A new theory suggests that medicine
could be bad for your health, which should at least come as good news to people who cannot
afford to buy expensive medicine. However, it is a blow to the medicine industry, and an even
bigger blow to our confidence in the progress of science. This new theory argues that healing is
at our fingertips: we can be healthy by doing Reiki on on a regular basis."

Essay By Example dives deeply into an argument touting the benefits of online gaming.

"Online games aren't just a diversion, but a unique way to meet other people. As millions of
gamers demonstrate, playing online is about friendship and cooperation, not just killing
monsters. These games are a viable social network because players focus on teamwork, form
groups with like-minded people and have romantic relationships with other players. Massively
Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) feature millions of players interacting in the same
environment. The games are social in nature as they allow players to band together and complete
missions based on a story line, or test their skills by fighting against each other. At the start of
the game, the user creates a fictional character, and customizes its physical appearance. Since
many games involve combat, players also outfit their characters with armor and weapons, as well
as choose their "profession." Many popular game titles like World of Warcraft and Everquest
follow a fantasy theme, so most professions have magical abilities like healing other players or
raising undead minions. While the process seems simple, players may spend hours agonizing
over the perfect look for their character, from their armor color to the type of skills to use in
battle. Once their character is created, the player is free to explore the vast, digital world and
interact with other players; however they must pay on average $15 a month for game content.
MMOG users are mostly male - usually between the ages of 18-34 - although titles like World of
Warcraft have a healthy population of female players as well. With millions of players, there are
plenty of people to adventure with."

Defining the Thesis Statement

What is a thesis statement?

Every paper you write should have a main point, a main idea, or central message. The
argument(s) you make in your paper should reflect this main idea. The sentence that captures
your position on this main idea is what we call a thesis statement.

How long does it need to be?

A thesis statement focuses your ideas into one or two sentences. It should present the topic of
your paper and also make a comment about your position in relation to the topic. Your thesis
statement should tell your reader what the paper is about and also help guide your writing and
keep your argument focused.

Questions to Ask When Formulating Your Thesis

Where is your thesis statement?

You should provide a thesis early in your essay -- in the introduction, or in longer essays in the
second paragraph -- in order to establish your position and give your reader a sense of direction.

Tip: In order to write a successful thesis statement:

 Avoid burying a great thesis statement in the middle of a paragraph or late in the paper.
 Be as clear and as specific as possible; avoid vague words.
 Indicate the point of your paper but avoid sentence structures like, “The point of my
paper is…”

Is your thesis statement specific?

Your thesis statement should be as clear and specific as possible. Normally you will continue to
refine your thesis as you revise your argument(s), so your thesis will evolve and gain definition
as you obtain a better sense of where your argument is taking you.

Tip: Check your thesis:

 Are there two large statements connected loosely by a coordinating conjunction (i.e.
"and," "but," "or," "for," "nor," "so," "yet")?
 Would a subordinating conjunction help (i.e. "through," "although," "because," "since")
to signal a relationship between the two sentences?
 Or do the two statements imply a fuzzy unfocused thesis?
 If so, settle on one single focus and then proceed with further development.

Is your thesis statement too general?

Your thesis should be limited to what can be accomplished in the specified number of pages.
Shape your topic so that you can get straight to the "meat" of it. Being specific in your paper will
be much more successful than writing about general things that do not say much. Don't settle for
three pages of just skimming the surface.

The opposite of a focused, narrow, crisp thesis is a broad, sprawling, superficial thesis. Compare
this original thesis (too general) with three possible revisions (more focused, each presenting a
different approach to the same topic):

 Original thesis:
o There are serious objections to today's horror movies.
 Revised theses:
o Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more
graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence.
o The pornographic violence in "bloodbath" slasher movies degrades both men and
women.
o Today's slasher movies fail to deliver the emotional catharsis that 1930s horror
films did.
Is your thesis statement clear?

Your thesis statement is no exception to your writing: it needs to be as clear as possible. By

being as clear as possible in your thesis statement, you will make sure that your reader
understands exactly what you mean.

Tip: In order to be as clear as possible in your writing:

 Unless you're writing a technical report, avoid technical language. Always avoid jargon,
unless you are confident your audience will be familiar with it.
 Avoid vague words such as "interesting,” "negative," "exciting,” "unusual," and
"difficult."
 Avoid abstract words such as "society," “values,” or “culture.”

These words tell the reader next to nothing if you do not carefully explain what you mean by
them. Never assume that the meaning of a sentence is obvious. Check to see if you need to define
your terms (”socialism," "conventional," "commercialism," "society"), and then decide on the
most appropriate place to do so. Do not assume, for example, that you have the same
understanding of what “society” means as your reader. To avoid misunderstandings, be as
specific as possible.

Compare the original thesis (not specific and clear enough) with the revised version (much more
specific and clear):

 Original thesis: Although the timber wolf is a timid and gentle animal, it is being
systematically exterminated. [if it's so timid and gentle -- why is it being exterminated?]
 Revised thesis: Although the timber wolf is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being
systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it to be a fierce and cold-
blooded killer.

Does your thesis include a comment about your position on the issue at hand?

The thesis statement should do more than merely announce the topic; it must reveal what
position you will take in relation to that topic, how you plan to analyze/evaluate the subject or
the issue. In short, instead of merely stating a general fact or resorting to a simplistic pro/con
statement, you must decide what it is you have to say.

Tips:

 Avoid merely announcing the topic; your original and specific "angle" should be clear. In
this way you will tell your reader why your take on the issue matters.
o Original thesis: In this paper, I will discuss the relationship between fairy tales
and early childhood.
o Revised thesis: Not just empty stories for kids, fairy tales shed light on the
psychology of young children.
 Avoid making universal or pro/con judgments that oversimplify complex issues.
 o Original thesis: We must save the whales.
o Revised thesis: Because our planet's health may depend upon biological diversity,
we should save the whales.
 When you make a (subjective) judgment call, specify and justify your reasoning. “Just
because” is not a good reason for an argument.
o Original thesis: Socialism is the best form of government for Kenya.
o Revised thesis: If the government takes over industry in Kenya, the industry will
become more efficient.
 Avoid merely reporting a fact. Say more than what is already proven fact. Go further with
your ideas. Otherwise… why would your point matter?
o Original thesis: Hoover's administration was rocked by scandal.
o Revised thesis: The many scandals of Hoover's administration revealed basic
problems with the Republican Party's nominating process.

Do not expect to come up with a fully formulated thesis statement before you have finished
writing the paper. The thesis will inevitably change as you revise and develop your ideas—and
that is ok! Start with a tentative thesis and revise as your paper develops.

Is your thesis statement original?

Avoid, avoid, avoid generic arguments and formula statements. They work well to get a rough
draft started, but will easily bore a reader. Keep revising until the thesis reflects your real ideas.

Tip: The point you make in the paper should matter:

 Be prepared to answer “So what?” about your thesis statement.

 Be prepared to explain why the point you are making is worthy of a paper. Why should
the reader read it?

Compare the following:

 Original thesis:
o There are advantages and disadvantages to using statistics. (a fill-in-the-blank
formula)
 Revised theses:
o Careful manipulation of data allows a researcher to use statistics to support any
claim she desires.
o In order to ensure accurate reporting, journalists must understand the real
significance of the statistics they report.
o Because advertisers consciously and unconsciously manipulate data, every
consumer should learn how to evaluate statistical claims.

Avoid formula and generic words. Search for concrete subjects and active verbs, revising as
many "to be" verbs as possible. A few suggestions below show how specific word choice
sharpens and clarifies your meaning.
  Original: “Society is...” [who is this "society" and what exactly is it doing?]
 Revised: "Men and women will learn how to...," "writers can generate...," "television
addicts may chip away at...," "American educators must decide...," "taxpayers and
legislators alike can help fix..."

 Original: "the media"

 Revised: "the new breed of television reporters," "advertisers," "hard-hitting print
journalists," "horror flicks," "TV movies of the week," "sitcoms," "national public radio,"
"Top 40 bop-til-you-drop..."

 Original: "is, are, was, to be" or "to do, to make"

 Revised: any great action verb you can concoct: "to generate," "to demolish," "to batter,"
"to revolt," "to discover," "to flip," "to signify," "to endure..."

Use your own words in thesis statements; avoid quoting. Crafting an original, insightful, and
memorable thesis makes a distinct impression on a reader. You will lose credibility as a writer if
you become only a mouthpiece or a copyist; you will gain credibility by grabbing the reader with
your own ideas and words.

A well-crafted thesis statement reflects well-crafted ideas. It signals a writer who has
intelligence, commitment, and enthusiasm.