Classifying Essays

1. CLASSIFYING
ESSAYS
According to:
STYLE
SUBJECT MATTER or CONTENT
Reference: Language in Literature 10 pp. 337 -
339

2. What is an essay?
- A literary work that expresses ones
personal opinion.
- The term “essay” comes from the
French word essays which French
author Michel de Montaigne used in
1592 as title for his collection of papers
commenting on people and affairs.

3. What is an essay?
- As a verb, ‘to essay’ means to try or to
attempt, such as the author attempting
to make a point.

4. Essays are classified into:
- 1. STYLE – the manner by which the
essay is written. As a reader, being
able to identify the essay style can help
you set your expectations and calibrate
your way of reading.

5. Essays are classified into:
- 2. SUBJECT – MATTER – or the
content of the essay. Being able to
identify the subject matter will help you
determine how to approach and make
sense of the essay you’re reading.

6. Classifications accdg. To STYLE
- FORMAL
- Used for essays that seek to inform or
convince the reader in a logical or
conventional manner

7. Classifications accdg. To STYLE
- INFORMAL
- Used for essays that entertain while
they inform. The informal essay may
offer the writer more freedom than
formal because it can incorporate the
use of anecdotes, jokes and figurative
languages to channel the author’s wit
and cleverness.

8. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- CHARACTER SKETCH
- Appearance, character or personality

9. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
- A word picture of a place, object as the
author sees or imagines it

10. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAY
- Also called reflective essay, seeks truth
and knowledge in terms of principles

11. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- EDITORIAL ESSAY
- Or simply editorials, discusses the most
important current events found in
newspaper and magazines and ends
with the writer’s opinion about it

12. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- CRITICAL ESSAY
- Review passing judgement on a play, a
movie, a book, a musical composition
or a show, a concert perhaps and any
other work of art. The aim of the writer
is to give a clear idea of the subject,
style and value of the work of art and to
compare it to others

13. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- SCIENTIFIC ESSAY
- Interprets and not just explains scifacts
and is aimed at showing the bearing on
philosophy or progress of the scientific
point discussed

14. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- SEMI NARRATIVE ESSAY
- Usually, narrative in form, this essay is
written for idea, not the story

15. Classifications accdg. To SUBJECT
MATTER
- BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
- Analyzes and weighs the significance
and influence of the life of some
important person. It is, therefore, not a
mere narration of a person’s life

16. An essay may be considered
EFFECTIVE if it does the following:
1. It expresses a vital point.
2. It widens the reader’s intellectual range.
3. It reveals the interesting personality of
the author.
4. Its style is marked by appropriate
beauty, with humor or imagination.