Minutes a day n e w y o r k

D i f f e r e n t  Ty p e s   o f   E s s a y s
What makes writing both interesting and challenging is that every writing task is unique. Writing is communi-
cation: You are expressing ideas about a subject to an audience for a purpose. Each time you sit down to write, one
or more of these three elements will be different, creating a unique writing situation.
Essays are one of many different forms, or genres, of writing. While there are many different kinds of essays,
general skills and strategies apply to all of them. This book will teach you those skills and strategies and help you
practice them. Specifically, we’ll help you apply those skills and strategies to three essay types:
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The college application essay
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Essays for high school and college classes (timed and untimed)
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The standardized, timed essay exam (such as ACT, GED, Regents’, SAT)
Section 4 of this book (Lessons 18, 19, and 20) extensively covers the standardized, timed essay exams. Here is more
information about how to approach and successfully complete application and class assignment essays.