Forms of Prose and the Essay
Argumentation/Persuasion: Argumentation intends to convince the reader that a specific proposition is true or false. Argument appeals to reason, and may proceed inductively (from specific facts to general conclusions) or deductively (from a generalization to a specific application).
Exposition: Expository prose explains ideas or facts.
Narration: Narration relates a series of events that form a story or anecdote. An essay that uses narration differs from a short story in that its main purpose is to relate an idea or present a thesis.
Description: An essay may describe people, places, things, feelings, and abstract concepts in order to support a thesis, clarify an example, or further a narrative.
Organization and Non-Fiction
Informational: Aspect/Sub-topics—Aspect—Aspect—Aspect:>br> Each section of the body is devoted to an aspect of the overall subject.
Thesis-Proof: Thesis-Background-Proof-Implication/Significance
The work states a thesis, provides the reader with the evidence/proof and the necessary background to understand the evidence, and may discuss the implications or significance of this thesis.
Order of Importance: evidence may be organized from most to least important, or from least to most important.
Chronological: the events being discussed can be ordered according to time. What happened first? What happened next?
Cause and effect
Opinion-Reason: Opinion-Background-Reason-Recommendation
The work presents an opinion on a debatable topic, provides the reader with the reasons and the necessary background to why the author holds this opinion, and recommends a course of action.
Anecdote and conclusions: Anecdote and elaboration
The work relates a short anecdote and then draws conclusions or lessons from it. (Always remember: the plural of anecdote is not data).
Problem-Solution: Problem-Effects-Cause-Solution
The work presents a problem, describes its effects, examines its causes, and suggests a solution or solutions.
Instructional/How-to: Importance-Steps-Significance
The author usually attempts to illustrate why the subject under discussion has value for the reader, and the steps provide the instructions. The conclusion may urge the reader to adhere to the instructions.
News: W5+H: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
The news article explains how something (What) involving someone (Who) at a particular time and place (When, Where) occurred for a particular reason (Why) and by means of certain causes (How). Inverted Pyramid answers those questions in the introduction, and then develops each in increasing detail.
Circular Return: Question/Anecdote-Development-Conclusion
This type of writing begins with a question, anecdote, or proposition, develops its implications (often following structures previously outlined on this sheet) and then returns to answer or conclude the original anecdote or answer the original question.
