Biography: The story of someone’s life told by someone else. The
subject is known and of interest to other people. Tells you the facts of the
subject’s life and explains what these facts mean.
Narrative essay: A short nonfiction composition that
tells a story that may focus on a character other than the writer.
Descriptive essay: A short nonfiction composition that uses vivid sensory
details to describe people or places.
Personal essay: A short nonfiction composition that gives an informal
account of an episode from a person’s own life.
Reflective essay: A short nonfiction composition that presents a writer’s
thought about ideas or experiences.
Persuasive essay: A short nonfiction composition where a series of
arguments are presented to convince readers to believe or act in a certain way.
Humorous essay: A short nonfiction composition meant to amuse readers.
Writers sometimes create humor by contrasting the reality of the situation with
the character’s mistaken views of what is happening.
