Tipuri de eseuri

Types of Essays/ Oral Discourses

First-person Narratives

First-person narratives are spoken in the first-person (I / we) about a series of events, real or
imaginary, which happened to us. A first-person narrative should consist of:
· an introduction in which you set the scene (who was involved, time, place, etc) in an
interesting way to make the listener(s) want to continue listening;
· a main body where you develop your story, presenting the events in the order they
happened;
· a conclusion which includes what happened at the end of the story, as well as people’s
feelings, final comments or reactions. A surprising ending makes a long-lasting impression on the
listener(s).
You should normally use past tenses in such compositions, as well as a variety of adjectives or
adverbs to make your story more attractive.

Describing People
A descriptive essay about a person should consist of:
· an introduction in which you give general information about the person, saying when, where and
how you first met them;
· a main body in which you describe their physical appearance, personal qualities and hobbies /
interests;
· a conclusion in which you include your comments and / or feelings about the person.
When describing someone you know well or see often (i.e. a friend, a neighbour, etc), you should
use present tenses. When describing someone who is no longer alive, or someone you knew a long
time ago and you do not see any more, you should use past tenses.
When you describe someone’s physical appearance, you start with the general features (i.e. height,
built, age) and move on to the more specific ones, such as hair, eyes, nose, etc. You can also add a
description of the clothes the person likes to wear.
When you describe someone’s personal qualities, you should support your description with
examples and/or justifications.
You can also describe someone’s personality through their mannerisms by referring to the way they
speak, describing the gestures they use, mentioning a particular habit they have.
When you mention someone’s negative qualities you should use mild language (seems to, can be
rather, etc).

Describing Places
A descriptive essay about a place should consist of:
· an introduction in which you give the name and location of the place and/or the reason for
choosing it;
· a main body in which you describe the main aspects of the place in detail – for example, what you
can see and do there;
· a conclusion which includes your comments/feelings and/or a recommendation.
To describe the location of a place, you can use the following phrases:
- is situated/is located…
- in the south/east/west/south-east/ north-west/etc of…
- in the centre/heart/middle of…
To give the listener(s) a more vivid picture of the place you are describing, you can refer to the senses
(i.e. sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch).

Describing Buildings
When you talk about a building, the main body of the essay should include:
- a paragraph on historical facts about the building (when/why it was built, etc) using past tenses;
- a separate paragraph on the exterior (what it is made of, appearance, ground/gardens, etc) using
present tenses;
- a paragraph on the interior (rooms, furniture, picture, etc) using present tenses;
To give factual and/or historical information about the exterior and interior of a building you can also
use passive or prepositional phrases.

Describing Objects
When you describe an object, you should give an accurate picture of it. Your description should
include information about size, weight (e.g. big, heavy, long, etc), shape (e.g. rectangular, circular, oval,
etc), pattern or decoration (e.g. plain, checked, etc), colour (e.g. white, multicoloured, etc), origin (e.g.
Romanian, Japanese, etc), material (e.g. leather, plastic, etc), purpose (garden chair), as well as any
information concerning special features.
To describe objects you should use a variety of adjectives. Always list opinion adjectives (e.g.
delightful, pleasant, unpleasant, awful, beautiful, inexpensive, unusual, etc) first, followed by fact
adjectives. These are normally listed in the following order: size/weight, shape, age, pattern, colour,
origin, material, purpose. Avoid using all of them one after the other, as this will make your description
sound unnatural.

Describing Situations / Events / Festivals / Celebrations

A descriptive composition about a festival, an event or a celebration should consist of:
· an introduction in which you give the name, time, place and reason(s) for celebrating;
· a main body in which you describe the preparations and the actual event in separate
paragraphs, using present tenses to describe annual festivals, or past tenses to describe a festival
you attended some time in the past;
· a conclusion which includes people’s feelings, comments or final thoughts about the event.
You can use a variety of adjectives and adverbs to make your description more vivid.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays express different viewpoints on the topic under discussion, each supported
by reasons and examples; the opposing viewpoint with reasons and examples is also presented
in a separate paragraph.

Types of argumentative essays:

1. Essays outlining advantages and disadvantages of the topic under discussion

2. Essays expressing opinions

3. Essays expressing arguments for and against a topic

1. Essays Outlining Advantages and Disadvantages of the Topic under

Discussion

These essays consider the advantages and disadvantages of a specific topic; both sides are
discussed in a fair way with justifications and reasons in separate paragraphs. A balanced
consideration of the topic is given in a separate paragraph.
Introduction: state the topic

Body: - advantages sustained by arguments and examples

- disadvantages sustained by arguments and examples

Conclusion: balanced consideration
2. Essays Expressing Opinions

The opinion essay requires the candidate’s opinion on the topic under discussion.
Introduction: state the topic of discussion and introduce your opinion / the problem under
discussion.

Body: present your viewpoints supported by reasons, and examples. There should be a
paragraph that presents the opposing point of view supported by arguments that
demonstrate that that is an unconvincing standpoint.

Conclusion: restate your opinion using different words.

3. Essays Expressing Arguments For and Against a Topic / “For and Against” Essays

Introduction: state the topic of discussion and introduce the two main sides with the respective views
without giving your opinion.

Body: present the points for and the points against, in separate paragraphs, supporting your
arguments with justifications/ examples; both sides should be presented without
your commitment.

Conclusion: a balanced consideration of the topic; it may also include your opinion that can be
given directly (e.g. In my opinion / view, I believe / think, etc) or indirectly.

Recommendations
Argumentative essays should normally use a formal style; therefore candidates should avoid using
strong language (I know, I am sure, etc), short sentences, colloquial expressions or idioms.
A “for and against” essay should be in the 3rd person, except for the paragraph stating the personal
view.
The opinion essay gains credibility if the arguments rely on personal knowledge and experience.
Consequently, the 1st person should be more frequently used, except for the paragraph that states the
opposing view.

Useful Tips

· Have a clear structure or sequence of points.

· Speak from notes. Don’t read aloud.
· Have a clear voice.