You have been writing essays since you first learned to write. The grade two classic "What I Did on my Summer Vacation" is a narrative essay that details events in chronological order. The grade three report about your favourite wild animal is an expository essay .

By this time in your life, you have written many essays and you might think the term means the same as" assignment." Actually, the essays you write for this course and others are only one form of the essay as a literary form.

If you look up the term "essay"in a dictionary, the definition may refer to the French term 'essayer', which means to try or attempt. The essayist is attempting to communicate an idea to the reader. Another definition, however, means to 'test' or 'try out' the idea for its strength, logic, or appeal. Both definitions help us understand the function of the essay. In both cases, you can assume that there is persuasion or an argument at work. An essay is any written composition that discusses a topic with the purpose of making a point, using either a formal or an informal style.