Among the most common types of essay questions are those that require a person to compare or describe something as well as those that require the writer to persuade his readers. Some essay questions also require the writer to create a narrative essay, which tells a story. Each of these types of essays requires the writer to take a different approach, and each one reveals something different about the writer's thought process and writing skill. An individual may find himself answering many of the most common types of essay questions during high school and college, even if he is not planning to pursue a writing career.
Among the most common types of essay questions are those that require the writer to compare topics. When a person writes this type of essay, he details the similarities and differences between a couple of topics. The topics about which a person writes for this type of essay can be simple or complicated. For example, a person may write about the similarities and differences between his dog and another dog or compare types of radiology treatments.
Some essay questions require a writer to choose a point of view. In this type of essay, a writer often attempts to persuade the reader that his point of view is correct. Sometimes these essays are more argumentative, however. For example, this type of essay may give an opposing point of view and then set about providing details about why it is wrong. Often, these essays don't just express an opinion but include facts and statistics to support the writer's point of view.
Descriptive essay questions are also among the most common. As the name suggests, a descriptive essay question requires the writer to describe a topic in detail. The topics this type of essay may cover are wide and varied. For example, such essays may cover famous people, interesting places, or notable events. A descriptive essay may also cover scientific topics, foods, objects, or memories.
A narrative essay question instructs the writer to tell some type of story. This kind of essay is usually written based on the writer's point of view but includes a sequence of events. Often, these types of essays share meaningful experiences, and they always have a point. Typically, they include the main elements of basic storytelling. For example, a narrative essay will likely have an introduction, climax, and conclusion. It usually includes a well-crafted setting and characters as well.
