The simple word essay describes quite an extensive range of document types. They vary in length, structure, and purpose, but they all share some commonalities: the language used should be formal academic English, and they should be carefully planned to ensure they are cohesive and purposeful.
Some essays are designed to explore a topic or area of study, while others focus on persuading the reader of the author’s point of view. Essays are usually set by academic institutions to test one or more of a student’s skills. There are four main types of essay commonly required.
Types of essay
Essay type
Skills tested
Example prompt
Argumentative
Using research to form an opinion
Constructing an argument based on evidence
Does the prevalence of social media have a positive or negative impact on adolescent mental health?
Narrative
Presenting an engaging narrative
Creative use of language
“Character is forged in adversity.” To what extent has this been your experience?
Expository
Subject knowledge
Clear communication
Explain the impact of antibiotics on medical procedures in the 20th century.
Descriptive
Creative use of language
Describing sensations
Describe your most precious possession.
High school and university essays might often include textual analysis, especially when studying literature.
NoteExamination essays, written under supervision within a strict time limit, usually without access to research material, require additional skills. But they also share the elements described in this article for essays written outside of exam conditions.
How to spell chili can be a bit of a hot topic! There are two popular options, chili (the most common spelling in American English) and chilli (mainly found in British English, including most Commonwealth countries apart from Canada). This applies equally to the spicy pepper and, for example, a dish like chilli/chili con carne.
Chilli or chili in a sentence examplesAfter a three-week trip to India, Adele thought she might have become addicted to chilli/chilisauce, and she added it to almost everything she ate!
The first time my brother saw a whole raw chilli/chili pepper for sale, he bought it and took a bite as he walked home. It wasn’t a mistake he would make again!
Although popular in the US, the chilli/chili dog has never caught on in the UK.
NoteIn American English, the word chili on its own is most commonly used to describe the stew-like dish made (typically) of beef, tomatoes, and beans and seasoned with chili powder. In most other cases, chili is used as part of a compound noun (e.g., “chili powder,” “chili sauce”).
The term “chili peppers” is sometimes used to refer generically to any number of small red or green spicy peppers. However, it is more common in the US to refer to these peppers by their specific names (e.g., “jalapeño,” “cayenne,” “poblano”).
In British English, chilli is commonly used on its own to refer to a small spicy pepper (e.g., “Would you pick up a chilli at the store?”). This use is not common in American English.
However you spell it, there is something comforting about the word cozy/cosy. How it is spelled depends on what geographical audience you are writing for.
In American English, the correct spelling is cozy, and this is also true for India, most Caribbean varieties, the Philippines, and Canada.
In British English it is spelled cosy, and this holds true for Ireland and the Antipodean variants of English.
Cozy or cosy in a sentence examplesThe Danish and Norwegian word “hygge” describes a mood of cozy/cosycontentment.
Some people love the cozy/cosy feel of being inside when it’s wet and cold outside.
Looking through the frosted glass, shivering with the bitter cold, Sylvie thought that the warm fireside looked cozy/cosy and inviting.
If you are writing the word that describes the inflated rubber donut-shaped item found on the wheels of cars, trucks, and bicycles, then the spelling will depend on the geographical location of your audience.
In American English the correct spelling is tire, while in British English it is spelled tyre.
Tyre vs tire in a sentence examplesMany motorists have no idea how much money they throw away simply by not checking their tyre/tire pressures regularly.
For racing in dry weather, Formula One teams choose a tyre/tirethat is completely smooth for improved grip.
It was typical, thought Emelia; she was in a hurry, and it was raining, so of course she got a flat tyre/tire!
Survivorship bias is a term used to describe a type of selection bias. It occurs when a set of data for analysis is skewed by excluding certain data points due to the selection process. When the surviving data are examined as the only relevant examples, they produce inaccurate results because relevant data have been excluded.
Survivorship bias exampleA research study carried out on trauma patients admitted to a hospital emergency unit aimed to discover which procedures carried the best success rate. However, the researchers were only able to consider those patients who are well enough to give consent.
This means that the study does not include the most sick patients or those who do not survive, and the results are unrepresentative.
Fiber is the American English spelling of the noun that refers to the threads that make up a fabric. In British English, it is spelled fibre. The meaning in both variants of the language is the same, even when applied to thoroughly modern uses like “fiberoptic/fibreoptic cable.”
Fibre or fiber in a sentence examplesThe problem with clothes made from synthetic fibre/fiber is that they are often sweaty and uncomfortable to wear.
Gone are the days of connecting to the internet via your phone line; optical fibre/fiber is the most popular choice now.
Carbon fibre/fiber is so strong and light that it can be found in everything from spacecraft to road bikes.
How you should spell pyjamas/pajamas depends on where your audience is located. In American English, the usual spelling is pajamas, as it is in Canada, the Philippines, and (by a narrow margin) India. Most of the English-speaking world outside of that uses the British English spelling pyjamas.
Pyjamas or pajamas in a sentence examplesAlthough in North America and Europe, we associate pyjamas/pajamas with clothes designed for sleeping, in many parts of Asia, the word refers simply to a loose-fitting pair of pants/trousers.
On Saturdays, Zenia always considered it a triumph if she made it to bedtime without changing out of her pyjamas/pajamas.
Pyjamas/pajamas can be sleek and stylish or warm and cozy—the possibilities are endless!
Primacy bias describes how it is usually easier to recall information we heard earlier in an interaction. So, if we read a long list of items, we are more likely to remember the first few items in the list than the ones we read later.
Primacy effect exampleAt a conference, you meet a considerable number of people who are new to you in the first hour or so. Later in the day, as you encounter these new people again, you realize that you remember the names and some details of only the first few people you met.This is primacy effect at work.
Knowing whether to use enrolment or enrollment is a little tricky because it is different from other spellings that use double “l” in British and American English.
Enrolment/enrollment is a noun that refers to the act of enrolling, the total number of people who are enrolled, or the list of enrolled people. In British English, the correct spelling is enrolment, and in American English, it is enrollment.
Enrolment or enrollment in a sentence examplesSusie loved enrollment/enrolmentday as she met all the excited new students.
Dr. Harper’s class had the biggest enrollment/enrolmentin the faculty.
Amir was glad that the enrollment/enrolmentwas easy, as he had a busy day ahead of him.
NoteEnrol/enroll is something of a trap in the world of American English and British English spelling. There are many examples of British English using double consonants and American English using single consonants (e.g., “travelling/traveling,” “labelled/labeled”), but in this case the pattern of single and double “l” is different.
In American English, the correct spelling is always program. In British English, it is less simple. For most meanings of the noun and the verb, it is spelledprogramme, with the exception being in the computing world, where the preferred spelling is program.
Programme vs program in a sentence examplesThe local library was known for its exciting programme/programof poetry readings and children’s story times.
Gill had collected the programme/program from every play and concert she had attended.
The program/programthat controlled the lighting rig was beautifully simple to use.
Gurvinder’s most challenging task each year was to programme/program the after-school events.
Steve wondered why it was so difficult just to program/programthe central heating controller.
NoteTypically, regions like Australia and Canada follow British English spelling, rather than American English. However, with program, Canada uses the American spelling.
