For the last eight years, I have taught English composition to hundreds of students who range in age from 17 to 67. No student is exempt from having to take it - much to their chagrin. What I want to do in the next several posts is offer mini-lectures that I typically give to my students that first week of school when I talk about what an essay is and how to develop a good one. An essay, in its simplest form, is a paper that does two things: states a purpose and supports that purpose with clear, vivid details and examples. Of course, your mastery of the English language and of style can take those two things and develop an essay that either moves readers into action or does just enough to get you a C. First, an essay must serve a purpose. Traditionally, there are four purposes in essay writing: to inform - very important in academic writing because no matter what class a student takes, he/she will be asked to explain, to illustrate things. to persuade - another important ...