The word essay derives from the French infinitive essayer, "to try" or "to attempt". In English essay first meant "a trial" … See more

Montaigne's "attempts" grew out of his commonplacing. Inspired in particular by the works of Plutarch, a translation of whose Œuvres Morales (Moral works) into French had just been published by Jacques Amyot, … See more

This section describes the different forms and styles of essay writing. These are used by an array of authors, including university students and professional essayists.
The defining features of a "cause and effect" essa… See more

In countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, essays have become a major part of a formal education in the form of free response questions. Secondary students in these countries are taught structured … See more

Essays often appear in magazines, especially magazines with an intellectual bent, such as The Atlantic and Harpers. Magazine and newspaper essays use many of the essay types described in the section on f… See more

Employment essays detailing experience in a certain occupational field are required when applying for some jobs, especially government jobs in the United States. Essays known as Knowledge Skills and Executive … See more