Answer:
An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument — but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have traditionally been sub-classified as formal and informal.
The four major types of essays address these purposes:
Narrative Essays: Telling a Story. In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience.
Descriptive Essays: Painting a Picture.
Expository Essays: Just the Facts.
Persuasive Essays: Convince Me.