What you’ll learn to do: examine characteristics of common essay assignments

As we discussed before, college writing is often less rigid and formulaic than the writing you did in high school. While college writing takes on a more flexible, organic approach, that doesn’t mean it lacks structure. Instead of rigid formulas, different types of writing follow recognizable patterns. For example, compare-and-contrast essays, narratives, arguments, and process essays each have common ways they are organized, even if the structure isn’t strictly prescribed.

In this module, you’ll explore these rhetorical patterns and learn how to use them to shape your writing effectively while maintaining a natural flow of ideas.