Essays and speeches

     Essays are similar to speeches, except that writers use written words, while speakers use spoken words. People write essays and give speeches for the same basic reasons;  to persuade, inform, or entertain (PIE). There is a saying that to give a good speech you need to "tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them."  Just like speeches, essays have those three main parts;  introduction, body and conclusion.

The book report essay: Inform and persuade

     Remember that there are three main reasons that we write: to persuade, inform and entertain (PIE). In a book report you want to inform and persuade the reader.  Inform the reader of what the book is about by summarizing it. Then share your opinions about the book, what you liked and didn't like, to persuade the reader whether to read the book, or not.