THE 11 MOST OUTSTANDING TEST CHARACTERISTICS - LITERATURE - 2026

One of the main characteristics of the essay is that it is logical. The sentences and paragraphs of an essay flow logically, giving the text coherence (meaning) and cohesion (connection between its components).

Essays are written and oral compositions that defend the position and opinion of the authors, that explain or describe a topic, that evaluate a situation or that interpret the information presented.

Therefore, these texts must demonstrate that the author knows the general implications of the topic he is talking about, as well as the particular aspects of it.

The subject of the essay should not be very broad, because the writer will not be able to cover the entire problem. Similarly, it should not be too restricted because the author could be limited when developing the essay.

It should be noted that the presentation of the central theme, also called thesis, must be clear. So readers will be able to understand the essay without any problem.

The structure of the essay includes an introduction, a development and a conclusion. The absence of any of these three elements would cause the writing to have flaws.

The 11 main features of the trial

1- logical

The essential characteristic of the essays is that they are logical. The ideas that make up the text are related in a coherent way, which provides thematic progression and gives meaning to the text.

In addition to this, the author uses connectors and references that establish structural relationships between the different components of the text. This makes the text cohesive, making it easier to read.

2- Referential language

In general, essays use the referential function of language, which is the one used when information is to be presented. The referential language is formal and objective.

3- Conative language

In some essays, such as argumentative ones, the conative function of language is used. This is the one that is intended to persuade or convince the reader.

4- Delimited topic

The subject of the essay must be delimited. This should not be too broad, as it would be difficult for the writer to cover all aspects of the chosen topic.

Similarly, it should not be too restricted since there would not be enough aspects to write about.

5- Concise

The essay must be concise and limited to dealing with the points made in the thesis.

For example, if the introduction states that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will be discussed, it should not talk about other works by this author, unless they are directly related to the theme of the essay.

6- Defined structure

Regardless of the type of essay, the structure of these will be the same: introduction, development and conclusion.

The introduction provides referential data that allow the reader to be put in context. Likewise, the thesis to be developed throughout the text is presented.

The introduction should be engaging, so that the reader is interested in the essay and continues reading.

In the development, the secondary ideas that support the thesis are presented. In the case of an argumentative essay, the ideas in favor are presented; and in case it is a comparative test, the similarities and differences are presented.

Finally, in the conclusion the thesis is reaffirmed and a summary of the most important points covered in the essay is made.

7- Function

The role of the test is an important feature, as it will delimit the type of test.

Depending on the function, you can have expository, argumentative, descriptive, explanatory, comparative, analytical, evaluative essays, among others.

Expository essays

Expository essays are those in which information is presented. In this type of essay, the author does not reveal his point of view with respect to the subject he is dealing with but limits himself to stating the facts.

Argumentative essays

Argumentative essays are based on debatable ideas. This means that in this type of essay there will be at least two opposing opinions.

You can not make an argumentative essay about a fact, since these are not debatable.

For example, it cannot be argued that the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However, the facts can support the arguments presented.

Descriptive essays

Descriptive essays are often associated with science. These have the function of offering information about the characteristics of an object, a process or a phenomenon.

Explanatory tests

Explanatory essays are those that give information about cause and effect relationships.

Comparative tests

Comparative tests establish similarities and differences between two objects, phenomena, or ideas.

Analytical tests

Analytical tests are responsible for reducing a phenomenon to its components, in order to analyze them individually, find patterns and classify them into categories.

Evaluative essays

Evaluative essays are those in which a value judgment is offered taking into account certain criteria.

8- Reflective

The essays are texts that show the author's capacity for reflection, since they prove that he has considered all aspects related to the subject he is working on.

9- Use of rhetorical figures

In the essays, rhetorical figures are used to achieve the author's mission. Some of the most common figures are ethos, pathos, and logos.

The ethos is the figure that transmits information about the morals and character of a person. Pathos is one that establishes a connection with the reader through emotions and feelings.

Finally, the logos appeals to the intelligence of the author. The logos is achieved by citing true sources, pointing out facts and providing statistics.

For this resource to be effective, the information presented must be logically related. Other figures of speech used in the essays are:

- The analogy, which compares two similar elements to prove a point.

- The anecdote, which introduces a personal story, usually experienced by the author to create a connection with the reader.

10- Combination of facts and opinions

In argumentative essays both facts and opinions are used to develop the text. Good writers support their opinions with facts, data and statistics that give force to the arguments.

11- Parts

Usually the parts of an essay are three:

• Introduction.
• Development.
• Conclusion.

References

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