With your working definition of an essay, now we'll explore the ways that writers use modes in their essays.

While crafting a piece of writing, authors use various modes.  Using various modes helps writers to write effectively.  The process of writing an essay that employs several modes can be compared to a journey because the author takes the reader through several modes in order to get his/her point across.

The modes that we'll be examining are as follows:

Argumentative
Compare and Contrast
Definition
Descriptive
Narrative 
Process/Procedural

Modes are used in various combinations in most written work. A piece of personal commentary might, for instance, include a vivid description of an overfilled landfill (descriptive mode) before arguing that people should generate less waste (argumentative mode). A feature article might tell the story of a disabled veteran (narrative mode) interwoven with information about new services for the disabled (expository mode). Even a novel, which may create meaning primarily through the story (narrative mode), pauses frequently to include vivid descriptions of setting or steps that a character takes (descriptive mode and procedural mode). Multiple modes are infused throughout nearly every text we read or write. 

Your job, as a writer, is not only to understand the types of modes that writers use, but to also develop a deep understanding of how modes can help you develop your ideas and reflect on how to revise your writing to make it more effective.