This document provides an overview of what an essay is and different types of essays. It begins by explaining that an essay comes from the French word meaning "to try" and is a literary device used to discuss almost any topic. There are many styles of essays including academic, personal, narrative, argumentative, and expository. Descriptive essays describe people, places or events while narrative essays tell a story from the author's perspective. Reflective essays contain the author's feelings and emotions on an abstract topic. The document also provides tips for writing essays, such as picking a topic you're passionate about and allowing your writing to flow naturally. It emphasizes that essays are experiments in expression and exploration of ideas.