Most of the factors discussed in the section Sentencing and paragraphing apply to all these forms. The essay Used as a vehicle to present argument. Aim is to answer or reply to a given question. Persuasive rather than informative. Scope for a variety of writing styles to be used.
All essays develop an argument and aim to persuade.
Writing essays is not easy. But you cannot write a good essay until you are familiar with the material surrounding the topic. So the first thing to do after the topic is selected is to gather all the appropriate material to help you answer it. Usually, not only is this a relatively easy task, it also gives a sense of direction and focus. By this stage you ll also be mentally organising an approach to answer the question based on your interpretation of the material collected and what you regard as important in relation to the question.