The main distinction between an essay and a dissertation is in the prerequisites. A dissertation is a large piece of writing on a single topic, whereas an essay is a brief bit of writing on a single topic. Both require research, but a dissertation requires more research than an essay. Essays are easier to write because they are shorter and therefore there is less material for the writer to cover. Also, an essay does not need to be factual; instead, it can be your own opinion on a topic. Disagreeing with an opinion or belief is not wrong unless you state otherwise. Finally, an essay should be readable while a dissertation must be accurate and well structured. Generally, students believe that a dissertation is just like an essay except it is longer. This is not true; there are many things that cannot be done with an essay that can be done with a dissertation. For example, you can use citations and references to support your ideas when writing an essay. But for a dissertation, these elements are required by the university or college where you are studying so you must include them. Also, unlike essays that can be written in any style, dissertations must be written using a formal language structure. This means using sentences that have a subject-verb-object structure, adding necessary details such as quotations or examples, and keeping your paper concise.