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View Full Version : Maybe a silly ? What is the diff. between a Composition and and Essay?

paulcindy
03-17-2009, 11:45 AM
My high schooler came home yesterday and said she had to read a certain book for English class then write a composition(Not an essay OR a Summary).

What is the difference between an Essay and a Composition???{{hiding under my rock now}}}}
Zoraida
03-17-2009, 12:37 PM
I may be wrong, but in a composition each paragraph is supported by a topic sentence. In an essay, you have a thesis sentence which controls the entire idea of the essay.

Or possibly the two are the same thing.

Maybe, I'm not sure though.

Blessings

Zoraida
paulcindy
03-17-2009, 12:47 PM
Me neither:confused:
Ellie
03-17-2009, 12:54 PM
An essay is a type of composition.
Reya
03-17-2009, 02:02 PM
An essay is a type of composition.

Exactly!
paulcindy
03-17-2009, 02:41 PM
See, that is what I thought. But my daughter(who is in Public High School), came home and she even showed me the assignment, and it says, choose one of the following books, and write a composition. Not an essay, summary, or book report.(Leave it to PS)

Which is why I was confused.

Thank you(Okay, I thought I really had gone crazy or something for a minute)
Ellie
03-17-2009, 02:48 PM
See, that is what I thought. But my daughter(who is in Public High School), came home and she even showed me the assignment, and it says, choose one of the following books, and write a composition. Not an essay, summary, or book report.(Leave it to PS)

Which is why I was confused.

Thank you(Okay, I thought I really had gone crazy or something for a minute)
I'm thinking someone's English teacher missed a few classes in college.:tongue_smilie:
gardening momma
03-17-2009, 04:57 PM
dictionary.com's definition #6: a short essay written as a school exercise, #7: the act or process of producing a literary work, #9: the art of putting words and sentences together in accordance with the rules of grammar and rhetoric.

Then I found this website that talks about expository writing and compositions... it says
A composition is a piece of writing formed by putting together the ideas you have on a subject. http://ghsweb.k12.ar.us/writers/facts.htm It goes on to talk more about composition and expository writing.

I wonder if the teacher wants the students to go beyond writing a book report/essay on the book, and wants them to take ideas from the book and expound on them. More of critical thinking paper than a book report?

ETA: What is the book?