Collocations for "essay"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "essay" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
essay
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.n
- an [interesting, engrossing] essay (on)
- a persuasive essay (about)
- [a photo, an illustrated] essay
- [an original, a personal] essay
- a difficult essay to [understand, read]
- had an essay published in [the paper, a journal]
- [read, wrote, finished, edited, published] an essay
- an essay on the [history, physics, idea] of
- an essay about the [history] of
- an essay (written) by
- the essays of [Alice Walker, Sir Francis Bacon]
- an essay that [discusses, describes]
- an essay for [class, school]
- a [250, 500] -word essay [on, about]
- has [written, published] a book of essays
- hand in your essays
- an essay for homework
- will be an essay on the [test, exam]
- the teacher [read, graded, corrected] the essays
- essay [writing, questions]
- an essay [exam, assignment, test]
- an essay contest
- the essay topic is
- dated, UK: essayed a [leap, sprint, smile]
- dated, UK: the [procedure, operation, concept] was essayed in [1900]
- dated, UK: essayed to [smile, speak, flirt] with her
'essay' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
academic
- attach
- bash
- conclusion
- confusion
- correction
- corresponding
- distract
- draft
- extension
- flesh
- flowing
- garnish
- hand
- helpful
- ink
- line
- look
- nearly
- neat
- outline
- padding
- paragraph
- print
- quiz
- quotation
- round
- shallow
- structure
- thesis
- thoughtful
- type
- undone
- wandering
- whimsical
- work
- write
- written
- zest
- zip