Paragraphs and essays can be written in different types or styles. A writer will choose a type depending on what he or she wishes to accomplish, what sort of material is to be discussed, and what kind of effect s/he wants to have on the reader. Generally speaking, there are four types of writing, though normally these types are mixed together.
Narrative:
The narrative paragraph or essay tells a story, just like a narrator in a play (though it should be a true story, unlike a short story or a play). Narrative writing is best used to illustrate the "personal developmental path" a person (often yourself) has taken to reach a particular point in his/her life. As a result, it is normally written in a first person point of view. True narrative writing is unusual, because it is demanding. A narrative must have a conflict that is overcome. This is the core of any narrative form of writing, be it a paragraph, an essay, or a story). In an essay, it usually means a single incident/anecdote, where the narrator experiences some brief challenge that is met and (hopefully) survived. This "overcoming" should in turn lead to some form of understanding. Simply describing or explaining one's surroundings is not a narrative. You need a (brief) establishment of setting, an explanation of the challenge, and the resolution of this challenge. In other words, you need a plot.
Narrative:
The narrative paragraph or essay tells a story, just like a narrator in a play (though it should be a true story, unlike a short story or a play). Narrative writing is best used to illustrate the "personal developmental path" a person (often yourself) has taken to reach a particular point in his/her life. As a result, it is normally written in a first person point of view. True narrative writing is unusual, because it is demanding. A narrative must have a conflict that is overcome. This is the core of any narrative form of writing, be it a paragraph, an essay, or a story). In an essay, it usually means a single incident/anecdote, where the narrator experiences some brief challenge that is met and (hopefully) survived. This "overcoming" should in turn lead to some form of understanding. Simply describing or explaining one's surroundings is not a narrative. You need a (brief) establishment of setting, an explanation of the challenge, and the resolution of this challenge. In other words, you need a plot.