What type of essay uses sensory details to help readers visualize a subject?

A descriptive essay is designed to engage the reader's senses through vivid sensory details. This type of writing allows the author to paint a picture in the reader's mind, enabling them to visualize the subject being discussed. Through the careful use of descriptive language, including sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures, the essay immerses readers in the experience, making them feel as though they are part of the scene. This emphasis on sensory details sets descriptive essays apart from other types of essays, as they focus on creating a strong, evocative image rather than simply informing or arguing a point.

While expository essays aim to explain or inform, using facts and straightforward language, they do not prioritize sensory details. Illustrative essays generally support a point with examples but may not heavily rely on vivid imagery. Classification essays organize information into categories and typically focus more on the structure and characteristics of items rather than on sensory experience. Thus, the defining characteristic of a descriptive essay—the use of sensory details to enhance visualization—makes it the correct answer.