Steps of Essay Writing

Organization of Essay

1- Topic segmentation: (Headings of outline)

o Fixed Headings (Paragraphs)
 Introduction (First paragraph)
 Crunch paragraph (second paragraph)
 Conclusion (last paragraph)
o Break down the topic into Primary headings (variable) according to the
keywords of the essay topic and their correlation with each other.

o Example 1: Water Crisis and National Unity (CSS 2016)

 The phenomenon of water crisis (2)
 The aspects of national unity in Pakistan (2)
 Correlation of water crisis and national unity (9)
 Way forward: achieving national unity despite water crisis (4)

o Example 2: The Emerging power of social media: prospects and problems.

(CSS 2018)
 How social media is gaining power (1)
 Opportunities to utilize social media (6)
 Problems arising due to social media (6)
 Utilizing the potential of social media to overcome problems (4)

o Example 3: The threat of global warming and the ways to counter it. (CSS
2018)
1. How global warming has become a threat. (2)
2. Causes of global warming becoming a threat (4)
3. Impacts of increase in global warming (4)
4. How to mitigate the threat of global warming. (7)
2- Brainstorming: (sub-headings)
o Apply divergent thinking and come up with several possible points related to
the topic.
o Collect a pool of ideas and points according to the headings.
o Do not arrange the points at this stage.

3- Mind-mapping: (Convergent thinking)

o Filter your brainstorming points, and select the most relevant, and the ones
on which you can provide evidence (examples, facts, statistics, quotations).
Topic: Higher Education in Pakistan: ills and remedies (2018)

Step 1: Topic Segmentation

3. What is higher education system in Pakistan (1)

4. Problems afflicting higher education in Pakistan (7)
5. Impacts of these problems on Pakistan (3)
6. Way forward to solve problems of higher education (7)

Step 2: Brainstorming

3- Problems afflicting higher education in Pakistan (7)

a- No contact between industry and university
b- Conventional ideas of teaching
c- Low budget allocation for higher education
d- Lack of latest technology
e- Limited number of institutions
f- Untrained teachers affect higher education negatively
g- Rote-learning system
h- No practical approach according to market
i- No resources for research work
j- Lack of research technology
k- Lack of implementation of education policies
l- Inflated fees in private sector universities
m- Poor infrastructure of higher education
n- Outdated teaching methods in use
o- Admissions are not given on merit
p- Lack of research culture
q- Shortage of resources for research work
r- Lack of direction in education Policies
s- No practical learning
t- Lack of government's interest
u- Poor regulatory practices by government regulators
v- Lack of resources in institutions
w- Lack of merit in selection of teachers
x- Paucity of material in labs
y- No updating of syllabus
z- Focus on obsolete syllabus
aa- Lack of guidance on mental health of students
bb- Universities are commercial hubs
cc- Resistance to change by conservative groups
dd- Paucity of education reforms (30)
Impacts of these problems on Pakistan (3)

a) Unemployment among locally qualified graduates

b) Pakistani degrees are not accepted abroad
c) Local industry cannot employ graduates because of lack of skills
d) Most of the academic knowledge is outdated
e) Students rely on rote-learning, not on critical thinking
f) Pakistan is lagging behind in intellectual world
g) Outdated research leads to poor outlook about Pakistani researchers

Way forward to solve problems of higher education (7)

a) Implementation of merit in selection of teachers

b) Improve awareness about corruption in the higher education
c) Revising Evaluation Methods
d) Proper usage/allocation of education budget
e) Teacher training to improve teaching methodology
f) introducing new educational technologies
g) Implementation of meritocracy
h) Induction of contemporary syllabus
i) Skills and training programs for teachers
j) Providing sources of practical work
k) Update syllabus according to modern times
l) Use different modern educational techniques
m) Proper focus on research and development
n) Introduce new syllabus based on recent research
o) Promote studying for knowledge, not only for job
p) merit based inductions
q) Developing an integrated higher education policy to identify weaknesses and
deficiencies
r) Public-private partnership to improve the overall quality of higher education
s) Reduce the university-industry gap
t) Update syllabus according to modern practical and soft skills
u) Promoting mutual contracts between industries and universities
v) Introduction of internship programs
w) Use of e-learning and innovative methodology
x) Introducing scholarship programs
y) Inducing critical thinking in students
z) Revise degrees being offered on basis of efficacy in job market (26)
 4- Draft rough outline
Based on the points sorted out at the Mind-mapping stage, draft a rough outline.

Topic: Higher education in Pakistan: ills and remedies.

OUTLINE
1- Introduction
Thesis statement:
2- Crunch Paragraph
3- What the higher education system in Pakistan is
4- Problems afflicting higher education in Pakistan
a) Lack of implementation of education policies
b) Inflated fees in private sector universities
c) Outdated teaching methods in use
d) Admissions are not given on merit
e) Political interference in universities
f) Lack of research culture
g) Lack of direction in education Policies
5- Impacts of these problems on Pakistan
a) Pakistani degrees are not accepted abroad
b) Unemployment among locally qualified graduates
c) Outdated research leads to poor outlook about Pakistani researchers
6- Way forward to solve problems of higher education
a) Reduce the university-industry gap
b) Update syllabus according to modern practical and soft skills
c) Introduction of internship programs
d) Use of e-learning and innovative methodology
e) Introducing scholarship programs
f) Inducing critical thinking in students
g) Revise degrees being offered on basis of efficacy in job market
7- Conclusion
5- Logical Sequencing:
Apply one of the logical-sequencing models to arrange the sub-headings (purpose: to
create coherence in the essay)
a. GPEST (Expository/Argumentative)
b. 10 Indicators (Expository/Argumentative)
c. F.I.R.E (Abstract essay)

6- Thesis Statement Writing:

7- Outline: Draft your outline

8- Essay: Start writing the introduction paragraph followed by overview paragraph
(para 2), the rest of the body paragraphs, and finally write the conclusion paragraph.
Structure of CSS Essay: 2500-3000 words
Fixed Paragraphs
Introduction: 220-250 words (Paragraph 1)
Crunch paragraph: 100-120 words (Paragraph 2)
Conclusion: 150 – 180 words. (Last paragraph)
Total: 500 words (Fixed Headings)

The remaining 2000 words are divided into body paragraphs.

Body paragraph length: 100 – 120 words.
2000 / 100-120 words = 16 to 18 paragraphs. 17 Variable Sub-headings
(Sub-Heading = Body Paragraph)