Essay Writing

• True ease in writing comes

from art, not by chance

As those move easiest who

have learnt dance
 What is Essay?
• Latin in origin. It means an attempt.
• Definitions
• 1) A short literary composition in prose.

• 2) Always light and pleasant in tone.

• 3) States problem from individual point of view.

• Its moderately a brief prose discussion of a

restricted topic.
• Branch of literature.
• Poetry & prose
 Rules
• Different from treatise and pamphlet or
sermon.
• Light, personal and intimate.

• According to Robert Lynd, “Can be written

on any topic”
 Rules for Writing an Essay
• 1- Choice of a subject
i)- In exam room ii)- out
of exam room
• 2- Information

• experience and general information is limited

• keep a notebook to jot down ideas, quotations,

extracts from speeches and books, incidents you
have seen or heard of and reference to books
which give useful information.
 Rules
• Complaint of students about the lack of
information
• Read
• Observe

• Think

• Practice of Writing
 Rules
• Bacon says, “Reading maketh a full man,
conference a ready man and writing an
exact man”.
• He furthers says, “Some books are to be
tasted, others to be swallowed and some few
to be chewed and digested”.
• Negate one’s being and try to live with
writer
 3- Reading
• In order to write an essay, a student
must have something to write about
and so he must make efforts to store
ideas in his mind by a fruitful reading.
• To read a book is to live in the world
created by the author.
 Rules
• To read Hamlet, for example,
means you are enjoying the play of
Shakespeare as if it were being
acted before our eyes. Books are
peopled with characters that are
more actual than real persons of
this world.
 4- Observation
• But reading is not everything.
Hardly there are a
few people in this world who go through the
world with their eyes open … open in the
real sense.
• A person who has responsive mind, can
discover work wonders …. tongues in trees,
sermons in stones, books in running brooks
and good in everything.
 Rules
• Descriptive writing …. the most difficult forms of
the composition
A student cannot attain
mastery in this art without learning to observe what
goes on around him or to gaze with pleasure on
‘Nature’s naked loveliness’ .
He should,
therefore, do practice writing descriptions of
familiar objects and everyday occurrences. Not until
he begins to put down upon paper such descriptions,
will he realize how difficult it is to give a simple,
clear and complete account of any common object or
event.
 5- Thinking
• The best method …. is to arouse curiosity
and interest. He should learn to ask questions
about what he has read; disagree with the
author if his views are not convincing, point
out what can be said on the other side of a
question and try to see what is printed in the
book or a journal is not necessarily the last
word that can be said on the subject.
• He should not swallow everything
unintelligently.
 6- Practice
• Practice makes a man perfect. A
student should write as frequently as
possible for no one can write well who
does not write often.
• One must take pleasure in writing
because it is writing alone that makes
an exact man. And if he is to learn
anything, it is better that he should
learn it by writing.
 6- Practice
• You must think before you write.
Whatever you write, you must write
with care and thought. You should
make it a point to avoid the same
mistakes again and again.
 How to write an Essay
• Selection of topic
• Outline
• Uses of outline
1) Beauty in Writing
2) Key to prepare a good Essay
3) Impressive for examiner
 Rules for drawing Outline
• Main Topics
• Sub-Topics
• Natural arrangement
• Order in ideas
• Brief description
 Divisions of an Essay
• Two major kinds
1)Narrative 2)Descriptive
• Division of a Narrative Essay
1) Definition 2) Causes
3) Effects 4) Remedies
• Division of a Descriptive Essay
1) Definition 2) Merits 3)
Demerits 4) Role in Society
 Qualities of a good Essay
• 1) Unity
• 2)Coherence
• 3) Balance
• 4) Beginning & Ending
• 5) Middle
• 6) Tone
 Unemployment
• Definition ……. means absence of work
• Causes
1)Overpopulation a)
Lack of entertaining resources b) Male
dominating society c) Ignorance & lack of
education
2) Lack of industry
a) Heavy taxation b) Instability in political system
c) Unfavorable condition due to huge inflation
power
 Unemployment
3) Wrong distribution of wealth
a) Tax Stealing
b) Exploitation
c) Materialism
4) Defective education system
a) producing mere clerks
b) Not meet the needs of 21st
century
 Unemployment
• Effects……. Morbid ding
1) Frustration (suicidal
activities, rustic minded)
2) Criminals & Rebels (dacoits, robbery,
ethnics, provincialism, sectarianism,
extremism)
3) Economic downfall
 Unemployment
• 4. Remedies
1) Industrial
revolution 2)
Educational revival
3) Equal wealth distribution
4) Population
5) Agricultural uplift
 Differences with Report
• REPORTS AND ESSAYS—WHAT’S THE
DIFFERENCE?
• A common problem is that students transfer what they
have learnt about essay writing to report writing.
Both essay and report need:
• formal style
• careful proof-reading and neat presentation
• introduction, body and conclusion
• analytical thinking
 Differences
• A Report/ An Essay
• Presents information/argument
• Is meant to be scanned quickly by the
reader/ read carefully
• Uses numbered headings and sub-headings/
minimal (least) sub-headings.
• May not need references and biblio-graphy
or reference list/ Always needs these things
 Differences
• A Report/ An Essay
• Uses short, concise paragraphs and dot-
points where applicable/ Links ideas into
cohesive paragraphs, rather than breaking
them down into a list of dot-points
• Uses graphics wherever possible (tables,
graphs, illustrations)/ Rarely uses graphics,
has a literary touch
• A Report/ An Essay

• May need an abstract (sometimes called an

executive summary)/ Will only need an
abstract if it is very long, or if your lecturer
asks for one specifically
• May be followed by recommendations and
or appendices/ Seldom has
recommendations or appendices
 Expository writing
• It is designed to explain a topic. It often
gives facts, explains ideas, or defines
conditions.
• Whether it's giving directions or explaining
how to accomplish something, an expository
piece is helpful because it provides the
reader with deeper insights into a subject.
• Such an informative writing presents ideas
in a certain order so that the reader can
follow the explanation easily.
 Purpose of Writing an Expository Essay
• The purpose of such essay is to present a
fair and balanced analysis of a subject
based on facts—with no references to the
writer’s opinions or emotions.
• A typical expository writing will use the
words “explain” or “define,” such as in,
• “Write an essay explaining how the
computer has changed the lives of
students.”
 Tips on Writing an Expository Essay
• Notice there is no instruction to form
an opinion or argument on whether or
not computers have changed students’
lives.
• The prompt asks the writer to
“explain,” plain and simple.
 The Five-Step Writing Process for Expository
Essays
• Expository writing is a life skill. More than
any other type of writing, it is a daily
requirement of most careers.
• Understanding and following the proven
steps of the writing process helps all
writers, including students, master the
expository essay.
 Expository Essay Structure
• Usually, the expository essay is composed of
five paragraphs.
• The introductory paragraph contains the
thesis or main idea.
• The next three paragraphs, or body of the
essay, provide/s details in support of the
thesis.
• The concluding paragraph restates the
main idea and ties together the major points
of essay.
 1. Prewriting for the Expository Essay
• In the prewriting phase of writing an
expository essay, students should take time
to brainstorm about the topic and main
idea.
• Next, do research and take notes. Create an
outline showing the information to be
presented in each paragraph, organized in a
logical sequence.
 2. Drafting the Expository Essay
• When creating the initial draft of an
expository essay, consider the following
suggestions:
 Topic Sentence
• The most important sentence in the
introductory paragraph is the topic
sentence, which states the thesis or main
idea of the essay.
• The thesis should be clearly stated without
giving an opinion or taking a position.
• A good thesis is well defined, with a
controllable extent that can be
sufficiently addressed within a five-
paragraph essay.
 Body Paragraphs
• Each of the three body paragraphs
should cover a separate point that
develops the essay’s thesis.
• The sentences of each paragraph
should offer facts and examples in
support of the paragraph’s topic.
 Concluding Paragraph
• It should reinforce the thesis and the main
supporting ideas. Do not introduce new material
in the conclusion.
• Since an expository essay discusses an
event, situation, or the views of others, and
not a personal experience, students should
write in the third person (“he,” “she,” or
“it”), and avoid “I” or “you” sentences.
 3. Revising the Expository Essay
• In the revision phase, students must review,
modify, and reorganize their work with the
goal of making it the best it can be. Keep
these considerations in mind:
• 1) Does the essay give an unbiased analysis
that unfolds logically, using relevant facts
and examples?
• 2) Has the information been clearly and
effectively communicated to the reader?
 Considerations
• 3) Watch out for “paragraph sprawl,”
which occurs when the writer loses focus
and veers from the topic by introducing
unnecessary details.
• 4) Is the sentence structure varied?
• 5) Is the word choice precise?
• 6) Do shifts b/t sentences and paragraphs
help the reader’s understanding?
• 7) Does the concluding paragraph
communicate the value and meaning of the
thesis and key supporting ideas?
• 8) If the essay is still missing the mark, take
another look at the topic sentence. A solid
thesis statement leads to a solid essay. Once
the thesis works, the rest of the essay falls
into place more easily.
 4. Editing the Expository Essay
• Next, proofread and correct errors in
grammar and mechanics, and edit to
improve style and clarity. While an
expository essay should be clear and
concise, it can also be lively and
engaging. Having a friend read the
essay helps writers edit with a fresh
perspective.
 5. Publishing the Expository Essay

• Sharing an expository essay with the

rest of the class can be both exciting
and intimidating. Remember, there
isn’t a writer on earth who isn’t
sensitive about his or her own work.
The important thing is to learn from
the experience and use the feedback to
make the next essay better.
 Essay Variations
• Essay writing is a huge part of an
education today. Most students
must learn to write various kinds
of essays during their academic
careers, including different types of
expository essay writing:
 1- Definition essays
•  explain the meaning of a word, term,
or concept. The topic can be a concrete
subject such as an animal or tree, or it
can be an abstract term, such as
freedom or love. This type of essay
should discuss the word’s denotation
(literal or dictionary definition), as well
as its connotation or the associations
that a word usually brings to mind.
 2- Classification essays
•  break down a broad subject or
idea into categories and groups.
The writer organizes the essay by
starting with the most general
category and then defines and gives
examples of each specific
classification.
 3- Compare and contrast essays
•  describe the similarities and
differences between two or more
people, places, or things.
Comparison tells how things are
alike and contrast shows how they
are different.
 
 4- Cause and effect essays 
• explain how things affect each
other and depend on each other.
The writer identifies a clear
relationship between two subjects,
focusing on why things happen
(causes) and/or what happens as a
result (effects).
 5- “How to” essays
• sometimes called process
essays, explain a procedure, step-
by-step process, or how to do
something with the goal of
instructing the reader.
•THANX
•THANX
•THANX
Thanks