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SSC-CGL (TIER-III) - Essay Writing

Category : SSC

1. Essay Writing

 

ANYONE CAN WRITE AN ESSAY!

 Surprised? Don't be. With the right tools and average level of content, anyone can write an essay. And that's what we are going to give you-

 

THE RIGHT TOOLS

 

Before writing an essay, you need to know what an essay is, and what it isn't. Essay is not an illogical arrangement of ideas. It's not a haphazard array of sentences. It is a flow of ideas with a single idea- as the backbone; the other ideas complementing this single idea. And these set of ideas when set in a proper structure become a good essay.

All essays might look the same to an untrained eye, but they're not. There are different types of essays, according to the way in which the writer deals with the topic at hand. They are:"

 

  1. Personal
  2. Narrative
  3. Descriptive
  4. Expository
  5. Analytic
  6. Persuasive
  7. Argumentative

 

PERSONAL ESSAYS

Personal essays are what one may call writing from the heart. They have a personal touch and are often written in a conversational manner, and may be called an autobiographical non-fiction.

 

NARRATIVE ESSAYS

Narrative essays can be said to be closely related to personal essays in which we write from first person perspective. These are narrations of an event or a situation, generally a real-life experience.

 

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAYS

Descriptive essays are closely related to narrative essays, but differentiated by the absence of first person perspective ('I'). These are descriptions of a person, place, object or even memory of special significance.

Expository essays are essays completely separated from the above-given types in that they completely avoid any reference to personal feelings. They are fully based on factual knowledge, and present the conclusion on the basis of facts, statistics and examples.

 

ANALYTICAL ESSAYS

Analytical essays are a type of expository essays with personal analysis in addition. In this, the writer analyses the given data and presents a balanced view in the conclusion.

Persuasive essays are analytical essays with a strong emphasis on one's viewpoint, so as to persuade the reader to accept the writer's point of view or recommendation.

 

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS

Argumentative essays are a stronger form of persuasive essays, but they differ in the fact that in it, the author presents his view in contrast to the other viewpoints that exist, while in persuasive essays, the author just gives his own viewpoint in the attempt to persuade. According to the topic and the context in which one is writing the essay, one can decide which type of essay one wants to write.

How to write an essay?

Now that we have dealt with the description and types of essay, we come to the most important part-how to write an essay.

All essays should have three parts-

  1. Introduction,
  2. Content, and
  3. Conclusion

 

INTRODUCTION

Introduction is the part where one initiates the topic. It is an insight into what the writer is going to write in the following passages. While it should have a direct reference to the topic of the essay, it shouldn't be a description of the same. Rather it should catch the attention of the readers, and shouldn't be dry. Remember, the reader decides whether to read the complete essay or not on the basis of your introduction. Make it catchy, clear and concise.

 

CONTENT

Now, coming to the content. This is the part where you have to bring in your grey cells. Write down all the points you have on the given topic, and then structure it. A good essay can be identified by its structure, which is the logical flow of ideas, effortlessly moving from one idea to another as if in a natural flow.

The body of the essay can be divided into 3-4 paragraphs and different, but related ideas can be discussed under these.

Three approaches can be made while writing content:-

 

  1. WSA (Word-Specific Approach)

Bring in words that are most related to the topic, and are most relevant. They make it look like the writer has read enough on the topic and has good knowledge of it.

 

  1. POV (Point-Of-View approach)

In this, one can bring in different viewpoints, since there may be many sections of society that are affected by that single topic, and they all might be holding different outlooks. This adds more of an analytical angle to the essay since the author will be able to see the topic from the viewpoints of multiple persons, and this includes the pros and cons of the topic.

 

  1. SCELPT (Socio-Cultural, Economic Legal, Political and Technology Points)

Here the writer approaches the topic from various angles. This makes it, a comprehensive look at the topic and the most extensive analysis of it. This approach comes best in academic essays and competitive essays where one has to make sure the topic has been viewed from every possible angle.

 

CONCLUSION

Conclusion is the part that is as important as the introduction. It mostly includes the quintessence of the topic, a crux of all that has been described in the previous passages.

Rather than just summarizing what's given in the previous passages, give an opinion of your own or a suggestion for the future, still holding on to what has been discussed earlier.

WRTIE IT LIKE A TOPPER

 

TIPS FOR WRITING A SCORE-FETCHING ESSAY

Anyone can write an essay, but not everyone can write an essay that looks great from all angles Keeping in mind the fact that almost all the students who take the final exam must be equipped with more or less the same level of content, one has to look for the winning edge, the edge that makes you stand apart and finally takes you to the paramount. The following tips will give you that edge you need.

  1. Brainstorm on the topic and write down points.
  2. Make a structure before starting to write. Devote 2-3 minutes to it. If your structure is good, the content will flow from one to another.
  3. Start with a quote in the introduction if possible.
  4. Start with a contrasting view of events in the introduction and then substantiate it in the content.
  5. Never start with a plain description.
  6. Make proper paragraphs. Make sure you stick to one idea in one passage. Do not let it overflow to the next.
  7. Add as many keywords as you can, but not jargons. Too many jargons will make the essay look complicated and dry.
  8. Do not add too much of data, but only enough to substantiate what you claim m the essay.
  9. Add solutions or suggestions in the conclusion.
  10. Make the conclusion futuristic, with an idea for the future.
  11. Do not end the essay on a negative note. Add something positive, or end it with a hope for the future.
  12. Have your own style of writing the essay. Your essay should reflect your personality and that will automatically separate it from the rest.

Now that you're equipped with all the tools, get going. Let's start writing essays.

 

Point to Ponder

Spend 5-10 MINUTES EVERYDAY for brainstorming on a topic. Write down everything that comes to your mind. Doing so will help you generate points much easily at the time of exam.

 

Now let's start with a simple essay...


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