Stages in essay writing
It is undeniable that an important component of an essay is matter. Each subject
requires something to be said about it. Lack of matter is a serious difficulty and you
must prepare yourself well before the examination to overcome it. Extensive reading
is essential for you to become competent at writing essays. Books and articles on
history, travel, biography, science and current social/political/economic issues are
good sources of fact and ideas. You should develop a keen sense of observation.
The life around you-what you see and hear and experience-is a valuable source
material for essays. Conversation with friends will further help enrich your mind
with ideas and knowledge. The general preparation, thus, involves broadening your
mental horizons and cultivating the ability to think.
Now we come to the actual work of writing the essay. This involves a number of
steps, which are discussed below:
(1)
I Define the scope of the subject. Read the title and think about the subject you
have chosen. Ask yourself what the topic demands. Do not be misled by any one
word in the title. The scope of an essay on “Indian Films” is essentially different
from the scope of an essay on “The influence of Indian Films on the Young”. Your
essay will have to be of the length prescribed, and there is no place in it for
irrelevant matter. Having understood the precise scope of the subject, you must
decide upon the point of view from which it is to be treated. It may be helpful to jot
down the ideas, facts and illustrations that pass through your mind as you think over
the subject.
II Make an outline. Arrange the facts and ideas according to some consistent
principle of organization. You may go from the general to the specific or from
specific to the general; or you may develop your essay along chronological lines.
Your organization of ideas will, to a large extent, depend upon the subject of the
essay. An outline will help you identify ideas which must be grouped together and
those that must be rejected as irrelevant or repetitious. The outline will also give you
an idea of what to develop in different paragraphs in the body of the essay.
III Writing the essay. An essay at the simplest level has three parts-the
beginning, the middle (or the body), and the conclusion.
(a) The beginning or introduction. Must be effective, but brief. The first line
should be explanatory of the idea without the heading’s help. Avoid
beginnings which have nothing to do with the actual topic of the essay. The
beginning may be a statement of a fact, a definition or an explanation of the
title, some unusual detail (which, however, is related to the subject), some
incident leading up to the main topic, a firm statement of opinion, a
quotation illustrating or leading to the main topic.
(b) The body of the essay or development of thought. Should consist of
paragraphs dealing with the different aspects of the topic as jotted down in
your outline. Due weight should be given to each part, in order to avoid
an imbalanced effect. Generally, a paragraph may deal with one aspect;
however, some aspects may require more than one paragraph. The essay
(2)
will be written if paragraph are well constructed and related to one another
according to the direction of your outline. Construct a paragraph around a
topic sentence. Avoid excessively long and excessively short paragraphs.
Generally a paragraph should not have less than four or more than eight
sentences.
Each paragraph should have unity and coherence; and the paragraphs
in combination should contribute to the effect of unity and coherence of
the essay as a whole. In order to achieve unity, you must have a clear
purpose. The first line may sum up the topic or topic may be strongly
implied through details in the entire paragraph. Sentence should deal with
details and ideas relevant to the paragraph topic. As for coherence, it
implies a logical arrangement of the details and ideas so that the reader
knows how they are relevant to the topic
(c) The conclusion of an essay must be effective. An abrupt or feeble
ending may mar the effect of the essay. Apologetic endings are to be
avoided. Above all, ending should not start upon some new aspect of
the topic. In the conclusion you may restate in a striking manner the
main point you want to drive home, or you may use a quotation to round
off. In some cases, you may effectively sum up the main ideas in the essay;
however, in most cases this device appears dull. In argumentative or expository
essays, the ending may easily be a logical conclusion drawn from the facts
presented.
IV Style in writing
In matters of style, it is practice which makes prefect. Grammatical knowledge
is essential. Reading is bound to improve your vocabulary. You should develop
the art of using the right word in right place. Clarity in writing is a reflection of
clarity in thinking;so be perfectlyclear about what you want to say. Be sincere
and simple in what you express; avoid bombastic language and elaborate
metaphors. Use short sentences which are clear, compact and effective.
(3)
“If you wish to be writer, write”, said Epictetus; “Anyone who wishes
to become a good writer should endeavour……to be direct, simple,brief, vigorous, and
lucid”, said W.H. Fowler.
An examination essay further demands that you express yourself well within the
limitations of space and time.
SOME DO’S ABOUT ESSAY WRITNG
Below are given a few useful, positive hints for the students to try to follow,
before and while they write an essay:-
• Put down as many points as you can, touching the different sides of a given subject.
Let each such point carry a new idea. This will help you in being sure that you
have left out nothing important about it.
• Arrange those points in their regular order. You may or you may not actually write
all the points in the body of the essay.
• For every essay you would try, have a sort of an introduction at the beginning of
the essay and also a brief conclusion at its end.
• Build a paragraph on each point. At times a point may have only one sentence. It is
yet a paragraph. But do not use this device too often.
• Try to touch the subject proper of an essay at the earliest possible stage, if not in
the very beginning. To linger long in the introduction is not helpful. The reader or
examiner may lose his patience otherwise.
• In every paragraph keep a topical sentence and the paragraph should then be based
on that sentence. This topical sentence may appear in the beginning, in the middle
or, unavoidably, even at the end of the paragraph.
• The introduction is meant to put the reader in the atmosphere required by the
subject of the essay, and the conclusion is a sort of bidding good-bye. The
introduction and the conclusion, at times, may be only of a sentence each.
• Avoid repetition of the same idea in the essay, unless it is absolutely necessary for
purpose of emphasis.
(4)
• Try to write your sentences of two clauses each.
• Use a past tense for past event.
• Every subordinate clause that you write must have its main clause either going
before or coming after it.
• Begin every paragraph a little on the right side of the page.
SOME DON’TS ABOUT ESSAY WRITNG
Similarly there are certain “don’ts” which the student may advantageously
remember while writing an essay.
a. Don’t write a very lengthy introduction.
b. Don’t lose sight of the subject of your essay. Every new sentence that you write
must be concerning your subject.
c. Don’t use a phrase or an idiom about whose correctness and utility you are not
sure.
d. Don’t use any uncommon or difficult word whose meaning you don’t know.
e. Don’t use the same word both in the singular and plural in the same sentence.
f. Don’t refer to a fact or an event unless you are sure of it.
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