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ubject matter: An important component of any essay is its matter.
Lack of
information is one of the main causes
of the inability of many students to write satisfactory essay. Only you can rectify
this error. It is essential to
acquire an interest in reading and collecting information on different subject must
be gathered form books, by
observation, and by listening and talking to men who know. It is a good plan to
keep a note-book, in which you
may jot down things quotations, extracts from speeches and books, incidents you
have seen nor heard of,
references to books which give useful information.
Developing the points: Another important step in the direction of writing an
impressive essay is to avoid beating
about the bush. This can be done, if the points are noted down before the actual
composition of the essay. These
points should then be developed into thoughts. To be precise and to the point
brings about clarity which is the
hallmark of a good essay. Proceeding from the points also ensures that no
significant aspect is lift out.
Substantiating the points: Example, illustrations and data should be used to
support the Arguments. If the
arguments are not substantiated, then they may appear as subjective ideas.
Furthermore, the writer of essay is
expected to be aware of the relevant information about a given topic. Therefore, if
an essay is to reflect the
writer's knowledge of events developments and data in a particular field it ought
to contain all the relevant facts
and figures.
Language: Use of appropriate words is criterion of a good essay. Choosing difficult
and high sounding words for
their own sake is not advisable. Exact meaning can be conveyed by the right words.
However, English not being
our mother tongue, at times the writer's may not be able to think of an appropriate
word. In that case a simple
substitute should be used. Short sentences should be preferred to long ones. The
emphasis should be on conveying
the point only.
Unity: Just as the sentence and the paragraph must have unity, so the composition
as a whole must have unity.
While it is necessary to introduce many topics into an essay, the main subject
should never be lost sight of. At one
stage should the reader's attention and interest be allowed to wander far from the
subject. In other words, write
about the subject, and not about something else. One topic should lead on to
another. There should be some
connection between successive paragraphs.
Coherence and cogency: It is necessary that there should be a logical development
of the arguments. In other
words, succeeding arguments should flow out of the preceding ones. Each paragraph
should be related to the
other by logic. Collection of unconnected paragraphs creates confusion and marks
the essay difficult to
understand. A well reasoned essay is like a clear picture which leaves an impact on
the reader or checker.
Besides, it proves the analytical ability of the writer.
Style: language should be simple and clear, devoid of slang and colloquialism.
Clich�s and verbosity should be
avoided.
Personal Imprint: the essay must not merely be a collection of borrowed ideas but
must reflect the writer's
personal touch and opinion. However, care should be taken not to express extreme
opinion. There are no hard
and fast rules about the length of an essay; rather he would be more influenced by
the pith and substance of your
essay and the manner in which you have put it on the answer book. Of course, the
essay should neither be too
short nor too long. Length of the essay is an important aspect. In my personal
view, it is quality and not the
quantity that matters. The Examiner usually sets a limit of 2500-3500 words limit
to trap the candidates. But it
wouldn't bother him much if you put up a good effort which falls short of the words
limit. The examiner will be
influenced by the substance of your essay and manner in which you have presented or
expressed it. The real thing
6
Essay Writing Guide (Imaz Virk)
which matters is that the essay should be systematic and concise of course. When
you are asked to write an essay
within a fixed limit of words you must adhere to it.
Handwriting: A good handwriting just like a pleasing personality is always an asset
in any written examination.
Hence the students should try to improve their handwriting beforehand and write the
essay in the examination
hall quite legible and visible and help the examiners read your essay comfortably.
It is always better that after
you have finished writing your essay, you must read it carefully at least once, so
that you are able to revise it and
correct any mistakes which you may have committed regarding spellings, punctuation,
etc.
Good introduction: Every essay needs an introduction. The introduction should be
direct and to the point. If a
candidate writes a lengthy introduction then he may deviate too much from the main
topic. In the body of the
essay each main idea should be written in a well balanced and logical manner.
Conclusion: Like the introduction, the conclusion in an essay should also be
logical, convincing and natural.
Without writing a good conclusion the student cannot expect to secure good marks in
the examination. The
conclusion should be natural and no abrupt. Thus the student must pay special
attention to the introduction as
well as the conclusion part of any essay. Generally they should not go against the
title of the essay.
Attitude: Before writing one must aware about attitude towards the topic which may
either be serious,
enthusiastic, light-hearted, pessimistic or optimistic; One topic may have,
reflections of more than one attitude,
but the transition of attitude has to be well planed and log

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ubject matter: An important component of any essay is its matter.

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