How to Write Effective Essay

 

ESSAY WRITING

Essay is a written composition in which the author shares his/her knowledge about a certain topic. Many body paragraphs can also be developed into essays. In doing so, their topic sentences become thesis sentences sub topic sentences become topic sentences and concluding sentences become concluding paragraphs.

Qualities of a Good Essay

1:Planned

A good essay is the result of a careful planning and selection of material. Good essays are not produced abruptly but are prepared with careful consideration and thought.

2.Comprehensive:

A good essay is comprehensive in its approach and vision. A well - written essay covers all the aspects related to the topic.

 3.Objective:

Though an essay reflects its writer's perspective but, to make it impressive, it should be objective and impartial.

 4.Well-Balanced:

A well - crafted essay is always well balanced. A good writer gives importance to each of its various parts and sections

 5.Coherent:

It is another characteristic of a good essay. It means that the events and parts in the essay are very well connected with one another. A good passage always creates the impact of one organic whole on the reader.

 6.Logical Sequence:

vigorous and lucid. Its title is also chosen very carefully. a good essay always reflects logical sequence of ideas in a composed and In addition to the above features, a good essay is always direct, simple, controlled manner.

Stages in Essay Writing

Following are the different stages in writing of an essay:

i. Collect the Material:

A good essay is the result of a careful study and research. Therefore, before writing an essay, we need to collect the relevant material to make it authentic.

ii. Define the Scope:

Since an essay is always specific and to the point, it is essential to define its scope. For example, when we have to write on Terrorism in the world', we need to give a worldwide view while writing on 'Terrorism in Pakistan' we need to restrict our scope and limit it to Pakistan alone.

iii. Make an Outline:

An outline of an essay relates to its structure. It consists of the main and sub points of the essay. The outline of an essay keeps us focused and systematic.

iv. Prepare the First Draft:

As essay is a detailed composition, it is generally best produced after revising and editing. Moreover, we should keep the main points in our mind. Without main points, it is not possible to maintain coherence and unity in the ideas.

Parts/Components of an Essay

An essay can be distributed into three distinct parts:

i. Introduction

ii. Main Body - Development of an Idea

iii. Conclusion

i. Introduction:

The first paragraph of an essay introduces the topic (thesis sentence). The introductory paragraph is most important because it provides direction for the entire essay. It also sets the tone and helps in grabbing reader's attention. For writing effective introduction:

i.                    Describe your main idea or what the essay is about.

ii.                   Define or explain the title in a precise, specific way.

    iii. Keep your introduction brief and effective.

   iv. Avoid starting abruptly or too philosophically.

   v. Use quotations, statements dictionary meanings or sayings to introduce the reader to the main idea.

   vi. Avoid jargons clichés and bombastic beginnings.

 2.Main Body

Once the beginning is set, we can move on to the main body of the essay. It is in this part of the discussion that we compare and contrast, provide details such as facts, quotes, examples and concrete statistics. For developing main body:

i.                    Evaluate all the possible aspects of a problem, topic or issue.

ii.                  Give due importance to each aspect.

iii.                Do not appear biased or prejudiced in your approach.

iv.                Relate all your ideas to one another.

.   v. Avoid too long or too short paragraphs.

.   vi. Use supporting material to argument and develop ideas. We can use examples, facts, comparisons, contrasts and other devices to make the text authentic.

 3.Conclusion

The concluding paragraph must summarize the essay. This is often the most difficult paragraph to write. A poor conclusion can adversely affect the overall impression of the essay. In conclusion, we should restate the thesis and connect it with the body of the essay. For crafting conclusion:

i.                    Reinforce the idea already established in the main body. Do not introduce any new idea in the concluding part of the essay.

ii.                   passive and feeble ending, pack it with a punch of force.

iii.                Unrelated or irrelevant ending spoils the impression.

iv.                Give convincing ideas in conclusions avoid making sweeping statements.