Essay writing

The word ―essay‖ means ―to attempt,‖ ―to try,‖ or ―to test‖. But in grammar it means a composition
made up of paragraphs to deal with a topic. These paragraphs make a connected logical reading.

“An essay is a literary composition in prose written in correct beautiful English to discuss a given
topic in detail.”

An essay is a writer’s attempt to convince an audience that he knows something. An essay is a coherently
unified piece of writing with a fairly standard form consisting of three parts— introduction, body, and
conclusion—in which you must support a considered opinion, moving smoothly from point to point. This
opinion must be neither wild conjecture nor incontrovertible fact, but a defensible judgment that admits
the possibility of disagreement on the part of your audience. Furthermore, the statement of this opinion, or
thesis, governs the whole essay and must be supported, illustrated, expanded, and exemplified in the body
of the essay.

Essay writing requires careful planning on the part of the writer. Firstly the subject or topic for the essay
should be selected very wisely so that the writer may be able to collect a good number of ideas about it
and he is in a position to discuss them in a suitable way. Secondly, he must be able to express himself or
herself through suitable words and well constructed sentences. In other words, he must have a good
command of the language.

Basic elements/ Structure

1. Introduction
An introduction presents to the reader, in a general way, the subject to be treated in the essay, usually
opening with a sentence or two that will grab the reader’s attention. In your introduction you tell the
reader what is going to happen in the rest of the paper. You do this by funneling the reader through
general opening remarks to the essential last sentence: a clear statement of the opinion you will support
(thesis statement, including limits and specifics of the subject) with a brief statement of your
organizational strategy (enumeration of subject segments). And remember, interesting, arresting
introductions are very important. This is where you can really capture a reader’s attention–or lose it.

2. Body
The body is where you support the opinion stated in the thesis statement. An essay usually has one body
paragraph for each major division of the topic to be treated (i.e., subject segment). Each body paragraph
contains a topic sentence and several supporting sentences with adequate detail and development. (You
will have three such paragraphs in the five-paragraph essay that we are delineating here). You
might think of a body paragraph as a mini-essay. It has an introduction (topic sentence), a body
(supporting sentences, which in turn may have their own supporting sentences), and a conclusion (a
sentence drawing the paragraph to a close, wrapping it up, and completing it).

3. Conclusion
The conclusion completes the essay by tying everything together into a coherent unity– functioning, with
the introduction, much the same as a picture frame to set the bounds of the picture and establish its
coherent completeness. Some strategies for doing this are these: restatement, chronological wind-up,
illustration, prediction, recommendation of a course of action, and quotation. Your conclusion, then,

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should re-assert the thesis and close the essay. In closing the essay, your conclusion might state explicitly
an undeveloped implication or an unnoticed consequence of what you have said about your subject,
thereby leaving your reader with something to think about. For the conclusion is the last thing your reader
sees, and it is often the only part of the essay that creates a lasting impression. So make it count. A good
conclusion can sometimes redeem a mediocre essay. (Note: Your conclusion should not introduce any
new material.)

Appendix
A good title can be an effective means to catch the reader’s eye and pique his interest. A title should
indicate or imply the limits of the subject and the thesis.

Here are adduced some hints for essay writing.

 Try to understand the topic clearly from all angles.

 Concentrate coolly and carefully and jot down all the ideas related to the topic of the essay.
 These ideas must be discussed logically and supplemented by the original ideas of the writer.
 Chalk out a plan, i.e., outline of the essay giving the chief points to be discussed.
 Arrange these points in a separate paragraph which should be complete by itself.
 Discuss each point in a separate paragraph which should be complete by itself.
 The language should be simple, clear, direct and idiomatic.
 After writing the essay it is necessary to go through it carefully and correct all the errors of the
spelling or structure etc.
 As for the length of the essay, it should be proportionately balanced to the need of the topic under
discussion.
 The beginning of the essay should be brief but catchy and interesting
 Don’t use unnecessary words and irrelevant points.
 The body should have good paragraphs discussing the different aspect of the topic.
 Conclusion should sum up the subject in a natural and effective manner

Types of essays:
 Expository
 Descriptive
 Narrative
 Persuasive, etc

Model Essay with Structure and Schematic diagram

Title: Mahatma Gandhi

1. Introduction – a great man of modern times

2. Birth and education
3. struggle in south Africa
4. Return to India- leading the freedom movement
5. Death and character

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 SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A FIVE - PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Opening remarks
Introduction: Title

P .1A great man of modern times

Great saint, statesmen of modern India, Father of the Topic sentence
nation, Mahatma – a true saint, Apostle of Non – Supporting sentence
violence. Concluding sentence
P. 2 Birth and education
Place of birth, year, parents, education, went to
England to study law, his personality
Wise politician who forced British out of India

Body paragraphs:

P 3. Struggle in South Africa.

Practice as barrister, went to South Africa in Topic sentence
connection with a case, very successful, struggled Supporting sentence
against maltreatment of Indians and the black people. Concluding sentence
Satyagraha- succeeded in having his demands granted
by the Britishers.

P 4. Return to India- leading the freedom movement

Non-co-operation movement, Hindu-Muslim unity, Topic sentence
boycott of European articles, jailed number of times, Supporting sentence
India liberated, British compelled to leave. Concluding sentence

Conclusion:

P 5. Death and character

Shot dead in Birla House on 30th January 1948, death Re-assertion
deeply mourned in India and abroad. Great man-
simple person, noble character, veteran leader, Closing Comments
generations will remain indebted to him.

MAHATMA GANDHI

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 MODEL ESSAY: BASED ON SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A FIVE - PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Outline:
a) Introduction – a great man of modern times
b) Birth and education
c) struggle in south Africa
d) Return to India- leading the freedom movement
e) Death and character

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest personalities of the present century. He was a great saint and
statesmen of modern India. He was an apostle of non-voilence. Gandhiji did so much for the people of
India and led them in such a way to achieve freedom from the British slavery that he came to be known as
the father of the Nation. People called him Bapu out of love. He was really a Mahatma – a true saint. At
the same time, he proved to be very wise politician, who forced the British to grant freedom to India.

Mahatma Gandhi’s real name was Mohan Das. He was born in 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat state. His
parents were very rich as his father Karam Chand was high official in the princely state of Rajkot. He
passed his Matriculation Examination, when he was seventeen years old. Mohan Das was very shy by
nature and avoided company. But he was very punctual, truthful and regular. After doing his
matriculation, he went to England for higher studies. There he studied law and became successful.

He came to India and started his practice as a barrister. He had to go to South Africa in connection with a
case. He proved very successful there. But during his stay in South Africa he came to know of the hard lot
of Indians living there. The white people maltreated them. Mahatma Gandhi could not tolerate it. He
started a movement against the maltreatment of Indians and the black people of Africa by the white people
of Europe. He had to face a lot of hardships while facing the British authorities. But he went on with his
Satyagraha and at last won success in having his demands granted by the British.

After his return to India, World War I broke out and the British forced India to join them on their side.
Mahatma Gandhi started a movement against it. The British made several laws to disunite Hindus and
Muslims in India. But Mahatma Gandhi’s image worked a wonder. He preached the use of native things
and the boycott of European articles. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi started the Non – co operation which was
a great success. He was jailed number of times for leading the fight for freedom. But he went on
undaunted and worked for Hindu-Muslim unity and the Independence of India. At last the Britishers were
compelled to leave India.

This great man could not see India of his dreams as death removed him from scene after six months of the
achievement of freedom. He was shot dead in Birla house in Delhi on 30th January, 1948. His death was
deeply mourned in India and abroad. Gandhism is a philosophy now and the people of the world seek
inspiration from it. Gandhiji was a great man of our age he lived simple person with scanty clothes on his
body. Mahatma was a man of noble character, a friend to all, the best guide, a veteran leader and great son
of India. People like him are very rarely born on this earth. Generations will remain indebted to him for
what he did for us.

SRHSS/For reference only Roshan. P