English Writing

How to set about writing an essay?

Before you start writing you should know what you are supposed to write. Read the wording of the given topic or subject carefully. For example consider the topic, ‘Good manners are a waste of time in the modern world. Give your views for or against the statement.’ Here you are not supposed to write on good manners. You are not supposed to write on the advantages of having good manners either. The question is whether you consider good manners significant in the modern world or not. If you think that good manners are important, give your views in favour of the statement. If you think that they aren’t important, put your views against the statement.

Now that you have got a clear idea of the subject, you have to spend some time thinking over it. If the subject is of a narrative or imaginative category, try to visualize the scenes. If the subject is of a reflective or argumentative category, try to think about the subject from various angles – personal, psychological, historical, political, economic, social etc. Try to recollect what your teachers, friends, parents, books or newspapers said about the subject.

Jot down your ideas on a piece of paper so that you don’t forget them when you prepare your essay. At this stage don’t worry about the relevance or utility of your ideas. Just note them down.

Once you have collected enough material for your composition, think over it again and select those points that are relevant and useful in writing the essay. Organize these ideas or points in a logical order.

Divide the points into main heads and sub-heads. Mark out the portions for introduction, body and conclusion.

Once you have prepared the outline, you have to fill it with clear, concise and beautiful language.

Now your essay is ready. But before you submit it, read over again. There may be grammatical or spelling errors which may leave the examiner unsatisfied. Correct them.

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