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Arup Roy, Lecturer in English Language & Literature, Kanchkura University College
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Definition
Essay, in general, refers to your attempt to develop and organize your ideas in response to any particular topic. These ideas are the glue to tie the essay together. This is your task: to use the glue to tie the essay together following a certain structure. Moreover, You have to use the transitional device to make sure that the ideas of your topic are nicely moving throughout the structure.
Structure
Yes, an essay has to follow a certain structure which has a beginning, middle, and end. An essay consists of some paragraphs. But there is no certainty about the number of paragraphs. The number of paragraphs depends on the number of ideas you have. Each idea has to represent one paragraph. So, the length of an essay is not confined to any certain number of paragraphs.
As an essay has three parts--introduction, body, and conclusion--it, in general, tends to have at least three paragraphs: one for introduction, one for the body, and another one for the conclusion. However, in maximum cases, the body part consists of more than one paragraph.
The introduction introduces the main theme of the essay. This main theme is called the thesis. A thesis can consist of one or more than one sentence. The sentences or sentence which introduce/s the thesis is called the thesis statement. Moreover, the introduction also tells about the strategy of the writing. The introduction should be written in such a way so that it can show the whole picture of the essay to the readers. Then, the body part explains or develops, or describes this thesis statement. Each paragraph of the body part should deal with one aspect of the essay. If you include more aspects in a single paragraph, you will violate the unity of the essay. Moreover, you cannot leave a paragraph abruptly: you must use connectors called transitional devices to make a bridge between two paragraphs so that readers can understand what he or she is going to read in the following paragraph. Finally, the conclusion ensures a logical end, reinforcing your thesis.
Characteristics
A good essay has to ensure the following characteristics:
- Unity
- Order
- Brevity
- Style
- The personal touch
Unity indicates the definite purpose or theme of your essay. You have to define the topic or subject matter very clearly and you should provide the details which have relevance to the topic. Surely, you can describe the topic in many ways and from different types of points of view.
Order means our ideas or thoughts must follow a certain outline that perfectly guides the readers to the conclusion. That is why a good writer makes a clear outline or blueprint before he starts writing.
Brevity tells you not to write more when you can express the same idea in a few words because each and every word is counted when you write an essay as a secondary or higher secondary student. The length of your essay should run anywhere from 350 to 450 words.
Style should not be limited to high-flying or pompous language. You must be able to write simply, clearly, and naturally. Naturally, we use all types of sentences, be it simple, complex, or compound; or, be it assertive, interrogative, imperative, optative, or exclamatory. You have to have the capability to use all types of sentences naturally. You should use a simple sentence when you want to grab the readers' attention. A complex sentence will let readers see that something depends on some other thing. A compound sentence will present parallelism which can make a balance. On the other hand, you should use an assertive sentence to avoid any strong emotional blow. An interrogative sentence will make readers curious to think and know more. Through the imperative sentences, you can guide the readers. You can jolt your reader by the usage of exclamatory sentences. Moreover, you should avoid unnecessary clutter which will help you a lot to connect with your audience; avoiding slang and colloquialism will also be the right approach.
The Personal Style refers to the writer's ability to engage his or her feeling or emotion in the writing. It simply adds color to the writing. Without personal opinion the writing will surely be tasteless; it will make the readers bored. Without personal opinion how can a writer reach a certain conclusion? So, as a writer you have to be able to express yourself freely.
Three aspects:
a topic you know the more, organization of your ideas, and your power of expression
So, when you go to write, you must select such a topic you know better. Then, the ideas related to your topic should properly be organized. You have to use sentence connectors and linkers to let your ideas flow properly. Finally, you must show your power of expression by ensuring unity, order, style, brevity, and personal tone.
Classification of Essay
An essay can be broadly classified into five types:
- Descriptive
- Narrative
- Expository
- Reflective
- Imaginative
A descriptive essay describes a person, place, thing, object, event, idea, emotion, or experience. The main objective of a descriptive essay is to describe in detail so that readers can get a holistic view of that particular topic. A descriptive essay may not require any thesis. It just describes any topic either from a subjective or objective perspective.
A narrative essay is generally written from a first-person point of view. It means the author narrates everything through his own mouth. In general, it narrates an opinion in response to any specific event or argument related to any policy taken by the authority. It may also narrate any experiences which lead to some significant realization or conclusion regarding our existence. We should keep in mind that a narrative essay is completely different from a story because a narrative essay does not take place in history. Here, the writer narrates the topic or subject matter from a particular perspective with sufficient details chosen cautiously to explain, support, or beautify the central idea. But the writer writes it in such a manner that it becomes close to telling a story. The narrative essay clearly defines the point it is going to deal with in the opening sentence. It copes up any incident, accident, natural disaster, story (be it real or imaginative), historical legends, adventure.
An expository essay explains a topic and so it is also called an explanatory essay. Its topic of explanation can be literary topics, scientific topics, institutions, industries, occupations, etc. It must have a thesis it explains thoroughly either from the first person or third person point of view.
A reflective essay presents any abstract thought which comes to the writer's mind. This thought can be any quality such as honesty, truthfulness, patriotism, heroism, etc.; this reflective thought can be a habit; the reflective thought can represent any problem, be it domestic, social or political; it can be philosophical to--it can talk whether something is right or wrong, moral or immoral, etc.; it can be religious or theological.
The writer while presenting any habit shows the advantages and disadvantages of a subject with sufficient examples. He tends to take quotes from different sources such as famous stories or fables to strengthen his argument to make it more credible.
While presenting politics, poverty, or social inequality the writer tries to show how these factors can influence or manipulate our livelihood and social structure.
An imaginative essay is driven by the author's imagination. We can say that an imaginative essay is fiction where the writer presents his feelings, wishes, or everything from space travel to fantasy land. He just puts himself or herself in such a situation and logically writes through his imaginary skills. He does not have actual experience of such a situation. But he writes about "If I were a king" and "The autobiography of a snail" etc.
But we should keep in mind that these types of essays are not mutually exclusive. One type of essay may contain traits that belong to another type. For example, in a narrative essay, a writer may have to describe any person or setting. Similarly, all types of essays are more or less reflective because how can you write an essay without attaching your thoughts and opinions.
What we need for Essay Writing:
reading, conversation, and observation
The first thing you need for writing your essay is the necessary material or resources. You will not find it easy to write harmoniously if you lack the necessary information required for your argument. Now, the question is how can you inform yourself regarding your subject matter? You can read books; you can converse with other people who know about the topic you are currently dealing with; you can observe your territory where you live.
Reading simply informs us. Those who read more are informed ones and, therefore, they can provide information easily. When we read, we unconsciously store lots of information and interesting fact. When we go to write, these facts or information help us a lot. Therefore, we can say that a good writer reads a lot. But you should be aware of the fact that the information you are using is true and exact.
Conversation with others is another source of information. Therefore, you must be able to talk to others. By talking to others you not only receive a lot of information but also feedback and direction required for your writing.
Observation is considered to be our best teacher. Surely, we learn a great deal from our surroundings. Haven't we acquired our first language by observing and imitating the people around us? If we pay attention to the happenings around us, we can learn a great deal. Therefore, we must be curious to know what is happening around us. You must expose yourself to such an environment where lots of learning takes place. It would be better if you can note down the important matters or facts that you come across now and then. It will surely help you a lot to upgrade yourself; it will sure make you a knowledgeable one with time.
Some steps need to be taken before writing
Define your subject first
The first thing you need to ensure before you start writing your essay is your knowledge and understanding of the subject you are going to write. In your writing, your first task is to define your subject clearly. Keep in mind that all subjects cannot be defined easily. Though some subjects can be defined easily, some subjects may need adequate research. You cannot provide any irrelevant information. So, if you feel that you lack knowledge or understanding about the subject, you can do some research regarding your subject.
Search materials
After defining your topic clearly, your next task is to collect materials. It means after becoming confident about the subject you are going to write about, you should go for collecting materials. Collecting data will boost your essay and, of course, it will make the essay interesting and credible too. So, one should not start writing if you do not have prior knowledge and thought about the subject. You can google your topic; you can go to your college library; you can talk to your teachers and classmate. When you do so, it means that you are working seriously.
Jotting down ideas
When you start thinking about your subject, lots of ideas, facts, and images will come to your mind now and then. Brilliant ideas about your topic may come even at any time when you are not focusing on your topic. But you must record these ideas so that you do not forget them and use them when you will go to write.
Select the relevant materials
Not all the ideas and facts you have collected can be necessary for your essay. It is time to select the necessary materials and ideas for your essay. You need such facts and ideas which are suitable for your essay to elaborate. Here, you have to make sure that you are not selecting any irrelevant information for your essay. Elaborating your topic with irrelevant facts and information will ruin your essay by damaging the flow of your essay.
Make an outline and organize your selected materials
After selecting the necessary materials, it is time to organize them logically. Make an outline that has to include an introduction where you will introduce your thesis and necessary ideas to be discussed in the body part. Then think about how you want to conclude your essay. You have to ensure the fact that your ideas are flowing smoothly. You have to write in such a manner so that one idea can lead to another one. Here, you can use necessary sentence connectors which will help you a lot to organize your ideas logically between the lines and paragraphs.
Necessary Advice
You are advised to explain any idea you drop into your essay. Otherwise, it will create complicated questions you may not cope with properly.
Review
- Defining your subject
- Researching
- Jotting down ideas
- Selecting necessary materials
- Making outline and organizing thoughts
Start writing
An essay must have at least three paragraphs though you can write the essay in less than three paragraphs. But an essay written in less than three paragraphs would look awkward. Keep in mind that, in general, the body part consists of more than one paragraph. A good essay tends to have at least five paragraphs.
The paragraphs of your essay must have different lengths. You should keep in mind that one paragraph must deal with one single idea. In general, a paragraph starts with a sentence that introduces this idea. This sentence is called a topic sentence. It is the main idea of the paragraph. It is one of the two important sentences of a paragraph. Another one is the concluding one which summarizes what you have written in the paragraph.
Introduction
The introduction of your essay should be very brief. Its main purpose is to hold the readers' attention. It clearly states what your essay will discuss. At the beginning of the introduction, your essay should present the problem with some background information. Afterward, the essay has to reveal your position what we call a thesis statement. A thesis statement is your response or answer to the problem you introduced. Finally, your essay has to present the main supporting points.
Body
Body part, in general, consists of more than one paragraph. It is the longest part of your essay. Here, you elaborate on the supporting points of your essay. Each point has to be discussed in a separate paragraph. For example, if your essay has three points, you must make three paragraphs for three points. Pain should be taken to select words and phrases that are relevant to the main idea and avoid using irrelevant words.
The tone is a very important matter you have to ensure. If your subject is very serious, you have to ensure a serious tone; if the subject is an informal one, you establish an informal or funny tone. So, the tone must echo the subject.
You must use links' or connectors to connect the ideas between what you have said and what you will say. Connectors can properly direct the readers forward. Connects simply help the ideas flow smoothly.
Conclusion
The function of a conclusion is the opposite of an introduction. It just wraps up the essay. A poor conclusion can destroy the whole flow of the essay. So, you need to know how to terminate your essay. The conclusion is your final effort to impress your readers. Here, you can follow a certain structure for your conclusion. Do not say "finally" or "lastly". We use them for finishing the last part of each paragraph in the body part. You can use some phrases such as "To summarize", "To conclude", "In conclusion", "To sum up", "Thus" to start your introduction. These phrases will tell your readers that they will read the concluding part. Then add the relevant words or phrases or quotations which are relevant to the topic to conclude the essay. Here, you can paraphrase your thesis statement and review your main points to remind your readers why you have written this essay. It is a chance to reinforce the answer that you have written in your thesis. Try to keep it as short as possible. Scholars say that it is enough to draw your conclusion in two to three sentences.
