Essay The word essay is defined in "the concise Oxford Dictionary" as "a literary composition (usually prose and short) on any subject."
It is a written composition giving expression to one's own personal ideas or opinions on some topic; but the term usually covers also any written composition, whether it expresses personal opinions, or gives information on any given subject, or details of a narrative or description.
An Essay must be a unity, treating in an orderly manner of one subject; it should be concisely written and not too long, and the style should be simple, direct and clear; and it should show personal touch of the writer.
Every Essay has a beginning, a middle and an end. An essay should have 5 paragraphs.
Each paragraph in the body of the essay contains the following sentences:
Topic sentence: tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about.
Detail sentence: Your paragraph can have many detail sentences. They tell the reader a little more about your topic. Each detail sentence must include an EXAMPLE.
Concluding sentence: This sentence wraps up what you have already told the readers and gets them ready for the next paragraph.
Conclusion proves that the theme announced at the beginning of the essay is fully disclosed. Necessarilly express your own opinion.
Before you consider the essay written revise everything. It means you make changes to the content of the paper so the evey word, sentence, and paragrapf makes sense to the reader.
You check for:
Clarity : Is the essay clearly and logically written?
Unity: Do all the paragraphs relate to the central idea?
Coherence: Do the ideas flow smoothly?
Proofreading focuses on recognizing and correcting errors on punctuation, grammar, spelling and capitalization.
One of the essay types is the argumentative one. This is a formal impersonal piece of writing, in which you are expected to consider a topic from opposing points of view and give a balanced consideration or your opinion. Personal expressions, such as I believe or I think should only be used in the final paragraph where you can give your opinion.
Points to remember:
- Decide on the points for and against the topic before starting your composition.
- Never write an argument for or against a topic without supporting it with justification.
e.g. One disadvantage of driving a car is that it creates pollution. This is evident from the poor air quality found in cities where there is a lot of pollution.
- Do not use short forms or strong pesonal expressions.
- Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence which summarises what the paragraph is about.
e.g. There are many advantages to owning a car. To begin with, it allows you to ... However, owning a car has a number of disadvantages as well. Firstly, you need to ... etc
- The use of linking words is absolutely necessary when writting an argumentative composition.
To introduce points:
Firstly/ To begin with/ In the first place/One point in favour of/ against is/ One advantage of... is/ One disadvantage of ... is, etc
To add more points:
Secondly/ What is more/ Furthermore/ A further advantage of... is, etc
To make contrasting points:
However/ On the other hand/ Although/ In spite of, etc
To conclude:
To sum up,/ In conclusion/ On balance/ All things considered, etc
First and Last Paragraph Techniques:
In the first paragraph, you can state the topic by:
- making reference to an unusual scene or situation. e.g. The sight of a huge lion dosing in the corner of a cage with no interest in its surroundings...
- addressing the reader directly. e.g. Have you ever wondered whether animals in captivity are happy?
- starting with a rethorical question which states the topic. e.g. Are there really more advantages than disadvantages to keeping animals in zoos?
In the last paragraph, you can give a balanced consideration or your opinion by:
- summarising the topic under question. e.g. To sum up, keeping animals in captivity can be cruel and unnatural, but it is also necessary.
- ending with a rethorical question. e. g. Would it be better to watch various species gradually becoming extinct?
- giving the reader something to consider. e.g. If it weren't for zoos, many people would never have the chance to see a live wild animal.
🖋🗒You have recently had a class project on animal welfare and vegetarianism. Now your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinions on the following statement.
Some people believe that humans should not eat meat. Do you agree?
