4, Whatis an Essay? : . An essay is an extended piece of writing that presents and ports 2 thesis or proposition. The word ‘essay’ derives from oF Latin word ‘exagium’, meaning the presentation of a case. wih you write an essay you are making a case for the validity of a particular point of view, analysis, interpretation, or set of facts or procedures 2. Types of Essays Distinguishing between types of essays from examination point of view is simply a matter of determining the writer’s goal. Does the writer want to tell about a personal experience, describe something, explain an issue, or convince the reader to accept a certain viewpoint? The four major types of essays address these purposes: (a) Expository Essay Expository is derived from exposition, which is a noun of ‘expose:’ Expose means to uncover or lay something bare, or to discover something in a way that others know what it is. An expository essay is a genre of writing which tends to explain, illustrate, clarify, or explicate something in a way that it becomes clear for readers. Therefore, it could be an investigation, evaluation, or even argumentation about an idea for clarification. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc. Moreover, it explores many angles of a topic in a neutral way. It is usually written in third person. Examples (i) Globalization has created more problems than solutions. (Comparison). (ii) Global Warming: Causes and consequences. (Cause and effect relationship) (iii) Expanding information technology: a blessing or a curse? (Contrast)EssaY Essentials 23 ur everyday writing. In order to build link between the two paragraphs, indications of the successive paragraph can be given jn the conclusion of preceding paragraph. Example Suppose you are writing body paragraphs on the essa ic “Economic crises of Pakistan’. The first paragraph explain the current account deficit. While summing it up, the indication of upcoming paragraph, related to foreign exchange reserves, will be given to ensure coherence between the two passages. “There is no denying the fact that the current account deficit of Pakistan has inflicted severe economic woes to the country. If necessary steps are not taken, this deficit will deplete the foreign exchange reserves, leading to exacerbation of the economic situation of Pakistan. Along with the current account deficit, the country is facing another serious dilemma of the depletion of foreign ‘exchange reserves..." (&) Conclusion (Specific to General Structure) Following are the ingredients of an effective conclusion: @ Rephrasing thesis statement While starting your conclusion, it is imperative to emphasis the core point of your essay. For that, you need to restate your thesis statement. Make sure you do not write exactly the same words that you have already incorporated in your introductory paragraph. (i) Reviewing supportive paragraphs Ibis all about summing up your whole writing by taking a bird's eye view of all nuts and bolts of the whole essay. In a nut- shell, it concludes thoughts without introducing new ideas. (iii) Cyclic return . It's a final sentence of your essay, providing a sense of closure and connecting readers back to the introduction. It should be based upon general, optimistic, and sometimes idealistic thoughts. 6. Important Tips for Writing Essay (a) Manage your time properly by planning ahead carefully. There will be no time for rewriting and very little for proof reading. in6 SAY Een | (CAN EXISTING ECONOMIC POLICIES OVERCOME, THE ECONOMIC DILEMMAS OF PAKISTAN? The existing economic policies, unfortunately, do have potential to overcome the economic woes of Pakis ; Therefore, it is imperative to devise a robust set of Policies in order to tackle ongoing problems so that the country may Prosper in true letter and spirit. (b) What is an outline? An outline is a short plan of your essay. Here you write down, the main idea of your essay and organize all arguments into Paragraphs to make sure you won't miss anything while writing, @ ~~ Why is outline important in essay writing? An outline allows a writer to categorize the main points, to organize the paragraphs into an order that makes sense, and to make sure that each paragraph/idea can be fully developed, well-developed outline will show whal what the main idea of each body evidence/support that will be offered substantiate the main points, Gi) Important areas to focus while making outline Q Always use formal structure while may; s Give numbers to main headings and sore outlines. roman and alphabetic forms, gs in 2 Do not diversify your outline in m Try to explore maximum two to th manage your time effectively O Maintain a balance in your outline by j . similar number of subhaadings in each main (oor ting O Do not merge two to three subheadings a paragraph due to shortage of time. one One subheading means you must write aj paragraph on it i ultiple dimensions, wee areas in orcter 1, "Teast oneentlals 2 Essay ESS ly scattered, added details to the middle. His ideas were po oie ver, and the story did not flow very well. ‘a personal anecdote you probably had many questions. Just 45 Te he same trap can be a disorganized mess, an essay CaN 10” My, writers oF being om ot order ond confusing specie focus for their thesis statement to prov! + to discuss in the body, “a ie orpanize what they are about bi di Me paragraph, the Feat Hike @ topic sentence summarizes @ STE Ce road jus ins © i me nai ‘an entire essay. It tel tie ies thesis statement ve mare in your e809, while the e ay - the point you want iit is like a signpost that Slgia® fhe supports that Po you should form your thesis Delors you ys ee an essay, but you may find that it needs begin to organize revision as the essay develops. Astrong thesis statement contains the following, qualities; cit ° peer srtement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. As you may recall, the creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow down its parts until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, health care is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of. that topic, such as options for individuals without health care coverage. (ii) Precision A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for 2 coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is option for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact dlaim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers. You must further pinpoint what you are going to discuss regarding these limited ©’ fee's, such as whom they affect and what the cause is. (iii) Ability to be argued A thesis statement must present a relevant and specifi argument. A factual statement often is not considered arguable Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that cH be supported with evidence.4 28 Essay Essentiay (iv) Conclusion The conclusion of the introduction will be similar to the ending of the paragraph. It summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body of the intrody tory paragraph and its controlling idea. (d) Body of Essay A body paragraph is a group of related sentences about a particular topic or idea directly relating to the thesis. Because essays are composed of multiple body paragraphs, writing and organizing good paragraphs is one of the most important aspects of creating a well-organized and developed essay. The term body paragraph refers to any paragraph that follows the introduction and comes before the conclusion. The majority of any essay consists of multiple body paragraphs, and it is in these paragraphs where the main information is presented. The longer an essay is, the more body paragraphs there will be. Because the body paragraphs present the important facts and information from an essay, having well-written body paragraphs is essential in writing a successful essay. All paragraphs in body of essay will be written according to the paragraph structure that has already been mentioned above. (@) What should be the length of body paragraph? A good average length for a paragraph is somewhere between 80-120 or between a third and two-thirds of a double- spaced A4 page. A paragraph that is longer than this suggested length gets harder and harder to follow. A paragraph that is shorter looks scrappy, more like a note than part of a coherent, developing argument. This does not mean that all paragraphs should be exactly the same length but it’s a good rule to follow when you first start writing essays. (ii) Blow to make body paragraphs coherent? The skill of structuring paragraphs and building effective connections between them is one that will allow you to develop and sustain a compelling argument in your written work, By setting out your ideas and evidence with a natur al flow, i make your work much more readable. This foportent technique will help you work towards higher levels of attainment in assignments and help to improve the quality of iy i i-«Essay Essentials 25 (iv) Ability to be demonstrated For any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid. A worthy argument is backed by examples and details. ) Forcefulness A thesis statement that is forceful shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument. The tone is assertive and takes astance that others might oppose. (vi) Confidence In addition to using force in your thesis statement, you must also use confidence in your claim. Phrases such as I feel or I believe actually weaken the readers’ sense of your confidence because these phrases imply that you are the only person who feels the way you do. In other words, your stance has insufficient backing. Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades your readers to have faith in your argument and open their minds to what you have to say. * (vii) Sample thesis statements ARE MODERN WARS NOT HOLY WARS? The ongoing military confrontations are not holy wars, rather they are based on economic outcomes. In order to cope with their grave repercussions, pertinent measures at domestic and global levels are direly needed. CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR PAKISTAN IN CHANGING REGIONAL DYNAMICS Although Pakistan is confronting multiple challenges at the regional level owing to various ongoing developments, yet these dilemmas can be overcome by exploiting multiple Opportunities efficiently.Essay Essentials 22 Conclusion ssa ° fe fil section summarizes the connections een the aph and information discussed in the body of ~*~ eae toh nd ihe ragraph’s controlling idea. wrap VP tarda niet Wuadettion: te fa tines. Don't incorporate way fo! in the conclusion of @ paragraph. (©) Sample paragraph CHALLENGES TO GOOD GOVERNANCE IN PAKISTAN ie the heart ° f Pakistan lies at tl of The governance system 0! a, ' Itipl ehullenges. ‘These challenges are impeding the oni political spheres. Since its country’ jo-economic and aphen in a fabian has been confronting political instability due to periodic military interventions, coupled with nan denacetie norms of political parties. Such factors did not let governance flourish in true letter and spirit. Unfortunately, the situation, at present, is as similar as of the past. The incapacitated state institutions, compounded with existence of corruption depict a grim picture of poor governance mechanism in the country. ‘According to the Human Development Index 2018, Pakistan lies at 148 ranking that shows that the country has miserably failed to deliver quality public service. These compelling evidences reveal pathetic crisis of governance in Pakistan. Therefore, the government and stale institutions concerned must take affirmative actions in order to cope with ongoing dilemmas so that the country may prosper in true letter and spirit. 5. Structure of Essay whiteness np ingredients that one must incorporate (2) Thesis Statement (6) Outline (2) Introduction (4) Body of Essay (e) Conclusion30 (b) () () {e) f) (9) () (i) @ (i) © (m) (a) (0) (p) Os Essay Essentiay, Read the topic very carefully. Extract the meaning scope of it. If it is given in statement form, you " go against the statement. In contrast, if there is question asked in the topic, you will have Options tg mould it in relevant directions. Example (i) New war fronts lie in economic zones. (This is g statement. You cannot negate it.) (ii) Are modern wars not holy wars? (This is a question, You can go against it by taking a stance in your thesis statement that modern wars are holy wars.) The first step after finalizing the topic should be to devise your thesis statement on a rough page. Do not incorporate your thesis statement on the top of the outline unless you are confident that you have made it perfect. The outline should not exceed two Pages. Do not use informal symbols for numbering your headers in the outline. The length of an introductory paragraph should be 10 percent of the whole essay. Avoid the use of slang and colloquial terms and try to develop a graceful, dignified and literary style. Do not use complex vocabulary in your writing either. It does not make any impression on the examiner; rather it backfires most of the times, Use of connectors Strengthens links between Paragraphs. i new idea in your conclusion, in essay is strictly prohibited. Do not draw any map, flowcharts and diagrams i Maina ytoz00 for such things in essay write, Maintain a balance between the lengths of the Jomtien should be symmetrical. Your wi i thenmpotitin ig ms Paper presentation matter alot Always proofread in order to correc} i. 7 and Detineal errors after completi ee ueet Do not use first person in your essay such as; L we, our, US, etc. fA. ffEssay Essentials 27 (Q. Writing an Introduction (General to Specific Structure) Essay introduction is your roadmap for the entire essay. It is a beginning paragraph that sets tone and path for the entire essay you are going to piesent to your reader. A good introduction to essay catches attention and makes your reader engaged right from the very start. Students often ask about what is the purpose of the introduction in an essay. As mentioned before, it is all about engagement and presenting your topic to your reader. Make it brief and clear. Do not use lots of facts and keep the intrigue alive. Ingredients of an introduction: (i) Unfolding the topic (ii) State the thesis (iii) Glimpses /Highlights of the Outline (iv) Conclusion (@) Unfolding the topic It is the first step to start your introduction of an essay. Unfolding, the topic means to open or explore the topic with any general and relevant argument. The introduction can be unfolded by the following ways: Pose a question Describe an incident Describe a process Start with historical perspective Open with a riddle or a joke State an interesting fact * Contrast past and present Contrast image and reality (ii) Stating the thesis Thesis statement, as mentioned earlier, is a central point of an essay. After unfolding the topic, incorporate the most specific Part, the thesis statement, which you have developed in start of your essay. (iii) Glimpses/Highlights of the Outline The next step would be to discuss the highlighted elements of your outline so that the introduction should be seen as an executive summary of your essay. re o@woo000~O