What is an Essay?

An essay is a piece of writing that revolves around a particular theme and contains the academic opinions of the person writing it.

An essay can perform one or more of the following functions:

• Analyses and critically evaluates a topic
• Presents the writer‟s argument for or against an idea
• Describes something
• Narrates a story
• Persuades the reader

Aldous Huxley described essay as “A literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything”.

Characteristics of a Good Essay

• Brevity: Express your ideas concisely without unnecessary elaboration. Avoid going off on tangents or including irrelevant information.
• Coherence: Ensure that each sentence and paragraph flow logically from the previous one. An essay should be well-structured, and the ideas should connect smoothly, creating a clear and logical progression.
• Unity: Maintain focus on the main purpose of your essay. While you can introduce different perspectives or ideas, they should all relate to the central topic or theme. Avoid straying off-topic.
• Lucidity: Make your essay easy to read and understand. Using overly complex language or obscure phrases may impress a few, but it can confuse many readers. Great writers are celebrated for their ability to convey complex ideas with simplicity and clarity.

Objective of Essay Writing

Essay writing often forms a part of English written exams to test the ability of students to

• Think critically: Critical thinking involves understanding the task at hand and evaluating it appropriately.
• Structure ideas logically: The essay has to be structured and coherent. The ideas have to neatly flow from one paragraph to the other.

Express views eloquently: The student should be fluent in the language he or she is writing in. Ideas when presented shoddily may not make the right impact.

Parts of an Essay

• Introduction: It constitutes the opening paragraph of the essay.
  • It helps the reader get oriented with the topic.
  • It states the purpose of the essay.
  • It captures the interest of the reader.
  • It presents the general idea of the essay.
  • It often ends with the thesis or the main idea of the essay.

• Body (Supporting Paragraphs): They constitute the supporting sentences and ideas.
  • They provide the reader with additional details about the main idea.
  • They support the thesis of the writer.
  • There is no fixed number of supporting paragraphs.
  • Ideally, every supporting paragraph should contain a different idea.

• Conclusion: It constitutes the ending paragraph(s) of the essay.
  • It ties up loose ends of the paragraph
  • It helps in reiterating or highlighting the main idea.
  • It summarises all the arguments.
  • It brings the essay to a logical close.
  • It never ends in a detail.

Example:

Introduction: The proverb is explained and the reader is oriented. The main idea or thesis is stated.	A Stitch in Time Saves Nine Many of us have the bad habit of procrastinating. We leave for tomorrow what we can do today. A small tear on a garment when left ignored can expand and become a gaping hole. Similarly, small tasks that could be completed promptly can add into a big mountain of responsibilities. The proverb thus implies that the correct measure taken at the right time can help avert bigger troubles.
Body: Idea 1 Supports the main idea through an example.	Imagine your exams were due in a month. What would you do? Would you keep procrastinating and leave all the studies for the last week? Or would you immediately start planning your timetable for exam preparations? If you keep procrastinating till the last date, you would be left with a mountain of studies that may become impossible to scale. You may panic and forget everything you have studied. You would be left with no time for revision. Had you started in advance, you may not only have finished your studies but also have had enough time to revise.
Body: Idea 2 Supports the main idea through an example.	Similarly, people also have a habit of neglecting small health issues. It may be that they fear visiting the doctor or they are loath to do so. But these small health issues if treated at the right time can be life saving. Instead, if the issues are neglected, over time they become more serious and life threatening. Diseases like cancer can be treatable if detected at the right time. Ignoring symptoms for a long time can result in dire consequences.
Body: Idea 3 Supports the main idea through an example.	Bad behaviour in adults is more egregious than that in children. Some people grow up to be obnoxious and cruel because they were not corrected when they were young. Irresponsible adults never encourage their children to rectify their behaviour. Such children grow up seeing no wrong in their actions. They become flawed human beings because they weren’t figuratively given a stitch in time.
Conclusion: The main idea or thesis of the essay is reiterated.The essay is brought to a close.	Therefore, the adage, “A stitch in time saves nine” rings true. People suffer when they forget the importance of timely action. Although it may not be advisable to always act in haste, prudent decisions should be taken at the right time to avoid any kind of undesirable consequences.

Types of Essays

Narrative Essay: A narrative essay tells the reader a story or narrates an incident. This type of composition is addressed in detail in the chapter „Introduction to Story Writing‟.

The characteristics of narrative essays are

• They follow a chronological order.
• They may contain firsthand accounts of the narrator.
• They may use first person, second person or third person narrative techniques.
• They may contain dialogues or conversations between characters.
• They use vivid descriptions of scenes, characters and moods in the story.
• They can contain elements of suspense of twists in the conclusion.

Sample 1

Lost and Found

In the summer of 2013, Nakul, Rishab and I went to Misty Valley for our annual summer vacation. There we rented an old colonial style mansion for our stay. The locals tried to dissuade us by saying that unearthly mishaps have been known to happen there in the dead of the night. Nevertheless, we still decided to stay there. The mansion was situated atop a mountain and offered a panoramic view of the entire valley.

We reached there about 10 pm and caught a sight of the mansion drenched in moonlight. We were greeted at the door by a strange looking man who was the housekeeper. He and his assistant unloaded our luggage and took us to our rooms. At dinner, Karamchand, the housekeeper, had a few words for us, “After dinner, kindly retire to your rooms for sleep. I advise you not to loiter around this mansion at night:  it is very risky.”  I was filled with a sense of curiosity about Karamchand’s words.  Rishab said, “Let‟s stop dwelling on what he said and quietly go to sleep.”  But I wasn‟t convinced; I wanted to know the reason for the housekeeper‟s warning. My mind was abuzz with thoughts.

After the two fell asleep, I tiptoed out of my room with a torch in my hand. I saw a huge bookshelf with a big book sticking out. As soon as I tried to push the book back in the floor beneath my feet opened and I went down a slide kicking and screaming. I realised that I was stuck in a labyrinth. Huge rats ran past my feet and I was mortally afraid of being lost here forever. I broke into a sweat when I heard the rattling of chains and the sound of footsteps behind me. I prayed for my dear life and scampered through the endless maze. Awaiting a dreadful fate, I lay hiding behind some old boxes.

In the morning, I was amazed to see the faces of my friends staring back at me. I hugged them in happiness since I thought I would be lost here forever. Nakul said, “Good going champ! We notified the police when we couldn‟t find you. Little did we know that you would help them uncover Karamchand‟s illegal liquor den?” I replied sheepishly, “Yeah, I had a hint. That‟s why I ventured out!”

Descriptive Essay: A descriptive essay is a type of composition that aims to vividly portray something to the reader. The key characteristics of descriptive essays include:

• Appeals to the Senses: Descriptive essays engage one or more of the reader’s five senses – sight, smell, sound, taste, and feel. They use sensory details to create a vivid and immersive experience for the reader.
• Sight: Descriptions that focus on visual imagery, such as colors, shapes, and appearances.
• Smell: Using olfactory descriptions to evoke scents, fragrances, or odors.
• Sound: Incorporating auditory elements like sounds, noises, or rhythms.
• Taste: Describing flavors, tastes, or the sensory experience of eating.
• Feel: Engaging the tactile senses by depicting textures, temperatures, or physical sensations.
• Emotional Connection: Descriptive essays aim to convey the writer’s emotions and feelings about the subject. They intend to replicate these emotions in the reader, creating a sense of connection and understanding. Descriptive essays use rich, detailed language and imagery to provide the reader with a clear and sensory experience, allowing them to visualize, feel, and emotionally connect with the subject.

Sample 2

Visit to a Zoo

One of my fondest childhood memories is visiting the City Zoo with my parents and my siblings. This year, I decided to relive those days by visiting the zoo. The City Zoo is just half-an- hour away from my house, so I decided to take the bus. Earlier that day, I had asked Mahesh my friend to come along and he obliged.

We reached there at 10 am and bought two tickets. A big iron gate opened into a wide garden with a cobblestone path. A deep canal ran alongside the path and we spotted some waterfowl in it enjoying a cool bath on the hot day. After walking for a while, we came across a small pool with lily pads floating on it. A large frog with a whimsical pattern on its body let out a low croak. We were momentarily startled but Mahesh and I had a hearty laugh afterwards.

We reached a large mesh enclosure that housed birds some of whose chattering could be heard at the gates of the zoo. There were various birds with attractive plumes and distinct voices. Mahesh, who is an amateur ornithologist, shared some interesting trivia about pelicans with me. After spending some time admiring the birds, we walked further left towards the large enclosures. Distinct growling sounds emanated from that side, and we immediately knew that we were in the regal presence of the king of the jungle, the majestic lion. The cage reeked of raw flesh and blood. Remains of the king‟s supper were strewn across the floor. The mighty king had been pacing left and right when we saw him. He momentarily looked at our faces and then continued pacing. To his left was the cage of the Bengal tiger who was sprawled across on a lazy bed of hay. Some hyenas were seen conniving like gossip mongers. Across the cages, on the other side of the path was the abode of the gentle giants, the elephants. One was trained to „bless‟ little children by touching the tops of their heads with its trunk. We promptly stood in line to receive our blessings.

We stayed at the zoo for long hours taking home the beautiful memories of the day. I really hope that we could visit the City Zoo again. Next time, I would persuade my family to come along.

Expository Essay: An expository essay is like a guide that explains how something works or how to do something. The writer’s goal is to share information with the reader.

Expository essays have these features:

• They share facts in a clear and organized way.
• They give information and also analyze it.
• Sometimes, they compare and contrast things.
• Other times, they show how one thing can cause another.

Sample 3

How do Volcanoes Erupt?

 Scientifically speaking, a volcano is a rupture on the crust of a planet that becomes a vent for materials such as lava, volcanic ash and gases. Geographic structures such as volcanoes are connected to a magma chamber that is situated in the bowels of the earth. They are generally found where tectonic plates converge or diverge. Volcanoes have always inspired human curiosity since they have the power to destroy civilisations. How do volcanoes erupt? In this essay, we shall learn the detailed procedure of volcanic eruptions.

The temperature within the earth is extremely high. In such high temperatures, rocks are known to melt slowly. The molten rocks constitute a hot, thick liquid known as magma. Since it is lighter than the solid rock around it, magma rises and collects inside the magma chamber. In due course, some of this liquid pushes itself out of the vents and cracks in the earth’s surface. The extreme pressure causes the liquid to exit in spurts. This phenomenon is known as a volcanic eruption.

However, not all eruptions are explosive. Sometimes when the lava is thin, it can flow out of the volcanic vent without any obstructions. Such eruptions seldom kill people because it moves at such a slow pace that people find enough time to escape. But sometimes when the magma is not very runny, it cannot flow out easily from the vent. The buildup of gases under the magma causes tremendous pressure buildup. The gases then burst out of the volcano causing a big eruption. The magma blasts into the air and solidifies into small particles known as tephra.

Tips for Writing an Essay

Preparation

• Read: The more you read, the better you get. Reading essays will give you inspiration to write. It will fill you with knowledge which you can use to enrich your writing.
• Write: Practise writing essays. This will give you the necessary confidence that you require during the exams. Writing also sharpens your thought process preparing you to deal with essay questions with much

Writing

• Think about the idea given in the title or the
  • What type of essay will be appropriate?
  • What could be the main ideas?
  • How to write the introduction, the body and the conclusion?
  • Write all the ideas.
• Structure your essay.
  • Create an outline of your
  • Do not use more than two sentences for introduction and conclusion.
  • Plan your essay before instead of writing
  • Arrange the ideas in a chronological order if you are attempting a narrative essay.
  • Arrange them in the increasing order of importance while attempting a descriptive or an expository essay.
  • Remember to conclude the essay.
• Use a consistent tense form while writing the
  • Express clearly.
  • Be original in your ideas. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box.
  • Use your own memories or your experiences to add to the essay.
  • Recheck for any grammatical errors after having written the paragraph.