Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

Paragraph Writing Part-2 (Essay Writing) -(A) Meaning: An essay is a literary composition dealing with a subject from a more or less limited or personal stand point permitting a considerable freedom of style and method. It must be original in thought and expression. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(B) Kinds of Essay: (1) Narrative (2) Descriptive (3) Exposition(4) Argument and Persuasion. (1) Narrative composition: Narrative composition consists of a straight forward account of real of imaginary events. You can relate any kind of story or an actual experience of your own. The facts must be presented in order of time and grouped into paragraphs. Care must be taken to Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

-preserve the unity of impression. (2) Descriptive Composition: Here the aim is to convey to someone an accurate impression of a thing or person. You have to describe a common object, a piece of scenery, a building or a person. It is a record of observed facts and generally impersonal, that is, your own views are excluded. The facts should be grouped into paragraphs. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

Your description should be clear and distinct. First describe a thing as a whole and then proceed to fill in the detail so that it becomes distinct. Too much detail should be avoided as it leads to confusion. Follow a definite plan. For example, if you want to describe a house you must describe it, as a whole first-its shape, colour etc. Then on approaching nearer, you describe the doors and windows, then the inside of the house. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(3) Exposition: Exposition is only another name for explanation. Exposition is more difficult than Narrative or Descriptive composition, because your aim here is to explain something to those who know little or nothing of the subject clearly to other people, for what may appear clear to you may not be clear to them. The method to be followed is to explain the subject and illustrate, giving, if necessary, more than one example to - Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

-make clear one point. Some of the subjects you may be given are: “How to pass an examination”, “How to train for running race”, “The duties of a policeman”. (4) Argument and Persuasion: The aim in this kind of composition is to induce other people to think as we do on the particular topic under discussion. It is not easy to convince others. Tact is required if we have to persuade others that we are right and win them over to our point of view. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

Some of the topics in argument and persuasion would be, “Can we prevent a nuclear war”?, “Is Democracy a failure”?, “Should amusements be taxed’? Often the title of this kind of essay consists of a quotation or a statement e.g. “comfort is the aim of science”, or “A rolling stone gathers no Moss” or “The child is the father of the man”, or “Dowry is a social evil”. When such a quotation or Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

Statement is given, it does not mean that the student must support or agree with the opinion expressed. He must first examine how much truth there is in the saying and discuss the topic, giving his own views on it. (C) Importance of Paragraphs in Essay: Every essay must be divided into paragraphs, and each heading must have at least one paragraph. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

The following principles must be kept in mind when framing a paragraph. (1) Unity: A paragraph must be on one subject only. (2) Variety: It should not be of the same length or monotonous. (3) Logical Sequence of Thought: Your thoughts should be framed logically. (4) Topical sequence: The first and last sentences are the most important ones in a paragraph. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

First sentence states the subject so it is called the topical sentence and the last sentence concludes or sums up effectively what has been said in the paragraph. (D) Structure of an essay: An essay can be divided into three parts : (1) The introduction (2) The body of the essay (3) The conclusion. (1) The introduction: -Introduction is how you begin an essay. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

In a short essay it can be very short, in the form of a sentence or a very short paragraph. - It may consist of a definition or a quotation, proverb or a very brief story related to the subject. - It should be brief and to the point. (2) The Body of the Essay: - The body or the content of your essay must be written in a logical and organized Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

Way. This would let your reader know that you have planned your essay very well and the reader will not be confused about your ideas. - The body paragraph of an essay should begin with a transitional sentence. There should be a link between the introduction and body of an essay. It should actually lead the reader from the introduction to the main body of the paragraph. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

-While writing the body of the essay make sure that it is in proportion. The paragraphs must be properly constructed and linked to one another. - Avoid using unnecessary words and try to keep it simple and to the point. (3) Conclusion: - The conclusion must be to the point and should end your topic with your point of view. Try not to open another topic since- Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

-this is the conclusion of your essay. -It should be linked to the other parts of the essay. Lastly, improve your editing and writing style such as spelling, capitalization and punctuations. In this way, your essay would look nice and presentable. - Another purpose of improving your writing style is that your reader would not misunderstand or perceive the wrong information. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(E) Practical Hints on Essay Writing: (1) Choice of Subject: You are generally given choice of your subjects. Choose the subject you know most about. If you are weak in English, avoid abstract subjects. Narrative and descriptive subjects are easier to deal with. (2) Careful planning and Rough notes: First jot down your ideas just as they occur to you and then arrange them in logical order. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(3) Paragraphs: Divide your composition into suitable paragraphs, devoting a separate paragraphs to each main division of the subject. (4) Effective Beginning and End: The beginning and the end of a composition are very important as a good beginning arouses the reader’s interest and induces him to read on. While a good ending rounds off the whole composition and makes the reader feel satisfied with what he has read. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(5) Keep to the point: Keep to the subject given. Do not ramble and write about something you are not asked to. (6) Aim at writing clear and simple English: Avoid slang, colloquialisms and too many quotations. (7) Be precise: Try to find the right word to express your exact meaning. For this you must widen your vocabulary (list of words) by constant reading of books, news papers and magazines. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(8) Correct grammar and spelling: Pay proper attention to correct grammar and spelling. If these two are faulty, you may convey an entirely different idea from the one you intend. (9) Correct punctuation: Correct punctuation is a great aid to clearness of expression. Follow the rules for the use of the full stop, the comma etc. you will be able to write well. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

(10) Legible Hand: Write in a legible hand. Bad handwriting makes it difficult for an examiner to read your paper. (11) Make a final note: From your rough notes make an outline or skeleton notes, and then proceed to write the final composition. (12) Length: The composition should be of reasonable length. Concentrate on quality rather than quantity. Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh

Prepared By: Dipak. V. Parikh Principal, Vakal Vidyalaya, Bajuwa. Baroda Prepared by:Dipakbhai V. Parikh