ESSAY WRITINGBy Mehwish Ali Khan

THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY Defines “Essay as a composition of

moderate length on any particular subject”

French word “essai” which means “attempt”

SEVEN GENRES OR KINDS Discussion essay(argumentative) or article-looking

at the pros and cons of an issue Explanation essay or article: how things work Instruction essay or article: how to do something Report essay or article: factual information on a

topic Recount essay:a retelling of a personal experience Book review:what the reader thinks about the book Narrative essay or short story

Four features that essays have in common

Overall structure Paragraph structures Cohesive devices languages

OVERALL STRUCTURE

Beginning Middle EndDiscussion orientation argument conclusionExplanation orientation phenomenon explanationInstruction orientation materials instructionReport orientation procedure outcomeRecount orientation events sequelBook review orientation description evaluationNarrative orientation complication resolution

ESSAY A: LIVING IN CANBERRA

I’ve roamed in every continent---- except the Polar ones----and lived in three. By chance, I’ve made my present home in Australia and here among all the localities in all the states and territories I’ve made my present home 9n Canberra

The place may seem dull to outsiders,but it does have its excitements.There is the excitement of frost on a winter’s morning, the view of the hills from my kitchen window, and the splash of colours from a million trees .Who needs the excitement of king’s cross? But Canberra isn’t all sweetness and beauty.

The roads do go round and round a bit much, and the city buildings do go up and up a bit much. somethings even go down: for instance, the population in summer months, when the number of people in Canberra dwindles and, as if by magic, the number in the south coast resorts goes up by the same proportion

All in all, though, this is as good a place to live in as any in the world—and better than most. Anyway, I guess it is. But I won’t know for sure until I’ve paid at least one visit to the south pole.

Essay begins with an orientation scene is set outside Canberra but the

first paragraph is ended in Canberra It is often advisable not to leap straight

into essay topic but to lead into it.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS OF DOING IT With a question Do real people actually live in

Canberra? From the outside: I have roamed in every

continent except the polar ones With a quotation “Canberra is a city without a

soul” Prince Philip Something catchy and provocative With a characteristic instance : I was in the

city at 6:00 pm one evening,and the place was deserted.

With a definition: Canberra is the capital of Australia. It lies inland, between the coastal cities of Melbourne and Sydney.

THE MIDDLE IS AN ARGUMENT OF THE PROS AND CONS

Essential to all discussion essays : an attempt to present more than one side of picture

Essay A second paragraph: advantages of living in Canberra

Third Paragraph: disadvantages of living in Canberra

Another way is to look critically at what others have said on a topic before you.

Often used in scientific writing

The end reaches a conclusion on the balance of the pros and cons argument

PRAGRAPH STRUCTURES Beginning ,Middle and end paragraphs

have different structures Beginning paragraph starts with lead-in

and ends with a thesis sentence The lead in sets the scene for the

discussion The thesis sentence tells the reader

what the essay is all about

A dialectical paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence-that sets the topic for that paragraph

And elaborates sentences to expand the topic sentence ,with details and supporting argumnt

The end paragraph finishes with conclusion that is the first sentence and a lead out in the last.

COHESIVE DEVICES Railway carriages Cohesive can be anaphoric or

cataphoric Anaphor is a cohesive device in which a

reference in a later paragraph refers backward and therefore links it to something in an earlier paragraph

Cataphor in which a reference at the end of an earlier paragraph refers forward and therefore links it to something in later para.

LANGUAGE If your essay isn’t a pleasure to

write,nobody will bother to read it ,unless they have to as an assignment or for work.

are sentences, on average. short? Is the language appropriate for normal

readers? Is the text free of passives? Have you written it in natural voice?

FEATURES OF AN EXPLANATION ESSAY Tells you how things work

FEATURES OF AN INSTRUCTION ESSAY

How to do or make something

FEATURS OF A REPORT ESSAY Factual information

FEATURES OF A RECOUNT ESSAY Writer’s personal experience Can be confessional, inspirational, sad,

funny

FEATURES OF A NARRATIVE ESSAY Story telling facts Built round a plot Overall structure : some features of non

narrative essays do not apply For example : topic sentences The thing that is important here is to

keep the story moving to its climax

Paragraph structures First paragraph has a topic sentence followed

by elaboration, Otherwise story flows from event to event Cohesive devices cataphor and anaphor Language Dialogue descriptions A light tone

KINDS Expository Narrative Persuasive Descriptive

EXPOSITORY ESSAY Involve investigating idea Evaluating

the evidence Through comparison and contrast

Descriptive essay Describes Narrative Essays ,Short stories and

book reports Persuasive essay is also called

argumentative essay .

Persuasive essay will be similar to an expository essay in that you will be exploring a topic and collecting and evaluating evidence. However, unlike an expository essay, you will be taking a stand for or against this topic

 A descriptive essay could describe . . . * a tree in my backyard; * a visit to the children's ward of a

hospital; * a hot fudge sundae;* what an athlete did in order to

make it to the Olympics.

THE DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY  provides details about how something looks, feels,

tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how

something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that

provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader

interested in the plot and theme of the event described.

A DEFINITION ESSAY MAY TRY AND DEFINE . . .

* the meaning of an abstract concept, like love;

* the true meaning and importance of honesty;

* how the meaning of family goes deeper than just your blood relatives.

A DEFINITION ESSAY  attempts to define a specific term. It could try to

pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept.

The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such.

It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.

A COMPARE/CONTRAST ESSAY MAY DISCUSS . . .

* the likenesses and differences between two places, like New York City and Los Angeles;

* the similarities and differences between two religions, like Christianity and Judaism;

* two people, like my brother and myself. The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and

differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept.

It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other.

A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.

CAUSE/EFFECT:

A cause/effect essay may explain . . .• why a volcano erupts, and what happens afterwards;• * what happens after a loved one's death.• The cause/effect essay explains why or how some

event happened, and what resulted from the event. • The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or

it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

The below example shows a cause essay, one that would explain how and why an event happened.

If this cause essay were about a volcanic eruption, it might go something like:"Pressure and heat built up beneath the earth's surface; the effect of this was an enormous volcanic eruption."

The next example shows an effect essay, one that would explain all the effects that happened after a specific event, like a volcanic eruption.

If this effect essay were about a volcanic eruption again, it might go something like:"The eruption caused many terrible things to happen; it destroyed homes, forests, and polluted the atmosphere."

A NARRATIVE ESSAY COULD TELL OF . . .

 * my brother's and my fishing trips;* a boring trip to the grocery store;* my near-death experience at the beach. The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called

a "short story." Generally the narrative essay is conversational in style, and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a mundane daily experience.

A PROCESS ESSAY MAY EXPLAIN . . .  * how to properly re-pot a plant;* how an individual came to appreciate hard

work. A process essay describes how something is

done. It generally explains actions that should be performed in a series.

It can explain in detail how to accomplish a specific task, or it can show how an individual came to a certain personal awareness.

The essay could be in the form of step-by-step instructions, or in story form, with the instructions/explanations subtly given along the way.

AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY MAY PERSUADE A READER THAT . . .

* he or she should use public transportation instead of driving.

* cats are better than dogs. An argumentative essay is one that

attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion.

The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.

A CRITICAL ESSAY MAY ANALYZE . . .  * how Shakespeare presents the

character, Othello, in his play, Othello; * the strengths and weaknesses of the

movie,Children of a Lesser God;* the use of color in Monet's

painting, Sunflowers. A critical essay analyzes the strengths,

weaknesses and methods of someone else's work.

Generally these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work's meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points.

A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

What is the hardest thing you ever had to do and how did it change you? 

"Sports is an important part of any educational program for it develops leadership and independent thinking." Explain whether you agree with this statement based upon your own experience.

Write a biographical sketch of one of your grandparents

Have you recently seen a movie, a play or concert, attended a meeting, or read a book that stimulated some change in the way you think about things? Describe it as a critic, establishing what it was intended to be or do, complimenting what was good, poking fun at what was bad or tasteless or ineffective. Stretch your mind by questioning what you didn't understand.