Essay writing skills
For academic writing purposes we will focus on four types of essay.
The essay is a commonly use form of writing that every student will encounter while in academia. Therefore, it is wise for the student to become better and comfortable with this type of writing early on in his training.
Essays can be a rewarding and challenging type of writing and often assigned either done in class, which need previous planning and practice (and a bit of creativity) on the part of the student, or as homework, which likewise demands a certain amount of preparation. Many poorly crafted essays have been produced on account of a lack of preparation and confidence. However, students can avoid the discomfort often associated with essay writing by understanding some common types.
Before delving into its various types, let’s begin with a basic definition of the essay.
What is an essay?
Though the word essay has come to be understood as a kind of writing in Modern English, its origins provide us with some useful insights. The word comes into English language through the French influence on Middle English; tracing it back further, we discover that the French sort of the word comes from the Latin verb exigence, which suggests “to examine, test, or (literally) to drive out.”
Through the excavation of this ancient word, we are ready to unearth the essence of the tutorial essay: to encourage students to check or examine their ideas concerning a specific topic. Essays are shorter pieces of writing that always require the scholar to hone variety of skills like to close reading, analysis, comparison and contrast, persuasion, conciseness, clarity, and exposition. As is evidenced by this list of attributes, there's much to be gained by the scholar who strives to succeed at essay writing.
The purpose of an essay is to encourage students to develop ideas and ideas in their writing with the direction of little quite their thoughts (it could also be helpful to look at the essay because the converse of a search paper). Therefore, essays are (by nature) concise and need clarity in purpose and direction. This suggests there's no room for the student’s thoughts to wander or stray from his or her purpose; the writing must be deliberate and interesting.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF A GOOD SCHOOL
ESSAY
1. Unity:
An essay must be a unity, developing one theme with a particular purpose. the topic must be clearly defined within the mind and kept in sight throughout. Nothing that's not relevant thereto should be admitted to the essay. At an equivalent time, the topic could also be treated during a sort of ways and from different points of view.
2. Order:
The essay must follow a certain ordered sequence line of thought and come to a definite conclusion. It should not contain haphazard reflections put down anyhow. There should be not only unity of subject but also unity of treatment. Hence the necessity for thinking out a line of thought before write.
3.Brevity:
School essays should not be lengthy. The length should be three hundred words; though, of course, There should be no strict rule as to limit, which will depend a good deal on the nature of the subject. But an essay should be a brief explanation, concisely expressed.
4. Style:
In friendly letters, the style should be conversational easy, natural and familiar; and in writing such letters we may use colloquial terms which should be out of place in a course. But the style of an essay must be more informative and literary. Slang, colloquial terms and free and easy constructions are not step wise in an essay. At the same time it is a mistake to attempt any flights of fine writing.
The language and sentence construction should be common, direct and natural. The secret of writing is good thinking. "If you clearly understand all about your matter, you will never want thoughts, and thoughts instantly become words." This was said by Cobbett, a writer whose style is a model of simplicity and directness.
5. The Personal Touch:
An essay should reveal the personal feelings and thoughts of the writer. It should have his individuality in it. Strictly speaking, as has been already said, an essay is a written composition giving emotions to one's personal ideas or thoughts on a subject; and this personal touch would not be lost, or the essay will be colourless and devoid of individuality. So do not be afraid to go in your essays your own views, and do not be content with repeating the thoughts of others. Let there be a note of sincerity in all that you write.
To sum up an essay should be a unity, treating in an orderly sequence of one subject; it should be concisely written and not too long, and the style should by simple, direct and clear; and it should have an individuality, or show the personal touch of the writer. Three things are necessary in a good essay - suitable subject-matter, proper arrangement, and adequate power of expression. Where all these three are presents, the essay will be a success.
