THE TOPPERS’ ACADEMY KANHDKOT

Let’s Learn Essay

Writing
Comprehensive Notes on” Essay Writing”, Structure and Its Types

By : Prof. Abdul Rahman Malik

“The word essay derives from the French infinitive essayer, 'to try' or 'to attempt'. The
first author to describe his works as essays was the Frenchman Michel de Montaigne
(1533-1592)”
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

Contents
What is an Essay? .......................................................................................................................................... 3

THE ESSAY AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL: ...................................................................................................... 3

Types of Essays ............................................................................................................................................ 3

1. Descriptive Essays: Painting a Picture........................................................................................... 3

2.Narrative Essays: Telling a Story ........................................................................................................ 4

3.Compare and Contrast Essays:........................................................................................................... 4

4.Persuasive Essay: Convince the Reader.............................................................................................. 5

5. Argumentative Essays: Discuss & Distinguish ................................................................................... 5

6. Expository Essays: Just Facts ............................................................................................................. 5

Essay Structure :............................................................................................................................................ 6

Outline of Essay :........................................................................................................................................... 9

Outline for an Essay............................................................................................................................... 9

I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 9

II. Body ................................................................................................................................................. 9

III. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 10

2
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

What is an Essay?
Definition:

“The word essay derives from the French infinitive essayer, 'to try' or 'to
attempt'. The first author to describe his works as essays was the Frenchman Michel de
Montaigne (1533-1592).”

An essay is a piece of writing, usually from an author's personal point of view.

Essays are non-fictional but often subjective; while expository, they can also include
narrative. Essays can be literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments,
observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author.

"Like the novel, the essay is a literary device for saying almost everything about
almost anything. By tradition, almost by definition, the essay is a short piece, and it is
therefore impossible to give all things full play within the limits of a single essay.

THE ESSAY AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL:

In recent times, essays have become a major part of a formal education.
Secondary students are taught structured essay formats to improve their writing skills,
and essays are often used by universities in selecting applicants (see admissions essay). In
both secondary and tertiary education, essays are used to judge the mastery and
comprehension of material. Students are asked to explain, comment on, or assess a topic
of study in the form of an essay.

Academic essays are usually more formal than literary ones. They may still allow
the presentation of the writer's own views, but this is done in a logical and factual
manner, with the use of the first person often discouraged.

Types of Essays
1. Descriptive Essays: Painting a Picture
A cousin of the narrative essay, a descriptive essay paints a picture with words. A
writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance.
However, this type of essay is not description for description’s sake. The descriptive
essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. In a descriptive
essay, the writer should show, not tell, through the use of colorful words and sensory
details. The best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with a result that is
highly evocative.
3
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

The aim of descriptive essays is to provide a vivid picture of a person, location,

object, event, or debate. It will offer details that will enable the reader to imagine the item
described.

Examples :
1. What Makes a Film Great?
2. Wonders of the Ancient World
3. Types of Motion

2.Narrative Essays: Telling a Story

In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. While
telling a story may sound easy to do, the narrative essay challenges students to think and
write about themselves. When writing a narrative essay, writers should try to involve the
reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact that narrative essays are usually
written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give readers a feeling of
being part of the story. A well-crafted narrative essay will also build towards drawing a
conclusion or making a personal statement.

The aim of a narrative essay is to describe a course of events from a subjective

vantage point, and may be written in first-person present or first person past tense.
Though not always chronological, narrative essays do follow the development of a person
through a series of experiences and reflections. The focus of the essay is often to more
clearly identify the point of view of the narrator, and to express common features of
subjectivity.

Examples :
1. Near Death Experience
2. Climbing a Mountain
3. The Most Memorable Experience in My Life

3.Compare and Contrast Essays:

The aim of a compare and contrast essay is to develop the relationship between two
or more things. Generally, the goal is to show that superficial differences or similarities
are inadequate, and that closer examination reveals their unobvious, yet significant,
relations or differences.

Examples :
1. Differences Between Good and Bad Bosses

4
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

2. Differences Between Tokyo and Kyoto

3. Creation or Evolution?

4.Persuasive Essay: Convince the Reader

In a persuasive essay, the writer tries to persuade the reader to accept an idea or
agree with an opinion. The writer's purpose is to convince the reader that her or his point
of view is a reasonable one. The persuasive essay should be written in a style that grabs
and holds the reader's attention, and the writer's opinion should be backed up by strong
supporting details.

While like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive
essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation.
The writer must build a case using facts and logic, as well as examples, expert opinion,
and sound reasoning. The writer should present all sides of the argument, but must be
able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain position is correct.

Examples:
1. Why There Must Be Qualification Tests for Voting
2. Beyond Capitalism

5. Argumentative Essays: Discuss & Distinguish

Argumentative essays are most often used to address controversial issues - i.e. serious
issue over which there is some evident disagreement. An argument is a position
combined with its supporting reasons. Argumentative papers thus set out a main claim
and then provide reasons for thinking that the claim is true.

Examples:
1. Preventing violence against women Essay
2. Death Penalty for Children
3. Drug Abuse

6. Expository Essays: Just Facts

In an expository essay, the writer gives an explanation of an idea, theme, or issue to
the audience by giving his personal opinions. This essay is presented through examples,
definitions, comparisons, and contrast. The expository essay is also a genre of essay that
requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and
set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be
accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause
and effect, etc.

5
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

The expository essay is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced

analysis of a topic. In an expository essay, the writer explains or defines a topic, using
facts, statistics, and examples. Expository writing encompasses a wide range of essay
variations, such as the comparison and contrast essay, the cause and effect essay, and the
“how to” or process essay. Because expository essays are based on facts and not personal
feelings, writers don’t reveal their emotions or write in the first person.

Examples:
1. Before the Big Bang
2. Developing Renewable Energy
3. Digital Marketing Trends

Essay Structure :
1. Introduction: It is the General Statement or Brief Summary of The Facts ,figures ,points
,Details and Information regarding the Topic. The Introduction part tells the readers
about the topic .

2. Body: It is the main part of the essay and contain minimum three paragraphs or many
paragraphs depending the type of essay you are writing . It is the longest part of the
essay since you discuss the topic in detail by giving relevant arguments , information
, points and references in multiple paragraphs .

3. Conclusion : This is the final part of The essay which sums up the discussion and ends with end
remark or justification of your essay points discussed in the body section of your essay .some times
you may be asked to find solution or remedy to an issue or give your input in terms of
recommendations for improvement of anything .

THE PARTS OF ESSAY CAN BE DEFINED GRAPHICALLY AS UNDER

6
Let’s Learn Essay Writing

7
Let’s Learn Essay Writing

8
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

Outline of Essay :
Essay outlines provide the skeleton, the bare bones, on which you can build your
writing. They provide structure so that the ideas and thoughts flow logically and build
towards a strong conclusion. Without an outline, an essay runs the risk of going off in
different directions.

When a topic has been chosen, ideas have been generated through brainstorming
and free writing, and a working thesis has been created, the last step a writer can perform
in the prewriting stage is creating an outline.

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. Essentially, an outline helps prevent a writer from getting stuck when
performing the actual writing of the essay. An outline provides a map of where to go with
the essay. It is the planning for an essay from start to finish .

It will also develop the logical framework of the Essay to lead statement from starting of
essay to finishing it by giving the points in logical order . In other words we can say that
it will develop the ideas based building plan for you and giving you the opportunity to
add any point in support of your arguments or discussion.

Outline for an Essay

Most analytical, interpretive, or persuasive essays tend to follow the same basic pattern. This page
should help you formulate effective outlines for most of the essays that you will write.

I. Introduction
1. Sentence to get the attention of your readers:
2. One-sentence thesis statement:

II. Body
1. First main idea:
a. Supporting evidence for the first idea:
b. Supporting evidence for the first idea:
c. Supporting evidence for the first idea:

2. Second main idea:

a. Supporting evidence for second main idea:

b. Supporting evidence for second main idea:
c. Supporting evidence for second main idea:
3. Third main idea:

9
 Let’s Learn Essay Writing

a. Supporting evidence for third main idea:

b. Supporting evidence for third main idea:
c. Supporting evidence for third main idea:

III. Conclusion
1. Restatement of your thesis:
2. Insightful sentence to end your essay:

10