Essay Writing

The well-rounded piece of writing

 The Narrative Essay
O Tells a story or gives an
account of events.
O Consists of a plot,
characters, setting and a
logical progression of
thoughts and actions.
O Usually narrated in the
past tense and from the
first- or third person
narrative point of view.
 The Descriptive Essay
O The purpose of a descriptive essay is to
describe a person, place, or thing in
such vivid detail that the reader can
easily form a precise mental picture of
what is being written about.
O The author may accomplish this by
using imaginative language,
interesting comparisons, and
images that appeal to the senses.
O Relies on detail, descriptive powers,
imager and creativity.
O Use your senses: sight, smell, hearing
and touch.
O Use appropriate adjective, adverbs and
figures of speech. (emotive language)
Example:
O I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that average,

ordinary people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be
tossed through the air like vegetables in a food processor. It amazes me that at
some time in history someone thought that people would enjoy this, and that
person invented what must have been the first of these terrifying machines. For
me, it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride that keeps
me coming back for more.
O My first experience with a carnival ride was a Ferris wheel at a local fair. Looking at that

looming monstrosity spinning the life out of its sardine-caged occupants, I was
dumbstruck. It was huge, smoky, noisy and not a little intimidating. Ever since that initial
impression became fossilized in my imagination many years ago, these rides have
reminded me of mythical beasts, amazing dinosaurs carrying off their screaming
passengers like sacrificial virgins. Even the droning sound of their engines brings to mind
the great roar of a fire-breathing dragon with smoke spewing from its exhaust-pipe
nostrils.
O The first ride on one of these fantastic beasts gave me an instant rush of

adrenaline. As the death-defying ride started, a lump in my throat pulsed

like a dislodged heart ready to walk the plank. As the ride gained speed, the
resistance to gravity built up against my body until I was unable to move. An
almost imperceptible pause as the wheel reached the top of its climb
allowed my body to relax in a brief state of normalcy. Then there was an
assault of stomach-turning weightlessness as the machine continued its
rotation and I descended back toward the earth. A cymbal-like crash
vibrated through the air as the wheel reached bottom, and much to my
surprise I began to rise again.
O Each new rotation gave me more confidence in the churning machine. Every

ascent left me elated that I had survived the previous death-defying fall. When
another nerve-wracking climb failed to follow the last exhilarating descent and the
ride was over, I knew I was hooked. Physically and emotionally drained, I
followed my fellow passengers down the clanging metal steps to reach the safety
of my former footing. I had been spared, but only to have the opportunity to ride
again.
O My fascination with these fantastic flights is deeply engrained in my soul. A trip on

the wonderful Ferris wheel never fails to thrill me. Although I am becoming older
and have less time, or less inclination, to play, the child-like thrill I have on a
Ferris wheel continues with each and every ride.
The Argumentative Essay
O Also known as persuasive
writing.
O You have a belief, point of
view, or an opinion and it is
your objective to influence
or persuade your audience or
readers to agree with you.
O Take a stand and support
your opinion.
O Argument must be structured
logically!!!
O Always in the present tense.
 Structure: Introduction
O Introductory sentence or topic sentence, e.g.
According to expert economists, young people
are becoming increasingly indebted.
O Thesis statement or affirmative sentence. E.g.
Pocket money teaches independence.
O Structural sentence, e.g. In the following essay
I will explore this statement by looking at
argument 1, argument 2 and argument 3.
O Important!!! This is one paragraph
 Structure: Body
O The body of your argumentative essay must
follow the structure you created in the
introductory paragraph, e.g.
O Paragraph 2: Argument 1- elaborate
O Paragraph 3: Argument 2- elaborate
O Paragraph 4: Argument 3- elaborate
O Paragraph 5: Provide a counter-argument
and refute.
 Structure: Conclusion
O Very important!!!! Your conclusion must
mirror your introduction, e.g. Clearly young
people need to be well versed in financial
matters from an early age.
O Usually written in the past tense, e.g. In this
essay I have explored
 Important:
O Use facts, quotes, statistics and evidence to
support your argument and make it more
believable!
O Do not use emotive language or personal
pronouns.
O Tone must be formal and academic at all
times.
O Use transition words such as secondly,
consequently, however…
 The Discursive Essay
O This is an analysis of a
subject.
O Written debate indicated
both sides of the argument.
O Provides a challenging
vehicle for expressing
oneself in an interesting and
informative manner.
O E.g. Formal examinations
are necessary.
 The Reflective Essay
O Personal writing that reflects
reality and deals with emotion.
O Memories or reflections of past
events, therefore will be
written in the past tense.
O Usually in the first person.
O Personal experience, should
convey sincerity.
O Evaluate the experience. What
does it mean? How did it make
me feel?
 Paragraphing for essays:
O All essays must have paragraphs which aid in
coherence and the logical structuring of your
thoughts.
O Every new idea is a new paragraph!! Keep similar
ideas in the same paragraph.
O Every paragraph has a topic sentence which
contains the main focus or idea. The rest of the
paragraph expands on this idea.
O The last sentence conclude or summarises the
idea/theme.
 Introduction:
O Introduces the theme
or topic and sets the
scene.
O Should be short,
gripping and inviting.
O Creates the tone of
what will follow.
 Body:
O Introduction is followed by several paragraphs
which explore the topic.
O Each paragraph of the body usually deals with
a different aspect of the topic.
O Use linking words such as similarly, besides,
however and also to make the meaning clear
and ensure the paragraph flows
coherently/logically.
 Conclusion:
O Concludes the argument. Ties up all the loose
ends.
O Expresses your feelings about the topic. The
reader should sense finality.
O Use words such as conclusively, finally, therefore,
evidently and consequently.
O If possible the last sentence should be strong and
should linger in the mind of the reader.
O ‘By the end of the afternoon, the embers had died
down and I had learnt a bitter lesson.’
 Important:
O Write what you Know about or O Direct speech should be
have experience with. used with discrimination.
O Write in full sentences O Include sensory detail.
O Vary paragraph and sentence O Take note of time allocation
lengths. during exam.
O Vary sentence construction. E.g.
simple/complex/compound
O Ensure concord is correct.
Subject verb arrangement.
O Decide on a suitable tense and
stick to it!!!!!
 Avoid the following:
O Repetition of words at O Cliché’s
the start of sentences. O Redundancy and
O Repetitive sentence Tautology
structure. O Verbosity
O Overuse of adjectives O Bombastic and
and adverbs. unnecessary big
O Overused words. words
O Slang. O Ambiguity
O numerals