“It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” -- Friedrich Neitzsche
Essay writing is among those areas in UPSC IAS Exam that can be your savior and improve your marks significantly if worked efficiently. However lack of practice and rudimentary approach may also reduce your marks and jeopardize your chances of selection in Civil services exam. A well-developed approach and rigorous practice can significantly enhance your score in essay paper in UPSC mains Exam. But before delving into the techniques to write a perfect essay it is very important to understand what is an essay and what are its different organs?
Let's have a look on Vikram Grewal's Copy
A good essay should have three distinct parts-
A good essay should be close to its subject or theme throughout the write up.
For Example:
How to write a good Essay can be viewed sequentially, as if going through ten sequential steps in an essay writing process.
In case of analysis Vikram Grewal shows it perfectly: Here is a look
3.Brainstorming: Your essay will require insight of your own. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Think and think until you come up with original insights to write about.
We must keep in mind that an essay writting in the examination hall is developed on the spot within a given time period, is something different from an essay written leisurely and with mature deliberation for a publication or for a prize competition.
A Candidate writing an essay for Civil Service Examination should keep in mind that he has to satisfy the examiner with regard to 3 things:
Required Steps to create a rough sketch before actual writing :
Selection of topic is the key for scoring in essay writing. Around 15 to 20 minutes can be spent on choosing best topic. we also needs to be sure about the flow of thought, rich facts and figures, history, analytical expression and all to be collectively rated high in the selected topic. It impacts your marks. Out of six topics consider each one independently in-depth your knowledge and presentation skills not in bird-eye-view manner.
Patience and perseverance must be maintained while selecting a topic and make it sure about excellence to present cogently.
Next step is outlining the selected topic by putting ideas in a separate page, in organized form by writing sub topics and important points to be covered in the essay. For this one can make use flow chart model or line chart or tabulation. Grouping of thoughts must in a way to categories the sub headings while writing the detailed essay. We can use 15 to 20 minutes for this task.
Then start with the introduction which can be a dialogue, quotation or anecdotes produces complete idea to the reader about the essay. A dialogue could be simply the pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you are planning to make. An anecdote is stories that illustrate the point. Be sure your anecdote is short, precise and relevant to the topic.
Three problems that candidates face while writing an essay. They are:
About the subject is nothing but knowledge that needs to be looked in different perspective, whether social, economical, political, religious, cultural, literary, national, and environmental. Candidate should think on different questions
Arrangement :
Arrangement of an essay means the contents with a definite structure to be framed. The structure must be exposed indirectly through the flow of writing with interlinking of sub topics and paragraphs explaining the scope meaning, description and discussion.
Illustration and quotations known can be presented lively aptly to increase the richness of the content. It is like the flavor added to the dishes to attract the reader to be perfectly relevant to the topic/ argument. If the Quotations exceed unnecessarily, it will disturb the quality of presentation. Interlinking of thoughts, comparison and contrasting viewpoints can be expressed only with the special reference to the application of thoughts.
Opinions and arguments with strong self explanatory sentences will reflect the candidates’ solid and clear understanding of the subjects.
Now you need to give the powerful and logical conclusion which is the consequence of everything discussed earlier. Conclusion brings the reader closure or summing up of points and also gives final perspective. It should not be rhetoric outburst. It must be balanced and free from prejudice. Mind it, give proper space to the conclusion. Don’t sump in haste.
Do s and Don’ts for that ‘killer’ 3 Hrs:
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Verifying, please be patient.