Demands in essay paper:
- Language- Simple and easy to understand. Not flowery language.
- Richness in content
- Quotes are important but it is not always necessary in every essay. It depends on the essay topics also.
- Structure- A good structure of essay is already discussed in previous post.
- Balanced opinion- Focus on both pros and cons. But if topic demands objective idea then take stand and substantiate it with examples, facts, anecdotes and quotes etc.
- Your stand should be objective based on logical, rational, supportive arguments and data etc.
- Even while putting progressive ideas don’t go too far. It should be officially acceptable and not exceptional.
- You can use headings (not more than 2-3 headings) to make it easy to read.
- It should be analytical and comprehensive but only as per demand of topic.
- Minimise the spelling and grammar mistakes. It matters more in essay paper.
- If the essay is of 1000 words. Generally-
- Introduction should be of around 150 words and 2-3 paragraphs.
- Body: 700 words.
- You can cover max 4-6 points, you can’t cover everything with good depth.
- Conclusion: 150 words and 2-3 paragraphs.
Different parts of the essay:
- Divide introduction into 3 parts-
- Hook:
- Catches the attention of the reader with amusing, socking, surprising, powerful quote/ facts/anecdotes/example etc.
- It should be limited to 1-3 sentences.
- Thesis- It is the soul of the essay. It gives the blueprint of the essay. It creates the plot for the body part. It can be time consuming.
- All the arguments/dimensions are provided in the thesis but not elaborated. Elaboration is done in body part one by one.
- Find some examples below in this post.
- Lead narration- For smooth transition to body.
- Hook:
- Body: Elaborate the arguments but not too comprehensively. You have limited time and space so you can’t cover everything.
- Conclusion:
- Optimistic
- Give solution of problems as per the topic
- Forward looking
- Sometimes it can be same as thesis but not in same language
Examples for Hooks and Thesis:
Example-1:
Essay Topic: Managing work and home: Is Indian women getting fair deal
How should you proceed?
=> Focus on the keywords of the essay. And write down what these keywords indicate on the rough page.
- Managing work:
- Managing career aspiration,
- competition as work place,
- meeting targets,
- Mobile nature of job,
- Need to outperform to prove her worth.
- Managing home:
- caring her children,
- Meeting the expectations of in laws and husband,
- traditional gender assigned roles,
- social obligations, rituals etc.
- Indian working women: Think about all sectors
- Urban women working in IT, media, BPO, MNC etc.
- Daily labourer
- More free, confident, empowered,
- assertive women
- Unmarried women
- Married women
- women in defence
- etc.
- Fair deal:
- Paid maternity leave,
- equal opportunity as men
- recognition of their work,
- promotion, wage hike etc.
- Creche facility
What is being asked?
Is Indian women while trying to juggle and manage her career opportunity and aspirations along with her domestic responsibilities is supported or compensated adequately or not.
Our answer can be:
Currently they are not supported to an extent which can be called fair because-
- Working women continue to fight gender stereotype and expected to outperform to prove her worth.
- At home, she continues to be expected to perform her traditional role as obedient wife, daughter and caring mother.
- There is no parity in wage rate and she is underpaid.
- discriminated at work, glass ceiling is still prevalent, various kinds of harassment etc.
The above answer will form the basis of your thesis and essay.
So the hook and thesis of this essay can be:
Hook: Among working Millennial mothers, 58% say that being a working mother makes it harder for them to get ahead at work. While it is just 19% for millenial fathers. [According to Pew Research Center survey.]
Thesis: The 21st century women has definitely managed to come out of her home and claim her position in pursuing her career choices and achieving her goals in her professional aspirations but despite her achievement and her skills she continues to face challenges while juggling and managing her career responsibilities with domestic household works. Societal support system are still weak and the patriarchal mindset continues to expect traditional role even a successful career oriented women. Wage disparity still exists and women continue to be underpaid. Glass ceiling may be shrinking for some women but for most it still exists. Women continue to feel the need to outperform to break gender stereotyping and the biases and harassment against working women have not changed because even some of the most advanced sectors has reported the crimes under gender exploitation. So a women continues to be denied the fair deal managing work and home.
Example-2
Essay Topic: The hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray
How should you proceed?
It is an abstract topic. In such statement/proverb type of essay topic you should focus on all the words in the statement. And you need to elaborate and substantiate all these words with many example, anecdotes, quotes and facts etc. Also associate it to the current scenario in India and world.
You can simplify the statement in your own words and start brainstorming on the topic. In simple word we can write the same statement as- Hands that help is better than lips that pray. Now focus on both the sub-parts. You can note down the meaning implied by each of these sub-parts.
- Hands that help = Empowering others, performing duties, supporting someone. serving someone, healing somebody, charity, empowering women and other marginalized groups, teaching new skills to the youth, taking care of old and needy, focus on action.
- Lips that pray = Believe in destiny, religiosity, being optimistic and hopeful, well wishes, prayers before god at religious places.
Understand what is being asked in the essay (or what is expected from the essay): In current example we are being asked that:
Why actively working and supporting those in need and less privileged is a better way of serving and more in interest of the world than merely praying and being religious.
Our answer should be: [This answer is what we are going to write in the essay. The answer is the basis of the thesis also.] Yes, physically supporting people, teaching them new skills, standing by them in the times of need is a better way of being good and is a more humane way to conduct than hoping for divine interventions through prayers and good wishes for god to address our problems because-
- Simply praying is a passive act that doesn’t create solutions for others.
- Most of the problem people face are not the outcome of destiny or fate and not because of the wrath of the god. It’s because of the wrong choices, wrong actions, wrong decisions, own shortcomings, excesses of others. Here persons needs active support to rectify these problems.
- Merely praying is a lazy and selfish act and actually an insincere effort.
- Prayers and faith can help us motivate and keep our morale high but active help with goal oriented attitude is what will help people address their challenges.
So, the hook and thesis for this essay topic can be:
Hook: You can use quote like “Service to man is service to god” Or “God helps those who helps themselves”.
Thesis: Many of us who are more religious will have unwavering faith in god and believe in divine are more likely to prey, to ask for divine intervention to solve the problems of others and address the pain of the needy and those in distress. But no matter how sincere our prayers and how earnest is our call for divine intervention it is physically helping and serving the people who need is a better and more genuine effort. This is so because physical help like donations, teaching skills, helping re-build lives, compassionate support of those in distress a better way to resolve problems. The fault and the reason why people suffer is not an act of destiny but more because of wrongs decisions people take and when people lack support in times of distress. Mere prayer may actually also be insincere because physically supporting others requires genuine commitment which prayers and blessings may not generate. Religiosity and faith can always boosts morale and motivate but in the long-run it is active goal setting and genuine service that can address those who need support and help.
