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Argus Saturday, March 05, 2005 12:36 AM

Essay Syllabus
 
[CENTER][B]Essay [/B](Compulsory)[/CENTER]

[B]Total Marks[/B] 100

[LEFT]Candidates will be required to write one essay in English. [/LEFT]
A wide choice of subjects will be given.

The fields generally are:

1) Literature Related
2) Philosophy
3) International Politics
4) Economics related
5) Social issues
6) Religious issues

Argus Saturday, March 05, 2005 01:13 AM

Essay by CSPs -Recommended
 
1. [b]Intoduction[/b]

The most important part of an essay is introduction. Introduction is one of that part of an essay which makes a difference in ordinary and high profile essay. The introduction should be in proportion to the length of an essay. Neither too short nor too long introduction is preffered. A short intro shows your lack of knowledge and a long intro bores a reader. Intro should be of 1 or at the most of 2 paras of proportional length to your other paras. In CSS if you are writing a 20 page essay the intro should be of one page or just a few lines above or less then one page.
The intro should include the gist of your essay. It should include whatever you want to be in your essay. E.g. If one is writing essay on Economy its problems and remedial measures. Ones intro should include a hint regarding present condition, problems, and steps taken for its recovery. It should be a precie of your whole essay.
The Intro should be in simple but sober words and if some relevant quotation is included at the start will make it more powerful.

2. [b]Motivational Phase[/b]

This is the part of essay which makes the reader to read the complete essay. These are a few lines and an ideal motivational phse should be the last lines of your intro. A new paragraph can also be used for this phase but should be in a complete harmony and continuation with the intro. This phase is a part which motivates the reader to go through the whole of your essay. This phase should produce some thrill and suspence for the reader. This phase is the conclusion of your intro and a start for the main body of essay

3. [b]Body of the essay[/b]

This part of the essay should include all your ideas. It should be the explanation of your intro in which each and every idea is discussed in different paras. The paras should of normal length and in proportion to one another. Some very long and some short paras will destroy the beauty of your essay. One idea should be discuseed in one or at the most in two paras. The ending line of each para should be an introduction to the next para. This will give a chain like and a continuation to your essay. This continuation should not break else will destroy the beauty of your essay. Try to give all your ideas and disscuss all the available points in this part of the essay.

4. [b]Own View point.[/b]

This is also one of the most important parts of an essay and is considered as the conclusion of your body of the essay and an introduction to the conclusion of the essay as a whole. This part should include your own views and ideas. E.g. if you are writing on the topic of economy and you have discussed the current situation, the problems and the steps taken by the government then this part should include what you suggest about the steps taken and the remedial measure.

5. [b]Conclusion of the essay.[/b]

This is the other part of the essay which makes the difference between the normal and high profile essay. It is also the gist of what ever you have written in the essay. It is almost the copy of the intro but the difference is in the expression. The intro is in simple words whereas the conclusion is in poetic, dramatic and heavy words.

(Yahya Akhunzada)

Argus Saturday, March 05, 2005 01:18 AM

Type of Topics in the Essay
 
Dear friends there are following type of topics in the Essay paper

1. Current affairs
2. Social problems (Like Education, poverty, pollution etc)
3. English Literature or religious topic
4. about a saying by a scholor
5. Economy
Out of these education, economy and Current affiars are the most predictable.
People say that literary essays get good marks. I think they are true but there is one problem with these essys. people do not have much material to write with and there are much more chances to fail in Literary essays. The reason is that your ideas may not go with the examiner and also you may have mistaken the topic.
The most easy are current topics. One is quit familier with the topics as are prepared for current affairs paper as well. One has much to write and all the terminologies used for the topic. As they are related to the Newspapers. You have the style if you copy the newspapers or some good Magazine styles.

Similarly one can prepare facts and figures, nomenclature and current sentences in voyage about economy and education.
I suggest that one should prepare essays related to Current affairs, economy and education.

(Yahya Akhunzada)

Argus Saturday, March 05, 2005 01:22 AM

How to prepare for essay
 
It is easy to prepare an essay. When you go through the news paper collect the important editorails in the form of cuttings. make in your mind different topics and collect relevent info regarding those topics.
In your free time think about those topics and make in your mind the intro of these topics, the conclusions, motivational phases and own view points. also think about different points which you can disscuss in the body of the essay. If possible make sketch of the complete essay. This practice will help you in getting grip on essay writting. Once you have your mind tuned to such activities then it will not be difficult for you to write an essay on any topic. You can also practice it on a rough page.

While reading different topics in News papers or magazines collect different paras which can make a good start or ending for the essay.
material For essays...
The material for essay needs a vast study and includes your complete background of your education and life long study but one can get through these materials to prepare the best essay...
1. DAWN Newspaper
2. Strategic Studies Digest Quartely Digest(issued by Strategic studies Centre, Islamabad)
3. national Development and Security Quartely Digest(issued by Friends Association Of Mirza Aslam Baig, rawalpindi)
4. economist Magazine.
5. Contemporary Affairs
From the first three one can collect complete essays and all relevent info required. Similarly one can follow the styles of these magazines. One can collect some good sentences, good words and material for introduction as well as Conclusion.
Besides that one needs some relevent and most appropraite quotations. Which one can collect from these books.
The outline or sketch is given before the essay which gives the complete picture of what you will be discussing in the essay.

[b]Example for the Sketch/outline[/b]
Let the topic is economy of Pakistan
Outline
1. --------- Introduction --------
2. Economy of Pakistan ------ A historic sketch
a. After partition ---- the british indian conspioracy
b. In 50s ------ The political setbacks
c. In 60s ------ The golden era
d. In 70s ------ The dose of nationalisation
d. In 80s ------ The Afghan War and American support
e. In 90s ------ The Dose of sanctions, and habit of loans
f. After 1999 ----- The injection of recovery and the after maths of September the 11th.
3. Economy of Pakistan ----- The problems
a. The Problems ----- Social aspect
b. The Problems ----- Poliotical scenirio
c. The Problems ----- Lack of sound policies investments
d. The Problems ----- Law and order situation
4. Economy of Pakistan ----- Road map to recovery
you can make a sub outline of this topic
5. Economy of Pakistan ---- In the near future
6. Economy of Pakistan ---- Problems with the road map
7. economy of Pakistan ---- What is really needed
Can also make sub outlines of this head
8. ------ Conclusion --------.
I hope this example will help all of you. It is just an example and you people I am sure can make much much better than this.
(Yahya Akhunzada)

Argus Saturday, March 05, 2005 01:24 AM

Headings and Sketch for Essay
 
There is a lot of confusion about giving a sketch and headings in an essay..
my findings are.... giving sketch at the start of an essay is one of the good practice.
I recomend that a sketch before the essay gives your reader the idea of what you have given in the essay. It makes his work easy and the more you make for the examiner his work easy the more you will get marks.

As far as headings are concerned ..they were previously no appreciated and were considered negative. Though the trend has changed and a few headings are not discouraged nowadays. Still you don't know about the one who checks and as it is against the basic rules of essay to give headings so can be a negative point. It is better not to give headings and underline the part of the sentence in your para which should make your reader understand what is about the para. This is enough toi make his work easy.
(Yahya Akhunzada,DMG Officer)

[URL="http://www.cssforum.com.pk/showthread.php?t=324"][B]Length of the essay[/B][/URL] ([B]Miss Mediha,FSP)[/B]
ASA,
Since i took my O'levels, [B]we were trained to think out[/B] and [B]outline our essay[/B] [B]before writing..[/B] i think that is indeed a very healthy way of writing, and it makes the essay [B]coherent, flowing and well connected and very readable.[/B]

Also, another point on the essay that i would like to give out is that please, [B]dont write a 'run of the mill' essay[/B] and go on for pages and pages and pages with empty rhetoric.. that is NOT what is required.

I wrote my essay on[B] 'On tolerance'[/B] and believe me, my essay was [B]philosophical, factual and opinionated[/B] on what i felt. AND, it wasn't for [B]20 pages[/B].. I think it went the length of about [B]15 pages MAX..[/B]
think out the essay well, be careful in chosing a topic and write from the heart (but nothing that makes u sound like a rebel without a cause)

Argus Monday, March 07, 2005 10:30 AM

Essay (ASP AYAZ)
 
Salam to all,
Now I will discuss different sources of knowledge for the preparation of Essay.I want to make it clear that there is no quick-fix for the preparation of CSS in general and Essay in specific.It concerns me that most of the people either get the advice as taken for granted or they get it so burden-some and avoid to take it seriously.I humbly advise all the aspirants to be serious.I ve nothing to do with who qualifies or who does not as I ve no competition with anyone of you.So whatever I am sharing with you is a practical experience.Though the sources I will suggest,may sound difficult to conult with but I am telling you with complete responsibility that whoever wants to be a good,career civil-servant must try to ponder over what I am suggesting.This is a humble advice of your senior brother.
I will suggest the following sources:
ONE, get the following reference books:

[b]a)DICTIONARY OF POLITICS;[/b]
[b]B)DICTIONARY OF ECONOMICS;[/b]
[b]c)DICTIONARY OF SOCIOLOGY.[/b]

Acquaint yourslef with the major terminologies and the perspectives(Schools of thought) of the afore-mentioned disciplines.
[b]TWO[/b], always read current ECONOMIC SURVEY OF PAKISTAN.It contains valuable information regarding the policies of the Government.
[b]THREE[/b],there is another very important document,currently available on the website of Finance Division.That is POVERTY REDUCTION AND GROWTH FACILITY(PRGF)Paper II.This will make your concepts crystal-clear.
[b]FOUR[/b],make it your habit to read the REPORTS prepared by different renowned organizations like WORLD BANK etc.I recommend World Bank,s annual Development Report and [b]Mehboob-ul-Haq Centre[/b],s yearly report on different issues.I can provide it copies to you.
[b]FIVE[/b],a famous source of knowledge for the competitioners--NEWSPAPER.Yes it is a good source if one can consult it properly.
I ve mentioned the sources.There are many other documents,reports and periodicals which can be cited here but we want to be good examinee and not scholars.So try to consult these books and sources of knowledge.
These things may sound difficult but I assure you these are very simple,interesting and easy to comprehend.
In the next postings I will discuss the organization of Essay and how to consult these sources of knowledge.
ayyaz

Hamid Monday, June 27, 2005 08:31 PM

Anatomy of Essay Paper
 
Here i want to share an old post by Adnan Younis,CSP-2004

I have provided this to facilitate people who have yet to see a CSS essay paper.
This will tell them a bit about the nature of the paper.

One is required to write an essay on a single topic. Essay paper is of 100 marks and also it is compulsory. You need to score 40 to pass this paper. Fail in essay means fail in CSS.

[B]Million dollar question:[/B] How could one cross this obstacle named essay paper?

[B]There are many ways to do this. [/B]

[B]In the first place[/B], one should be quite sure of the fact that he/she could write correct English. No body is totally immune to mistakes but one has to try to learn to write correct English.

Work on basic Grammar is helpful. But in my personal opinion, it is much better to practice writing. Remember a maxim, "The more you read, the better you write".
Try to read as much as possible especially newspapers and magazines. Literature would also be helpful but some people are not interested in reading Lit.

[B]Second[/B], one should have fair bit of knowledge on the type of topics that regularly appear in the examination.
If I am asked, I would broadly categorize them in;

1) Literature Related
2) Philosophy
3) International Politics
4) Economics related
5) Social issues
6) Religious Issues

A candidate in my personal opinion should atleast be able to write on three of the categories. Like, I was quite at home in the latter three.

You should also work on specialization.

[B]Third,[/B] how exactly to write essay on the day of paper?
There are debates like of egg and chicken going on in the CSS since eternity and shall continue. Like outline/no outline, large essay/ short essay, even heading/ not heading etc
In my personal opinion, Outline should be preferred on no-outline, no heading on heading and short essay (800 to 2000 words) to large essay (More than 2000 words).

Two plus two makes four so does three plus one. So surely you are going to meet people with different opinion.

One of the finest sources to prepare for CSS in general and essay in particular is Dawn ([URL="http://www.dawn.com)"]www.dawn.com)[/URL].

You are advised to consult other sources as well.
For further on the minute techniques of writing essay for examination, consult A-Levels General Paper book.

Note: This is a piece consisting of my personal opinion. You are free to agree or otherwise with this.

Adnan Younis-Commerce and Trade


03:42 PM (GMT +5)

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