Essay Tips

[Argus]

People, DONT ever go for an ordinary run of the mill topic that everyone will be writing on.. i mean, everyone will be attempting them, and the examiner will read the same things over and over again, so it wont get marks.. if u HAVE to attempt such an essay, BE DIFFERENT and original... Else, try to write an essay in which there is scope for writing intelligent stuff, and which not everyone will be attempting.. be ORIGINAL.... try AVOIDING patriotic, or controvertial issues!

Preparationn TIPS:
Go through everything, but remember, present it in a different, educated, intellectual way.. i mean, cite real life examples, give critical evaluations in view of data, and please DONT be rhetorical!!! trust me, the examiners know more than you, and they are NOT looking for static laborious answers. they want dynamic things...

EXAM TIPS:
At ALL times, KEEP YOUR COOL, think through the answers u write... please PLAN your answer before you write, that will help you stay within time limits..

[Argus]

Tips....

ALWAYS write something with which u are comfortable in a debate
Dont choose a topic just cos u think u can write 20 pages of boring stuff in it!!!

if ur able enough, try to opt for something thats a bit different but which u know something about...

THINK and PLAN out ur essay before you write, otherwise it doesNOT read though well.. infact, it should read through like an expert ice-skaters routine (as if ur water flowing through a stream).. no break ups, no ill placed thoughts, it HAS to be coherent and read as if one thought naturally gives birth to another... that is IMPERATIVE.. so i'd suggest rather than just scribble to save time, plan it out, that saves time in the end!

DONT WORRY.. relax.. its all a matter of nerves, and how well you can assimilate stuff u've been studying since u were in the 5th grade!
Its really the depth in your thoughts, how choherent they are, how well you place stuff, how thought flows from thought, and how well it reads through.

[Abdul Salam Khan]

An essay can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same no matter what. You may be writing an essay to argue for a particular point of view or to explain the steps necessary to complete a task.
Either way, your essay will have the same basic format.
If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay almost writes itself. You will be responsible only for supplying ideas, which are the important part of the essay anyway.
Don't let the thought of putting pen to paper daunt you.

May God bless you!

[Amoeba]

HOW TO READ ESSAYS YOU MUST ANALYZE.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////


1. Take a pencil in your hand.

2. Read the essay over once, quickly, looking for the main idea, for what the essay is about in general, and for what the author seems to be saying. Don't get bogged down in details. (If you come to an unfamiliar word, circle it but go on reading).

3. Check the meaning of unfamiliar words. If they seem to be key words, i.e., if the author uses them more than once, scribble a brief definition at the bottom of the page or at the end of the essay.

4. Now re-read more slowly and carefully, this time making a conscious attempt to begin to isolate the single most important generalization the author makes: his thesis. Follow his line of thought; try to get some sense of structure. The thesis determines the structure, so the structure, once you begin to sense it, can lead you to the thesis. What is the main point the author is making: Where is it? Remember, examples or "for instances" are not main points.

The thesis is the generalization the author is attempting to prove valid. Your job, then is to ask yourself, "What is the author trying to prove"?
Another way of identifying the thesis is to ask yourself, "What is the unifying principle of this essay"? or "What idea does everything in this essay talk about"? or "Under what single main statement could all the subdivisions fit"?
If the author has stated his thesis fully and clearly and all in one place, your job is easier. The thesis is apt to be stated somewhere in the last few paragraphs, in which case the preceding paragraphs gradually lead up to it, or else somewhere right after the introduction, in which case the balance of the essay justifies the statement and refers back to it. Sometimes, however, the author never states the entire thesis in so many words; he gives it to you a piece at a time. Never mind. You can put it together later.

5. When you think you have grasped the main point, the whole essay goes to prove, underline it and write thesis in the margin. If you find you have several possible theses, don't panic; they all fit together somehow. One or more will probably turn out to be supporting the thesis rather than part of it.

[Adil Memon]

Thanks you little unicellular creature .

By the way, would you mind passing over that picture of Drew to me?

Regards,
Philosopher King of Plato

[SAZ]

AOA
i tried so hard but could not remember all the quotation stuff and other things
secondly as compare to u guys i even dont have such a expert level in english

but i focused in Islamyat Paper and was able to learn some of the Ayats and Hadees - now as every one knows we can apply islamic stuff (Ayat, hadeet, Events and examples ..)
I think thats the only way that can compete the Size of the Essay required

E-g essay on hardwroking
what would you suggest if i put some ayats hadeets and the events of his companions and some quatoation of the muslim scholor

I know thats will some how look as an islamic Essay But thats seems to me only way to success

Please help
W Salam

[Qurratulain]

Salam every one,
Analytical and critical writing is one of the demands of CSS essay paper, and for a better writing one should have critical thinking skills. For a better understanding of the fact, that what is critical thinking in actual i m simply pasting a peice of writing.

What is Critical Thinking?

No one always acts purely objectively and rationally. We connive for selfish interests. We gossip, boast, exaggerate, and equivocate. It is "only human" to wish to validate our prior knowledge, to vindicate our prior decisions, or to sustain our earlier beliefs. In the process of satisfying our ego, however, we can often deny ourselves intellectual growth and opportunity. We may not always want to apply critical thinking skills, but we should have those skills available to be employed when needed.

Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills. Among the main characteristics are the following: Rationality

We are thinking critically when we

• rely on reason rather than emotion,
• require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads, and
• are concerned more with finding the best explanation than being right analyzing apparent confusion and asking questions.

Self-awareness

We are thinking critically when we

• weigh the influences of motives and bias, and
• recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view.

Honesty

We are thinking critically when we recognize emotional impulses, selfish motives, nefarious purposes, or other modes of self-deception.
Open-mindedness

We are thinking critically when we

• evaluate all reasonable inferences
• consider a variety of possible viewpoints or perspectives,
• remain open to alternative interpretations
• accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data
• accept new priorities in response to a reevaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and
• do not reject unpopular views out of hand.

Discipline

We are thinking critically when we

• are precise, meticulous, comprehensive, and exhaustive
• resist manipulation and irrational appeals, and
• avoid snap judgments.

Judgment

We are thinking critically when we

• recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives
• recognize the extent and weight of evidence

In sum,

• Critical thinkers are by natureskeptical. They approach texts with the same skepticism and suspicion as they approach spoken remarks.
• Critical thinkers areactive, not passive. They ask questions and analyze. They consciously apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding.
• Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world. They areopento new ideas and perspectives. They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence.

Critical thinking enables us to recognize a wide range of subjective analyses of otherwise objective data, and to evaluate how well each analysis might meet our needs. Facts may be facts, but how we interpret them may vary.

By contrast, passive, non-critical thinkers take a simplistic view of the world.

• They see things in black and white, as either-or, rather than recognizing a variety of possible understanding.
• They see questions as yes or no with no subtleties.
• They fail to see linkages and complexities.
• They fail to recognize related elements.

Non-critical thinkers take an egotistical view of the world

• They taketheirfacts as the only relevant ones.
• They taketheir ownperspective as the only sensible one.
• They taketheir goalas the only valid one.

[Khuram]

This is good informative post. Thanks for sharing. Something which I should clear is that demand of essay paper is "Analytical + Comprehensive" and not "Analytical + Critical". Although I really want that this demand should be of "Analytical + Comprehensive + Critical".

Second thing is that in this post, author has described the qualities of critical and non-critical thinking just in the form of simple assertions. Although I agree with these assertions and I accept that these assertions do describe the qualities of critical and non-critical thinking. But author himself has written this post in quite un-critical and non-analytical style. He/she has not analyzed these assertions at all and has described them just in the form of affirmative sentences. "Critical analysis", in the strict sense, is a long chain of logical reasoning, out of which, at the end, the final results are deduced in the form of assertions. Here, author has not performed this "critical" reasoning and despite the fact the assertions are mostly true, there is no supportive evidence for the truth of these assertions, in this piece of writing.

I just have tried to explain the difference between critical and non-critical style by using the example of this post itself. Post, however, is good informative one because it does tell us which is critical and which is not.

Thanks!

[Afeen]

dear Amoeba would u guide me pls that how much word r pages should be 4 a good securing in exam. I willbe thankful 2 u.

[PEERLESS]

I was getting through some essay writting guide lines. Here is an abstract which surely will help everbody.

How to Write an Analytical Essay

1. How to Write an Analytical Essay. Getting Started
Definition:

An analytical essay is helpful when a more full understanding of an examined object is needed.

General Guidelines:

Anything can become an object of your investigation: an event, a piece of art, or a literary work. Whatever it is, preparation for writing is important.
- when an object is chosen, take it apart, and examine each single part of it thoroughly;
- examine your object in its historical context (if it is a painting, how is it connected to its epoch and artistic requirements?);
- discover the message of the object (what did the author want to say in an evaluated book, for example);

Tips on essay writing:

When analyzing, write down all your ideas. Not all of them will appear in your essay writing, but it’s always good to have a choice. Plus, you never know what you can come up with, and it can be something really outstanding.
Don’t hesitate to write something new and unordinary.
It might sound crazy, but try to fall in love with your topic. If you get inspired, your essay writing will be a depiction of your inspiration; therefore, you’ll get a positive feedback.
2. How to Write an Analytical Essay. The Introduction
Definition:

The Introduction gives a brief explanation of your topic to the readers.

General Guidelines:

The main item of the Introduction (and an essay paper as a whole) is a thesis statement; therefore, everything has to be built around it:
- an abstract – key information about the evaluated object;
- your claim, or a thesis statement – an answer to this information, and your reaction on it;
- direction sentences - explain how your thesis will be supported or developed in the body of your essay;
- an introduction has to be at least eight sentences long.

Our tips on essay writing:

Any thesis statement has to give a reply to a topic, and not just restate it.
3. How to Write an Analytical Essay. The Main Body
Definition:

The Body argues the case you have laid out in your Introduction

General Guidelines:

All your evidence and facts have to be stated here. A certain structure of body paragraph is required. It consists of:
- the topic sentence, or the main idea, that tells the reader briefly what the paragraph is about;
- supporting points (from four to five);
- a concluding sentence that ends a discussion on this topic.

Our tips on essay writing:

Go back and see, whether an outline in the introduction matches the coherence of the body paragraphs.
If needed, give an explanation to your supporting facts.
4. How to Write an Analytical Essay. The Conclusion
Definition:

The goal of any conclusion is always the same – summarize and stress the main ideas.

General Guidelines:

- a conclusion has to be at least two sentences long;
- it has to give a sense of completeness;
- it has to leave a reader with a clear picture in mind.