What is an Essay?

Did you know the word ‘essay Topics’ is derived from the Latin word ‘exagium’, which roughly translates to presenting one’s case? So essays are short pieces of writing representing one’s side of the argument or one’s experiences, stories, etc. Essays are very personalized. So let us learn about types of essays, format, and tips for essay-writing.

The type of essay will depend on what the writer wants to convey to his reader. There are broadly four types of essays. Let us see.

1. Narrative Essays: This is when the writer is narrating an incident or story through the essay. So these are in the first person. The aim when writing narrative essays is to involve the reader in them as if they were right there when it was happening. So make them as vivid and real as possible. One way to make this possible is to follow the principle of ‘show, don’t tell’. So you must involve the reader in the story.
2. Descriptive Essays: Here the writer will describe a place, an object, an event or maybe even a memory. But it is not just plainly describing things. The writer must paint a picture through his words. One clever way to do that is to evoke the senses of the reader. Do not only rely on sight but also involve the other senses of smell, touch, sound, etc. A descriptive essay when done well will make the reader feel the emotions the writer was feeling at the moment.
3. Expository Essays: In such an essay a writer presents a balanced study of a topic. To write such an essay, the writer must have real and extensive knowledge about the subject. There is no scope for the writer’s feelings or emotions in an expository essay. It is completely based on facts, statistics, examples, etc. There are sub-types here like contrast essays, cause and effect essays, etc.
4. Persuasive Essays: Here the purpose of the essay is to get the reader to your side of the argument. A persuasive essay is not just a presentation of facts but an attempt to convince the reader of the writer’s point of view. Both sides of the argument have to be presented in these essays. But the ultimate aim is to persuade the readers that the writer’s argument carries more weight.

Format of an Essay Writing

Now there is no rigid format for an essay. It is a creative process so it should not be confined within boundaries. However, there is a basic structure that is generally followed while writing essays. So let us take a look at the general structure of an essay.

Introduction

This is the first paragraph of your essay. This is where the writer introduces his topic for the very first time. You can give a very brief synopsis of your essay in the introductory paragraph. Some paragraph writing skills can be a help here. Generally, it is not very long, about 4-6 lines.

There is plenty of scopes to get creative in the introduction of essays. This will ensure that you hook the reader, i.e. draw and keep his attention. So to do so you can start with a quote or a proverb. Sometimes you can even start with a definition. Another interesting strategy to engage with your reader is to start with a question.

Body

This is the main crux of your essays. The body is the meat of your essay sandwiched between the introduction and the conclusion. So the most vital and important content of the essay will be here. This need not be confined to one paragraph. It can extend to two or more paragraphs according to the content.

Usually, we have a lot of information to provide in the body. And the mistake writers generally make is to go about it in a haphazard manner which leaves the reader confused. So it is important to organize your thoughts and content. Write the information in a systematic flow so that the reader can comprehend it. So, for example, you were narrating an incident. The best manner to do this would be to go in chronological order.

Conclusion

This is the last paragraph of the essay. Sometimes a conclusion will just mirror the introductory paragraph but make sure the words and syntax are different. A conclusion is also a great place, to sum up, a story or an argument. You can round up your essay by providing some morals or wrapping up a story. Make sure you complete your essays with the conclusion and leave no hanging threads.

Tips for Essay Writing

• Give your essays an interesting and appropriate title. It will help draw the attention of the reader and pique their curiosity
• Keep it between 300-500 words. This is the ideal length, you can take creative license to increase or decrease it
• Keep your language simple and crisp. Unnecessary complicated and difficult words break the flow of the sentence.
• Do not make grammar mistakes, use correct punctuation and spelling. If this is not done it will distract the reader from the content
• Before beginning the essay organize your thought and plot a rough draft. This way you can ensure the story will flow and not be an unorganized mess.

Solved Question for You

Q: What is a thesis statement of essays?

Ans: The thesis statement is a clear, one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the readers’ minds about which side you are on from the beginning of your essay.

Best Essay Topics – List of Top 100+ Essay Writing Topics and Ideas

List of Top 100+ Essay Writing Topics and Ideas

Essay topics in English can be difficult to come up with. While writing essays, many college and high school students face writer’s block and have a hard time thinking about topics and ideas for an essay. In this article, we will list many good essay topics from different categories like argumentative essays, essays on technology, and environment essays for students from 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The following list of essay topics is for all – from kids to college students. We have the largest collection of essays. An essay is nothing but a piece of content that is written from the perception of the writer or author. Essays are similar to a story, pamphlet, thesis, etc. The best thing about Essays is you can use any type of language – formal or informal. It can biography, the autobiography of anyone. Following is a great list of 100 essay topics. We will be adding 400 more soon!

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

1. Mahatma Gandhi
2. APJ Abdul Kalam
3. Jawaharlal Nehru
4. Leadership
5. Swami Vivekananda
6. Mother Teresa
7. Rabindranath Tagore
8. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
9. Subhash Chandra Bose
10. Abraham Lincoln
11. Martin Luther King
12. Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Essays Topics About Yourself

1. My Family
2. My Best Friend
3. My Hobby
4. My Mother
5. My Father
6. My Favourite Teacher
7. My Aim In Life
8. My Favourite Game – Badminton
9. My Favourite Game – Essay
10. My Village
11. My House
12. My Dream
13. My Favourite Book
14. My Ambition
15. How I Spent My Summer Vacation
16. My Pet Dog
17. India of My Dreams
18. My School Life
19. I Love My Family
20. My Favourite Subject
21. My Favourite Game Badminton
22. My Father My Hero
23. My Garden
24. My Self
25. My School Library
26. My Favourite Author
27. My plans for summer vacation
28. My School
29. Friendship
30. Global Warming

Essay Topics on Festivals on Events

1. Diwali
2. Independence Day (15 August)
3. Holi
4. Teachers Day
5. Summer Vacation
6. Christmas
7. Children’s Day
8. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
9. Durga Puja
10. Janmashtami
11. Republic Day