Essay Writing
ICSE Class 8 · English · Chapter 9
What this chapter covers
- What an essay is
- The process approach to writing
- Writing a strong introduction
- Writing a strong conclusion
- Narrative essays
- Descriptive essays
- Argumentative essays: taking and defending a stand
Key points
- An essay develops one main idea about a topic in four or more paragraphs; in Class 8 it should be about 250 to 300 words.
- Each paragraph develops one idea, usually announced by a topic sentence; linkers show how ideas connect.
- The process approach has five stages: planning, writing, revising, editing and rewriting.
- An introduction needs a hook to catch interest and a thesis statement to state the main idea.
- A conclusion brings the ideas together and leaves a final thought; it never introduces a new point.
- A narrative essay tells one story in sequence, with setting, characters, a climax and an ending, usually in the first person and past tense.
- A descriptive essay paints a picture through sensory language, precise words and a clear order of details.
- An argumentative essay takes one clear stand, supports it with reasons rather than sentiment, and answers a counter-argument with a rebuttal.
Questions answered
What is the difference between a narrative essay and a descriptive essay?
A narrative essay tells a story through a sequence of events. A descriptive essay creates a picture of a person, place, object or scene, mainly through sensory details.
Name the five stages of the process approach to writing, in order.
Planning, writing the first draft, revising, editing and rewriting.
How is revising different from editing?
Revising improves the content and organisation, such as moving a paragraph or adding an example. Editing corrects smaller errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation and word choice.
What is a thesis statement, and where does it usually appear?
A thesis statement states the main idea or the writer's position in the essay. It usually appears at the end of the introduction.
Rewrite this opening to include a hook: "This essay is about my school's sports day."
One possible answer: "The whistle blew, eight pairs of feet thundered down the track, and the whole school rose to its feet. Our annual sports day is the one morning when every student, athlete or not, feels part of the same team." Any opening with a question, scene or striking statement, followed by a clear main idea, is acceptable.
Give two mistakes to avoid in a conclusion.
Any two of: bringing in a new point, repeating the introduction word for word, using tired endings such as "The end", apologising or weakening the stand, and making it longer than a body paragraph.
Which of these is a debatable topic suitable for an argumentative essay? (a) The sun rises in the east. (b) Mobile phones should be allowed in school.
(b), because sensible people can hold different views on it. Statement (a) is a fact, so there is nothing to argue.
Change this sentiment into a reason, for the stand "Every school should have a library period": "I love the library period."
One possible answer: "A weekly library period gives every student time to read beyond the textbook, which builds vocabulary and general knowledge that help in every subject."