Writing Different Types of Essays-How To Write a Persuasive Essay

The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader to agree with your viewpoint or to accept your recommendation for a course of action. For instance, you might argue that the salaries of professional athletes are too high. Or you might recommend that vending machines be banned from your school cafeteria. A successful persuasive essay will use evidence to support your viewpoint, consider opposing views and present a strong conclusion.

Some people worry that adopting a school uniform policy would be too expensive. However, there are ways to lessen the cost. For example, in Seattle, Washington, local businesses help to pay for uniforms at South Shore Middle School. In Long Beach, California, graduating students donate or sell their old uniforms.

Use evidence to support your viewpoint. Statistics, facts, quotations from experts and examples will help you to build a strong case for your argument. Appeal to the reader's sense of logic by presenting specific and relevant evidence in a well-organized manner.

Consider opposing views. Try to anticipate the concerns and questions that a reader might have about your subject. Responding to these points will give you the chance to explain why your viewpoint or recommendation is the best one.

Present a strong conclusion. All your evidence and explanations should build toward a strong ending in which you summarize your view in a clear and memorable way. The conclusion in a persuasive essay might include a call to action.

TIP: Use a pleasant and reasonable tone in your essay. Sarcasm and name-calling weaken an argument. Logic and fairness will help to keep it strong.

Writing Different Types of Essays-How To Write a Narrative Essays

The first important thing to remember about a narrative essay is that it tells a story. The author may write about

an experience or event from his or her pasta recent or an ongoing experience or eventsomething that happened to somebody else, such as a parent or a grandparent

The second important thing about a narrative essay is that the story should have a point. In the final paragraph, the author should come to an important conclusion about the experience that has just been described.

The sample essay begins with a general statement, "Learning something new can be a scary experience." This statement introduces the subject of the essay, which is a particular learning experience that the author had. The use of "I" in the essay indicates that what is being described is a personal experience. 
The essay is essentially a story about something that happened. The author gives sufficient details about the people, place, and events so that the reader gets a clear idea of how the author feels about them. In the essay, the author "stood timidly" and the teacher "smiled" and was "patient." These words indicate the author's fears and the sense of security provided by the teacher who helped the author get over her fear. 
In the final paragraph of the essay, the author reflects on the larger meaning or importance of the experience described. The author concludes that learning to swim has helped her to feel more confident about herself in other new situations. The idea that self-confidence comes from conquering your fears is something that all people can relate to. This is the point of the story. 
The essay is well-organized. After the introduction, the author describes the experience as it happened in time -- going to the pool the first day, having the first lesson, and the result of the subsequent lessons. The author might have chosen, however, to talk about the things she learned in order of their importance or difficulty. 
The writing in an essay should be lively and interesting. Try to engage the reader's interest by adding details or personal observations. Sharing personal thoughts and details invites the reader into author's world and makes the story more personal and more interesting.

Writing Different Types of Essays-How To Write a Descriptive Essays

The purpose of a descriptive essay is to describe a person, place, or thing in such vivid detail that the reader can easily form a precise mental picture of what is being written about. The author may accomplish this by using imaginative language, interesting comparisons, and images that appeal to the senses.

The subject of the sample essay is fairly ordinary ride on a Ferris wheel. The author makes it interesting, however, by comparing the Ferris wheel to a monstrous creature. 
The author makes good use of fresh and varied vocabulary. For example, in the first paragraph alone, she uses verbs that create excitement like "fascinate," "amaze," and "terrify." In the second paragraph she uses a variety of terms to describe the machine such as "monstrosity," "mythical beast," "amazing dinosaur," "fire-breathing dragon."
The author uses her senses to describe the scene - how the ride looks, sounds, smells, and feels. The ride is "huge, smoky, noisy" and its engines "drone" like the roar of a dragon. On the ride, she gets a "rush of adrenaline" and a "lump in her throat," she feels immobile and then weightless. 
The essay is well organized. The introduction begins with a general statement, "I have always been fascinated by carnival rides," and ends with a more specific statement of what the essay will be about, "the thrill and excitement of a carnival ride keeps me coming back for more." The body of the essay is composed of several paragraphs that describe the Ferris wheel, the way it seems from the ground and the way it feels to ride on one. The conclusion restates the main idea of the essay, that the author continues to find carnival rides thrilling and exciting.

Using tables and figures

Many types of writing will include tables or figures to present data or provide illustrations or clarification. It is important, however, that these are presented correctly and appropriately; that they are clear and easy to understand, and that they aid your reader in following your argument.

Figures are graphs, diagrams or illustrations/images. 
Tables are data presented in tabular form.

Basic considerations when using figures and tables

1 Figures and tables are not a replacement for your text. They should supplement your writing, add evidence to make your argument stronger, help your reader to understand complicated ideas or complex figures. Always ask yourself why you are including a particular figure. If it's just to pad your writing out or make it look pretty, then forget it; your figure or table must always serve a purpose.

2 Your figures must be an integral part of your writing; don't just throw one or two in at random. Your text should always refer to the figures or tables that you've included, with explanations and comments on the data or illustrations presented (see examples below).

3 All figures and tables must be given a title and be consecutively numbered, and these would normally be listed separately in your assignment, dissertation or thesis (usually at the beginning). Within your text, Table must always be written out in full, but Figure can be written Fig, Fig. or Figure; never use 'the' before the words,and always use actual numbers. In a longer piece of work, these numbers would correspond to the chapter numbers(Fig 3.5; Table 2.1 etc)

4 If the figure has been taken from one of your sources, you must make a reference to this source. The best way to do this is like you would do with any other acknowledgement; a short reference (surname, year of publication and page number as it's from a specific page) within your text, after the title of the figure/table, and then the full reference at the end as part of your main list of references. You may sometimes see the full reference given with the figure/table.

5 The number and title must always accompany the figure or table in your text. Usually, this is put below a figure (often in italics), and above a table (usually not in italics). Don't worry too much about this, but make sure that you are consistent.

6 Make sure that any data you present in this form is clear and easily understood. If you have to use colour or shading ensure that it does not obscure the text, but it is recommended that you do not use colour. Also make sure that the categories, scales, groups etc that you are presenting are clearly labelled on the appropriate axis of the graph or table column.

Tips to write an Effective Resume

A good job hunter knows that a good resume is the key to an interview invite and ultimately, to employment. Aside from a summary of your abilities, work experience and education, a resume should reveal your unique selling points to entice a potential employer to BUY you. 

The secret to an irresistible resume is to address the specific need of a specific job. A tailored resume has infinitely more impact than a one - size - fits - all. To write such a resume, first organize information under specific headings such as education, work experience, achievements, skills and activities. When everything is on paper, decide on the proper format to play up your outstanding qualities that fit the job's requirements.
Basically resumes are of three typesChronological resumeFunctional ResumeCombination Resume

Know Your Objective.

What job do you want? What are the skills and requirements necessary for this job?Keep them in your mind as you write your resume so that the interviewer reading it will see that you are the person they are looking for.

Compile all your information

List down your personal particulars, education history, extra - curricular activities including positions held, employment history, seminars attended, achievements, etc.Ensure the dates are correct. Leave out hobbies/interests, parent's occupation etc.Sort information under specific headings - Education, Work Experience, Achievements, Skills, Activities.

Start with your Name and Contact details

Write your full name, postal address, house and mobile numbers, email address.Leave out your marital status, sex, race, parent's name and occupation, birth details, etc.

Write your Employment details

Starting with your most recent work, list down all the jobs you have had, company names, dates of employment, position titles.Using bullet points, write the job description, nature of work and responsibilities held for each positionUse key words: responsible for, coordinating, prepared, managed, monitored, presented, accomplished, achieved, analyzed, delegated, etc .Highlight your achievements/job responsibilities.

List Education details

Lead with your highest education level to the lowest, include grades like CGPA.State courses or papers studied, e.g. Psychology, Contract Law, Multimedia.List activities like societies/clubs, position held and accomplishments if they are relevant to the job you are applying to. Otherwise, leave them out.

Include your Skills

List down your computer skills, language skills (and different dialects) including proficiency in reading and writing, and soft skills (public speaking, presentation, etc).

Reference

Not totally essential but if you need to mention references, choose people who know you personally and can give a good impression of you to the potential employer.Remember to give your reference's contact details.Make sure you inform your referees that they may receive calls from your interviewers so that they can prepare. Send them copies of your resume so that they know who you are and what you did.

Miscellaneous

Be short and concise

Resumes are usually read in only 30 seconds or less, so you have to be brief and go straight to the point.Resumes should be a maximum of two pages long. Use Size 12 fonts (Times New Roman or Garamond font) for easy read. Use three pages only if you have extensive professional experience.Use italic or bold fonts only to indicate important information or section breaks.Use a good printer, no stray marks, splotches, uneven or blurred letters.Use high quality A4 paper, white only. Do not use flashy colours like pink or red.

Be honest

Do not inflate your resume. 

Make sure you can back up what you claim.

Do not cheat/lie.

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes

Make sure your resume is free from spelling or grammar mistakes.

Ask someone reliable to check it for you.Do not depend on your word processor's Spell Check function.

Most importantly, proof read until your resume is perfect.

Use Power Verbs

Action words add "oomph" to your writing and enables you to describe clearly.

Tips to improve your writing skills contd...

1. It might sound a bit childish but don’t forget to take notes during classes and do all your homework! People seem to have forgotten to write down what the teacher says and the lack of time results in lack of homework. It is very demanding to study something while at the same time you’re working, but learning a language always requires a lot of effort.

Online graduate programs in education provide a great way to help balance your study and work time, all the while you are enhancing your language skills.

2. Translate! Translating tasks are not very popular nowadays, though can be useful for those you enjoy it.

3. Start correspondence with your foreign friends. Provided this lasts long enough, it has and always will be a useful way of improving your English written language.

4. Search interactive websites that provide online practice and correction! Like Quizlet, UsingEnglish, CardKiwi or Grammar Check.

5. Utilize social media! There are a great number of online platforms where you can share, chat and comment and all that in English! How to Learn English in a new way!

6. Improve your English writing skills by blogging.

Tips to Improve your Writing Skills

1. Keep All of your Writing in One Place

Buy a notebook or journal or start an electronic journal. By keeping your writing all in the same place, you will be able to see how much you are improving and keep it organized.

 

2. Practice Writing in English Daily

The importance of writing daily is that you start to create a new habit. Writing every day in English will soon become natural and something you look forward to. You will not see a significant improvement if you are not dedicated to becoming a better writer in English. You cannot create awesome stories and papers if you never try.

 

3. Pick a Topic and WRITE!

Don’t get stuck on figuring out what to write about. You can write about anything. You can write about what you do, things you hear or see, news, or make up a story. If you do get stuck, use some of English Tonight’s writing prompts to help you get started.

 

4. Write More than One Draft

Draft means a preliminary version of piece of writing. Sometimes, your best writing becomes better after you take a break and work on a second or third draft. When you revise (or rewrite) your work you are often able to get your message across more clearly. You make think of things that you did not think to write in the first draft and you can add it in a later draft.

 

5. Use Online Resources to Correct your Grammar

Yes, grammar is a pain. You don’t need to know everything about English grammar. Use online resources, such as Grammarly, GrammarCheck or GrammarBook.com to help you answer a grammar question when it comes up. You could also switch the spell and grammar check on MS Word, your iPad or Google Doc to check your spelling and grammar in English.

 

6. Think Outside the Box (or Lines)

Don’t write about the same thing every day or you will get bored. Try writing the same story from different perspectives or different tenses. If you are writing a story about a baby that won’t stop crying; first, it could be the mother telling the story; then from the perspective of the baby. Or you could write it in present moment…. ‘My baby hasn’t stopped crying in five days…’ and then write in the perspective of a pregnant woman that is thinking about having a baby that won’t stop crying. Don’t write about topics in the obvious way. Be creative!

 

7. Have a Friend Edit Your Writing

Have a friend that knows English correct or edit your work. Having another person read your work helps generate more ideas to better your writing. You could have them edit everything or just a part that you are stuck on. Often having another set of eyes look at your writing helps find mistakes that you have overlooked.

 

8. Find the Best Place for You to Write

You should try writing in different places or at different times of the day. Maybe you have writer’s block at night; try getting up 15 minutes earlier and writing in the morning. Maybe you have trouble writing where there is a lot of noise; try writing in a quiet and comfortable place. Experiment in finding the right (or write?) environment for you to write.