Essay Writing Format and Examples For Class 9
Introduction to Essay Writing
What is an Essay?
An essay is a piece of writing that revolves around a particular theme and contains the academic opinions of the person writing it.
An essay can perform one or more of the following functions:
- Analyses and critically evaluates a topic
- Presents the writer‘s argument for or against an idea
- Describes something
- Narrates a story
- Persuades the reader
Characteristics of a Good Essay:
- Brevity: Express what you want concisely. Do not beat around the bush.
- Coherence: Every sentence and paragraph should flow smoothly and logically from the previous one. A clumsily written essay reflects not only the lack of preparation but also the absence of clarity of thought.
- Unity: The essay should never stray from its main purpose. Different points of view can be introduced, but they should all be used for the same subject.
- Lucidity: The essay should be easy to read and understand. Using tough words or difficult phrases may impress a few but can confuse many others. Great writers are praised not only for their beautiful ideas but also for the simplicity of their language.
Objective of Essay Writing:
- Think critically: Critical thinking involves understanding the task at hand and evaluating it appropriately.
- Structure the ideas logically: The essay has to be structured and coherent. The ideas have to neatly flow from one paragraph to the other.
- Express views eloquently: The student should be fluent in the language he or she is writing in. Ideas when presented shoddily may not make the right impact.
Parts of an Essay:
Introduction: It constitutes the opening paragraph of the essay.
Body (Supporting Paragraphs): They constitute the supporting sentences and ideas.
Conclusion: It constitutes the ending paragraph(s) of the essay.
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Types of Essays:
1. Narrative Essay: A narrative essay tells the reader a story or narrates an incident. This type of composition is addressed in detail in the chapter Introduction to Story Writing‘.
Example of narrative essay:
The Funniest Boy He was the funniest boy I had ever met. He would make every one laugh till they toppled over their chairs and fell. His smartness was equally famed. There was no one in the school who did not know Dean Peters. He was just like me. We played football, topped the Math class, participated in Science exhibitions and acted in the annual plays. We were both all-rounders and best friends. However, there was one more side to us which no one knew about. We were not really as good as all thought us to be. We had a little secret. We loved to play pranks on others. It was like a science for us. We planned, we experimented and finally we implemented. We were so good at what we did that no one ever suspected us of the action. The entire school was left baffled every time we pulled off a prank as the prankster would never be caught. On one such occasion, all the teachers found their attendance registers missing. All the children cheered with joy when the news reached them. Some of them even ran off home as they knew that they could not be marked absent without the registers. The entire school was searched but to no avail. This trick worked well till our very own friend Jay told the teachers that he heard us speaking about the registers. We were caught and asked to confess. We finally accepted our mischief and apologised for the same. We were forgiven but not before completing the punishment of scrubbing all the trophies in the entire school. Our mischief was pardoned taking into consideration our academic performance. That is when we realised that being smart did not give us the right to play pranks on others and that every action had a consequence. We surely improved our mistakes, but our qualities remain intact. We are still the most famous pair in the school and take part in every activity as before |
2. Descriptive Essay: A descriptive essay simply describes something to the reader
Example of descriptive essay
My Native Place My parents hail from a small village in Kerala which is nestled among mountains in a scenic district of the state. Ever year, I visit my native place with my family. It is a trip that I look forward to all year. My father books the ticket two months in advance as it is difficult to procure reservations on a short notice. Although I have lived in the city all my life, I feel that I never belonged to it. I have always felt at home in the quaint mountain village that is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city life. It takes us 18 hours by train to reach the railway station that is closest to my village. The journey is usually gruelling in the summers but very pleasant in the winters and in the monsoons. We plan our trip in the summer months since we get a two-month vacation in April. In order to beat the heat, we travel by the air-conditioned coaches every year. We board the train at noon and we reach our destination at 6 am the next day. The morning air is heavy with the scent of flowers and wet foliage. The temple bells start ringing at 6:30 am and the sound of bhajans fills the air. The village is only a 20-minute rickshaw ride away from the station. When we enter my grandmother‘s house, we are welcomed by her diminutive figure holding a lamp. According to her, it is auspicious to welcome loved ones by lighting the lamp at the altar of God. The moment we set foot into the house, we are filled with a sense of nostalgia and love. After a sumptuous yet simple breakfast, we relax with our family in the courtyard. The cool mountain air is laden with scents of the rustic countryside. From afar, we hear the sounds of birds. My sister and I make paper boats and run to the little babbling brook that flows southwards. We set the boats on the water and watch them bob up and down. Far away from the world of video games and television, we seek fun in a world of simplicity. The house itself has a personality. Simple, two-storeyed, made of stone walls and a thatched roof, the house is an old friend who warmly embraces you every time you meet. The rooms are small but well maintained. On the ground floor is a room that my grandmother uses for storing condiments and grains. It is illuminated with a single light bulb and an old-fashioned lock-and-key style door. In its corner is a small bed. The calming silence of the room soothes my ears and transports me into a magical place. I feel weightless. The smell of the spices envelops me. On many occasions, I have spent hours sprawled on that bed reading a book or listening to music. If I ever have to pick a favourite place, then I have no doubt this would be it. When twilight descends on the little hamlet, large clusters of stars start appearing in the sky. Such a sight is never seen in the city as the lights obscure the stars that appear in the sky. My grandmother lights the lamp again and we all gather around her to say our evening prayers. After enjoying her simple, rustic yet delicious meal, we retire for the night. Sometimes when I am upset, I think of my quaint little house in the village, my grandmother‘s warm embrace and the small room that smells of spices. They immediately help me put my worries away and bring a smile to my face. |
3. Expository Essay: An expository essay explains an instruction, a process or a method. The purpose of such essays is to orient the reader with the knowledge the writer wishes to share
Example of expository essay:
The Process of Digestion Your digestive system is one of the most wondrous processes in your body. It is uniquely designed to convert your food into nutrients which are needed for your body‘s functioning. If not for the process of digestion, the human body would be deprived of nutrients and may slowly degenerate. Let us learn how it works. The food which you eat is broken down partially in the mouth. Your saliva aids in the process by making it pliable and breaking down the starch. Your teeth grind the food into a fine paste-like consistency. From the mouth, the food travels through the pharynx to the esophagus. The esophagus is a muscular tube which connects the pharynx to the stomach. The food reaches the stomach by means of systematic contractions called peristalsis. These contractions facilitate the movement of the food. Your stomach is the next destination of the food. It is a pouch-like organ which processes food. Here, the food is completely broken down. Powerful muscles of the stomach along with strong gastric juices blend the food into a paste-like consistency. From the stomach, the paste-like mixture moves further down into the small intestine. It has three parts—duodenum, jejunum and ileum. It is coiled inside the abdominal cavity and can be about 20 feet in length. In the small intestine, the process of breaking down food is continued. Your pancreas and liver supply enzymes and bile, respectively. Bile helps in the digestion of fat and eliminates the waste products in the blood. Through peristalsis, the food is moved and mixed with the digestive juices. Duodenum breaks down the food, while the jejunum and ileum absorb all the nutrients and release them into the blood stream. Your colon is a 5-6-foot-long tube which connects the caecum to the rectum. It absorbs all the water in the stools and releases the debris and bacteria into the rectum. The residue is passed into the anus, from where it is eliminated as faeces. In the complicated procedure, all the digestive organs work in unison each fulfilling its duty with precision. Even if one of these procedures fails, your body may stop functioning properly. Such is the beauty of digestion. |
4. Argumentative Essay: An argumentative essay tests the student‘s ability to convince the reader about the topic given in the prompt. The writer has to defend his or her position by giving evidence to the reader.
Examples of Argumentative essay
Co-education Should Be Stopped
For Co-education is the new trend of the age. However, parents need to understand that selecting a school for their child is an essential responsibility which should not be overshadowed by their attempt of creating an image of themselves. It is observed that in co-ed schools, there is often a power struggle between boys and girls. This is harmful for the mental health of the students receiving negative feedback as it crushes their self-esteem. Also, research states that in co-ed schools, boys are always treated will less care and attention. Right from their childhood, they are expected to be tougher, stronger and better than the girls. This is a disadvantage for both. The girls are not challenged enough which makes them repressed and dependent, while the boys are challenged to such an extent that their childhood is lost. In contrast to this, same-sex schools are advantageous at various levels. Especially in countries like India, where there is a need for sex education, it becomes easier to educate children without making them embarrassed when all of them are of the same sex. Finally, I would like to say that like a flower a child grows and blooms best between the surrounding of its own kind. It is our duty to ensure that our children feel this sense of security and freedom at school. Thus, I believe that same-sex schools are better than co-ed schools. | Against Co-education is a system of educating boys and girls together. It is economical and generates a spirit of comradeship between boys and girls. Same-sex schools, on the other hand, are expensive and increase gender. Student diversity suffers at same-sex schools. It may be easier for students to participate actively and do well academically at a single sex institution. However, the world outside is not single sex. Therefore, when students step out of a same-sex school, it may prove difficult for them to adjust to a co-ed work atmosphere after they graduate. On the other hand, students from co-ed schools are comfortable talking to people of the opposite sex and are not intimidated by their presence. Same-sex schools may promote gender bias in a country like India. In a co-education system, there is no discrimination between boys and girls. Co-education is a boon to a country where there is a shortage of well-trained teachers. The same staff can teach both boys and girls at the same time in the same class. Establishing more co-educational institutes can help in spreading literacy even with the limited teaching staff and infrastructure. In conclusion, co-education is better than single sex education. It is economical and generates a spirit of comradeship among students. |
5. Reflective Essays: A reflective essay is a mirror of the writer‘s psyche. In a reflective essay, the writer analyses his or her own mind and writes by drawing on his or her personal experiences. It expresses how the experiences have changed the writer or made him or her grow.
Example of reflective essay
How Education Enriched Me The importance of education for men and women cannot be understated. It plays a crucial role in the personal development of an individual and enriches the socio-economical fabric of society. Today, education is necessary for success, and each individual is pitched against the other in a bid to outperform one another. Education is something that can give the person the necessary edge over the others. It is definitely an instrument of social progress. Education does not merely end at sending children to school. It is a fire that has to be stoked repeatedly. I was born to intelligent parents who understood the importance of imparting education to children. They not only sent me to a very good school, they also whetted my interest in a variety of subjects by buying books and educational toys for me. Games such as Scrabble, Taboo, math puzzles and the Rubik’s Cube stimulated my brain cells and strengthened my intellectual faculties. My childhood was spent in reading books of all kinds. Exposure to classical works of literature enriched my knowledge of language. Thanks to my extensive reading, I also possess a very vibrant vocabulary. Encyclopaedias on subjects like science and geography made me aware of the basic scientific principles and cultures of people all around the world. History made me realise how human follies can change the course of our progress. Historical figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King made me understand that social change can be brought about without the need to shed blood. Math introduced me into the mesmerising world of numbers. It challenged my mind and made it sharper. Physics, Chemistry and Biology helped me understand the laws governing the physical world around me. It made me appreciate the universe more. I often ponder how the world as we know it came into being. Though I am left without answers most of the times, I feel fortunate enough to have a mind that can question its own existence. I am able to weigh my actions morally and assess the repercussions of my words thanks to my education. Without the benison of education, my life would have been no better than that of an animal. Apart from providing us with the knowledge to get by in life, it makes us rise above our primal tendencies. It expands our world view and makes us more civilised. Educated people can become the driving forces in the success of a nation. Education has made me what I am today. I am thankful that I, unlike many of my countrymen, have been fortunate enough to receive it. |
6. Proverb Essays: A proverb essay is one in which a proverb or a saying has to be expanded and explained to the reader.
Example of proverb essay
Keep your Friends Close and your Enemies Closer The proverb in its literal sense may seem counterintuitive. Why in the world would anybody want to keep their enemies closer than they keep their friends? The answer to this can be sought in the figurative implications of the proverb. The quote ‗Keep your friends close and your enemies closer‘ is sometimes attributed to Nicolo Machiavelli, Sun Tzu and even to Don Corleone, the protagonist of the novel The Godfather. In the heart of the proverb lies the message that one can learn more from enemies than one does from friends. There are many reasons why this proverb holds water. First, you can learn a lot from someone whom you despise. The best wisdom does not necessarily come from being with friends. A friend is someone who is agreeable and who does not become an obstacle or a threat to your ambitions. Chances are that you and your friend share a similar world view. He or she is an extension of your own self. An enemy, on the contrary, is someone who you don‘t trust and who is aiming for the same things as you are. They are your polar opposites. Their ideas, beliefs and world view may be in stark contrast with your own. By observing them, you can get a fresh perspective on a situation which you may not receive from your friends. To outwit your enemies, you should pay close attention to their moves. This can help you stay ahead of them all the time. Keeping them at close quarters helps you in determining their motives. This helps you in anticipating all their moves. Your enemy may have a lot of weaknesses which he does not like to bring to the fore. On the outside, he may seem like a formidable foe, but on the inside, he may be hiding some flaws which he does not wish to show the world. Knowing your enemy‘s weakness is the biggest instrument in anybody‘s arsenal. Sometimes, unexpectedly, you may find that your enemy may not be the ‗scheming‘ and evil‘ villain you have imagined him to be. You may be surprised to find that he shares some of your values as well. An enemy may cease to be an enemy and you may learn to empathise with him/her. Hence, in order to be successful, you should be able to exploit your friendships and gain wisdom by observing your enemies. |
