Types of essay purpose

Broadly speaking, formal written communication is classified into four blanket categories according to purpose. Exposition is any writing that seeks to simplify a complex subject, fill gaps of understanding or analyse a problem. Descriptive writing sets out to present the features or characteristics of a person, place, object or even an abstract entity. Narrative writing relates a sequence of events or a step-by-step process that unfolds over time. Persuasion looks to impress on the readers the significance of an issue, change their opinion, or mobilize action. 

An essay must have a single primary purpose. That does not preclude the possibility of drawing on other modes of communication. If your essay thesis is persuasive in purpose—let’s say you want to convince the reader that the solution to the water crisis in Pakistan that you are offering is the most effective solution—you can still make use of explanatory, descriptive and narrative resources. If, however, the use of any of these resources becomes over-blown to the point of blurring the core essay purpose itself, that’s a problem.

How to write faster under examination pressure

In the examination setting where you have to write your essay to a certain word limit (say, 4000 words) and you have to do so against the clock, you will need plenty of writing stamina. That comes with practice.

While thinking and writing are deeply intermeshed activities, research tells us that the mind can focus well on a single activity at a time. That means the mechanics of good handwriting should be automated with practice.

Gradually lengthen your time trial practice sessions to achieve the desirable level of legibility, regularity and consistency of writing style, while your mental focus is 100% on the thinking process for the duration of the actual examination time limit.

When you are writing, your hand, arm and shoulder become a sophisticated orchestra of dozens of bones and muscles. Good writing technique redirects the effort of fingers and the wrist to the forearm and the shoulder. A good posture—back support, feet on the ground and knees at about 90˚ with plenty of leg room—facilitates the efficiency of the writing hand.

Three candidates are better than one!

 Remember the game of darts?

Creating thesis options for yourself is somewhat like the three chances in the game of darts. Hopefully, one of them would hit the bull’s eye! 
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A good essay is pivoted in a centrally significant thesis.

But the road to a solid, defensible essay thesis is not always the quickest path between your thinking mind and the essay introduction in which the thesis resides.

You’ll recall that in the CSS Essay examination there are three types of topic formulations. Where the essay thesis is identified with the given topic itself, you have no option but to build upon that. But in situations where the topic is in phrasal form or is a question, after generating ideas and narrowing the scope of the topic, craft, not one but at least three claim statements. Then compare the three candidates and choose the one you would give the highest score in clarity as well as strength of opinion.