We have uploaded many ongoing international and local essay competitions within the past few days on our page. It is now time for us to provide some tips on how to write an award winning essay. One vital point every essayist should have at the back of his mind, is that perseverance is the hallmark of participating in essay writing contests. If you are the type that gives up easily, after series of unsuccessful outings, then it is advisable that you desist from participating in essay contests. You might write series of well couched essays, without emerging successful and what is required is for you to continue giving it a trial until you hit the jackpot. Mind you, it is a ‘contest’ and many people, usually in their hundreds, do participate in any given essay contest, as a result of which many goods essays normally do not make it. Notwithstanding some of the disappointments usually encountered in the course of participating in essay writing contests, it is necessary to state that such activity is educating, as it exposes one to areas of life, where he had no knowledge of prior to taking part in such contests. The examiner of an essay competition looks out for a catchy heading. The heading of an essay should not be too verbose, but should be couched in such a manner that every reader will be interested in probing further into the content of the work. The first sentence in the first paragraph of an essay, to a great extent, determines whether you will be successful or not. The sentence should contain what is referred to as a ‘hook’. A hook is an introductory sentence that ‘hooks’ the attention of a reader. It can be in form of questions, a statement of fact, or a quotation made by a different person. The underlying word should be that the first sentence in an essay should be able to catch the attention of the reader, thereby compelling him to probe further into what the writer has to offer. Likewise, the last sentence of the first paragraph of an essay is as vital as the first sentence of the first paragraph. The last sentence contains what is referred to as thesis. A thesis is the summarised form of the argument the writer wants to sell across. In other words, the marker of an essay looks out for the case which the writer seeks to canvass support for, by looking at the thesis statement. The thesis should be an arguable sentence. In other words, it should be a sentence which another person ordinarily should not agree with. For instance, one can say that although corruption seems to flourish in developing economies due to the inability of those in power to live an incorruptible lifestyle, actually, corruption thrives because most members of the society accepts it as a way of life. In this scenario, it will now be left for the writer to adduce evidence to substantiate the position he has taken. A different author might argue that corruption thrives in developing economies because the masses affected by corruption lacks the economic wherewithal needed to checkmate the excesses of their oppressors. In developing the thesis which an author has chosen to work on, each paragraph should have a topical sentence. A topical sentence is a statement that shows what is to be discussed in the given paragraph, for the purpose of proving the thesis. In such a scenario, the writer has to import evidence from authoritative sources to justify the stance he has taken and the source of such authorities recognised in the form of citation, except in cases where the organizers of an essay expressly ruled out the citation of authorities. The examiners of an essay will most likely expect you to bring in your innovative ideas to bear while writing an essay. That is the essence of essay writing. The organizers wish to learn something new from your ideas and the more you provide innovative ideas, different from the conventional ones normally proffered for the given topic, the higher your chance of emerging victorious. Always comply with the instructions that govern the contest. Do not put your name on the body of an essay, except the examiners require you to do so, which is usually rare. Likewise, if you are asked not to exceed a given word limit, say 1000 words, adding additional word will deny you your place, no matter how wonderful your work might be. A dictionary should be handy in proofreading every essay. Typographical errors can deny one the benefits of all his labour. Likewise poor grammatical construction will also deny one the opportunity of emerging victorious. It is vital to note that there can hardly be a flawless essay, but that does not entail that one should not polish his diction and grammatical constructions the way that it will be pleasant to a dispassionate reader. Avoid use of verbose words as much as possible. Simple and brief sentences should be the watchword. Moreover, one should have it at the back of his mind to make necessary typesetting work, in order not to have his essay discarded into the refuse bin. You have to justify your work and same goes with making use of appropriate font size which is size 12 of Times New Roman, except if the essay requires a particular font size and type. Wishing you the very best as you embark on the journey of essay writing, while hoping that you will have a pleasant story to tell in the soonest possible time.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 08:59:39 +0000
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