This is me writing my essay at the beach.
So I decided just to show how easy it can be to write an
essay by doing one at the beach. On my phone. Now, to be fair, it is only
"easy" for me now after having written them for years first in high
school and later in university. But some simple rules apply regardless of
whether you are writing an essay of 250 words or 20,000 words.
First, one of the most important thing to remember is that an essay answers a question. If
you dont have a question, just come up with one yourself and then answer it.
For example, if you thought Facebook was a good thing and wanted to write about
it, you would be answering the question, "Do you think Facebook is a good
thing?" So that is the first part of writing an essay: thinking of a
question, and then deciding on your answer.
Second, in terms of structure, you need an introduction, a
body, and a conclusion. Jn the introduction, you answer the question by giving
your answer in a very clear way. Using our previous example, you should have a
sentence somewhere that says, "Facebook is a good thing."
In the body paragraph, you want to talk about why you
answered your question the way you did. You need to give reasons for why you
think your answer is correct one. This is one of the great, but challenging
things about essays: the questions can almost always be answered in different
ways. You could write an equally good essay on why Facebook is bad, for
example. But, as long as you have reasons to back up your answer, you can
answer however you like.
Finally, in the conclusion, you simply say again what your
answer was, and quickly summarize your reasons. Someone asked if an essay was a
summary, and the answer is no, but this part is the closest thing to it. The
only thing is, you are summarizing your own answer!
Now, I will provide a complete example. Let's say I want
to write about how great Mallorca is. I need to answer a question, so I need to
form a question that fits my answer. The question could be, "why do you
love Mallorca? What is it about Mallorca that makes it great? Do you think
people should visit Mallorca?" and there are many other possibilities.
I am going to answer the question, “do I think people
should visit Mallorca?”
After having lived in Mallorca for almost 8 months, I can
confidently say that it is one of my favorite places I have ever visited in my
life. I realize that I have been especially lucky to live here, but when
friends ask me if they should come and visit, my answer is an emphatic yes.
There is so much to love about Mallorca, including the people, the weather, and
everything there is to do here.
My friends here in Mallorca are really very special. They
have been some of the kindest and most helpful people I have ever met. When I
first arrived, my roommate took me out for lunch, showed me all over the city,
and then took me out to meet his friends. One example particularly stands out,
when I asked him where I could get some photos taken. I expected him to just
give me directions (it’s probably what I would have done!), but instead, he
took me out to the street, and actually walked me to the store itself. It was a
small gesture, but I really noticed it. Other friends have helped me get used
to living in Mallorca, making it feel like I have family around, and have also
been super helpful in teaching me Castellano. Seriously, my time here on
Mallorca has been much richer due to the people that I have met.
And let’s talk about the weather! I can’t believe how nice
it is here. When you consider the fact that I went to the beach as early as
January, while at home in Canada they were suffering with temperatures that
were approaching -20, it becomes clear that the weather in Mallorca is much
preferable to that of Canada. When you add to the weather the fact that there
are glorious beaches all over the island, it gets even better. Some people
complain when it gets too hot, but when you can go cool off in the
Mediterranean, it never seems to get old for me. So for me, the weather has
been a big part of my time here on the island.
Finally, there is just so much to see and do here on the
island. I admit that the reason I wanted to come and live on an island was due
to my travels in Greece – I just really loved the island atmosphere (and the
beach!). But this place has the island atmosphere and the things to do that only bigger cities have. There is a great
nightlife here in Palma (and other places), there are so many great little
towns and cities to explore, vineyards to visit, mountains to hike, and beaches
to explore. Not to mention the abundance of water sports that you can do once
you’re at these beaches. Thus,
it’s clear that I’ve never been for want of things to do while living here in
Palma.
When I look back at my time here in Palma, I will have
nothing but happy memories. These are all due to the fabulous people I have
met, the wonderful weather I have enjoyed, and the variety of great experiences
I have had. Clearly, when someone asks me in the future if they ever ought to
visit Mallorca, my answer will be a very enthusiastic yes.
END OF ESSAY
There, that’s the end of my essay. You’ll notice that I
used a new paragraph for every one of my reasons for loving Mallorca: the
people, the weather, and the things to do. I don’t think you will have to do
that, but it can help if you want to organize your ideas more clearly. And you’ll
notice that my conclusion was very short. It doesn’t always have to be, but I
thought I would keep it simple by simply reiterating what my main points were.
So let me know if you have any questions! Good luck on
your essays, and be sure to email me at petesaw@gmail.com if you would like me to
correct it, offer some tips, or just have general questions. Talk soon!
