THEME- WOMEN

Women empowerment

5.1@National Politics

• Greater political power alone will not improve women’s plight. -1997
• Women’s reservation bill would usher in empowerment for women in India. -2006
• The new emerging women power: the ground realities. -1995

5.2@World / Quote type

• If women ruled the world -2005
• The hand that rocks the cradle -2005

5.3Empowerment overall

• Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth. -2017
• If development is not engendered, it is endangered. -2016
• Whither women’s emancipation? -2004
• Empowerment alone cannot help our women. -2001
• Women empowerment: challenges and prospects. -1999

5.4Compared to men

• Woman is god’s best creation. -1998
• Men have failed: let women take over. -1993
• Managing work and home – is the Indian working woman getting a fair deal ?-2012
• can-education-and-legislation-address-violence-against-women-and-children-in-india?

‘There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”—Kofi Annan 

You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women”
– Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru

“There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved, It is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing. 

According to the United Nations, women’s empowerment mainly has five components:

• Generating women’s sense of self-worth;
• Women’s right to have and to determine their choices;
• Women’s right to have access to equal opportunities and all kinds of resources;
• Women’s right to have the power to regulate and control their own lives, within and outside the home; and
• Women’s ability to contribute in creating a more just social and economic order.

Thus, women empowerment is nothing but recognition of women’s basic human rights and creating an environment where they are treated as equals to men.

QUOTES ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher

“A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts.” – Nancy Rathburn

“A woman is like a tea bag—you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“I always wanted to be a femme fatale. Even when I was a young girl, I never really wanted to be a girl. I wanted to be a woman.” – Diane von Furstenberg

“I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” – Madonna

“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” – Gloria Steinem

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” – Maya Angelou

“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard…we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” – Malala Yousafzai

“Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G.D. Anderson

“Women are always saying, ‘We can do anything that men can do.’ But Men should be saying, We can do anything that women can do.” – Gloria Steinem

“You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.'” – Erin McKean

“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” – Melinda Gates

“Women, like men, should try to do the impossible, and when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.” – Amerlia Earhart

“When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.” – Bette Davis

“I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say, ‘Yes, women can.'” – Dilma Rousseff

“Women are leaders everywhere you look—from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.” – Nancy Pelosi

“Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.” – Angelina Jolie

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” – Madeleine Albright

“Women are the real architects of society.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

“I’ve never met a woman who is not strong, but sometimes they don’t let it out. Then there’s a tragedy, and then all of a sudden that strength comes. My message is let the strength come out before the tragedy.” – Diane von Furstenberg

“Women have always been the strong ones of the world. The men are always seeking from women a little pillow to put their heads down on. They are always longing for the mother who held them as infants.” – Coco Chanel

“Feminism is for everybody” – bell hooks

“I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century.” – Hillary Clinton

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” – Beyoncé

“I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that’s me.” – Maya Angelou

“Why has the word [feminism] become such an uncomfortable one? It is not the word that is important; it’s the idea and the ambition behind it.” – Emma Watson

“The idea of being a feminist: so many women have come to this idea of it being anti-male and not able to connect with the opposite sex, but what feminism is about is equality and human rights. For me that is just an essential part of my identity.” – Lena Dunham

“You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.” – Indira Ghandi

“If you look at what you have in life,

You’ll always have more.

If you look at what you don’t have in life,

You’ll never have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

“People with clenched fists can not shake hands.” = Indira Gandhi

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” – Ban Ki-moon

“We all fight over what the label ‘feminism’ means but for me it’s about empowerment. It’s not about being more powerful than men – it’s about having equal rights with protection, support, justice. It’s about very basic things. It’s not a badge like a fashion item.” – Annie Lennox

“It turns out that advancing equal opportunity and economic empowerment is both morally right and good economics, because discrimination, poverty and ignorance restrict growth, while investments in education, infrastructure and scientific and technological research increase it, creating more good jobs and new wealth for all of us.” – William J. Clinton

“Confidence and empowerment are cousins in my opinion. Empowerment comes from within and typically it’s stemmed and fostered by self-assurance. To feel empowered is to feel free and that’s when people do their best work. You can’t fake confidence or empowerment.” – Amy Jo Martin

“Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.” – Gloria Steinem

“I think the economic empowerment of women that has been growing over the past decade is at the ‘inflection point’ with this global recession. Women are, we believe, the solution for their families in their ability to go out and increase household income.” – Andrea Jung

“I’ve been a staunch advocate of women’s empowerment, and I’ve worked hard throughout my career to advance the cause. It is heartening to see that gender equality is really becoming more of a reality. There is still much more to be done, and I’m confident that, by working together, we can empower women worldwide.” – Madhuri Dixit

“Ultimately what I end up writing about is helplessness and the flipside of that, empowerment.” – Joss Whedon

“To the Muslim woman, the hijab provides a sense of empowerment. It is a personal decision to dress modestly according to the command of a genderless Creator; to assert pride in self, and embrace one’s faith openly, with independence and courageous conviction.” – Randa Abdel-Fattah

“My interest is not data, it’s the world. And part of world development you can see in numbers. Others, like human rights, empowerment of women, it’s very difficult to measure in numbers.” – Hans Rosling

“My answer to those who oppose my appointment as CEO is that this is really a decision of the YWCA. They want to strengthen their grassroots to advocate on behalf of women’s and children’s empowerment and ending racism.” – Patricia Ireland

“My top priority for 2012 will be to make a renewed push for women’s economic empowerment and political participation.” – Michelle Bachelet

“I want to reach young women and to get them involved in the mission of the YWCA, economic empowerment of women and girls, and ending racism.” – Patricia Ireland

“I feel such a sense of empowerment being a mom. But I do wonder: How do they/we do it all?” – Kourtney Kardashian

“Climate change, demographics, water, food, energy, global health, women’s empowerment – these issues are all intertwined. We cannot look at one strand in isolation. Instead, we must examine how these strands are woven together.” – Ban Ki-moon

“Overall, I have formed three major organizations: the National Association of Business Women, the Young Women’s Leaders Network, and the Joyce Banda Foundation. Under the foundation, we have a huge program that targets women to teach them about HIV and other diseases and to give them economic empowerment.” – Joyce Banda

“I just think that knowing about your body at any age, whether it’s educating yourself on fertility, getting mammograms, going through puberty – whatever it may be, is really important. I just really encourage women empowerment and being comfortable talking about these issues.” – Khloe Kardashian

“Technology is one of the key drivers of female economic empowerment, but the fields that women choose to participate in are still decidedly gendered.” – Weili Dai

“Gender equality and women’s empowerment have been a top priority for me from day one as Secretary-General. And I am committed to making sure that the U.N. leads by example.” – Ban Ki-moon

“Why are we not valuing the word ‘feminism’ when there is so much work to be done in terms of empowerment and emancipation of women everywhere?” – Annie Lennox

“I work in areas related to child protection and family safety, women’s empowerment, the creation of opportunities for youth, and culture and tourism. Daunting? Yes. Impossible? No. In fact, such challenges energize me.” – Queen Rania of Jordan

“I don’t have time to write a mom blog, but I’m not against it. I think it’s great when women talk about things. I’m all about female empowerment. There’s a lot of lonely, lost moms out there. Moms need to be encouraged to tell the truth. There’s a lot of glamour mommy stuff. It’s OK to get real.” – Kelly Cutrone

“Walmart’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative is working to create opportunity and empower women and girls in markets around the world.” – Sylvia Mathews Burwell

“It took me a while to warm to the ’20s costumes on ‘Downton.’ I love it when women accentuate their curves, and that era was all about hiding them. The shapes they wore then were in tune with female empowerment. Cutting off their hair and hiding their busts was a way of saying, ‘We’re equal to men!’” – Lily James

“Female empowerment really is important to me. I’m a big nerd of the books from the 15th Century and 16th Century, when the men had all the power and the women had none of it.” – Ariel Winter

“President Obama has called for economic and political empowerment of women globally. The Equal Futures Partnership promotes removal of policy, legal, and regulatory barriers that hold women back at local, state and national levels.” – Lael Brainard

“There is no doubt that a woman’s economic empowerment is very much interconnected to her health and the well being of her children.” – Helene D. Gayle

“One of my core values is to help redefine what it means to be a strong and beautiful woman in the music and fashion worlds and to empower the wonderful things that make us unique.” – Janelle Monae

“A woman caring for her children; a woman striving to excel in the private sector; a woman partnering with her neighbors to make their street safer; a woman running for office to improve her country – they all have something to offer, and the more our societies empower women, the more we receive in return.” – Queen Rania of Jordan

“Gender equality will only be reached if we are able to empower women.” – Michelle Bachelet

“The higher the better. It’s more about an attitude. High heels empower women in a way.” – Christian Louboutin

“I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.” – Alexander McQueen

“The best protection any woman can have … is courage.” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” – Diane Mariechild

Theme - National Integration

Theme -National Integration

DUMP 1--Nehru on national unity

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU was an apostle of humanity, peace and amity. But his emphasis on national integration and communal harmony is an aspect always to be remembered and transmitted from one generation to the other. Nehru laid the foundation of independent India on the pillars of democracy, socialism, secularism and peaceful co-existence. He thought of India as a whole and always insisted that the people should think of the country's problems in a national perspective.

Nehru's dream of independent India was very clear. He once declared, "the one thing that should be obvious to all of us is that there is no group in India, no party, no religious community, which can prosper if India does not prosper. If India goes down, we go down, all of us... But if it is well with India, if India lives as a vital, free country, then it is well with all of us, to whatever community or religion we belong."

Jawaharlal's vision of Indian unity was not a mere abstract idea. Addressing the opening session of the National Integration Conference in New Delhi on September 28, 1961, he reminded the audience, "we in India, as in the rest of the world too, are passing through a period of the greatest transformation in history. It is not surprising that in the course of this transformation things happen which are not always to our liking. So I do not look upon these matters, annoying and irritating as they are, as things which are frightening. They have to occur and in fact, the way they are occurring is an indication that we are marching ahead and that all the suppressed urges in us are coming up and we are fighting the evils which come in our way." In a broadcast to the nation on March 26, 1964 he said, "ever since the distant past it has been the proud privilege of the people of India to live in harmony with one another. That has been the basis of India's culture. Long ago the Buddha taught us this lesson. From the days of Asoka, 2300 years ago, this aspect of our thought has been repeatedly declared and practised. In our own day Mahatma Gandhi laid great stress on it and indeed lost his life because he put emphasis on communal goodwill and harmony. We have, therefore, a precious heritage to keep up and we cannot allow ourselves to act contrary to it."

Communal harmony

Nehru's approach to communal amity is very much relevant in today's communally-surcharged society. He felt aggrieved to see communal conflicts which destroy social harmony and strove his utmost to remove fanaticism which leads to communal strife. He cautioned the people: "we must be on our guard against the disruptive tendencies in the country which raise their heads whenever an occasion offers itself. Among these tendencies are some which come under the name of communalism — politics under some religious garb, one religious group being incited to hate another religious group."

Speaking about nationalism Nehru said, "nationalism does not mean Hindu nationalism, Muslim nationalism or Sikh nationalism. As soon as you speak of Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, you do not speak for India. Each person has to ask himself the question: what do I want to make of India — one country, one nation or 10, 20 or 25 nations, a fragmented and divided nation without any strength or endurance, ready to break to pieces at the slightest shock? Each person has to answer this question. Separateness has always been the weakness of India. Fissiparous tendencies, whether they belong to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians or others, are very dangerous and wrong. They belong to petty and backward minds. No one who understands the spirit of the times can think in terms of communalism."

Great men are not always good men. But Nehru was a rare combination of both greatness and goodness. Arnold Toynbee, the world famous historian, has aptly called him "one of the noblest works of God's creation." Jawaharlal said, "I lay stress on the unity of India, not merely the political unity which we have achieved but something far deeper, the emotional unity, the integration of our minds and hearts, the suppression of feelings of separatism."

Lessons of history

As a historian Jawaharlal analysed the causes of the rise and fall of civilisations. He was aware of the causes of India's downfall as well. Speaking at Trichur in December 1955, he pointed out, "we have before us lessons of history. We have seen how repeatedly in spite of our many virtues and our great abilities we have fallen in the race of nations, and because of this lack of unity amongst us the entire community of India has been separated into castes and creeds which do not pull together. Therefore, I lay stress everywhere on the unity of India and on our need to fight communalism, provincialism, separatism and casteism."

Remembering Nehru is to remember his message on national unity and integration. He said, "the main thing we have to keep in mind is the emotional integration of India... We have to build up this great country into a mighty nation, mighty not in the ordinary sense of the word, that is, having great armies and all that, but mighty in thought, mighty in action, mighty in culture and mighty in its peaceful service of humanity."

source- http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/op/2002/11/12/stories/2002111200020200.htm


DUMP--2

Sports should be an integral part of our everyday life. Some people think that sports is important only for physical well-being, I feel sports is important for overall development of an individual.

“We are a large and diverse nation. Sports can be a great means of national integration,

DUMP--3

Raj Bhasha (Hindi) played an important role in national integration, and according to the official language Policy, implementation of Hindi was a must in all Central government offices.

DUMP--4

The best contribution of Indian cinema, Hindi cinema in particular, has been the one it has made to the national integration - and that, too, without sloganeering. I'll give you an example. At a restaurant in Delhi some years ago, I heard a girl with a fine voice singing Hindi film songs with perfect diction. After my dinner I met her and complimented her, speaking in Hindi. She gave me a blank look. A man who was singing with her said, "Sir, she can't speak Hindi." It turned out that the girl was from Mizoram and that she had learnt Hindi songs by listening to tapes

DUMP--5

Uniform civil code & national integration

THE ISSUE of the uniform civil code has been shaken out of its dormancy by the Supreme Court once again. Last month, in the course of striking down as unconstitutional sec.118 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, Chief Justice V.N. Khare observed that it was "a matter of regret that Article 44 of the Constitution has not been given effect to." It is surprising that such statements should emanate from the highest court of the country when it is well known that the prerogative of deciding what laws are good for the country rests with the executive.

Article 37 of the Constitution makes it very clear that the provisions contained in the Directive Principles of State Policy are not enforceable by any court of law and therefore, the courts have no jurisdiction over them.

Emboldened by the pronouncements of the Supreme Court, the BJP has called for a national debate on a uniform civil code. It wants the Law Commission to "identify fair and equitable ingredients" from the personal laws of the Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis and formulate a common code. Assuming a common code is possible, the competence of the Law Commission to frame such a code can be questioned on the basis of it not being represented by members from the minority communities who are also acknowledged experts in their respective personal laws.

The talk of a uniform civil code, in the absence of uniformity in most of the other laws prevailing in the country, is absurd. It may be surprising to know that even the Criminal Procedure Code and the Civil Procedure Code are not uniform throughout the country as they have been amended and modified by various State Governments. To quote another example, sec.118 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional for being unfair to the Christians. Yet Hindu Undivided Families continue to enjoy tax benefits in India which are not available to the other communities. Why don't the supporters of a uniform civil code call for a uniform fiscal code?

Sheer diversity

A comparative study of the personal laws of the Hindus, Muslims and other minorities will reveal that the sheer diversity of these laws, coupled with the dogmatic zeal with which they are adhered to, cannot permit uniformity of any sort. In fact, the heterogeneity of the Hindu law itself is such that even the possibility of a uniform Hindu code is ruled out. Talking of marriage alone, under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, marriages may be solemnised in accordance with the rites and ceremonies of a variety of people who come under the definition of a `Hindu.' For instance, according to the saptapadi form of marriage, followed mostly in northern India, the marriage is complete and binding when the bridegroom and the bride take seven steps in front of the sacred fire.

On the other hand in the south suyamariyathai and seerthiruththa forms of marriage are followed. Under these forms a marriage is valid if the parties to the marriage declare in the presence of relatives that they are marrying each other or if they garland each other or if they put a ring on each other's finger or if the bridegroom ties a thali around the neck of the bride. Also, for a marriage to be valid under Hindu law it has to be solemnised in accordance with the customary rites and ceremonies of at least one of the parties. Thus, if a Jain marries a Buddhist by performing the rites of a Sikh the marriage is void (See Sakuntala v Nilakantha 1972, Mah LR 31).

In so far as the Muslim law is concerned though there are no elaborate rites or ceremonies, there exist some differences between the Sunni and Shia marriages. Under the Sunni law the proposal (ijab) of marriage and it acceptance (qubool) should be made in the presence of two witnesses along with a nikahnama in which the terms of marriage such as dower and its mode of payment, etc., are incorporated. But under the Shia law no witnesses are required to solemnise a marriage. The Shia law also allows a temporary marriage called muta, whereas for the Sunnis muta is strictly prohibited.

Therefore, it has to be asked if it is possible to reconcile these divergent laws of the Hindus and Muslims and formulate a uniform code that is acceptable to both the communities to say nothing about the Christians and the Parsis. Let alone the minorities, the first to oppose such a common code will be the Hindus. Nevertheless, one wonders how the unity and integrity of the country will be affected if Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis or for that matter any other people marry, divorce and inherit in accordance with their respective personal laws.

The fact is, neither does India require nor is it possible or practicable to have a uniform civil code governing all the communities. India already has optional civil code in the form of the Special Marriages Act, 1954. This Act read with other similar Acts such as the Indian Succession Act, 1925 provides an excellent legal framework for all matters of marriage, divorce, maintenance and succession for those who wish to avoid religion-based laws.

Essay Writing

 Despite the fact that, as Shakespeare said, "the pen is mightier than the sword," the pen itself is not enough to make an effective writer. In fact, though we may all like to think of ourselves as the next Shakespeare, inspiration alone is not the key to effective essay writing. You see, the conventions of English essays are more formulaic than you might think – and, in many ways, it can be as simple as counting to five.

The Five Paragraph Essay

Though more advanced academic papers are a category all their own, the basic high school or college essay has the following standardized, five paragraph structure:

Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Body 1
Paragraph 3: Body 2
Paragraph 4: Body 3
Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Though it may seem formulaic – and, well, it is - the idea behind this structure is to make it easier for the reader to navigate the ideas put forth in an essay. You see, if your essay has the same structure as every other one, any reader should be able to quickly and easily find the information most relevant to them.

The Introduction

 Want to see sample essays?
Check out our Sample Essay section where you can see scholarship essays, admissions essays, and more!

The principle purpose of the introduction is to present your position (this is also known as the "thesis" or "argument") on the issue at hand but effective introductory paragraphs are so much more than that. Before you even get to this thesis statement, for example, the essay should begin with a "hook" that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read on. Examples of effective hooks include relevant quotations ("no man is an island") or surprising statistics ("three out of four doctors report that…").

Only then, with the reader’s attention "hooked," should you move on to the thesis. The thesis should be a clear, one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind about which side you are on from the beginning of your essay.

Following the thesis, you should provide a mini-outline which previews the examples you will use to support your thesis in the rest of the essay. Not only does this tell the reader what to expect in the paragraphs to come but it also gives them a clearer understanding of what the essay is about.

Finally, designing the last sentence in this way has the added benefit of seamlessly moving the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper. In this way we can see that the basic introduction does not need to be much more than three or four sentences in length. If yours is much longer you might want to consider editing it down a bit!

Here, by way of example, is an introductory paragraph to an essay in response to the following question:

"Do we learn more from finding out that we have made mistakes or from our successful actions?"

 "No man is an island" and, as such, he is constantly shaped and influenced by his experiences. People learn by doing and, accordingly, learn considerably more from their mistakes than their success. For proof of this, consider examples from both science and everyday experience.

DO - Pay Attention to Your Introductory Paragraph

Because this is the first paragraph of your essay it is your opportunity to give the reader the best first impression possible. The introductory paragraph not only gives the reader an idea of what you will talk about but also shows them how you will talk about it. Put a disproportionate amount of effort into this – more than the 20% a simple calculation would suggest – and you will be rewarded accordingly.

DO NOT - Use Passive Voice or I/My

Active voice, wherein the subjects direct actions rather than let the actions "happen to" them – "he scored a 97%" instead of "he was given a 97%" – is a much more powerful and attention-grabbing way to write. At the same time, unless it is a personal narrative, avoid personal pronouns like I, My, or Me. Try instead to be more general and you will have your reader hooked.

The Body Paragraphs

The middle paragraphs of the essay are collectively known as the body paragraphs and, as alluded to above, the main purpose of a body paragraph is to spell out in detail the examples that support your thesis.

For the first body paragraph you should use your strongest argument or most significant example unless some other more obvious beginning point (as in the case of chronological explanations) is required. The first sentence of this paragraph should be the topic sentence of the paragraph that directly relates to the examples listed in the mini-outline of introductory paragraph.

A one sentence body paragraph that simply cites the example of "George Washington" or "LeBron James" is not enough, however. No, following this an effective essay will follow up on this topic sentence by explaining to the reader, in detail, who or what an example is and, more importantly, why that example is relevant.

Even the most famous examples need context. For example, George Washington’s life was extremely complex – by using him as an example, do you intend to refer to his honesty, bravery, or maybe even his wooden teeth? The reader needs to know this and it is your job as the writer to paint the appropriate picture for them. To do this, it is a good idea to provide the reader with five or six relevant facts about the life (in general) or event (in particular) you believe most clearly illustrates your point.

Having done that, you then need to explain exactly why this example proves your thesis. The importance of this step cannot be understated (although it clearly can be underlined); this is, after all, the whole reason you are providing the example in the first place. Seal the deal by directly stating why this example is relevant.

Here is an example of a body paragraph to continue the essay begun above:

 Take, by way of example, Thomas Edison. The famed American inventor rose to prominence in the late 19th century because of his successes, yes, but even he felt that these successes were the result of his many failures. He did not succeed in his work on one of his most famous inventions, the lightbulb, on his first try nor even on his hundred and first try. In fact, it took him more than 1,000 attempts to make the first incandescent bulb but, along the way, he learned quite a deal. As he himself said, "I did not fail a thousand times but instead succeeded in finding a thousand ways it would not work." Thus Edison demonstrated both in thought and action how instructive mistakes can be.

DO: Tie Things Together

The first sentence – the topic sentence - of your body paragraphs needs to have a lot individual pieces to be truly effective. Not only should it open with a transition that signals the change from one idea to the next but also it should (ideally) also have a common thread which ties all of the body paragraphs together. For example, if you used "first" in the first body paragraph then you should used "secondly" in the second or "on the one hand" and "on the other hand" accordingly.

DO NOT: Be Too General

Examples should be relevant to the thesis and so should the explanatory details you provide for them. It can be hard to summarize the full richness of a given example in just a few lines so make them count. If you are trying to explain why George Washington is a great example of a strong leader, for instance, his childhood adventure with the cherry tree (though interesting in another essay) should probably be skipped over.

A Word on Transitions

You may have noticed that, though the above paragraph aligns pretty closely with the provided outline, there is one large exception: the first few words. These words are example of a transitional phrase – others include "furthermore," "moreover," but also "by contrast" and "on the other hand" – and are the hallmark of good writing.

Transitional phrases are useful for showing the reader where one section ends and another begins. It may be helpful to see them as the written equivalent of the kinds of spoken cues used in formal speeches that signal the end of one set of ideas and the beginning of another. In essence, they lead the reader from one section of the paragraph of another.

To further illustrate this, consider the second body paragraph of our example essay:

 In a similar way, we are all like Edison in our own way. Whenever we learn a new skill - be it riding a bike, driving a car, or cooking a cake - we learn from our mistakes. Few, if any, are ready to go from training wheels to a marathon in a single day but these early experiences (these so-called mistakes) can help us improve our performance over time. You cannot make a cake without breaking a few eggs and, likewise, we learn by doing and doing inevitably means making mistakes.

Hopefully this example not only provides another example of an effective body paragraph but also illustrates how transitional phrases can be used to distinguish between them.

The Conclusion

Although the conclusion paragraph comes at the end of your essay it should not be seen as an afterthought. As the final paragraph is represents your last chance to make your case and, as such, should follow an extremely rigid format.

One way to think of the conclusion is, paradoxically, as a second introduction because it does in fact contain many of the same features. While it does not need to be too long – four well-crafted sentence should be enough – it can make or break and essay.

Effective conclusions open with a concluding transition ("in conclusion," "in the end," etc.) and an allusion to the "hook" used in the introductory paragraph. After that you should immediately provide a restatement of your thesis statement.

This should be the fourth or fifth time you have repeated your thesis so while you should use a variety of word choice in the body paragraphs it is a acceptable idea to use some (but not all) of the original language you used in the introduction. This echoing effect not only reinforces your argument but also ties it nicely to the second key element of the conclusion: a brief (two or three words is enough) review of the three main points from the body of the paper.

Having done all of that, the final element – and final sentence in your essay – should be a "global statement" or "call to action" that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end.

 In the end, then, one thing is clear: mistakes do far more to help us learn and improve than successes. As examples from both science and everyday experience can attest, if we treat each mistake not as a misstep but as a learning experience the possibilities for self-improvement are limitless.

DO: Be Powerful

The conclusion paragraph can be a difficult paragraph to write effectively but, as it is your last chance to convince or otherwise impress the reader, it is worth investing some time in. Take this opportunity to restate your thesis with confidence; if you present your argument as "obvious" then the reader might just do the same.

DO NOT: Copy the First Paragraph

Although you can reuse the same key words in the conclusion as you did in the introduction, try not to copy whole phrases word for word. Instead, try to use this last paragraph to really show your skills as a writer by being as artful in your rephrasing as possible.

Taken together, then, the overall structure of a five paragraph essay should look something like this:

Introduction Paragraph

• An attention-grabbing "hook"
• A thesis statement
• A preview of the three subtopics you will discuss in the body paragraphs.

First Body Paragraph

• Topic sentence which states the first subtopic and opens with a transition
• Supporting details or examples
• An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Second Body Paragraph

• Topic sentence which states the second subtopic and opens with a transition
• Supporting details or examples
• An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Third Body Paragraph

• Topic sentence which states the third subtopic and opens with a transition
• Supporting details or examples
• An explanation of how this example proves your thesis

Concluding Paragraph

• Concluding Transition, Reverse "hook," and restatement of thesis.
• Rephrasing main topic and subtopics.
• Global statement or call to action.

More tips to make your essay shine

Planning Pays

Although it may seem like a waste of time – especially during exams where time is tight – it is almost always better to brainstorm a bit before beginning your essay. This should enable you to find the best supporting ideas – rather than simply the first ones that come to mind – and position them in your essay accordingly.

Your best supporting idea – the one that most strongly makes your case and, simultaneously, about which you have the most knowledge – should go first. Even the best-written essays can fail because of ineffectively placed arguments.

Aim for Variety

Sentences and vocabulary of varying complexity are one of the hallmarks of effective writing. When you are writing, try to avoid using the same words and phrases over and over again. You don’t have to be a walking thesaurus but a little variance can make the same idea sparkle.

If you are asked about "money," you could try "wealth" or "riches." At the same time, avoid beginning sentences the dull pattern of "subject + verb + direct object." Although examples of this are harder to give, consider our writing throughout this article as one big example of sentence structure variety.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

In the end, though, remember that good writing does not happen by accident. Although we have endeavored to explain everything that goes into effective essay writing in as clear and concise a way as possible, it is much easier in theory than it is in practice.

As a result, we recommend that you practice writing sample essays on various topics. Even if they are not masterpieces at first, a bit of regular practice will soon change that – and make you better prepared when it comes to the real thing.

Now that you’ve learned how to write an effective essay, check out our Sample Essays so you can see how they are done in practice.