In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
Slightly over 2,000 words is all it takes to portray the bestiality of mankind. This is what Cynthia Ozick manages to achieve in her short story "The Shawl" set in World War II. Putting the enormity of the Holocaust into words is too difficult a task for any author and yet in this piece, Ozick accomplishes just that. The recipe? Simply three main characters, no convoluted dialogue, events based on detached or semi-detached descriptions either from the mother's point of view or a third person narrator who blends fact with stream of consciousness, and the predominance of short, circumspect, succinct sentences.