UPSC Mains 2024 season has begun. One of the most popular questions in the aspirants’ minds for the mains preparation is: How to write essays for UPSC Civil Services Exams? We have an answer for you in the form of our new series. In UPSC Essentials’ special series UPSC Essays Simplified, we take you through various steps of writing a good essay. While there is no set formula or fixed criteria prescribed, Manas Srivastava talks to Ravi Kapoor, our expert, in this new series who guides the aspirants with a simplified framework on how to write a good essay. Don’t miss ‘The Essay Exercise’ towards the end of the article. About our Expert: Ravi Kapoor (Ex-IRS) offers free quality mentorship to UPSC aspirants, drawing upon his ten years of experience to create customised and productive curriculum. Through a free mentorship programme, he integrates tailored educational materials, psychological principles, visual learning techniques, and a strong emphasis on mental well-being into his teaching skills granting aspirants a chance to learn from his expertise. Ravi Kapoor focuses on the following steps of pre-writing and writing stages which will help aspirants to write a ‘good essay’. PRE-WRITING STAGE (Steps 1-3) Step 1: Understanding and Deconstructing the topic (Previous article: Click here) Step 2: Ideation and Brainstorming (Previous article: Click here) Step 3: Structure and Flow (Previous article: Click here) WRITING STAGE (Steps 4-8) Step 4: How to write an introduction? (Previous article: Click here) Step 5: What goes in the body? (Previous article: Click here) Step 6: How to conclude (Previous article: Click here) Step 7: Essay Extras (Today's article) Step 8: Types of content Today, we will focus on Step 7, the second stage of writing stage for UPSC Essays. How to get the 'Extra Edge' in Essays? There is more to an exceptional essay than good arguments. Aspirants must focus on some powerful but uncommon methods and techniques to maximise their score in the exam. Let us learn how to strategically insert quotes, use evocative words and other linguistic hacks to produce an impactful essay. How to use quotes strategically? Quotes can add some superficial value to your essays but cannot be compared to or can substitute well-constructed arguments in simple language. That said, if you are going to use quotes in your essay, it is better to do so optimally and to prepare smartly. There are infinite quotes out there and obviously trying to memorize them is a futile activity. So, what to do? The answer is to use VASP Quotes. What is VASP technique? VASP is a way to filter out and short-list the type of quotes that are particularly useful for the UPSC exam as opposed to learning a lot of random quotes. It stands for Versatile, Authoritative, Short and Pithy quotes. 1. Nothing will work unless you do. – Maya Angelou 2. May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. – Nelson Mandela 3. The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up. – Mark Twain 4. Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson 5. There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality.” – Seneca 6. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln 7. “Imitation is suicide.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 8. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain 9. “He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.” – Marcus Aurelius 10. "Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you are in harmony" -Mahatma Gandhi How to enhance expression by using Metaphors? When we talk about ‘good expression’ in writing, it refers to the creative way in which words are used to convey meaning. For instance, if you are a ‘black sheep’, you get ‘cold feet’, or you think ‘love is a highway’, then you’re probably thinking metaphorically. So, the question is: How to add beauty and expression to your essays? A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. Here are the basics: A metaphor states that one thing is another thing. It equates those two things not because they actually are the same, but for the sake of comparison or symbolism. If you take a metaphor literally, it will probably sound very strange (say for instance in the ‘black sheep’ example: Are there actually any sheep, black or otherwise, in your family?) Metaphors are used in poetry, literature, and anytime someone wants to add some creativity to their language. Here is a list of metaphors to satisfy all your metaphorical cravings. (Note that the above statement is metaphorical. You cannot actually eat a list of metaphors) A shot across the bows High and dry Sea of bees An endless night His eye on the Sparrow Sea of fire Apple of my eye Home was prison Sea of ghosts Batten down the hatches Homework is a breeze Sea of knowledge Battle of egos House of cards Sea of love Belling the cat Hungry ghost Sea of sadness Belt was a snake Ideas are water Sea of smiles How to use evocative words to increase impact? Words are powerful. When used correctly they possess the ability to induce different emotions in the reader. The best writers are those who place the right ones at the right places to create the right effect. A writer of suspense fiction knows how to keep the reader on the nail-biting, paper-flipping edge. Just the same way a stirring orator like Martin Luther King precisely knew the right words to speak at the right time to arouse the masses in a clarion call for racial justice when he uttered the words “I have a dream…” Can the same ability be harnessed in UPSC essays? Yes, it can, and in as much as it is about wordplay, here is a list of evocative words with the desired effect on emotion for ready reference. Alarmed Doomed Paralyzed Anxious Embarrassed Perplexed Argumentative Fatigued Squirming Authoritative Frenzied Stressed Atrocious Inconsiderate Self-Hating Condemning Infuriated Severe Contrary Jealous Shameful Cheerful Glorious Spirited Comfortable Glowing Spunky Constructive Gratified Sunn The Essay Exercise Topic: ‘Can capitalism bring inclusive growth’ Possible answers Topic: ‘Forests are the best-case studies for economic excellence’ Possible answers Add the following quotation to the above essay topic.(Use right context): “There is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed”- Mahatma Gandhi Capitalism has its pitfalls as it exposes the moral hollowness of human nature when profit becomes the end game. The ethical debate is best captured in Mahatma Gandhi’s words, years later they were spoken –“There is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed” Add the following quotation to the above essay topic.(Use right context): “There is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed”- Mahatma Gandhi Add a few metaphorical words to the above essay topic. (Use right context) It might seem like capitalism and inclusive growth are two sides of the same coin… Add a few metaphorical words to the above essay topic. (Use right context) Add a few evocative words to the above essay topic. (Use right context) The vulgar display of wealth and power on exhibit in India makes a mockery of the idea of inclusive growth. Add a few evocative words to the above essay topic. (Use right context) Note: Remember that these techniques are embellishments that can add cosmetic beauty to your essay, but they cannot compensate for a badly structured or disorganized essay. As effective as these lists of words, quotes and metaphors are, know that good writing in UPSC essays or elsewhere is about practice. Know that an excellent piece of writing is a function of countless painful edits. So, let there be multiple edits to your draft answers as you draw upon the resources listed in this article and let not the fear of embarrassment keep you from achieving excellence. Take the pains and the beauty will follow. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. The UPSC articles of Indian Express is now on Telegram. Join our Telegram channel- Indian Express UPSC Hub and stay updated with the latest Updates. For your answers, queries and suggestions write at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com.
