What is an Essay Format?

 

 

Essay writing is a skill that keeps on getting better with every effort one puts in it. However, apart from just the writing skills, there is one more thing that makes your essay looks professional and academically brilliant- with how you format it. The essay format is fundamental in any writing field, whether one is a student or writes professionally. How one structure, their essays makes the difference. 

 

There is a standard essay format that is followed universally. Unless otherwise specified, the student must follow this format: 

 

1: The page margins are 1 inch on each side. 

2: Specific line spacings are provided to the students. (single-spaced, double spaced.)

3: Page headers should always be included in essays. Whether the header content would be on the left or right side, gets provided by the course leader. 

4: There are specific fonts required, but the major ones that are universally used are Times New Roman or Arial, with the font size being 12 mostly. 

 

The easiest way to structure an essay is to divide it into multiple parts: the abstract, introduction, research methodologies, and conclusion. The abstract includes fundamental research in a gist. The reader gets to know the study's general topic, how many subjects took part in it, what methodologies were used, and if the result supports the argument. 

The introduction consists of all the critical arguments and research from credible sources to support the student's topic. Here, brief information about the subject is given and why one chose to work on the said topic. 

If the essay requires, then the research methodology part includes all the other supporting arguments and literature reviews from reliable sources. It helps make your writing more credible. 

 

Some important tips are given below to understand how one can write better essays. 

 

1: Understand the topic- Usually, while writing essays, topics are given. But if you have the opportunity to pick a topic for yourself- choose something that you have a keen interest in. 

 Do as much reading as you can on the given topic to understand what it talks about and the arguments you can form from the content you have read. 

2: Brainstorm- It is also called the pre-writing part where one jots down the essential points that crossed their minds. While writing a formal essay, they can refer to the vital ideas and references to support their topic more without getting side-tracked by other things. 

3: Writing without editing- While having a grammatically right and eloquent sounding essay is something that everyone wants, it is essential to know that no first draft is ever going to sound brilliant. The most important part is to write and let all the thoughts out, and once that is done- sit down to edit!

4: Don't keep things for the next day- Essay writing can be stressful if one isn't prepared correctly. It becomes crucial for the student not to procrastinate to not end up in the vicious cycle of rushing through the essays. 

Writing is always fun when the outline and format are prepared already! 

 

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What are the Plagiarism Checker and Grammar Checker Tools?

 

 

We often believed that if we use content from someone else's journal and paraphrase it, it will pass easily through the plagiarism checker tool. However, taking someone else's content without providing the well-deserved credits to the author- is considered cheating. Many institutes have strict laws made for this. The papers get cancelled, and the students get expulsed for this behaviour. The degrees of strictness varies. 

Not just students, but also the people who write professionally, are on the higher risk of losing more than only the grades if they plagiarise. Their entire career, the reputation, is harmed.

Although, grammar checker works the best when one wants to know their grammatical errors. When it comes to writing professionally, overlooking grammatical errors is something that one can't do. The entire essay can go from looking professional to amateur just because of the grammar alone. There are multiple tools out there that make our working life a little easier; the user should also note that unethically using these tools can cause more harm than required. For example, using paraphrasing tool to make someone else's work pass as yours, is an unethical example of using the paraphrasing tool. 

 

How does Plagiarism and Grammar checker work?

 

1: Plagiarism checker works by identifying the similar texts available on the web and compares them to the file or text submitted. 

2: It then shows the similar texts found in one's work that are available elsewhere on the web too. 

3: Plagiarism checker analyses works of other authors to verify the content that is submitted and checks how much of the work is taken from others. It then generates a report to show if the work has been appropriately cited or not, and how much of the work is produced by one's idea. 

4: Grammar checker is a program that checks all the grammatical errors in the text or file that is submitted. It works by highlighting the text that has a grammatical error in it. It also provides with suggestions of the words and punctuation marks that one can use instead. 

5: When there is a time limit, and one does not have the chance of going over their reports to check errors, grammar checker comes handy and makes it convenient for the user to find out all the mistakes in a short amount of time. 

 

Why should you use Plagiarism Checker and Grammar Checker?

 

Both these tools are used to enhance the quality of the work that one is submitting. With plagiarism checker, one can easily find out the content that is not appropriately cited or is stolen from other authors. Grammar checker, on the other hand, finds out all the grammatical errors present in a report. 

It is essential to use both these tools as they are easy to use and understand- making it convenient for the user to find out their mistakes in a short time. With the time constraints on academic writers or students, it becomes hard to keep track of all the errors in a document. 

 

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Using Citation Generators Wisely

While citation generators are a relatively new tool for writers, it has revolutionized writing. Painstakingly documenting every source used for a research paper is an unsurmountable task and often took up large chunks of time that could have been used to research more efficiently. Moreover, citing sources in different formats is taxing. You have to remember the rules of every form separately and apply them without error. Citation generators have made the work much more convenient for us. Merely adding the article's link cited on a citation generator and selecting the citation format will generate a citation for you in only seconds. Whether online or on MS-word, a citation generator can create the whole bibliography with just a few clicks, a task that used to take ages.

Citation generators are efficient and powerful and have altered how we write so dramatically that we educate ourselves about using them. Used carefully, with discretion, it makes writing more manageable and less tedious; however, used carelessly, it can use systematic errors that may pass unnoticed.

 

How Do Citation Generators Work?

Citation generators are programs that turn information about a source into a citation that you can use. Most citation generators work following a similar process:

1.            The generator receives information about a source from you. The generator can obtain information in two ways:

a.            Information about the source typed in by you

b.            A URL is copied and pasted by you from which the citation generator retrieves the sources itself.

2.            The generator processes this information according to the settings you specify.

3.            The generator produces a citation (or set of citations) that you can use.

Source: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/using_citation_machines_responsibly.html

 

 

How to use Citation Generators properly?

You may ensure that you are using a citation generator correctly in the following ways:

 

1.       Make sure to provide accurate information.

No citation generator can function correctly despite user errors, therefore if you input incorrect information into a citation generator you will receive an incorrect citation. The citation generator cannot bypass your errors, therefore make sure you input the information correctly.

 

2.       Spell the author's name correctly. Subtle things like capitalization and punctuation can also matter.

 

3.       Make sure you designate the correct medium, version, and edition for each source.

Citation generators can't judge whether the information they receive about a source "makes sense." They can't tell, for instance, if you're accidentally citing an academic journal article as a magazine article (and thus likely leaving out important information like volume number). Therefore, to avoid unnecessary confusion, double-check that you've indicated precisely the source you're using (and not a source that's "close, but no cigar").

 

 

4.       Make sure to use reputable, accurate sources.

Citation generators work with the sources you give them. They can't evaluate whether those sources are right or not. To avoid this, be sure to assess whether each source you use is accurate, reputed, and unbiased. Make sure:

•             Your source is source peer-reviewed.

•             You are using a primary source (i.e., directly from the person providing the information, if it is a secondary source, make sure the author is referencing primary sources when possible.

•             Judge whether the source comes from an organization with a vested interest in having an unbiased, authoritative reputation.

•             The source references clear, unambiguous evidence. This evidence well-documented (for instance, in a bibliography).

•             The source acknowledges a range of viewpoints even as it makes its argument.

•             The source does not use emotionally-charged language or make broad generalizations.

•       The source does not come from a lone individual, particularly an individual without a reputation for careful, objective, or well-reasoned claims (or a motivation to preserve that reputation).

•             The source is commercially sponsored. Does the sponsor have a vested interest in the audience's perception of the source's topic?

5.       Double-check the citation you receive against a reference.

After you've finished inputting information and you've received a citation, resist the urge to copy and paste the source into your document without first doing a quick check for accuracy.

•             Pay particular attention to the way the generator has handled capitalization and formatting.

o             Note, for instance, that there are different rules for capitalizing titles in MLA and APA styles.

o             Note also that different types handle numbering differently. For example, some require page ranges to include all numbers in the start and end pages (e.g., 267-268). Others allow the omission of redundant numbers(e.g., 267-8).

•             If you couldn't find any information (e.g.,  date), check to ensure that the information has been left out and not rendered as a generic placeholder (e.g., "[DATE]").

6.       Make sure you cite each source in the text in a way that makes sense.

Remember that bibliographies are not the end of the story when it comes to citations. You should also use citations in the text when you borrow information from a source.

•             Here is an example. Suppose you would like to cite a chapter by the author Jane Smith. You input the source's bibliographic information into the citation generator; you indicate that you're using APA style, and you get the following in-text citation:

o             (Smith, 2015, pp. 122-128)

•             Now, you want to use this citation in the text, so you copy and paste it into a sentence where you're borrowing from Smith's source:

o             According to Smith, the world's first pies were developed by the ancient Egyptians (Smith, 2015, pp. 122-128), while later innovations were spearheaded by the Macedonians (Smith, 2015, pp. 122-128).

•             The uncritical copying and pasting you've just done have led you to make a few mistakes in your citation. When you provide the author's name in a signal phrase (like "According to Smith…"), you usually should not give it again in the parenthetical. You also should not provide a source's date multiple times in the same sentence. Finally, you should not provide vague page ranges when it's possible to pinpoint precisely where you found the information you're borrowing. The citation generator cannot judge the context of the sentence you're using the citation in, so it can't tell you to do any of these things. A much more sensible approach would look like this:

·                     According to Smith (2015), the world's first pies were developed by the ancient Egyptians (p. 123), while later innovations were spearheaded by the Macedonians (p. 127).

 

Common Errors in Citations from Citation Generators

While these are useful tools to get started with your citations, it is vital to check that these are correct as none of them are always 100% accurate.  Common errors found in citations from these generators include:

1.            Mis-capitalization of information

2.            Can be either over or under capitalizing

3.            Citing a source as the wrong type of source

4.            Many sources get cited as webpages when they are not. For example, you may find newspapers through the internet, but they are still newspapers, not webpages

5.            Leaving out information

6.            Inclusion of information that is unnecessary

For example,

Including newspaper, date ranges from library databases as part of the newspaper title, ex: New York Times (1851-2012)

When both a publisher and name for a website are required, putting the same name twice, ex: WebMD, WebMD.com

If no named author, creating a name, ex: Reporters, Telegraph 

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Personality Assessment

 

The Big Five model of personality or the OCEAN model developed by McCrae and Costa is one of the most influential models of personality and is presently the one most popularly used and administered by psychologists.

My results on the big five personality inventory show that I have high scores on extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Extraversion measures how open to experiences one is and how outgoing and how well they get along with people. My high score in extraversion could be interpreted to suggest that I enjoy the company of people and lean towards being more outgoing, enjoying mingling with people more than staying at home alone. It suggests that I prefer quick paced social situations and like interacting with large groups of people. The results seem to be in accordance with my own view of my personality. While I do like to relax alone at the end of the day, I do prefer parties and large social gathering and hanging out with friends over staying at home with abook which would be a classic introvert tarit. Thus, while I do value my alone time, I would still classify myself as an extrovert.

The test suggests that I should look for jobs that involve contact with other people and try to work in a team. Low levels of human interaction are frustrating for me

As you are high on extraversion check that jobs you choose will bring you into contact with a variety of people and that you will have the opportunity to work with them. If you are moving within an organisation you know, then consider how your extravert personality might influence your choice of role. Will you be working within a team? You are unlikely to feel satisfied if you don’t have enough interaction with others. If you are preparing for an interview, make sure you do your research on the role, the company values and the competencies they will be assessing you against etc. As an extravert you are likely to have had lots of conversations about this, but it would be a mistake to overly rely on the hearsay of others. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview, make sure that your talkative side does not take over and pay attention to what the interviewer asks of you. Allow others to talk even if you feel you know the answers or feel you want to interrupt. As an extravert it is likely that you will sometimes dominate the airspace or other people’s time. What scope is there for this in a new role? Would it be encouraged or frowned upon? How would you feel about that? As an extravert it is likely that you will work at different rates, on different projects on different days. Is there the flexibility in the role to accommodate this working pattern?

You have scored high on Agreeableness. You are likely to enjoy a good team atmosphere and a harmonious working environment. You might avoid arguments or differences of opinion and are much more likely to negate your own feelings to avoid conflict or unpleasantness. It is likely that you will have an optimistic view of others.

Tips

 When considering a new role, you may wish to reflect on how you would perform in the leadership roles that may require you to challenge others and voice your opinion. What kinds of leadership roles are available to you? Is there a role for a more collaborative leadership style in your organisation? Many effective leaders are strong on self-­interest and voicing their own opinions. If you had to implement an unpopular policy, how would you feel? Could you cope with a less than harmonious atmosphere at work? If you are preparing for an interview, make sure that you have some evidence or examples of taking the lead in a group and challenging the group consensus. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview ensure that you hold your own in any group activities e.g. group discussions, and that you assert your views willingly even if you eventually compromise to enable the group to reach a shared decision. If you are high on Agreeableness you may thrive in smaller organisations that depend on cooperation and team­working from staff. Also look at organisations where consensus working and/or fellowship are valued and building good relationships is paramount.

You have scored in the mid­range for Emotional Stability, which means that you are likely to cope with some pressure and stress in your life and still be effective. This may change if you are put under undue stress and pressure. As you are average for Emotional Stability you may find you are aware of your own and other’s feelings at work, but tend not to get overwhelmed by them. Conscientiousness Openness

Tips

You may do well as a manager, balancing the sensitivity required to work with others with the tough approach sometimes required. Ask about the opportunities to take on more responsibility for others. It is likely that you cope well with pressure up to a certain point at which it can feel overwhelming. So if you are preparing for an interview make sure that you leave enough time to prepare fully so that the balance does not tip and you can portray yourself at your best. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview ensure that you display the balance you have between being in control of your emotions and the ability to pick up the rise in emotions in others. Think about where the balance for you lies in coping with pressure. If you prefer to remain calm and collected, think about how high pressured the environment might be. Identify jobs and careers that value an ability to stay positive under difficult challenges, but which don’t reach crisis level.

You have scored high on Conscientiousness, meaning you are likely to be tidy, proficient and highly organised. You are also likely to be efficient at tasks and meeting deadlines and working at a steady and even pace. You may also feel frustration at not being able to finish tasks or with others who do not work in a similar way to yourself.

Tips

If you are moving within an organisation you know, consider how highly a conscientious approach is regarded in the available roles. In some jobs, the end result may be more important than the process of getting there. Consider roles that require a focus on compliance and regulation if that attracts you. Do these activities exist in your organisation? If you are preparing for an interview, you are likely to do all you can to prepare for an interview. Ensure that you do not over prepare e.g.over­rehearsing set answers to questions you think might be asked by interviewers. Interviewers want you to answer their questions as part of a two-­way conversation and not just receive the information you want to give them. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview, there is only so much you can do to prepare for assessment centre exercises and you may need to relax some of your expectations in order to be successful. During the assessment centre, for example, you may find you need to trade off accuracy for speed in some of the timed assessments, such as the ability or reasoning tests and written exercises that require pre­reading. There may be some exercises where you are unable to finish such as the ability tests, but this is often the way they are designed i.e. to stretch your abilities to the highest level. If you are high on conscientiousness you may be attracted to jobs that require a high amount of self­discipline, regulation and an emphasis on achieving results on time and to budget. You are also likely to be effective at researching your future job or direction.

 You scored in the middle range for Openness. You are likely to enjoy some measure of change, but also appreciate stability in some areas. You may know that whilst enjoying variety and new experiences there is likely to be some comfort in taking on routine and familiar tasks. You are likely to accept that some changes are inevitable at work and you are likely to take this in your stride.

Tips

 When looking to move within the organisation, get more information about a potential new role to try to gauge the amount of change going on in different departments to see where you would best fit. With a new role, consider if the job has the right balance of requiring some creativity and imagination, but that it is not expected all the time. If you are preparing for an interview, remember that, depending on the type of new employer, you may have colleagues who value the status quo. You may have to work hard to persuade them of the benefits of changing the way they operate. Illustrate how you will strike the balance between following processes yet challenging things which need to be changed. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview, think about your flexibility and approach to change. Ensure that you demonstrate both sides of your preferred style by being structured yet willing and able to deviate from this if necessary. If you are thinking of changing career or direction, remember that most jobs have some elements of the routine; identify your ideal balance between variety and routine tasks before you rule out certain careers and job r

 

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List of Topic to give Persuasive Speeches on in 2021!

 

Speeches are a great way to make your voice heard. They can help you form new opinions and share your existing opinions with an audience. An engaging speech begins with an engaging topic. If you are stuck on what topic to give a speech on, this article might help!

 

How should you pick a Topic to deliver a speech on?

To deliver a speech, your topic must be a conducive one. To ensure this, it is better if you pick a topic you are passionate about. Your passion shows in your work, so any topic you are passionate about will have a wider reach and a greater appeal.

Your work will also stand out if you can reflect on the "zeitgeist" or the "spirit of the time." This means that your speech will be more relevant if it fits into the current social context as people can relate to it more.

Novelty and new ideas also stand out. Reflecting on the spirit of the time does not necessarily have to deprive your topic of novelty. For example, while delivering a speech on COVID-19 might be relevant in the current context, it will be repetitive and boring if you do not analyze a new perspective.

Depending on your objective, your speeches can belong to any of three categories. The three main categories your speeches might fall under are:

·         Informative speeches

·         Persuasive speeches

·         Speeches for Special Occasions

However, Jooz classifies speeches into five categories:

·         Frozen

·         Formal

·         Consultative

·         Casual

·         Intimate

The most popular categories or topics for speeches include the following domains. Selecting a domain you want to concentrate on can help you frame your speech better and avoid distractions. Here is a list of the most popular domains for selecting a speech topic.

·         Health

·         Arts/Culture

·         Technology

·         Economics

·         Sports

·         Education.

·         Science/Environment

·         Ethics

·         Government/Politics

 

While giving a speech, you must engage your audience. Writing an engaging speech is difficult and delivering one can be even more challenging. To make sure you can grab attention and successfully hold it, make sure that you:

·         Do your research thoroughly to know what you are talking about in great detail and answer any questions your audience may have for you.

·         Consider all perspectives of an argument.

·         Write your speech in such a way that it appeals to your audience. This can involve language, tone, or content. Therefore, make sure you know your audience so that you can cater to them.

 

Now let’s discuss the speech topics under the most popular domains:

 

HEALTH

 

1.       Meat-based and vegetarian diets are equally healthy.

2.       ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder)/ ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) should be medicated.

3.       Free access to condoms prevents teen pregnancies.

4.       Addiction is a disease and not a choice.

5.       Chocolate is Healthy

6.       Abortion should be legal worldwide.

7.       Moral Dilemma surrounding Euthanasia

8.       The Dark World of Diet Pills

9.       Why has Electroconvulsive Therapy been stopped

10.   Do Homeopathic Treatments Work?

 

ARTS/ CULTURE

 

1.       Influence of popular art on culture

2.       Japanese Calligraphic styles and materials

3.       Henna patternsacross the Middle East, India, and Africa

4.       Fashion mad textile in Asian Tribes.

5.       Bollywood and the Hindi film industry.

6.       How did scientific discoveries of the age influence Greek architecture?

7.       The Great Wall of China

8.       Women and politics: Starting from Ancient Rome to today.

9.       The most significant piece of art of the 20th century

10.   Graffiti art or vandalism?

11.   The art of Photography

12.   How did Paris become the center of art?

13.   Significance of art in our lives

14.   Rise and decline in the popularity of the television

 

TECHNOLOGY

1.       Impact of Technology on Language

2.       The Evolution of the Internet

3.       How do Satellites work?

4.       Computers through the Ages

5.       Nuclear Power as a renewable source of Energy

6.       Cyber Bullying

7.       Is Judgement Day Real?

8.       The future of Robots

9.       Social Media and the Brain

10.   Violence and Video Games

ECONOMICS

1.       How did The People’s Republic of China’s Economy boom?

2.       Japanese Economic Revolution

3.       The great depression

4.       The COVID-19 Recession

5.       Comparison Between the Great Depression and the 2020 Economic Crisis

6.       Impact of Education on Economy

7.       A decrease in Inflation leads to an increase in Unemployment.

8.       Progressive Taxations should be Universal.

9.       Environmental Taxation

10.   The Economy of Developing Countries

 

SPORTS

1.            Sports for All Ages

2.            Worst Sporting Trades through History

3.            Dangers of Gymnastics

4.            Drug Abuse in the Sports Industry

5.            Trans people in Sports

6.            Most Popular Sports in the World

7.            Why are Sports Engaging to watch

8.            Community spirit in Sports

9.            Gladiator Fighting as a sport

10.          Why are Bull-runs illegal?

 

EDUCATION

1.       Education for the differently-abled

2.       Education for Special needs children

3.       Importance of Adult schooling

4.       Night school

5.       Impact of Education on Economy

6.       Education as a right

7.       Educating the female child

8.       Importance of regularly updating the curriculum

9.       Should children be allowed to pick their courses?

10.   Teacher-student interactions

11.   Should teachers be paid more

12.   Do test scores determine a student's intelligence.

13.   Is our education practical?

14.   Is learning more than two languages in school beneficial in any way?

15.   Learning disabilities in higher education

 

SCIENCE

1.       Evolution: from primates to today

2.       Albert Einstein

3.       Isaac Newton

4.       Nuclear Energy

5.       Ethics in Science

6.       Impact of World War II on science

7.       Nuremberg Trials

8.       Scientific Breakthroughs during the Cold War

9.       Was the Moon Landing faked?

10.   How do we know the Earth isn’t Flat?

11.   Colonizing Mars

12.   Water on the Moon

13.   How do you become an Astronaut?

14.   History of Vaccination

15.    The Anti-vax Movemen

ENVIRONMENT

1.       Is Climate Change Real?

2.       Why is Ice Melting?

3.       Can we Refreeze the Arctic?

4.       Genetically Modified Organisms

5.       How to Dispose of your waste

6.       What is your Carbon Footprint?

7.       Go Vegan to Save the Environment?

8.       The Green Revolution

9.       Industries and Global Warming

10.   Climate Change Denial and its Impact

 

ETHICS

1.       Ethics in Science

2.       The Nuremberg Code

3.       Honesty is Not Always the Best Policy

4.       Tolerance

5.       Social Justice Warriors

6.       Slapp Suits

7.       Is the Constitution Ethical?

8.       Why is hunting unethical?

9.       Black Money

10.   Black Markets

11.   Underage Alcohol Consumption

12.   Red Tape

 

POLITICS

1.       Immigration

2.       Free Trade Agreements

3.       Pros and Cons of Brexit

4.       Significant Women in Politics

5.       Rise of Representation in Politics

6.       Should Communism be Promoted

7.       The Ugly Side of Capitalism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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