ESSAY & LETTER WRITING for
BANK EXAMS Including Solved Papers of
z LIC AAO (MAIN) EXAM, 28.06.2019 z SBI PO PHASE-II (MAIN) EXAM 20.07.2019 z IBPS BANK PO/MT (MAIN) EXAM 30.11.2019
SOLVED PAPERS
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CONTENTS
Q
Advice : Essay Writing ..................................................................................EL–5 Q Advice : Letter Writing ................................................................................EL–23
MODEL PRACTICE SETS Model Practice Set-01 .................. EL–43 Model Practice Set-02 .................. EL–45 Model Practice Set-03 .................. EL–47 Model Practice Set-04 .................. EL–50 Model Practice Set-05 .................. EL–53 Model Practice Set-06 .................. EL–56 Model Practice Set-07 .................. EL–59 Model Practice Set-08 .................. EL–61
Model Practice Set-14 .................. EL–74 Model Practice Set-15 .................. EL–77 Model Practice Set-16 .................. EL–80 Model Practice Set-17 .................. EL–83 Model Practice Set-18 .................. EL–86 Model Practice Set-19 .................. EL–89 Model Practice Set-20 .................. EL–92
Model Practice Set-09 .................. EL–63 Model Practice Set-10 .................. EL–65 Model Practice Set-11 .................. EL–68 Model Practice Set-12 .................. EL–70
Model Practice Set-21 .................. EL–94
Model Practice Set-13 .................. EL–72
Model Practice Set-25 ................ EL–106
Model Practice Set-22 .................. EL–97 Model Practice Set-23 ................ EL–100 Model Practice Set-24 ................ EL–103
MODEL SOLVED PAPERS SET-26
SET-34
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE, 18.09.2011 .... EL–109
SBI PO MAIN EXAM, 29.11.2014 ........... EL–140
SET-27
SET-35
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE, 17.06.2012 (1st SITTING) ...................................... EL–113
SBI PO PHASE-II (MAIN) EXAM, 26.07.2015 ................................ EL–144
SET-28 IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE, 17.06.2012 (2nd SITTING) ..................................... EL–115
SET-29 IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE, 28.03.2013 .... EL–117
SET-30 SBI MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE EXAM, 22.02.2014 ................................ EL–121
SET-31 SBI MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE EXAM, 21.06.2014 ................................ EL–127
SET-32 SBI MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE EXAM, 28.06.2014 ................................ EL–131
SET-33 SBI PO MAIN EXAM, 19.09.2014 ........... EL–137
SET-36 SBI PO ONLINE MAIN EXAM, 31.07.2016 .. EL–146
SET-37 IBPS BANK PO MAIN EXAM, 26.11.2017 ... EL–149
SET-38 SBI PO PHASE-II (MAIN) EXAM, 05.08.2018 ................................ EL–153
SET-39 IBPS BANK PO MAINS MAIN EXAM, 18.11.2018 ................................ EL–155
SET-40 LIC AAO EXAM, 28.06.2019 .................. EL–159
SET-41 SBI PO PHASE-II MAIN EXAM 20.07.2019 ................................ EL–161
SET-42 IBPS BANK PO/MT (MAIN) EXAM 30.11.2019 .......................................... EL–163
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ADVICE : ESSAY WRITING
Essay Writing INTRODUCTION Most of the major banking recruitment exams such as IBPS PO Mains, SBI PO Mains, RBI Grade B etc. consist of a English Descriptive Writing Section in their recruitment process. These exams are among the most challenging exams conducted in India. There is also a descriptive section in it. The descriptive part is found to be challenging especially by the students who keep practicing for the objective part without giving time to the descriptive section. The descriptive section should not be taken lightly because the difference in score can be too much here. Even if you have done well in the objective part, your hard work may go in-vain if you do not perform well in the descriptive part. Since there is stiff competition for this exam, the only way to beat the competition is by performing well in the descriptive part. In the descriptive part, you have to write an essay and a letter out of the given topics in both. In IBPS PO Mains, the descriptive paper is of 50 marks and there is a minimum cut off of 20 marks. Also, it is not just of the qualifying nature as the marks scored in this paper will be added to the Mains marks and total marks will be considered for short listing candidates for the interview. This section should be prepared well as this is a scoring section in the paper which may make or break your chances to the final list. Many successful candidates who cleared the exam reported that descriptive paper played an important role in the overall merit list. They credited their success to having performed well in the descriptive segment. Q
WHY IS THERE A DESCRIPTIVE PAPER IN BANK EXAMS?
A bank job requires continuous interaction with customers, analyzing information and effective communication. These are the exact traits tested by the descriptive writing section. Essay Writing:It tests you on your ability to organize and structure thoughts & ideas. It requires good writing skills and imagination. It also tests your understanding of the topic or theme on which you have to write the essay. There are several writing skills tested in the essay writing. You are tested for spelling and grammar. The examiners also want to see, if you can express your thoughts coherently over a single topic or theme.
WHY ESSAY WRITING IS IMPORTANT Essay writing has important skills development and educational functions. It allows you to practise and develop transferable skills that are valuable to you not only while you’re a student but also when you graduate and have to write in a professional role. These transferable skills include ´ reading and note-making, ´ critical thinking and analysis, ´ organising ideas, ´ arguing a case, ´ and communicating effectively with a reader. It encourages you to develop a formal, disciplined approach to writing that communicates clearly and with authority. It gives you a focus for exploring and consolidating what you’re learning. It allows you to develop and organise your thinking about key concepts and issues in the course you’re studying. Reading your essay allows your lecturer to assess the degree to which you have engaged with learning and transformed information into knowledge.
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KIRAN’S ESSAY & LETTER WRITING
SOME IMPORTANT TIPS FOR WRITING ESSAY FOR BANK EXAMS A. READ NEWSPAPER EVERYDAY: A good newspaper not only improves your reading and writing skills but also keeps you updated with the current events. Candidates should read one standard news paper daily to improve their English and vocabulary. It will take time and they have to focus and concentrate on the news. “The Hindu” is the most loving newspaper by question paper setters. Don’t spend the whole day in reading but read its business and editorial section for preparation of descriptive writing test, which makes you comfortable to their writing style which is really difficult to understand for new one and also improve your writing skills. B. VOCABULARY IMPROVEMENT: To improve your vocabulary, learn some new words daily and try to practice in the daily use. Newspaper reading also improves your vocabulary and also read different preparation books to improve their English section as well as your writing skills. Also while reading newspaper underline some difficult words that you do not understand. Write these words down and write their meanings with the help of a dictionary and then use these words in sentences. C. WRITE AT LEAST ONE ARTICLE DAILY: Try to write at least one article everyday in your own words on any current topic from the newspaper or trending topics. Keep a separate notebook just for writing practice. Write at least one essay of 250 words on a burning topic that you have found in the newspaper and show it to someone, a senior or a teacher every few days. D. READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY: Make sure that you go through the instructions given in the question as well as the word limit properly before you begin your essay. It often happens that we mentally note or read the topic as we have read or practiced. For example, if A has prepared the essay on effects of global warming, the long question asks briefly what is global warming and how to mitigate effects of the global warming, the chances are that A will write on the effects of global warming without bothering to write on how to mitigate its effects. Therefore, you not only need to read the question properly but also need to write a balanced answer as expected in the question. E. PERFECTION IN GRAMMAR: Candidates should have good command on grammar to write an essay. Make sure that your essay is free of grammatical and spelling mistakes. So start to learn the basic grammar skills. In essay writing your knowledge counts but your expression skills count even more. So, even if you know the topic well, if you do not express it properly for the lack of grammar, you will not do well in the exam. F. AVOIDANCE OF SENTENCES REPETITION: Always try to avoid the repetition of sentences in your essay because this may impact the bad impression of your writing skills. The repetition often comes from the lack of information. If you do not know your topic well, the chances are that you will keep beating about the bush and repeat the ideas in different sentences. G. PARTITION OF THE ESSAY: Try to divide your essay into at least 3-4 paragraphs. (a) The first paragraph should be the introduction part where you go for general discussion about the topic. (b) The body of the essay should be divided into at least 2 paragraphs. (c) The last paragraph should be the conclusion.
MORE TIPS TO GAIN CONFIDENCE IN ESSAY WRITING Q
TIPS FOR WRITING A GOOD ESSAY 1. The first and foremost thing that ensures your success in essay writing for exam is what you present in your essay, your ideas and thoughts. They expect from you a great deal of knowledge about the topic, maturity in your thoughts and ideas, thoughts based on facts supporting or opposing the topic, widely accepted thoughts, multi-dimensional approach to explain about the topic and proper way of expressing your ideas and thoughts. 2. Go through well written essays by experts in newspapers and magazines, and understand how they frame the ‘Introduction’ and ‘Conclusion’ passages. 3. There should be a logical continuation from beginning to end. 4. Essay should be organized in well structured paragraphs coherent with the flow of the essay. 5. Don’t be too aggressive or pessimistic in your tone.
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ADVICE : ESSAY WRITING 6. Come up with strong points (arguments) and express new view points elaborately. 7. Write mock essays and get it evaluated by experts in the field. 8. Stick to the basics;parts of speech, tenses, punctuation, sentence structure, vocabulary, paragraph writing, and all other basic components of English should be learnt. This can be done by reading a simple grammar book. 9. There are few common rules of writing essay that should be learnt rigorously. 10. Practicing short essays will give you command over essay writing. 11. Going through past papers, and by following current trends, shortlist some topics and collect relevant material. How much will be sufficient can be gauged by developing detailed outline of each topic. 12. Material for English Essays can be gathered from two sources: One; books, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc. Two; from official documents like Quarterly reports of SBP, Economic Survey; reports of international agencies like WB, IMF, ADB, UN, USAID etc; treaties, agreements, etc. They are significant in order to strengthen your discourse skills. 13. Practice essay after Banking pattern and get it evaluated. This should be done regularly. In this way, you will feel less pressure in actual examination. 14. First thing that I would suggest you to do and start right now is to start reading The Hindu or any othernewspaper. Make a routine of reading specially its Editorials and Opinion Pages. 15. Start from English Newspaper. A ny national Newspaper is the best choice in this regard. Start reading daily basis. Go through from your areas of interest. Read headlines and editorials. And note down difficult words. Check their meaning from dictionary and use them in your own sentences. Reading is the per-requisite to learn English. You can read books, novels etc based on your interest. 16. Grammar is the backbone of English writing. The most recommended book in this regard is Wren and Martin English Grammar. Its key is also available on book stores. You can do exercises from this book on daily basis. 17. Start writing from your daily routine. At the end of the day try to write everything you have done. Move on gradually to paragraph writing. Read articles from English Newspapers or some paragraph from any book and try to describe that in your own words. 18. For Essay Topics, go through past papers. Start writing on simple topics first like Education, Women Empowerment, Terrorism, Role of Media in our daily lives etc. Once you are able to write on these topics, move towards actual topics from the past papers. 19. Once you have selected a topic for essay writing, do some brainstorming on that topic. Note down all the points and aspects of that topic. Now re-arrange and organize your points. Make an outline. Describe those headings in outline in one paragraph for each. Again I would say that extensive study can be much helpful in this regard. Read articles, books, paragraphs regarding that topic. 20. Generally the format of an Essay should include (a) Introduction (b) Thesis Statement (c) Causes (d) Effects (e) Remedies (f) Conclusion 21. Read different sample Essays to get a better understanding of what an Essay should be look like. 22. Do not spend all the time on Essay writing. Make a schedule for week or for month whatever suits you. Choose a topic on weekly basis. Fix weekend days Saturday and Sunday for writing practice and read and collect material for that essay in other days. You can assign say two to three hours daily for this thing. 23. Get your work checked by some good teacher or post it on a blog where other members will help you out. 24. You should have the habit of general reading because it is what you learn that you present in your essay. General study as much as possible is quite helpful. Observe and analyze whatever you learn as well as have your own perspective about it to explore it. 25. The way you describe, explain, elaborate or discuss about an idea counts a lot for writing a good essay. Always try to write in a simple, clear and easily comprehensible manner. Never write ideas in a convoluted manner. Write short and simple sentences instead writing very long sentences containing many clauses. Writing on different dimensions of the subject matter should be in a way that each aspect should be fully unveiled so that there may be no room for ambiguity for the reader.
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KIRAN’S ESSAY & LETTER WRITING
ABOUT ESSAY PAPER IN BANK EXAMS Mains paper of any Officer scale banking exam has gone through a series of changes of late, from soaring difficulty levels and pattern changes to the introduction of sectional time limits and now no sectional cut-offs in SBI PO. But the most important addition that surprisingly doesn’t attract much attention is the Descriptive section. The section was added to test the writing skills of the future officers. Q
WEIGHTAGE IN DECIDING CUT-OFF
Apart from four sections in the objective test, the mains exams nowadays also consist of an English language descriptive writing test. Questions: Generally, candidates have to attempt two questions. One question on essay writing; one on letter writing There is an internal choice available for each of the two questions. Maximum marks: 25 (IBPS PO 2017) /50 (in SBI PO 2018, Dena Bank 2017) Duration of exam: 30 minutes Cut-off: 20 marks in SBI PO Most of the candidates prepare hard for the objective test but due attention and time is not given to the descriptive section, which has the potential to land one’s name in the final merit. Good score in the descriptive exam can give one the desired cushion of extra marks and might also reduce the dependency on one’s performance in the interview. Take the example of the SBI PO Mains 2017: the cut off for the objective exam was 50/200 and for descriptive cut-off was 20/50 and final cut off for mains was 89.25/250. Now consider a candidate scores just 50 in objective but 40 in descriptive would be able to clear the cut-off. But a real benefit is if one score slightly more than the objective cut off say 75 marks and now 40 marks in descriptive take the score to 115 now with even 25 in GD and PI one can achieve selection. Q
ANALYSIS OF THE ESSAY PAPER IN BANK EXAMS ´
Take a look at the questions on essay asked in previous exams. You will note that most of the questions on essay are based on current topics. ´ The current topics mostly touched are from three broad areas (i) Political and Social (ii) Economy and (iii) Environment and Science ´ Within the broad area of economy, it is noted that there are many questions on bank and banking related issues. ´ Within the broad area of Social and Developmental, it is noticed that topics related to women are frequently asked. The current issues can be divided into two broad areas – dynamic and static. The dynamic topics remain current for a short time, while the static topics remain relevant for a long time. Moreover the static topics do not require an in-depth but only a broad understanding of the issues. Take a look at the questions asked in the previous exams this time to note the static and dynamic questions on essay asked in the previous exams. You will note that there are few, if any questions. However, in recent years some of the topics that have remained in discussion are partly static and partly dynamic. Some of these topics include globalization, gender justice, internet, social media, women’s empowerment, e-commerce, cashless transaction/economy, cyber crime and several others. At the national level some of the topics of discussion include Adhar card, GST, Beti Padhao Beti Bachao, Mudra Yojana, Black money, demonetization, Swachha Bharat Mission, Chandrayan, terrorism and so on. These topics will remain important for some time to come. These topics fall somewhere between static and dynamic topics. Your focus of preparation should be on these topics and other latest topics. In addition, there are some static topics of evergreen nature such as Indian agriculture’s dependence on monsoon, generation gap, man and technology, Presidential form of government in India and its viability, unemployment in India, future of banking industry, and so on. These topics were as relevant two decades ago as they are today. Only the matter to be written will change.
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ADVICE : ESSAY WRITING
LIST OF ESSAY WRITING TOPICS ASKED IN PREVIOUS SBI & BOB PO EXAMES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.
Pros and cons of ‘one rank one pension’ scheme. Over-dependence on monsoon. Ethical problems of e-commerce. Women’s Safety - It is our responsibility. Over-dependence on monsoon. Ethical problems of e-commerce. Is election commission right in banning election symbols during casting of votes? Role of uneducated people in Indian Economy. Is the generation gap a myth? Enslavement of man by technology. Is a presidential form of government suitable for India? Those who save More are Taxed More. Justify The Viability of Presidential Form of Govt In India. Benefits of Mutual fund investments. United Nation Organization’s contribution towards the recent turmoil’s in Ukraine. India’s Place in research paper survey. Suggestions to alleviate the unemployment problem. Role of newspapers in influencing society or youth. The contribution of unskilled labour in Indian economy. How can education in the economy be inchuded in the college study? Future of Banking Industry. Pros and cons of allowing 10-year-old children to open accounts. How is the economy related to common man? How far can a press have a license to infringe in others privacy? Relevance of Swadeshi on Globalization. There is no permanent friend or enemy in politics, give examples from Indian politics. Two types function of government are necessary and optional. If I were the minister of Banking Industry. Role of effective credit rating. Tackling communication gap between the families due to mass media and internet. Advantages of classroom education over distance learning Transformation caused on workplace by Information Technology in past two decades Economic importance of tourism. Will India ever be a developed country? Women Empowerment Banking Risk and Management. Setting personal financial goal early in life. Benefit and Disadvantages of E-Commerce. Pros and Cons of outsourcing of banking activities. Stable government is important for economic growth. How is NABARD a boon to Indian Agricultural Sector? How Have Nationalized Banks contributed to the growth of Economy in India? Mobile Technology – Growing Trend in Education Space. How Tourism affects Religious pilgrimage? Brexit ( UK withdrawal from the EU). What will be the Impact on India Economy? Role of Small & Payment Banks in Financial Inclusion? How could a Bankruptcy Code improve the Financial Inclusion? Importance of time management in professional life. Effect of environment and a person’s genes on the development of his personality traits. Travelling is better than watching movies and documentary. Why Technology’s being in power is a menace? Effect of social media and its consequences on our population.
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KIRAN’S ESSAY & LETTER WRITING
HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY When writing an essay for the competitive exam, you have not only to focus on presentation but you need to also give attention to the format. The essay when framed in a proper format, makes your essay logical, consistent, and focused to the theme. Once you understand the format well, the essay writing will become one of the easiest things to tackle in a descriptive paper. The format is presented below. While practicing essay writing, you must follow this format to score high. 1. INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH : The introduction is meant to introduce the subject. A good essay intrigues the examiner while discussing the introduction so that the examiner takes an interest in reading the essay. In the first two to four sentences, which is your introductory part, you should make a central point about the topic that you will discuss in the forthcoming paragraphs. In an essay of about 250 words, you should generally devote 10 to 15 percent to introduction. This comes to about three to four sentences or about 25 to 40 words. Example of an Introductory Paragraph: Suppose you are given a topic to write on and the topic is Effective Leadership. HERE’S AN INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH OF THIS ESSAY: Leadership is a quality that awes and inspires the followers to grow and develop. An effective leaders is also a popular leader because the effective leaders not only inspires and converts people into followers but also motivates them to achieve greater heights. This introductory paragraph is about 40 words. As you can see the paragraph has quickly introduced the subject matter. The only problem here is that the sentence is too long. Most of the students are likely to commit mistakes in the construction of long sentences. Therefore, let us see if the long sentence can be broken down in to two sentences. So we can write: An effective leader is a popular leader. Effective leaders not only inspire and convert people into followers but also motivate them to achieve greater heights. The advice here is to make short sentences, if making long sentences can result in making grammatical errors.
THE BODY PARAGRAPHS This consists of at least two paragraphs or more and hence it is the lengthiest part of your essay. This is also the segment where you write the substance. In these paragraphs you put forth your arguments, view points, comparison and contrasts, examples, draw parallels with the aim to strengthen the points you are making. In other words, in the body section of the essay, you provide more detailed evidence of the validity of the points you are making. You have to provide facts that are relevant to the topic and that are used as the evidence in support of the topic. If you express an idea or view, you must attempt to back them up with strong evidence or facts or arguments. If you are providing evidence, you must ensure to use credible source in support. For example, according to the latest Economic Survey Report…., or, according to the The Times of India, dated November 9, 2018……etc. When you are writing the main body, you must make an attempt to make it reasonable. Even when you are presenting your personal view point, you must be careful. It should not appear imaginary or off the mark. You must argue your view point logically. You must also provide an accurate data whenever you are supporting a contention or view point. For example, India has the highest number of child workers. According to Economic Survey, 2018, there were ______ (fill the blank with the correct figure) child workers in India. In an essay of 250 words, nearly 70% to 80% content should be devoted to the body paragraphs, which comes to about 175 to 200 words. Here is an example of the body paragraphs: Suppose we are given the topic of Effective Leadership to write on (Its introduction has already been provided above), then its body paragraphs will be as follows:
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ADVICE : ESSAY WRITING Leadership is a unique quality that not everyone can possess. If you already have it in you then consider yourself lucky. It is suggested to hone it further in order to take your career in the right direction and also to be an inspiration for those around you. Few leadership qualities you should possess in order to be successful in your venture are to listen attentively and talk less. Effective action is the key to successful leadership skills. A leader should always be Rational and Reasonable in their work. A leader should always own up their work and not pin point at others. A leader should be passionate about his work and be dedicated towards it always. A leader should identify his strength and eliminate his weaknesses to keep his task ongoing. A leader should sharpen and be wise with his decision-making skills. Discipline is the key to a successful and organised achievement of the specified task which a leader should possess by nature. A leader should not have ego clashes with its subordinates and should know how to forgive and lead the team by being approached in nature and an eminent problem solver. The body consists of 194 words. There are two paragraphs in the body. The first paragraph exhorts you to develop leadership skills and hone your skills to become an effective leader, who is also a successful leader. The second paragraph details the skills of a leader. It also discusses what an effective leader should have and what they should avoid.
THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH The concluding paragraph should be about 25 to 40 words or about 10 to 15 percent of the total word count. This is the last paragraph of the essay which should offer a critical account of the essay. It should briefly summarize in two to three sentences what you have discussed in the body. The purpose of the concluding paragraph is to let the examiner know the main issues you discussed. It should convincingly summarize the body briefly to leave an impact on the examiner. Here is the concluding paragraph of the essay topic we are discussing. The topic is Effective Leadership. There are several qualities of an effective leadership as discussed above. If you find these qualities in you, then you certainly have the potential to emerge as a successful leader. The conclusion above is about 30 words and it summarizes the discussion above. The body paragraph motivates the reader for a successful role and the paragraph also highlights the qualities of an effective leader. The conclusion restates this fact in a sentence by saying that there are several qualities of an effective leadership.
SOME MORE EXAMPLES In bank exams, as you may have noted there are essays on different themes and most of the topics have to do with something that has been a part of the current discussion for a long time. There are also topics that are part of the government programmes such as Mudra Yojana, Start up India, Swachha Bharat Yojana etc. These essays are factual in naute but you don’t have to write just facts but give them the shape of an essay. Let us understand how this can be done. Suppose you get a topic “Special Economic Zones: Boon or Bane”. It is clear from the topic that you have to take a stand. If you take a stand that Special Economic Zones are a boon then you have to give evidence and facts in its favor. Since the essay is short (only 250 words), you don’t have much space to write on both the sides and compare the two to come to the conclusion as to how boon overweighs bane. Therefore, you have to write only on either boon or bane. Q
INTRODUCTION
Your introduction will go something like this: Special Economic Zones are specifically delineated duty free enclaves. They enjoy special privileges as compared to the non-SEZ areas in the country. SEZs are established to promote exports and attract investments by concentrating resources along with relaxation in rules in some pockets. The introduction is of 42 words. The introduction briefly states the purpose of SEZ.
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KIRAN’S ESSAY & LETTER WRITING Q
BODY PARAGRAPHS
The body paragraphs will prove or evidence how and why special economic zones are a boon. Here are the body paragraphs: In my view, SEZs are a boon to the nation and its people. They have various benefits. The SEZ enclaves are meant to showcase the country’s manufacturing prowess and its fast developing services sector-especially its world class enterprises in the area of Information Technology (IT), Computer Software and Hardware skills. However, SEZs go beyond the concepts of just industrial concentrations as they have a mix of both industrial and human settlements. Conceptually, they are akin to Free Trade Zones (FTZs) which also offer similar incentives and benefits of trade and commerce within the regions. The Foreign Trade Policy clearly states that SEZs are growth engines that can boost manufacturing, increase exports and generate sizeable employment. The SEZ Policy also gives an impetus to private sector to overcome the country’s infrastructure problems which are considered to be a roadblock to attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). While foreign investors are attracted towards India’s low-cost labour and strong domestic market, they are apprehensive about moving their products through the country’s poor network of roads, overburdened airports and clogged ports. The setting up of Special Economic Zones would result in the creation of lakhs of new jobs for skilled and unskilled workers. The body paragraph is about 190 words. In three paragraphs this essay attempts to highlight the advantages of special economic zones and thus demonstrate in what way and how the special economic zones can prove to be a boon.
CONCLUSIONS The purpose of the conclusion is to effectively summarize the main points and provide a concluding remark or insights. Considering the success of China’s SEZs, the SEZ model of development can lead to higher growth in India too. But we need to remove the bottlenecks and address the key issues that are closely connected with this model of development. The conclusion is also of 40 words. The conclusion summarizes the main points and compares with China to show why SEZs can prove successful in India. The conclusion adds or qualifies that bottlenecks and key issues must be addressed for the success of SEZ model of growth. It also needs to be reiterated that sample essays given here are not set in stone. You should not copy any one’s style but should attempt to develop your own style. Never mug up essays and reproduce them in the exams but should write everything on your own. This comes with writing practice. It never comes in a day or two. When you write essays continuously, you will definitely begin writing on your own on any topic. However, for banking exams, especially the topics that are factual in nature it is recommended that you should never attempt the topics you do not know much about. Therefore, along with consistent practice, you should also read a good newspaper every day. Choose the topic you are comfortable with when writing an essay. The essay topics can range from easy to difficult for a student writing descriptive section of a bank exam. Even if you write on an easy topic, the examiner is going to check your answer impartially. Here is an example of an essay topic that is easy to write:
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HOSTEL LIFE Hostel life is considered the best part of a student’s life. Those who have experienced it swear by it and those who haven’t wish they could. Hostel life is full of friends, fun and independence. It gives numerous memories to the students to cherish forever. A student who has experienced hostel life is better off at taking decisions and forming viewpoint about various things. However, hostel life also has certain set of disadvantages. Ask a hostel student if life in hostel is good or bad and he/she will narrate all the pros and cons of the hostel life. However, if you ask an adult who has had an experience of living in a hostel, he/she is likely to narrate his memories fondly and tell you that it was the best phase of his life. This is because there are certain difficulties of living in the hostel however the benefits it offers surpass and with time it is only the good that they remember. However, everyone can have a different experience.
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ADVICE : ESSAY WRITING It takes a few days for new students to adjust to the environment of the hostel. However, they soon get accustomed to the same and begin a journey which is cherished for a long time. From ironing clothes to shopping the things of necessity, we learn to do everything on our own. While some may find it a little difficult at times, it is also quite exciting to have found this feeling of independence. They learn to tackle different situations and take decisions on various matters on their own. They learn about the beauty and power of friendship. Friendships made during the hostel life last for a lifetime. To conclude, I would say, I am grateful to my parents for letting me experience the wonderful hostel life. This has made me grow mature and take care of most of my needs on my own. Q
REMARKS
This is an easy topic to write on but do not get confused with the topic. The topic says, “Advantages and Disadvantages”, which means you have to write both advantages and disadvantages. The topic we discussed just before this was Special Economic Zones: Boon or Bane. Here, you have to write either on boon or on bane. The point being made out here is that you must read the topic carefully. The topic may be easy to write on but if you have misinterpreted it, you will not score high. The topic itself will very often make it clear whether you are expected to write either on disadvantage or on advantage or whether you are expected to write on both within the same essay. Let us see some more examples:
IMPORTANCE OF NATIONALISM IN INDIA India is a land of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. Nationalism is the only thread which binds the people together in the thread of oneness, despite their belonging to different cultural-ethnic backgrounds. It plays an important role in uniting all Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Nationalism means the spirit of devotion to the nation, which must permeate the hearts and minds of every citizen of the country. This is the reason why national anthem is played in educational institutions, and now even in cinema halls before the start of the movies, and the curriculum is enriched with the life stories about the nation’s great sons, heroes and the freedom fighters. Indians have a deep sense of nationalism and this is the reason why they always stand untied when it comes to respecting and honouring their national flag, national anthem and national symbols, which all leads towards preservation of the unity and integrity of the country. Our country does not practice any sense of discrimination to any citizen as they enjoy all rights and privileges. It is the duty of all of us to foster the unity and integrity of India by a sense of nationalism that transcends all barriers of region, religion and language. Nationalism is the feeling which gives courage and strength to the soldiers to guard the borders of their country. If the citizens stand united despite being the followers of different religions, speaking different languages, and practicing diverse cultures of their regions, no internal or external threat can harm their country. India is a prominent example of this all-pervasive sense of nationalism that has always served the nation well. Q
REMARKS
Nationalism is a much discussed topic these days. This is a static topic which means this topic is as relevant today as it was earlier. However, its importance has grown once again in recent years. Therefore, this becomes relevant essay topic from the perspective of banking exams. Q
SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN - A MISSION
India that is Bharat is an ancient civilization. It is considered to be a pious nation; its people are very religious. India consists of people of various faiths; Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Shikhs, Parsis, Jains etc, and they follow their faiths very devotedly. But it is a sad reality of our country that all the cleanliness and piousness is only confined to religious activities or kitchen. We Indians are not concerned about the filth all around us everywhere; anywhere one looks large mounds of dirt will be found.
EL-13
KIRAN’S ESSAY & LETTER WRITING It’s not in our behaviour to keep our surrounding clean and sanitized. At the most we keep our own houses clean and it is of no concern of ours to be careful about streets, lanes, parks or other public places. Even after years of Independence, it is shameful that Indians are famous for their unhygienic behaviour. Recently, a new Government came into power and one of its main priorities are to make India clean. And for the same objective, the Government has launched a scheme in the name of “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”. The Government has associated the Abhiyan with Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi as he was a great champion of cleanliness. He was very much concerned about the dirty roads, streets, temples and specially, harizan bastis of the country. However, it has been clearly declared that the campaign is not only the duty of the Government but each and every citizen of the country is equally responsible to keep the nation clean or swachh. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had nominated the name of nine famous personalities from business industries, sports and Bollywood to drive the clean India campaign. He also had requested from all nine personalities to invite another nine personalities individually and requested to continue the chain in any corner all around the country. We can say Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a nice welcome step to the clean and green India. As we all heard about the most famous proverb that “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness”, we can say surely that clean India campaign will really bring godliness all over the country in few years if it is followed by the people of India in effective manner. Q
REMARKS
Swachha Bharat Abhiyan, the cleanliness mission has been in discussion in recent times. Therefore, the students appearing for banking exams should expect this topic. It doesn’t matter whether this topic has come earlier or not or whether this topic has been asked many times in many different bank exams. A topic can be repeated in exams and they are in fact repeated. We recommend you to read all the topics that have remained in news in recent years. You don’t have to mug up the essay. You need only to remember main points and then write the essay around these main points. Q
HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT?
Here’s an example of how we can elaborate an essay with just few points at you’re your command. 1. Step 1: Write down the points you have in a rough page. 1. Indians keep their home clean but public places dirty.(Introduction) 2. A new government came in power and one of its priorities is to keep the nation clean. 4. The government launched the scheme known as Swachha Bharat Abhiyan. 5. This mission is associated with cleanliness. 6. The abhiyan or the mission has been tied with the name of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation because Mahatma Gandhi championed the cause of cleanliness. 7. Swachha Bharat Abhiyan will not only fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi but make the public places and Harijan bastis of India clean. (If you notice, the points included here are in about 100 words. It is not difficult to write a 250 word essay based on these points) Another important point to be noted here is that this essay and the points being written here is from the perspective of a very average student who has not studied the subject matter well. It is expected from him that he will know the points written above at the minimum. He will know basically two points (i) Swachha Bharat Abhiyan by the new government is meant for the cleanliness of India, and (ii) Cleanliness was central to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, who championed the cause of cleanliness. In fact, the seven points including the introduction and conclusion have been formed from the two points above. In other words, if someone knows just two factual points, he can write a complete essay, as seen in the example above.
EL-14
ADVICE : ESSAY WRITING 2.Step 2: Write an introduction of 25 to 40 words : Here’s how it can be written: Indians keep their personal space such as home, kitchen, place of worship very clean but the public spaces are dirty. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will go a long way in cleaning India. (This two sentence introduction is of 32 words). Step 3: Elaborate upon the body paragraphs: Similarly, you can elaborate upon other points you have written. You only have to remember that this section (including all body paragraphs should be about 175 to 200 words) but they should be broken into two or more paragraphs and they should appear logical and consistent. The ideas should not appear broken. Here’s how you can do it: The second to the second last points will constitute the body paragraphs. The second sentence you have written is: A new government came in power and one of its priorities is to keep the nation clean. The above sentence can be elaborated as follows: In 2014, a new government came to power after the general elections in India. One of the major programme objectives of this government was the Clean India Mission, also known as Swachha Bharat Abhiyan. Some of the tasks included in this mission are to keep the public places in India clean and to construct toilets in every school and household. (This paragraph is about 60 words. With the help of other points, you should strive to write about 120 words more so that you have completed the body paragraphs. In the body paragraph above, you may notice that we have included the points 2, 4, and 5 above). Here’s the example of the second body paragraph based on point 5, although point 5 is already covered in the first body paragraph. The 5th point is “This mission is associated with cleanliness”. You can elaborate upon this point as follows: The campaign was officially launched on 2 October 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is India’s largest cleanliness drive to date with three million government employees and students from all parts of India participating in 4,043 cities, towns, and rural areas. Modi has called the campaign Satyagrah se Swachhagrah in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha launched on 10 April 1917. (This paragraph is about 65 words, so you can write one more paragraph of about 60 to 65 words out of point 6. The seventh point is the conclusion.) The next body paragraph may be written as follows: The sixth point you have written is “The abhiyan or the mission has been tied with the name of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation because Mahatma Gandhi championed the cause of cleanliness”. The above point can now be elaborated. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this mission on October 2, he especially emphasized how Mahatma Gandhi championed the cause of cleanliness. Since cleanliness was close to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of India, the first phase of this mission with the goal to construct toilets for all the schools and households is set to be completed on October 2, 2019. (This paragraph is about 60 words. Now your body paragraph is complete.) Step 4: Complete the conclusion : It is not necessary to write a separate point for conclusion. However, even if you have written a point separately for conclusion, it is ok. The 7th point we have written appears something like a conclusion. Here is the point: Swachha Bharat Abhiyan will not only fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi but make the public places and Harijan bastis of India clean. You can add a little more to this point to come to a conclusion. It is a matter of pride that within four to five years of this campaign, the open defecation has nearly ended. It is hoped that Swachha Bharat Abhiyan will not only fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi but make the public places and Harijan bastis of India clean. (The conclusion is 45 words and sums up the theme of the essay in two sentences.
EL-15