SBI PO Mains: Essay Writing for Descriptive Section 2023

SBI PO Mains 2023 – The SBI PO descriptive section for 2023 will test you on two aspects only – Essay Writing & Letter writing. Previously Précis, Comprehension, and Paragraph writing were also a part. In today’s article, we will take a closer look at how to approach Essay Writing.

What should an Essay comprise of?

An essay is nothing but a short piece of writing on a particular topic. What sets an essay apart is not just being error-free in terms of grammar and spelling but also the structure and flow of ideas in the essay. A basic but ideal structure to follow is:-

1) Introduction:- This should contain a brief introduction of the topic with an explain the background of the topic. Use this section also to briefly mention your view on the topic before elaborating on that in the body paragraphs.

2) Body Paragraphs:- The body paragraphs (or the middle paragraphs) are used to present one’s point of view on the subject in a detailed manner.  You should restrict the number of paragraphs here to 2 or 3. The purpose of the body is to list in detail the examples that support your view. It is always advised to put forth your strongest argument first followed by the second strongest one and so on.  Each paragraph should contain one idea and sentences supporting it.

3) Conclusion:- The conclusion is the place to restate the main argument/view you made by showing the connections made between the different points in your essay. However, one should not use the same words to do so.
The conclusion should also not be a place to introduce any new idea or thought but just a summary of your main argument using some of the strongest evidence supporting it.

 Plan Before You Type:-

Although it may seem like a waste of time, it is important to spend a few minutes to first plan and think about what you are writing instead of immediately writing. If you have 15 minutes for one essay, spending about 5 minutes on planning your essay can save a lot of time on thinking while you type. Most people who don’t plan before writing tend to get stuck in the middle or run out of ideas and are forced to think after writing a portion of the essay. This will hamper the flow and structure of your essay if you try to generate ideas while typing.

Spend a few minutes outlining the points you want to make. Make rough points on the introduction, the stance you are taking along with supporting arguments. Make sure you have your sequence with the strongest arguments first and then the remaining arguments.

DOs and DONTs:-

1. Make a time strategy while you practice. For eg: If it’s 15 minutes for one essay, then have 5 -7- 3 plans where you spend 5 minutes planning, 8 minutes typing, and then 2 minutes reading through the final essay to eliminate any grammatical or spelling errors. Make sure you do get the time to read and check for any errors. You can tweak the time-break up and choose one that works for you.
2. Stick to the word limit provided. If no word limit is provided, try to limit your essay to around 250-300 words.
3. Avoid using colloquial, slang, or SMS ‘lingo’ while you type. No using of “I’m”, “wat”, “thx”,”ASAP”, “gr8” etc. or use of informal language such as ‘veggies’ instead of vegetables, ‘Kids’ instead of Children, ‘Anyways’ instead of Nevertheless etc.
4. Use simple language. Even if your vocabulary is very strong, use words and sentences that you believe most of the readers will understand. No extra points are given for using difficult words that very few understand. In fact, it can be detrimental. For eg: “The deleterious effects of smoking…. ” vs ” The harmful effects of smoking… “
5. Do NOT use “I think…”, “I feel… ” , “In my opinion” etc. Avoid the use of first-person and second-person pronouns throughout the essay.
6. Do NOT make broad generalizations such as “Everyone knows that Narendra Modi is a good Prime Minister”. Instead one could say that “Several people believe that Narendra Modi is a good Prime Minister” and this statement can be supported by the text in the essay.

Sample Topics for practice:

1. Consequences of Brexit
2. Effect of fake news on social media
3. Startup Ecosystem in India
4. Cybersecurity and Banking
5. India and PISA 2021
6. AFSPA: Should it be repealed?
7. Australian Bushfire – Climate Change
8. India’s exit from RCEP with ASEAN
9. Impact of Flipkart takeover by Walmart
10. Delhi NCR Pollution: An Unsolved Problem
11. Government versus RBI Autonomy
12. Workplace safety and work-to-home safety of women is the responsibility of the employer.
13. The growing menace of Drug abuse in India
14. Automation drives new skill shifts towards ‘more human skills’
15. Keeping up with the data eruption
16. India’s economic slowdown – Causes and consequences
17. Employee engagement over employee experience
18. DIGITAL PAYMENTS – Issues and Opportunities in India
19. Trade protectionist policies and their impact on India
20. Relevance of BRICS in the changing global order
21. J&K Becoming a Union Territory
22. New Regulatory Regime for Technology Giants
23. he merger of SBI with its associates
24. Resentment over the 7th Pay Commission
25. MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) formation
26. Rising NPAs of Indian Banks
27. India’s NSG Debacle
28. What to expect from the new RBI Governor
29. 7% Growth in Indian Economy: Figures and Realities
30. Make In India: Where we have reached
31. 2 Years of Modi Government: Achievements and Challenges

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