Descriptive English (Essay and Précis Writing)
Descriptive English is the Tier-II writing test: an essay and a précis. It assesses structure, relevance, grammar and the ability to compress a passage without losing its argument. The essay is short-often around 200 words-so every paragraph must carry a clear function.
Core rules
- Essay: choose a topic you can support; state a thesis in the introduction; use 2–3 body paragraphs with one idea each; conclude with a position, not a new point.
- Précis: read twice; identify the central idea; reduce to about one-third; use own words; keep third person; omit examples, figures, repetitions and rhetoric; write one continuous paragraph.
- If a title is required, make it short and central.
- Link sentences with cause, contrast and consequence; avoid lists and SMS abbreviations.
Worked example
Passage: 'Digital payments have cut transaction costs and expanded access to finance. But the speed of transactions has also made users vulnerable to OTP fraud and phishing. Regulation alone cannot protect consumers; financial literacy must accompany innovation.' Précis: 'Digital payments lower costs and widen financial access, but they also increase vulnerability to fraud; consumer education must therefore accompany innovation.' Reasoning: retain the contrast between benefit and risk and the policy conclusion; drop specific examples such as OTP and phishing. The précis is about one-third the length and keeps the author's logic.
Traps
Copying whole sentences; exceeding the word limit; adding personal opinion to a précis; writing an essay without a clear stand; using rhetorical questions as structure; ignoring grammar in the rush to finish.