Essay Writing
NECO English Language Paper 2, Section A asks you to write one essay of about 450 words chosen from several topics. The topics cover narrative, descriptive, argumentative and expository writing, and usually at least one letter (formal or informal), plus sometimes an article, speech or report. You are marked on content, organisation, expression and mechanical accuracy, so planning and format matter as much as vocabulary.
Match the form to the prompt
- Narrative: past tense, a clear sequence of events, a climax; avoid a tacked-on moral.
- Argumentative: take one side, develop three or four points, anticipate the opposing view.
- Expository: explain a process or idea; do not plead or argue.
- Formal letter: two addresses, date, salutation Dear Sir/Madam, a title, and Yours faithfully.
Worked example
Prompt: Write a letter to your Local Government Chairman complaining about refuse disposal in your area. A strong answer opens with the writer's address and the chairman's address, then the date, then Dear Sir, then a title such as THE POOR STATE OF REFUSE DISPOSAL IN ODOGBO. The first paragraph states the purpose in one sentence; the middle paragraphs give two or three concrete complaints (overflowing bins, blocked drains, health risks); the final paragraph requests specific action and closes with Yours faithfully, followed by a signature and full name. Reasoning: examiners check the format first, then whether each paragraph advances the complaint.
Traps
- Signing off Yours sincerely after Dear Sir - the correct pairing is Dear Sir → Yours faithfully.
- Omitting the writer's own address or the date.
- Writing a story when the prompt asks you to argue.
- Using contractions, slang or the pronoun you in a formal letter.