Lecture 15 Writing Skills Recap The three Writing

Lecture 15 Writing Skills

Recap • The three Writing Stages – Pre-writing – Writing – Re-writing • Exercise

Topic Highlights • • • What is Paragraph? Examples of Paragraph writing What is Essay? What makes a good essay? What is Précis? Technical Writing: – – – Email Letter Memorandum Resume/CV Email • Dos and Don'ts • Formal Writing Rules 3

Paragraph Writing • • • Definition Unity Topical Sentence Supporting Details Relevant Exercises 4

What is a paragraph? • introduces, presents and develops one main idea about the topic. • parts. – Topic Sentence (Beginning) – Supporting Details (Middle) – Closing Sentence (End) 5

A) THE TOPIC SENTENCE • • Normally the first sentence of the paragraph Conveys the overall point of view of the paragraph Helps the writer focus on the idea written about Helps the reader know about what the paragraph is all about 6

B) THE SUPPORTING DETAILS entences used • idea stated in the topic sentence main Provide information • the about idea through examples • Provide clear evidence that what the topic sentence says is trustworthy ng g • the topic sentence can rely upon 7

C) THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE • 8

Example: 1 TOPIC SENTENCE SUPPORTING DETAILS CLOSING SENTENCE There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live. 9

Example: 2 TOPIC SENTENCE SUPPORTING DETAILS CLOSING SENTENCE I don't like tests. Every time I take a test, I feel nervous. When I study for a test, I don't know if I will be able to get a good grade. Often I worry about taking a test and can't sleep. Sometimes I daydream or draw pictures in class. After the test is over, I worry about my grade. When my teacher gives the test back to me with a grade, I still can't relax because I know I will have another test soon. Tests give me a lot of stress, that is why I don't like tests. 10

Example: 3 TOPIC SENTENCE SUPPORTING DETAILS CLOSING SENTENCE Cats are good pets. You don't have to take a cat for a walk every day like a dog. You do not have to wash cats because they know how to clean themselves. If you want to go on vacation, you can leave some food and water for your cat and it will be okay. A cat can sleep on your bed and keep you warm at night. I think these things make cats good pets. 11

Paragraph Writing Exercise Q. Write an excellent paragraph on the following topic on a separate sheet of paper. Topic: Friendship • Remember: 1. Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence. 2. Make sure you provide at least 3 sentences that support your main idea. 3. Make sure you have a closing sentence. 4. Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea. ★ Circle your topic sentence. Number your supporting details. Underline the conclusion. 12

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Essay Writing 14

WHAT IS AN ESSAY? • 15

WHAT IS AN ESSAY? • The word “essay” is derived from the Latin verb “exigere”, which means to: – Examine – Test – Drive out • What could the purpose of an essay be given this definition? 16

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ESSAY? • Good structure: – clear introduction – well crafted middle – clear and appropriate conclusion • Clear argument: – progression through ideas with clear indication • Well supported by relevant evidence

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ESSAY? • Well written: – grammatical; – correct spelling and punctuation; – good sentence structure – paragraphing and use of linking words and phrases – Fully referenced using Harvard system

Assessing your Work Against an Example Essay • Read any essay and comment critically on the structure and organisation. Identify strengths and weaknesses. • Is there a clear introduction to guide the reader? • Are key concepts clearly communicated? • Does the writing progress/have a sense of direction? • Is there a clear and appropriate conclusion?

Précis Writing 20

A précis is a passage: • that is a • that is boiled concentration of down so that only ideas from the essence of the original piece of original remains writing

Ah, boiled down…sounds like the beginning of a good broth. I love soup. 22

How do you pronounce this strange word? • Pray-see… I used to pray to see, until I got my glasses…now I can see everything just fine! Hah-hah, never let anyone tell you an owl can’t be funny.

Now for a giant leap… Let’s go through some examples… and be more specific

Sentence 1 • Your first sentence in the précis should have: • • the name of author, the genre & title of the work, date in parentheses, an active verb (such as "assert" "argue" "suggest" "imply" "claim“) and • a THAT clause which contains thesis statement of the work. • This sentence is the who & the what of the original work.

Example for Sentence 1 • Phillipa Gregory’s novel, The Other Boleyn Girl (2001), implies that ambition possesses the power to corrupt and dispense true gratification, filling the heart solely with desire infused with greed and the ravenous hunger to reign. • Notice the who and what is clearly defined in the first précis sentence.

Sentence 2: should contain: • an explanation of how the author develops and/or supports thesis, • This is usually done in chronological order.

Example of Sentence 2 • Gregory develops this assertion through vivid description of life in the Tudor court and examination of cut-throat antics of a ruthless family-members of whom will execute to attain absolute power.

Sentence 3 should be: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an "in order" phrase.

Example for Sentence 3 • Gregory’s purpose of elaborating on ambition is to depict the outlandish lengths one will embark in order to fill a selfish void within one’s greedy and desperate soul.

Sentence 4 • Sentence 4: A description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

Example for Sentence 4 • Gregory engages the average woman through themes of scandal, conniving competition, and passionate lust, all of which evokes every woman’s desire to be a queen.

Technical Writing “Technical writing conveys specific information about a technical subject to a specific audience for a specific purpose…The words and graphics of technical writing are meant to be practical: that is, to communicate a body of factual information that will help an audience understand a subject or carry out a task. ” -Michael H. Markel 33

Some Types of Workplace Writings Business Letters Formal; An external communication E-mail Transmissions Informal; External correspondence written to business associates and internal correspondence to personal friends Memoranda/ Memorandum Informal style of business letter; Internal correspondence written to colleagues within a company Reports Financial, audit, or statistical report that identifies the specific problem and presents collected data, research, or recommendations for the change process Contracts Binding agreements or proposals between two or more parties that can become legal documents if they include an offer that is accepted Manuals A written set of instructions, procedures or policies Power. Point A soft-ware generated, visual slide show, with animation options, that hosts a set of notes or bulleted points, an agenda, or other information that supports a discussion

Letter 35

Email 36

Memo 37

CV 38

DOS & DONTS • • DOS Prepare well in advance Write a first draft, leave and come back to it later Keep your focus on the question Edit carefully for sense, spelling, grammar and punctuation DONTS • Write all you know about a topic • Leave till the last minute

Formal Writing Rules • • • • Do not use the first or second person (I, my, we, us) Do not use contractions (can’t, won’t, doesn’t) Do not use metaphors or figures of speech Avoid saying “The essay will discuss. . . ” or “In my opinion. . . ” Avoid using “a lot”. If you do use it, take care not to repeat it often. Avoid redundancy and repetition. Be specific. Do not be vague. Do not use words such as “things” or “many examples”. Always follow MLA format Font Style: Use size 12 pt font, Times New Roman, and standard 1” margins EDIT, EDIT! Save your rough work. When writing about literature, always write in the present tense. I. e. “The Hamlet is a novel of Shakespeare” not “The Hamlet was a novel of Shakespeare”. Essays should be submitted with one staple in the top left hand corner. Do not put them in folders.

MLA Format • • Essay written in 12 pt font, 1” margins No separate title page. In the top left corner of the first page of your essay, write: • • • Your Name Teacher’s Name Course Code Date Submitted Double spaced Put your last name and page number in the top corner of each page after the title page. Italicize the title of the novel (if any) When using quotes, reference the page number in the following way: First quote, use the author’s name in the reference. “I didn't even notice then that it had more than the usual number of toes” (Wyndham 6).

MLA Continued Second quote from the same source, no need for the author’s name. • “I didn’t even notice then that it had more than the usual number of toes” (6). • Submit a Works Cited page to show the resources that you have quoted from in your essay. The format for the Works Cited: • Write Works Cited centered at the top of a new page. (Ensure your last name and the page number are still included in the top right corner. ) • Each entry in the works cited should be in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name. • Last name, First name. Title of Book. City published: Publisher, Year.

Summary graph • one • • • introduces, presents and develops main idea about the topic. Examples of Paragraph writing your thoughts on a particular topic. What makes a good essay? Dos and Don'ts How to Write an Essay? Essay Format 43

References • www. worldofteaching. com