Tài liệu luyện viết dành cho học sinh giỏi ôn thi các kỳ thi học sinh giỏi cấp Tỉnh có phần viết luận. A. Example For and Against Essay: advantage and disadvantage of learning English abroad or in our own country Nowadays English is playing an important role in the success of young generations and becomes keys to open new world. For this reason, many parents send their children to foreign countries to be better equipped with English. Therefore, this is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning English abroad compared to learning in one’s own country. The first and foremost advantage is the language environment. That is to say, when a student comes to a new country, he or she is exposed to a new environment in which native people speak English, exchange information in English and everything is in English too. So, as a natural instinct, one can get used to using English in daily life, which is really helpful to his or her development. This leads to the second reason that students living abroad can remain motivated because they are in close contact with English speakers. They have a lot of chances to practice and they can also see their improvement day by day. As a mater of fact, we can not see these favorable conditions in our own country. On the other hand, living in foreign country is especially costly comparing to studying at one’s home country. Besides high tuition fee, he or she must pay for living expenses, transport fees and leisure activities. Moreover, for people who first live outside family may face a problem called culture shock. They have difficulty communicating with people around, interpreting the culture and behaviors of those in a foreign country. As a result, they feel deserted among a strange world without any family and friends. Hence, they become unable to cope with their own life and probably return home with unfinished education. As saying goes “there are two sides to the same coin”. For this aspect, I totally agree that learning English abroad may be better or worse than learning at our own country. Therefore, it depends on the facilities and ability of each people to choose the right way. B. Example for Opinion Essay. Cars should be banned from the centres of all major cities Many people strongly think that cars should be banned from the centres of all major cities for many different reasons. I completely agree with this opinion. First of all, it will help reduce the air pollution to the environment. No one can deny that fact that the environment, for many interferences from human beings, is more and more seriously polluted and that the smoke released from cars is one of the dangerous pollutants. So why don’t we protect ourselves just simply by riding to work or travelling by bus everyday instead of driving cars? Have you ever stuck in heavy traffic because there are so many vehicles on the street, especially cars? If yes, you will perhaps recognize that using a car is not a very good choice. Actually catching a bus to go to work on time must be much better than being on a car and getting angry of having to wait for a too long time. Some people don’t believe that banning cars in major cities is a good idea due to the conveniences cars bring them such as their speed is much faster; sitting in a car is more comfortable and so on. Of course, everyone wants to be pleasant or go to somewhere quickly, so do I. However, everything has it own price, I don’t think the benefits you get from using car are more than the dangers you may do to other people and yourself if you travel by a car. In conclusion, I, one more time, recommend you to make a suitable choice of using transportation means. Let’s encourage banning cars in major cities so that everyone many have a better life, smiling everyday because we are contributing to environment protection instead of being criticized for using a car.
Trang 1PHU MY HIGH SCHOOL
SUPPLEMENT MATERIAL
FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS WRITING AN ESSAY
Compiled by: Ms Hang Vu
SCHOOL YEAR: 2022 - 2023
Trang 2I MARKING CRITERIA
1 Organization and presentation 25%
2 Content 50%
3 Use of language 25%
II PROCESS OF ACADEMIC WRITING
o Step 1: Read the task carefully
o Step 2: Brainstorm ideas
o Step 3: Planning (Outlining)
o Step 4: Writing draft
o Step 5: Checking and Writing the final copy
III THE ESSAY STRUCTURE
A Topic Sentence
1 Support
2 Support
3 Support (Concluding Sentence)
I Introduction
II Body
III Conclusion Restatement or summary of the main points; give final comments.
General Statements Thesis Statement
Para A Topic Sentence
1 Support
2 Support
3 Support (Concluding Sentence) Para B Topic Sentence
1 Support
2 Support
3 Support (Concluding Sentence) Para C Topic Sentence
1 Support
2 Support
3 Support (Concluding Sentence)
Trang 3A INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
FUNCTIONS OF THE INTRODUCTION
A well-written introductory paragraph perform several important roles:
1 It attracts the reader's interest, encouraging him or her to continue reading the essay
2 It supplies any background information that may be needed to understand the essay
3 It presents a thesis statement This clear, direct statement of the main idea of the paper usually appears near the end of the introductory paragraph
4 It indicates a plan of development
Model
General Statements
Thesis Statement
General Statements:
Introduce the topic of the essay
Give background information on the topic
» Opening with a Story (Anecdote)
Ex: Traveling at more than 100 mph, he feels as though he is not moving He is engulfed in
complete silence For a moment, it is as if he entered another dimension
(This essay is about the exciting sport of skydiving.)
» Open with a Quotation
“To be or not to be, that’s the question.”
(This hook begins an essay on the topic about suicide)
» Open with an Interesting Statistic/ Observation
“Asian economists are not sleeping well these days.”
(This observation makes the reader want to know why Asian economists are not sleeping
well To find out, he reads on.)
» Question Openings
Any person who has lived in the twentieth century has seen a lot of changes taken place in almost all areas of human existence Some people are excited by the challenges that these changes offer; others want to return to the simpler life-style of the past The twentieth century has certain advantages such as higher standard of living for many, but it also has some disadvantages such as a polluted environment, the depersonalization of human relationships and the weakening of spiritual values
Trang 4How many out there on the roads are driving carelessly?
(Most people won’t know the answer, but they’ll probably be hooked and want to find out
more about the topic)
Thesis Statement
States the main topic
The last sentence in the introductory paragraph
Underline and analyze general statements and thesis statement.
What is love? How do we know that we are really in love? When we meet that special person, how
can we tell that our feelings are genuine and not merely infatuation? And, if they are genuine, will
these feelings last? Love, as we all know, is difficult to define But most people agree that true and
lasting love involves far more than mere physical attraction Love involves mutual respect, the
desire to give rather than take, and the feeling of being wholly at ease
B BODY
1 Paragraph 1
Topic sentence – Supporting sentences (examples, facts, )
2 Paragraph 2
Topic sentence – Supporting sentences (examples, facts, )
3 Paragraph 3
Topic sentence – Supporting sentences (examples, facts, )
C Concluding Paragraph
1 Summary Closing The concluding paragraph consists of
1 A summary of the main points, or a restatement of your thesis in different words
2 Your final comment on the subject, based on the information you have provided
Model: In short, although the twentieth century has indeed given some of us a lot of advantages by making
us richer, healthier, and freer to enjoy our lives, it has, in my opinion, not made us wiser The twentieth century has also made our earth dirtier, our people less humane, and our spiritual lives poorer We wish to continue to enjoy the benefits of technological advancement because they free us to pursue our other interests and goals However, we must make a concerted effort to preserve our natural environment for future generations Moreover, we should take time now to make our lives more meaningful on our increasingly impersonal, mechanized world.
2. Close with a Logical Conclusion
This is a good closing for argumentative or opinion papers that present two or more sides of an issue
Trang 5Model: “As a saying goes “there are two sides of the same coin” For this aspect, I totally agree
that learning English abroad may be better or worse than learning in our own country Therefore, it depends on the facilities and ability of each person to choose a right way.”
3. Real or Rhetorical Question Closings
Rather than handing the conclusion over, you can leave the reader with a question that causes him or her to draw his own conclusions
Why, then, are schools for the deaf becoming a dying species?
4. Close with a Recommendation
A good conclusion is when the writer suggests that the reader do something in the way of support for a cause
or a plea for them to take action
American Sign Language is a fast growing language in America More and more universities and colleges are offering it as part of their curriculum and some are even requiring it as part of their program This writer suggests that anyone who has a chance to learn this beautiful language should grab that opportunity
IV KINDS OF SOME COMMON ESSAYS
Topic 1: Research shows that young people today are not as healthy as they are twenty years ago Why
is this? And can we do anything about it?
Solution Essay
Topic 2: Cars should be banned from the centers of all major cities.
Opinion Essay
Topic 3: The advantages and disadvantages of learning English abroad compared to learning in your
own country
For and Against Essay
REMEMBER:
About a controversial problem/ matter
No title
No contractions
No extreme word
FOR AND AGAINST
ESSAY
OPINION ESSAY SOLUTION TO
PROBLEM
Introduction
Restate the topic
Introduction Restate the topic including
Introduction State the problem, its causes
Trang 6(Do not give your opinion) your own opinion and effects
Background
Main body
Argument for ( 1-2 para)
Reasons and examples
Argument against ( 1-2
para)
Reasons and examples
Connect 2 sides with linking
words or phrases
Main Body Viewpoints (1-2 para) Reasons and examples Opposing viewpoints (1 para)
Some people believe that…
At the end of the para, the opposing viewpoint is dismissed
Main body (2-3 para) Solutions/ examples/ reasons Connect the paragraphs with linking phrases
Conclusion
Balanced consideration and
your own opinion
Conclusion Summarize or restate your opinion
Conclusion Summarize and give your opinion
A Example For and Against Essay: advantage and disadvantage of learning English abroad or in our own country
Nowadays English is playing an important role in the success of young generations and becomes keys to open new world For this reason, many parents send their children to foreign countries to be better equipped with English Therefore, this is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning English abroad compared to learning in one’s own country
The first and foremost advantage is the language environment That is to say, when a student comes
to a new country, he or she is exposed to a new environment in which native people speak English, exchange information in English and everything is in English too So, as a natural instinct, one can get used to using English in daily life, which is really helpful to his or her development This leads to the second reason that students living abroad can remain motivated because they are in close contact with English speakers They have a lot of chances to practice and they can also see their improvement day by day As a mater of fact, we can not see these favorable conditions in our own country
On the other hand, living in foreign country is especially costly comparing to studying at one’s home country Besides high tuition fee, he or she must pay for living expenses, transport fees and leisure activities Moreover, for people who first live outside family may face a problem called culture shock They have difficulty communicating with people around, interpreting the culture and behaviors of those
in a foreign country As a result, they feel deserted among a strange world without any family and friends Hence, they become unable to cope with their own life and probably return home with unfinished education
Trang 7As saying goes “there are two sides to the same coin” For this aspect, I totally agree that learning English abroad may be better or worse than learning at our own country Therefore, it depends on the facilities and ability of each people to choose the right way
B Example for Opinion Essay Cars should be banned from the centres of all major cities
Many people strongly think that cars should be banned from the centres of all major cities for many different reasons I completely agree with this opinion
First of all, it will help reduce the air pollution to the environment No one can deny that fact that the environment, for many interferences from human beings, is more and more seriously polluted and that the smoke released from cars is one of the dangerous pollutants So why don’t we protect ourselves just simply by riding to work or travelling by bus everyday instead of driving cars?
Have you ever stuck in heavy traffic because there are so many vehicles on the street, especially cars? If yes, you will perhaps recognize that using a car is not a very good choice Actually catching a bus
to go to work on time must be much better than being on a car and getting angry of having to wait for a too long time
Some people don’t believe that banning cars in major cities is a good idea due to the conveniences cars bring them such as their speed is much faster; sitting in a car is more comfortable and so on Of course, everyone wants to be pleasant or go to somewhere quickly, so do I However, everything has it own price, I don’t think the benefits you get from using car are more than the dangers you may do to other people and yourself if you travel by a car
In conclusion, I, one more time, recommend you to make a suitable choice of using transportation means Let’s encourage banning cars in major cities so that everyone many have a better life, smiling everyday because we are contributing to environment protection instead of being criticized for using a car
C Example for Solution Essay: People today are not as healthy as they are 20 years ago.
Research shows that young people today are not as healthy as they were twenty years ago Why is this and can we do anything about that? In this essay, I am going to discuss this and see what we can do
to improve the health of young generation
First of all, young people now are living in a more polluted environment the their counterpart twenty years ago They also eat unhealthy food that contains addictives and chemicals Another reason is that they do less physical activities Instead of being involved in sports, they are in favour of gluing their eyes on TV or on computer screen
Scientists argue that the solution to the problem is obvious The first one is to improve a healthy diet for young people For example, they should be provided with healthy food lists which points out the group of food they need to eat more or less in their meal The second solution is that there must be law limiting the use of chemicals, addictives, and fertilizers on food products Take vegetables as a case in point, farmers are supposed to use a certain amount of fertilizer and pesticide on their products
Trang 8Last but not least, the local government should build more playgrounds where young children can
be included in more outdoor and physical activities This is a good way to improve their health
To sum up, health is wealth as it always goes We are here to do something that can do best for our young generation either physically or mentally
V TRANSITION WORDS
Words that show ORDER and DEGREE
Firstly First of all To begin with First and Foremost
Secondly The second solution is that Then Next
Thirdly Lastly Finally Last but not least
Importantly, More / Most
importantly/significantly Above all Indeed, … In fact, …
Essentially Principally Chiefly Primarily
Words that ADD information
also In addition Similarly /Likewise/In the like manner
Either…or…/neither nor… Furthermore Not only……but also
too Another point to consider is Further,…
Words that show CONCLUSION
Finally/ Lastly In conclusion In sum
To conclude To sum up Overall
All in all It is clear that… We can see that
The evidence suggests that… These examples show that…
Words that REPEAT information
in fact in other words To put it simply
once again to put it another way The latter/ the former
Words that show CONTRASTS or DIFFERENCES
Although, though, even
though in spite of/ despite Unfortunately
But Nevertheless On one hand, … On the other hand, Nonetheless Rather than In comparison
On the contrary Unlike Another perspective holds…
Still, Yet, Differ from, Different from,
instead Otherwise, Less than, More than,
Trang 9While whereas Compared to
To introduce an example
for example for instance A,B, C to name a few = Namely,
Take it as an example To illustrate To clarify, To paraphrase, To explain,
An example of this is… in terms of That is,
Words that show CAUSE (explain why)
Because/ since/ as because of Due to = Owing to
caused by In fact/ indeed Result from/ be the result of
Words that show EFFECT/RESULTS
As a result Consequently as a consequence
for this/that reason that is why accordingly
Result in The reason for The cause of
Have an effect on cause affect
Words that ASSERT OBVIOUS TRUTH or GRANT OPPOSITION
certainly conceding that granted that
in fact naturally There is no doubt that It is obvious that
of course undoubtedly without a doubt
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION
You can express your OPINION by using the following phrases:
In my opinion , To my mind , To my way of thinking , In my view , To me , From my point of view , It is my opinion that , I believe , I think , It seems to me that , It appears to me that ,
These adverbials qualify your opinion, show HOW STRONGLY YOU FEEL about something:
seemingly, conceivably, possibly, perhaps, maybe, probably, presumably, certainly, almost, doubtless, No doubt, definitely,
These adverbials make GENERAL statement about how you feel about something: All in all, All
things considered, As a rule, Altogether, Basically, Essentially, For the most part, Generally, In general, On the whole, Overall,
These adverbials show an idea which is not completely true: Almost, In a way, More or less, Practically,
So to speak, For all interests and purposes, To some extend, Up to a point,
VI SENTENCE STRUCTURE
You can vary the types of sentences you use, the length of the sentences, the subject of the
sentences, and the voice of the sentences
1 Simple sentence Ex: English grammar is easy
2 Compound sentence Ex: Grammar is easy, so I learnt it quickly.
Trang 103 Complex sentence
o Adverb clause Ex: Because grammar is easy, I learned it quickly.
o ADJ clause Ex: One of my favourite film is Tangled, which is made by Walt Disney.
o Noun clause/ If, whether clause Ex: She doesn’t agree that grammar is easy.
4 Compound – complex sentence
Because grammar is easy, I learnt it quickly, but it took me several years to master writing
SYNTACTIC VARIETY
1 Parallel Structures
Parallelism gives your essay rhythm It makes it easier to read and understand Your structures, however, must be parallel That is, the subjects, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and gerunds must be parallel
2 Rephrasing
We learned the words to use to introduce a statement that has been restated or rephrased for
emphasis We can also rephrase words to provide coherence in the essay Rephrasing gives the
reader a second chance to understand your thesis Synonyms are one way to rephrase
The countryside where I grew up is very isolated You can drive for miles without seeing another
car It seems in all directions you look at a breathtaking vista The scenery near the ocean
especially dramatic, with giant dark cliffs rising out of the water
SENTENCE PROBLEMS
Sentence fragments (Many young people who leave home at an early age.)
Choppy sentences (Wind is an enduring source of power Water is also an unlimited energy
source Dams produce hydraulic power They have existed for a long time Windmills are rather new)
Run – on sentence (Learning a new language is like learning to swim it takes a lot of practice) Stringy sentence (Many students attend classes all morning, and then they work all afternoon, and
they also have to study at night, so they are usually exhausted by the weekend
VII SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T DO WHEN WRITING AN ESSAY
Use various advanced vocabulary and grammar
Eg: tend -> have a tendency to
Eg: Students should wear uniform -> Students are
supposed to wear uniform
Use passive voice
It is argued that
It is a common belief that
He is said to be the wealthiest man alive
Use linking words and phrases Eg: Furthermore,
Shouldn’t use short form: can’t/ don’t/ isn’t
Avoid giving personal examples: in my school
Shouldn’t use too simple words and sentences Eg: I think -> To my way of thinking
Shouldn’t use too simple connectors such as and, but, so Use complex sentence or structure both…and…/ not only…but also…/ those who…