SKKN HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS

Conclusion: Comments/ feelings about person * Tips: If the instruction for the writing task ask you to describe someone related to the present, you will describe the person using Present

HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS A.Aim:

By the end of the lesson, SS will be able to master the way of writing essays in

English

B.Content:

I Describing people:

1 Introduction: Who the person is/ When and how you first met or saw

him/her

2 Main body:

+ Physical appearance: height/build, age, facial features, hair, clothing

( From the most general aspects to the most specific detail)

Eg: Bill, who is in his early twenties, is quite tall and well-built, with thick black hair and piercing blue eyes He is usually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt

+ Personality/ behavior(with justification/examples): give examples of manner and mannerism

Eg: Mark is rather unsociable, usually sitting silently in a corner abserving others from a distance

+ Life/ lifestyle/beliefs: talk about the person's habits, interests, profession, daily routine, opinion, etc

Eg: Being both a university student and a part-time assistant in a supermarket, Tom has little free time to go out in the evenings

3 Conclusion:

Comments/ feelings about person

* Tips: If the instruction for the writing task ask you to describe someone

related to the present, you will describe the person using Present tenses eg: " Describe a person who is unusual "

If you are asked to describe somebody related to the past Somebody who is no longer alive or somebody you met some time ago, you will describe the person using Past simple tenses

* Linking words and Structures: Writing which contains a series of short

sentences or the same simple linking words(such as"and") soon becomes boring and repetitive To avoid this, you should use a wide range of linking words and structures

- with: She is tall and striking, with long blonde hair

- Relative Clauses: who/which/whose

My neighbour, who is slightly eccentric, has dozens of filthy cats

He is a scruffy child whose clothes are torn and dirty

He has a broken nose, which makes hims look like a boxer

- Result: so/such (a) (that)

She is so beautiful that she looks like a film star

- Addition: in addition to, as well as/ besides, moreover, furthermore, not only

but also ,etc.

He is very tall, in addition to being very thin

My grandmother has deep wrinkles, as well as thin grey hair

He is not only artistic, but also a successful businessman

- Contrast: but/yet/However/Nonetheless/Even so + Clause

Although/(Even) though/ While + Clause

In spite of/ Despite + -ing form/noun/the fact that

He is temperamental, but/yet he is a loyal friend

He looks as through he's an old man However, he is only 35

Although he has a huge, powerful body, he's a very gentle person

In spite of being very busy, she always has time for her children

- Linking cause and effect:

She is open and friend.(cause) She is popular.(effect)

Because/as/since owing to/due to(+-ing/noun/the fact that)

As a result/consequence of A/the result of is ; as a result,

She is popular because she is open and friendly

She is popular due to being/due to the fact that she is open and friendly

A result of her being open is that she is popular

, so therefore/for this reason

The reason(that/why) is

She is open and friendly, so she is popular

She is open and friendly, therefore she is popular

The reason she is popular is that she is open and friendly

* Impressions, Opinions and Reactions:

I think/feel/etc (that) It seems to me that To me/To my mind

As far as I'm concerned In my opinion/view/eyes

Sb seems/ appear to be

Sb stribes people/comes across as (being)

Sb gives the impression of being / the impression that

I/ people/etc find/ consider sb to be I think of/ see/ regard sb as being

* Compoud Adjectives: Compound adjectives are formed with

- present participles: a hard-working student

- past participles: an open-hearted young man

- cardinal numbers + nouns: a three-year-old boy

- well, badly, ill, poorly + past participle: a well-intensioned friend

Topic: A Close Friend

Jacques has been my close friend for two years I first met him on a school exchange trip to Calais, France I asked him the way to the library and we started talking We've been friends ever since

Jacques is quite good-looking He's tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark hair Like many French people, he has a great sense of style, so he always looks well-dressed even in casual clothes

Jacques is very outgoing He is always friendly and loves to have fun He's got a fantastic sense of humour and he always makes me laugh However,

he can be a bit immature at times For example, when he doesn't get what he wants, he acts childishly and stamps his feet

Jacques is very keen on water sports He likes sailing and he spends a lot

of time on his boat He enjoys scuba diving, too, and loves exploring life under sea

All in all, I'm glad to have Hacques as my friend It's a pleasure to be with him and I really enhoy his company I'm sure we'll always be close friends

II Descibing places/ Buildings

1 Introduction: name/ location/ population of the place, reason for choosing

the place

+ Factual information such as age, size, colour, material, etc

Eg: The temple, with 10-meter tall marble columns, was built in 800BC

+ Details relating to the senses ( sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) to suggest mood and atmosphere

Eg: Visitors' footsteps on the wom stone floors echo through the cool, dark corridors, disturbing the tranquil silence

2 Main body: general features and particular details

+ Place: surroundings, sights, facilities, free-time activities

+ Building: surroundings, detailed description of exterior/ interior

3 Conclusion:

Comments/ feelings or a recommendation

* Notice:

- Each aspect of the description should be presented in a separate paragraph beginning with a clear topic sentence

- Present tenses are normal used when describing a place for a tourist brochure

or a magazine article

- Past tenses are normal used when describing a visit to a place/building

- First and second conditionals(will/would) can be used when you describe your ideal city/house,etc

- When we give factual information about a place or building this is normally given using Present tenses

Eg: I flew to Madrid last Monday Madrid is situated in the central point of the Iberian peninsula with a population of about 3,000,000

* Expressing Impression & Reactions

- You can express positive impressions of a place by:

+ using a variety of adjectives such as: breathtaking, delightedful, eyecatching, outstanding, picturesque, etc

+ using a variety of present or past participle from such verbs as: astound, amaze, astonish, impress, refresh,etc

Eg: I was/felt astounded at how beautiful Florida is in winter

+ using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my amazement/

astonishment/ delight/ surprise/etc

Eg: To my delight, the place had kept its character

- You can express negative impressions of a place by:

+ using a variety of adjectives such as: disreputable, inhospitable, neglected + using a variety of present or past participles from such verbs as: disappoint, shock,etc

Eg: the disappointing view of the unsightly housing

+ using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my

disappointment/surprise/etc

* Useful language: Explaining Impression

The most noticeable/outstanding feature of the place is its golden garden

A huge statue of a lion is the first thing one notices upon entering the temple Without doubt, the most impressive thing about San Francisco is the Golden

Gate Bridge

The thing which makes the strongest/most enduring impression is the hospitality

of the locals

The first thing one notices about the house is its overgrown garden.

The reason that the area is so depressing is that there are so may derelict

buildings

* Making comparisons:

To compare places or building you can use

- (just/nearly) as (positive degree) as

Eg: In those days the main streets were just as congested as they are today

- The same as

Eg: The cottage was the same as it had been fifty years before

- (relatively/considerably) less (positive degree) than

Eg: The new buildings are considerably less ornate than the old ones

- (much/far/considerably) more + adjective/ adverbs + than

Eg: The northern area is more picturesque than the eastern area

- (by far) the most + adjective

Eg: Hill Manor is by far the most elegant hotel in the region

- comparative + and + comparative

Eg: The streets are becoming dirtier and dirtier

- the comparative , the + comparative

Eg: The further south you travel, the warmer it becomes

Topic: Describe your school

I study in XYZ Secondary School It is one of the best schools in Singapore It consists of several Roman style buildings Our school has all the facilities of a modern school, such as well furnished and airy class rooms, best laboratories, a big library with a huge collection of books, a vast play ground and even a swimming pool

Our school building is situated in the middle There is motorway leading from the main entrance The playground is on the left of the motorway and a big garden on the right When you enter the building, the principal’s room is on the left They are all well furnished There are twenty classrooms Our laboratories are well equipped The school library has an up-to-date collection of books on many subjects Our librarian and her

Our school, like other schools, has prescribed a uniform for us We have to wear white trousers, a white shirt and a black tie The girls have to wear white shirts and skirts

Our principal is very strict as he pays strict attention to behavior, punctuality and cleanliness The most well-behaved and punctual student will be assigned as the class prefect

Our principal is a strict disciplinarian He accepts the help and advice of all teachers Though our principal is strict, he is fair and loving He tries

to find out the reason and guides us If one violates any rules, he will be punished Our principal is very strict in this aspect

Our teachers are also very strict They teach us with the utmost care, guide us with our assessments and other preparations and help us in times

I like my school very much and am proud to be a student of that school

III Describing festivals/ events/ ceremonies:

1 Introduction: Set the scene ( name,time/date, place of event, reason(s) for

celebrating)

2 Main body: Preparations( decorations, rehearse,etc.)

Description of actual event (costumes, food, atmosphere, activities,etc.)

3 Conclusion: feelings, comments, thoughts

* Notice:

When you describe annual events( a celebration/festival which takes place every year), present tenses are used and the style is formal However, when giving a personal account of an event which you witnessed or took part in, past tenses are

used and the style may be less formal The passive is frequently used to describe preparations/ activities which take place

Eg: Pumpkins are carved and placed in windows and costumes are designed

Topic: Indian Festival

The Milwaukee Native American Indian Festival is truly and amazing event For three days in September every year, thousands gather in Milwaukee, USA, to celebrate Indian culture Last year, I was lucky enough to attend the festival and experience it for myself

The preparations take months Dance teams from all over the country practise to compete in the tribal Pow Wow dance contest Indian craftsmen work

to produce the many traditional items on display Then, in the week before the festival, the stalls are put up and the food is prepared, so that everything will be ready for the big day

The celebrations began at 4pm and there was plenty to see and do I visited a traditional Indian village, watched skilled craftsmen carve totem poles, and even learned how to do tribal Indian dancing It was also a great opportunity

to sample some traditional native dishes, like corn bread and buffalo burgers

The festival was fun, entertaining and educational It was a wonderful way to learn about Native American culture and celebrate the end of summer

IV Narratives:

1 Introduction: Set the scene ( Who/what/when/where)

Sets the scene(place, time, character(s), etc.), creates an intersting mood/ atmosphere to make the reader want to continue reading, and/or begins dramatically to capture the reader's attention

2 Main body: Develope the story ( Describe incidents leading up to the main

events and the event itself in detail Describe people/ place/ emotions/ actions/etc)

3 Conclusion: End the story(complete the plot; describe feelings/ reactions;

explain the conspuences)

* Notice:

- Before writing, you must first think of a suitable story outline, the you should decide on a detail plot, including how the story will begin, who the characters will be, where the story will happen, the events in the order you will present them, and how the story will end

- Narratives are normally set in the past, and therefore use a variety of past tenses.For example, Past Continuous is often used to set the scene (eg: The wind was howling ); Past simple is used for the main events(eg: He entered the room, looked around, and ); Past perfect is used to describe an event before the main events(eg: She had set out in the morning, full of hope, but now she felt )

- The sequence of events is important: before, after, then, in the evening, later, in the end, until, while, during, finally, etc

* Techniques for beginning or ending stories:

- You can start your story by:

+ describing the weather, place, people, etc, using senses

+ using direct speech

+ asking a rhetorical question

+ creating mystery or suspense

+ referring to feelings or moods

+ addressing the reader directly

- You can end your story by:

+ using direct speech

+ referring to feelings or moods

+ describing people's reactions to the events developed in the main body

+ creating mystery or suspense

+ asking a rhetorical question

* Past tenses and time words:

- Past habits are not described using Past Continuous In stead, use Past Simple,

"used to" or "would", with an appropriate adverb of frequency

Eg: When I was child, my father often told me/ sometimes used to tell/ would always tell me stories to get me to fall asleep

( Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, frequently/often, sometimes/occasionally, seldom/rarely, never)

- Past continuous:

Eg: I was watching TV while he was trying to phone/when there was a knock on the door/ at 3 o'clock yesterday

Time words/phrases: (at the same time) as , meanwhile, when, while

- Past perfect:

Eg: By the time I arrived, my friends had already left

Time words/phrases: after, as soon as, before, by the time, no sooner, not until, once,(only) when.

- Inversion:

+ Some words, especially adverbs of frequency and time words/phrasals, are followed by inversion when they are used at the beginning of a sentence

Eg: Never Tom had imagined that he would find himself in such a situation + The words/ phrasals followed by inversion are negative in meaning:

Never(before/again), No sooner, No longer; Nowhere

Not often, Not always; Not only( but also)

Seldom/Rarely = "not often"

Hardly ever/anywhere =" almost never/nowhere"

Not until Not before

Only when = "not until/before", Only if = "not unless"

Eg: No sooner had I stepped under the shower than the doorbell rang

Not only was I exhausted, but also extremely hungry

"Not until/before" and "Only when/if" are followed by inversion in the second part of the sentence.

Eg: Not until it grew dark did they stop searching for the missing dog.

Topic: Tell about the memories of your childhood?

The memories of childhood have their own kind of nostalgia With the passage of time, one feels more attached to this childhood, the best period of a man’s life A child has no worries, anxieties and no work He is free from the dirty and filthy noises of the world His motto of life remains: eat, drink and be merry The charm of childhood cannot be forgotten These memories have everlasting impression on one’s life

When I recollect the days of my childhood, I feel very delighted over the pleasant period which I spent in my spirits In my childhood I was carefree, having no worries at all I used to wander like a deer in the open field and enjoyed the natural beauty in the gardens along with my other companions

Certain incidents are still fresh in my mind For instance, at the age of five, I got a severe attack of typhoid In those days, medical science was not so advanced, so in the absence of a proper diagnosis, I was reduced to a skeleton After taking medicine for a long period, I was cured The doctor advised me to

go to some hill-station So my father took me to Da Lat Due to this attack in my early age, I became very weak and I still had not been able to recover my health

Another thing I still remember is my swimming accident It was on a Sunday that I went with my friends for a picnic at Vung Tau beach Some of us were expert swimmers but unfortunately I did not know much about swimming

My friends plunged into the sea in order to swim and persuaded me to do the same Soon I was caught by the swift current in the water and was carried away

My scream of panic was heard by my friends who rescued me from drowning I was really very grateful to them for saving my life

It is this period of childhood which has been described by poets and writers To recollect the past is to plunge ourselves in a state of nostalgia Wordsworth, the immortal poet of England, and a great worshipper of nature, describes in his poems his childhood period, which, to him, was full of pleasant memories I too miss those good old days which had flown by so quickly

V Discursive Essays:

There are three main types of discursive essays

1 For and against essays:

Present both sides of an issue, discussing points in favour of a particular topic as well as those against or the advantages and disadvantages of a particular

question Each point should be supported by justifications, examples, and/or

reasons The writer's own opinion should be presented only in the final paragraph.

* Useful expressions and linking words/phrases:

- To list points:

Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To begin/start with

Secondly, Thirdly, , Finally

- To list advantages:

One/Another/A further/ An additional(major) advantage of is

The main/greatest/first advantage of is

- To list disadvantages:

One/Another/A further/ An additional(major) disadvantage/drawback of The main/greatest/most serious/first disadvantage/drawback of

Another nagative aspect of

- To introduce points/arguments for or against:

One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of / against

A further common criticism of / It could be argued that ,

generally felt/believed/held

Some/many/

most people/experts/

scientists/sceptics/

critics

claim/suggeste/argue/feel that

maintain/believe/point/agree/hold that

advocate ( +ing/noun)/support the view that

oppose the view that all

in favour of/against

0f the opinion that/convinced that

opposed to

- To add more points to the same topic:

In addition (to this), furthermore, moreover, besides, apart from, what is more,

as well as, not to mention ( the fact) that, also, not only but also/as well, both and There i s another side to the issue/question/argument of

- To make constrasting points:

on the other hand,

however, still, yet, but,

nonetheless,

nevertheless, even so,

it may be said/argued/claimed that,

Others/

many peole

Oppose this viewpoint ( strongly) disagree , Claim/feel/believe this argument is incorrect/misguided

Although, though, even though, while, whilst, whereas, despite/in spite of (the fact that), regardless of the fact that

Opponents of argue/believe/claim that

The fact that contradicts the belief/idea that

While it is true to say that , in fact

While/Although , it cannot be denied that

- To intruduce examples:

For example, for instance, such as, like, in particular, particularly, especially, This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact that

One/A clear/striking/typical example of (this)

The fact that shows/illustrates that

- To emphasis a point:

Clearly, obviously, it is obvious, naturally, of course, needless to say, indeed

- To express reality:

In fact, the fact (of the matter) is, actually, in practice, it is a fact that, in effect

- To make general statements:

As a (general) rule, generally, in general, on the whole, by and large, in most cases

- To make partially correct statements:

To a certain extent/ degree, to some extent/degree, in a way/sense, this is partly true (but), to a limited extent, there is some truth in (ths), in some cases, up to a point

- To explain/clarify a point:

In other words, that is to say, this/which means that

- Conclusion expressing balanced considerations/opinion indirectly

In conclusion,

On balance,

All things considered,

Taking everything into

account/consideration,

To conclude,

To sum up,

All in all,

Finally/Lastly,

it can/must be said/claimed that

it seems/appears that

it would seem that

it is likely/unlikely/possible/foreseeable that

it is clear/obvious that

there is no/little doubt that

the best course of action would be to

achieving a balance between would be

it is true to say that although it must be said that

it may be concluded/said that

All things considered, the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that /

There is no absolute answer to the question of ,