(Revised April 3, 2010)
- Writing is ‘Art’, not ‘Science’! But it has fundamental (basic) rules that once understood bring structure and understanding to the communication process (as well as higher test scores!)
- Words express feelings, emotions, complexity, etc., just as bright blues or soft yellows do in a painting.
- As in an art gallery, who is your ‘target audience’? Who is listening to or reading what you write? Who are you trying to convince or impress? What emotions are you trying to illicit (get)?
- Writing, as in ‘Art’, requires some basic ‘form’ or ‘structure’ for the words and thoughts to be effective. This is called the ‘outline’.
- Stay on topic and don’t ‘drift’ from the main idea.
- Your title should introduce what is in the body of what you write. It is your ‘contract’ with the reader that cannot be broken.
- Titles (subjects in emails) should be kept short. Try to see if you can express the subject of your writing with 3 to 5 words with the most important idea first. This really helps you focus on the essay’s most important element. (It is almost impossible to read the entire essay in an IELTS exam and have enough time to complete the required exercises.) Remember who your target audience is!
- Although it is not a science or mathematics, to be an effective test taker or good speed reader, you must know where to look for key ideas, such as in the topic sentences (usually the 1st part of the 1st sentence in each paragraph).
- Organization is far more important than grammar. You can have the world’s best grammar but if your words are meaningless connections of ideas that make no sense, grammar gets lost in the confusion.
- Writing requires many reviews and revisions. Writing is like life and wine; it must be experienced and gets better with age. Remember what Buddha said, "There are only two mistakes one can make on the road to truth, not going all the way and not starting”.
- Try to maintain paragraph structure to 3 sentences with one connector such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘however’, etc. If you have more than 5 sentences in a paragraph you have most probably left the topic/theme of the paragraph and are over the 250 word count limit in essay examinations for the IELTS, TOEFL, etc..
- Your ‘introduction’ introduces the order of the subjects you are writing about. If you are writing about vehicle production in
- Being provocative can be an effective technique but be aware of cultural issues and the ‘political correctness’ of environments such as
e.g. 1. The Preah Vihear temple has been proven to belong to
“If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad.”
Lord Byron (English Romantic poet and satirist, 1788-1824)
The Essay – Part 1 – The Introduction and Conclusion Paragraphs
An essay is a piece of writing several paragraphs long instead of just one or two paragraphs. It is written about one-topic, just as a paragraph is. However, the topic of an essay is too long and too complex to discuss in one paragraph. Therefore, you must divide the topic into several paragraphs, one for each major point. Then you must tie all of the separate paragraphs together by adding an introduction and a conclusion.
The principles of organization are the same for both, so if you can write a good paragraph, you can write a good essay.
An essay has three main parts:
- An introductory paragraph.
- A body (Usually two or more paragraphs)
- A concluding paragraph.
The introductory paragraph consists of two parts: a few general statements about your subject to attract your reader’s attention and a thesis statement to state the specific subdivisions and order of your topic and/or the “plan” of your paper. A thesis statement for an essay is just like a topic sentence for a paragraph, which names the specific topic and the controlling ideas or major subdivisions of the topic. I personally try to limit the introduction to two sentences; no more than three.
The first sentence is usually ‘general’ in nature about the topic while the second sentence outlines the specific order in which the information will be presented. This has been achieved after outlining the topic and deciding the sequence and importance of their various topics to be discussed.
The body consists of one or more paragraphs, usually no more than 3-5 sentences with a maximum of one connector each. Each paragraph develops the subdivision of your topic, so the number of paragraphs in the body will vary with the number of subdivisions. The paragraphs of the body are like the main supporting points of a paragraph. Furthermore, just as you can organize the ideas in a paragraph by chronological order or by order of importance, you can organize the paragraphs in an essay in the same ways.
The conclusion in an essay, like the concluding sentence in a paragraph, and is the summary or review of the main points discussed in the body.
The only additional element in an essay is the linking expressions between the paragraphs of the body. These are just like transitions within a paragraph. You use transitions within a paragraph to connect the ideas between two sentences. Similarly, you use transitions between paragraphs to connect the ideas between them.
Writing an essay is essentially the same as writing a paragraph; an essay is just longer.
The Introductory Paragraph
All writers complain (even professionals) that the most difficult part of writing is getting started. How many times have you wasted valuable minutes during an examination trying to think of your first sentence? Getting started, or writing an introduction, can be easy if you remember that an introduction has four parts:
- It introduces the topic of an essay.
- It gives a general background of the topic.
- It often indicates the overall “plan” of the essay. It is your “contract” with your reader.
- It should arouse the reader’s interest in the topic. Try to “engage” the readers and bring them into your story.
The introduction has two parts:
- General Statements
- A Thesis Statement
An example:
The first sentence in an introductory paragraph should be a very general comment about the subject. Its purpose is to attract the reader’s attention and to give background information on the topic. Each subsequent sentence should become more specific than the previous one and finally lead into the thesis statement.
General Statements:
- Introduce the topic of the essay.
- Give background information on the topic.
The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the introduction as it states the specific topic and lists the major subtopics that will be discussed in the body of the essay. Furthermore, it often indicates the method of organization such as chronological order or order of importance.
The Thesis Statement
- States the main topic.
- Lists the subdivision of the topic.
- May indicate the method of organization of the entire paper.
- Is usually the last sentence in the introductory paragraph.
To sum up, an introductory paragraph is like a funnel: very wide at the top, increasingly narrow in the middle, and very small at the neck or bottom.
PRACTICE 1: Recognizing the Parts of an Introduction
Step 1: Read the following introductory paragraphs, each of which is in scrambled order.
Step 2: Rewrite each paragraph, beginning with the most general statement first. Then add each sentence in the correct order until the introduction becomes more specific. Write the thesis statement last.
Paragraph 1:
(1) The heavy traffic problem in
Paragraph 2:
(1) However, in others, the nuclear family is the norm, with only the parents and young children sharing the same house. (2) People in different cultures all over the world have different systems for family life. (3) In most cultures, people live in extended families, in which several generations share the same house. (4) If this new system becomes widespread, it could have enormous effects on American society. (5) On the positive side, living together might reduce the divorce rate in the
PRACTICE 2: Thesis Statements 1
Step 1: Complete the following thesis statements by adding topics to them.
Step 2: Circle your topics. If you use correlative conjunctions (both…and, not, only…but also, etc.), be sure your structures are parallel. (See possible choices at end of lesson.)
- The life expectancy of the average person in
- Technology is changing our lives in three important areas: _____________.
- Foreign students have a difficult time taking notes in class due to ________.
- A teacher must have the following qualities: ________________________.
- The purpose of this paper is to ___________________________________.
- Television commercials are insulting to the average viewer because ______.
- Owning an automobile is essential both ____________________________.
- The basic causes of inflation are __________________________________.
- Poverty creates negative consequences for society, such as _____________.
Writing Practice
Write a clear thesis statement for essays on each of the following topics:
Leaving home – Choosing a career – Foreign Travel – Space Exploration
The Concluding Paragraph
The final paragraph is the conclusion, a very important part of the essay. In the paragraph you tell the reader that you have completed the essay. This is achieved by either writing a summary of the main points discussed in the body of the essay or by rewriting the thesis statement in different words. Then you add your final comments on the subject – “food for thought” as we say in American slang English. Since this is your last opportunity to make your point, you should write an effective message that the reader will remember.
The conclusion of an essay, like the conclusion of a paragraph, gives the reader a sense of completion. Conclusions usually refer back to the introduction or, at least re-emphasize in some way the thesis stated in the introduction. Often the conclusion briefly summarizes the thesis and the major supporting points. A good conclusion always confirms the audience's understanding of what they have read by reminding them of the writer's purpose. Like introductions, conclusions provide readers with an overview.
The concluding paragraph consists of:
- a summary of the main points, or a restatement of your thesis in different words, and
- your final comment on the subject, based on the information you have provided.
Be sure to introduce the concluding paragraph with a transition signal.
Study the introduction and conclusion for the following model essay on the advantages and disadvantages of living in the twentieth century. Is the conclusion paragraph a summary of the main points of the essay, or is it a paraphrase of the thesis statement? Is there a final message form the reader?
PRACTICE 1: The Concluding Paragraph
A person born in the twentieth century has seen many changes take place in almost all forms of human life. Some people are excited by the challenges that these changes offer; others long for a return to the simpler, less automated life style of the past. Living in the twentieth century has many advantages, such as a higher standard of living, but it also has some disadvantages, such as a polluted environment, the depersonalization of human relationships, and the weakening of spiritual values.
In conclusion, although the twentieth century has indeed given 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 should continue to enjoy the benefits of technological achievements because they free us to pursue our interests and goals. However, we must make a concerted effort to preserve our natural environment for future generations. Moreover, we should take the time now to make our lives more meaningful in an increasingly impersonal, mechanical world.
PRACTICE 2: The paragraph below would effectively conclude the essay on discipline problems in the
Recently I visited my parents in
Conclusions should not be cute or trite or obvious. The best conclusions are appropriate, clearly written, and straightforward. They do not strain for an effect they cannot achieve (such as humor, cleverness, or brilliance) If you have not written a good essay, your conclusion cannot save it; however, a good essay can be damaged by an ineffective or inappropriate conclusion. Conclusions must also agree with the essay’s body. (Many however make this mistake in their first writing efforts.)
Writing Conclusions
Just as an introduction can be viewed as a contract between you and your reader, a conclusion reassures your reader that you have fulfilled your contract. Your closing paragraph should leave your reader with a sense of completion-with the feeling that you have done what you intended to do and have finished what you had to say.
Several different types of conclusions accomplish this purpose:
1. Restatement of main idea. The main idea may be re-emphasized or reinforced If you choose this type of conclusion however, be sure not to merely repeat your thesis. You not only should vary the wording so that your conclusion is not too similar to your introduction but should also try to get beyond your thesis statement to express an appropriate conclusion and to give your reader a sense of closure.
2. General impression. If your essay is basically a description of an experience or of some person, place or thing, an effective conclusion might consist of a statement of the dominant impression you have attempted to convey. For example, if your essay about your high school is largely a description of what occurred to you when you were there, you might conclude with what you remember most clearly about the whole experience.
3. Evaluation. An essay may also conclude with a judgment based on the information presented. For example, you might end an essay on your high school by evaluating whether the experience was essentially negative or positive.
4. Recommendation. An essay can be concluded with a suggestion for some action the writer feels should be taken. This type of conclusion is especially appropriate if the main idea is a controversial statement or one that is persuasive in nature. For example, you might conclude your essay about your high school's discipline problems by recommending that a new administration be hired or a new school board be elected.
5. Prediction. Even though a conclusion is the final part of an essay, it can be used to make a prediction on the basis of the major points made in the essay. This prediction should be closely related to the content of the essay, giving a reasonable explanation of what may happen. For example, you might predict in the conclusion to your essay about your high school's problems that the school will be closed down in the near future.
Regardless of the type of conclusion you choose for your essay, the conclusion should re-emphasize your thesis. It should also be a clear signal to your reader that you have completed what you had to say. Following are some suggestions that will be helpful to you in writing conclusions.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE CONCLUSIONS
1. Do not contradict the point you have made.
2. Do not introduce a new topic or new information.
3. Do not conclude with a cliché ("You can't teach an old dog new tricks" ).
4. Do not apologize for lack of knowledge, ability or resources.
5. Try not to use obvious transition words or phrases such as in conclusion, in summary, and as I have attempted to show. You may, however, use less obvious transition words, such as therefore, finally, and consequently.
6. Do make your conclusion brief and to the point.
7. Do make the tone (serious, humorous, clever, straightforward, etc.) consistent with the overall tone of your essay.
The Essay – Part 2 – Essay Outlining
Because an essay is longer and more complex than a paragraph, it is even more important to organize your thoughts and to plan your essay before you begin to write. The best way to do this is to make an outline.
The principles and techniques that you have already learned for paragraph outlining can be applied to essays. As in driving a car in and around
You may be required during the course of your academic writing career to produce a formal outline like that below. The number/letter system for a formal outline is illustrated in the model outline below.
Notice that subgroups are indented to the right. As you move to the right, the ideas become more and more specific.
PRACTICE: Essay Outlining
1. Asian Beaches
A. Thailand
a. Phuket
(1)
(2)
(3)
b. Chon Buri
(1) Pattaya
(2) Jom Tiem
(3) Naklua
PRACTICE: Essay Outlining
Make an outline using regions of the world to write about the idea famous world cities and their sights. Use the model above.
PRACTICE: Essay Outlining
TITLE 1: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in the Twentieth Century
TITLE 2: Twentieth Century Living Advantages and Disadvantages
(Which title in your opinion is better?)
I. Living in the twentieth century offers certain advantages, such as a higher standard of living, but it also had some disadvantages, such as a polluted environment, the depersonalization of human relationships and the weakening of spiritual values.
II. The biggest advantage of living in the twentieth century is the high standard of living we enjoy.
A. More money for less hard work.
1. More office workers than manual laborers.
2. Higher salaries.
3. Increased government services.
a. Social security
b. Unemployment benefits
c. Disability insurance
B. Longer life expectancy
1. Better medical care
a. More hospitals, doctors, nurses
b. Advances in medical technology
2. Improved nutrition
3. More leisure time
C. Modern conveniences
1. Communication
a. Telephones
b. Cellular (US)/ Mobile Phones
c. Radio and television
2. Labor-saving machines in the home
a. Dishwashers
b. Washing machines/dryers
c. Vacuum cleaners (US)/
3. Faster transportation
a. Jets
b. Bullet trains
c. Subways and Skytrains (e.g.
III. One of the main disadvantages of living in the twentieth century is that we are living in an increasingly polluted environment.
A. Air Pollution
1. smog (smoke and fog in
2. dust storms (e.g.
3. acid rain (near coal fired power plants and steel mills)
B. Water pollution
1. Chemical wastes from factories
a. Dead fish
b. Contaminated drinking water supplies
2. Raw sewage (toilet water) from cities
3. Oil spills from ships
4. Ocean plastics
IV. A second disadvantage of living in the twentieth century is the depersonalization of human relationships.
A. People and machines
1. Automated vending machines, banks, etc.
2. Tape recorded telephone answering
3. Internet dating services
B. People and numbers
1. American social security numbers
2. Credit card numbers
3. Pin numbers
V. The final disadvantage of living in the twentieth century is the weakening of spiritual values.
A. Materialistic culture
B. Faith in science instead of in religion
VI. In conclusion, although the twentieth century has indeed given 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 out earth dirtier, our people less humane, and our spiritual livers poorer. We should continue to enjoy the benefits of technological advancements because they free us to pursue our natural environment for future generations. Moreover, we should take the time now to make our lives more meaningful in an increasingly impersonal, computerized world.
Writing Technique Questions
- How many paragraphs will this essay contain?
- How many paragraphs are in the body of the essay?
- Look at the contents of paragraph II. How many main points are given? Do you think there are too many ideas for one paragraph? Would you recommend dividing it into several paragraphs? How many? What would your new topic sentences be?
Transition Signals Between Paragraphs
Transition signals are important not only within paragraphs but also between paragraphs. If you write two or more paragraphs, you need to show the relationships between your first and second paragraph, between your second and third paragraph, and so on.
Think of transitions between paragraphs as the links of a chain. The links of a chain connect the chain; they hold it together. Similarly, a transition signal between two paragraphs links your ideas together.
Two paragraphs are linked by adding a transition signal to the topic sentence of the second paragraph. This transition signal may be a single word, a phrase, or a dependent clause that repeats or summarizes the main idea in the first paragraph. Study the following model, and notice how the paragraphs are linked by a single word, a phrase, or a clause.
Types of Transition Signals - Transition signals can be categorized into four groups by grammatical function. The four groups are sentence connectors, (including transition phrases and conjunctive adverbs), coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions and a mixed group called others.
Meaning/Function | Sentence Connector Transition Phrases | Sentence Connector Conjunctive Adverbs | Clause Connector Coordinating Conjunctions | Clause Connector Subordinating Conjunctions | Others |
| To introduce an additional idea | In addition | furthermore moreover besides also too | and | | Another (+noun) An additional (+noun) |
| To introduce an opposite idea | On the other hand In contrast | however nevertheless instead still | but yet | | |
| To introduce a choice or alternative | | otherwise | or | if unless | |
| To introduce a restaurant or explanation | | | | | i.e. that is |
| To introduce an example | For example For instance | | | | An example of (+noun) Such as (+noun) |
| To introduce a conclusion or summary | In conclusion In summary To conclude To summarize | | | | |
| To introduce a result | | therefore consequently hence thus | so | | |
Sentence Connectors
Transition Phrases
The phrases in this group usually appear at the beginning of sentences. They may also appear in the middle (normally following the subject) or at the end of sentences. They are always separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Hence, these three patterns are possible:
- For example, the
- The
- The
Conjunctive Adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs (except too) many also appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of sentences and are separated by commas.
- Furthermore, the importance of the
- The importance of the
- This sometimes makes for a difficult political climate, however.
Conjunctive adverbs are also often used with a semicolon and comma to join two independent clauses to form a compound sentence.
- In hot, dry climates such as
- Revenues increased for the year; nevertheless, the company’s net profit decreased.
The transition expressions that is and its abbreviation i.e. (from Latin id est) and the abbreviation e.g. (from Latin exempli gratia, for example) may also follow this pattern.
- Many societies in
- Many societies in
- Some English words do not have exact equivalents in other languages; e.g., there is no German word for the adjective ‘fair’, as in fair play.
Clause Connectors
Coordinating Conjunctions
The five coordinating conjunctions in the chart above (plus two additional ones, for and nor) are used with a comma to join two independent clauses to form a compound sentence.
- In a corporation, the CEO is the senior executive of the company, and all of the others executives and employees work for him or her.
- In warm climate zones, water evaporates rapidly, so the concentration of salt is greater.
- The company’s sales increased last year, yet its net profit declined.
Yet and but have similar meanings: they both signal that an opposite idea is coming. Yet is preferred when the second clause is an unexpected or surprising contrast to the first clause. When the two clauses are direct opposites, but is preferred.
- Thomas Edison dropped out of school at age 12, yet he became a famous inventor.
- I want to study art, but my parents want me to become an engineer.
Yet is roughly equivalent in meaning to nevertheless, and but is roughly equivalent to however.
Subordinating Conjunctions
These words (and many others including because, when and so that) introduce a dependent clause, which is joined to an independent clause to form a complex sentence. There are two possible positions for the dependent clause:
- If the dependent clause comes before the independent clause, use a comma after it. i.e. Although the company’s sales increased last year, its net profit declined.
- If the independent clause comes first, do not use a comma. i.e. The company’s net profit declined last year although its sales increased.
Note: dependent clause: subordinating conjunction + subject + verb + complement that express an incomplete thought.
Others
The transition signals in this group include adjectives such as additional, prepositions such as in spite of, and nouns such as example. There are no special punctuation rules for this group (except for that is, i.e., and e.g., which were discussed under conjunctive adverbs).
- The company’s net profit declined last year in spite of increased sales.
- Despite increased sales, the company’s net profit declined last year. (The comma is necessary because the prepositional phrase comes before the subject of the sentence.)
- An additional reason for the company’s bankruptcy was the lack of competent foreign management.
- Examples of vocabulary difference between British and American English include bonnet/hood, petrol/gasoline, windscreen/windshield, and lorry/truck.
Suggested Answers:
Paragraph 1: 3,2,1,4
Paragraph 2: 2,3,1,6,5,4
Pratice 2: Thesis Statements 1
1. healthcare, better foods, working less
2. communications, travel, business (computers)
3. teachers speaking to fast
4. patience, clarity, qualifications
5. presents views on …….
6. they talk to low IQs.
7. for both business and family.
8. printing of money and finite resources (e.g. oil, coal, etc.)
9. healthcare, education, criminal justice system (prisions)
“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly;
sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.”
America’s Ernest Hemingway
_______________________________________________________
Academic English Writing Essay Example
Title/Subject:
Titles:
Title 1: OTOP in
Title 2:
Brainstorming/Outlining
OTOP – ‘One Tambon, One Product’
- Foreign exchange and exports
- Supplements agricultural production
- Improves/increases entrepreneurs/SMEs
-
- Cultural exchange
- Product development, marketing, packaging and Internet
- Increases employment, decreases unemployment
Put the above in order important to you. The following introduction placed the above in a different priority.
Introduction
In
Body
Agricultural production is supplemented by OTOP because it adds value to each district’s unique product. Examples include; wine, ceramics, pottery, baskets. etc. The King created the idea in the beginning and PM Thaksin implemented the King’s desires. (38)
Foreign exchange has increased with countries such as the
OTOP’s success has increased
Conclusion
OTOP not only strengthens the local economy but also helps
Key Words and ideas:
- OTOP
- benefits
- entrepreneurs
- SMEs
- exports
- agricultural production
- marketing
- economic strength – strong economy
- booths and fairs
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