Writing Course Part 2

PART 2 Writing Course

SKILLS

Know how to plan an essay Know that purple and pink together keep focus Know the function of purple for thesis statement in the first paragraph Know the function of pink for main part topic sentences Know the function of pink for main part concluding sentences

Plan the Essay and Use Purple and Pink to Keep Focus The essay is a tool for explaining and discussing a topic. Your main goal is to explain your topic as clearly and focused as possible. Remember that writing is communication; if the text is difficult to read, it does not communicate well. However, many students struggle with staying on track in a text, and as a result the text becomes confusing and difficult to read Plan First of all, use a circle mind map to plan the main content of each paragraph. This helps you establish focus and keep the red thread of the essay. Make sure that you stick to presenting the main topic and thesis statement in the introduction. Paragraphs ACTION 2, 3 and 4 in the main part each focus on one subtopic of the main topic that you would like to discuss. 1 Copy the circle mind map to your right. Expand the mind map with key words for each paragraph of the chapter 2 summary essay. 2 In pairs: a Compare your key word mind maps and discuss whether the summary essay includes what you remember from the chapter. b Discuss how often you usually plan before you start writing. c Discuss the challenges and possibilities of planning. 3 Form groups of two pairs.

Compare and discuss your answers.

PARAGRAPH 1 Introduce topic: Develop communicative skills in English PARAGRAPH 5

Sum up main answers to topic: Develop ESSAY PLAN communicative skills Title: in English. Communication Is the Key PARAGRAPH 4 Discuss subtopic: Work language and behaviour

Circle mind map to plan chapter 2 summary essay. Vurderingseksemplar PARAGRAPH 2 Discuss subtopic: Culture influences communication PARAGRAPH 3 Discuss subtopic: Formal and informal communication

Purple and pink keep you on track

GO ONLINE

In the colour-coded system, the purple and pink sections keep you on track and the essay focused. Together they make up the foundation or, put another way the essay skeleton. In these sections, you will both state and repeat the main ideas and purpose of the essay to keep focus. As you plan and write, make sure to include them so that the five parts are all connected like the circle mind map frame.

Thesis statement – first paragraph The thesis statement is the sentence in your introduction that states what you intend to discuss in your essay. This is your recipe that is based on the essay task. Use the standard sentence “This essay will discuss ...” before you summarise your three main paragraphs. The following can be used as a template for the thesis statement: This essay will discuss ___ (main topic) in relation to ___ (paragraph 2), ___ (paragraph 3) and ___ (paragraph 4).

to get more guidance, do more tasks and practice your essay-writing skills.

ACTION

Study the thesis statement of the chapter 2 summary essay, page 94. Does it follow the template? Topic and concluding sentence – main part The topic sentence and the main part concluding sentence are the first and final sentences of the three main paragraphs. They reflect the thesis statement and clearly show the topics in focus in the paragraphs. They are pink to carry the main structure presented in the purple thesis statement, and thus they keep the red thread throughout the essay. Always start by planning the research question and topic sentences together, as they have to match to keep the thread and build a coherent text. The main part concluding sentence continues this thread by reflecting on the topic sentence. It is introduced by a linking word to show that this is the end of the paragraph.

4 In pairs, take turns explaining in your own words: a How do you create a red thread in your text? b What is the purpose of the purple colour code? c What is the purpose of the pink colour code? d Chose one of the other four summary essays in Action on pages 48, 136, 188 and 242. Find and explain all purple and pink sentences. Do they follow the colour-code system? 5 Form groups of two pairs and discuss your explanations to task 4. 6 In pairs, choose an essay topic from the online list or make up your own. Use the example mind map on page 96 to plan your essay. a Make a similar mind map for each paragraph of your essay. Plan the main topic and the three main paragraphs with key words.Vurderingseksemplar b Write the thesis statement. c Write the three topic sentences and main part concluding sentences. d Write the summary of the thesis statement. e Peer review: Switch plans with When the main part is actually written, you can ! another pair and give each other feedback. write the introduction in full and finally summarise in the conclusion. For more on completing the See colour-coded linking word table, structure, see writing course part 5, page 244. page 256.