Writing Guide
Table of contents
Contents THE WRITING PROCESS ........................................................................................................ 3 WRITER’S CHECKLIST ............................................................................................................ 4 WRITING AN ESSAY ................................................................................................................ 5 FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY .................................................................................................... 6 AN OPINION ESSAY ................................................................................................................. 7 A STORY ..................................................................................................................................... 8 WRITING A REVIEW ................................................................................................................. 9 CONNECTORS / LINKING DEVICES .................................................................................. 10
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THE WRITING PROCESS
Step 1 Brainstorm for ideas Write down all the ideas you can think of and don’t worry whether they are relevant or not.
Step 2 Organize your ideas -
Decide which ideas to keep.
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Group similar ideas together.
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Organize your ideas according to a writing plan.
Step 3 Write your first draft -
Leave wide margins for notes and space between lines for additions or corrections.
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Write quickly, don’t worry about neatness (it’s a draft!).
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Look words you don’t know up in a dictionary and look spelling up.
Step 4 Check your work (See Writer’s checklist on the next page)
Step 5 Write your final draft - Copy your corrected work neatly onto a clean sheet of paper. - Make sure your paragraphs are clearly indicated.
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WRITER’S CHECKLIST
Organization ❑ I organized my work. ❑ Each paragraph is clearly indicated and has one topic. ❑ My ideas are in logical order.
Content ❑ I began with a suitable opening sentence. ❑ I presented my ideas clearly. ❑ I supported my ideas with details and examples (opinion, for and against essay). ❑ I ended with a suitable closing sentence. ❑ I used connectors to link my ideas.
Language ❑ I have proofread my work for: ❑ grammar mistakes (verb tenses, sbjct..-vb. coherence, etc.). ❑ spelling and punctuation mistakes. ❑ word order mistakes.
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WRITING AN ESSAY
An essay consists of several paragraphs about a topic. There are different types of essays, but they all have the same basic plan:
1. The opening It is the general presentation of the topic. Try to start with an opening that catches your reader’s attention: 1.1. Begin with a surprising fact. 1.2. Begin with a short anecdote about a real or imaginary event. 1.3. Begin with a question.
2. The body The body has got one or more paragraphs which develop the topic of the essay. When you were preparing to write, you jotted down ideas which you then later grouped together and put in order. Use these groups of ideas to write the body of your essay. Each group of ideas will become a separate body paragraph.
3. The closing This is the paragrapah which summarises the main idea or presents a conclusion. It should not bring in new ideas.
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FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY
These essays present both sides of a topic and often come to a conclusion by supporting one of them. They are written in formal language.
For and against essay plan: Opening: Introduces the topic. Body: Presents arguments for both sides of the topic with supporting details and examples. Closing: Sums up the topic and presents the writer’s opinion.
Useful language: Nowadays / Today … It seems that … On the one hand, … On the other hand, … In addition, … Moreover / Furthermore, … However, … Although… Despite the fact that… Consequently, … As a result,… For example, / For instance, … In conclusion, / To sum up, …
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AN OPINION ESSAY
An opinion essay states and opinion and tries to convince the reader that this opinion is correct by supporting it with reasons. The writer’s opinion is often presented in the first paragraph and is paraphrased in the closing paragraph. It is written in formal language.
Opinion essay plan: Opening: Introduces the topic and states the writer’s opinion. Body: Supports the writer’s opinion with reasons, details, examples, and facts. Closing: Restates and summarizes the writer’s opinion.
Useful language: In my opinion, … Some / Many people believe that … As I see it, … Firstly, … / First of all, … Let’s start with… Take, for example, … Secondly, … / In addition, … For example, / For instance, … I strongly believe that… It is clear that… If you ask me, … For this reason, I believe / think that… Despite this, I do not believe that… However, I disagree (with) … In conclusion, / To sum up, … All in all, … / In short, … 7
A STORY
A story consists of several paragraphs. There are different types of stories, but they all have the same basic plan:
1. The opening (paragraph 1) Provide the background information to your story (setting, characters, mood, etc.) 2. The body (paragraphs 2-3) The main part of the story. 3. The closing (paragraphs 3-4) Either the climax or key moment of the story or what happened right after it.
Remember: -
Use past verb tenses for the background information.
For example: It was pouring and lightning flashed across the sky as I crept towards the entrance… -
Use past perfect for events that took place before the main events of your story. For example: I had promised him that I would get it back.
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Try to include some direct speech. Pay close attention to punctuation! For example: “…”, said/shouted/screamed/whispered/muttered/promised Jack.
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You can use contractions, but a story shouldn’t be as informal as an email to a friend.
Useful language It all began when …
After that, …
One evening, …
By the time …
Last week,… / A month ago,…
Even though …
Suddenly, …
In the end, …
At first, … / In the beginning, …
Finally, …
As soon as …
A few minutes later…
The moment …
Without warning/Out of the blue…
That’s when …
In retrospect… 8
WRITING A REVIEW
A review contains the writer’s description and opinion about something. It can be about a film, book, website, hotel, restaurant or even a product or a service. In a review, the writer gives a full description of the subject of his or her review and makes a recommendation.
Review essay plan:
The opening introduces the topic of the review (what it is / name). The body says what it looks like, what functions it has, what it can be used for, where it is used, etc. In other words, speacial features and characteristics. The body also includes what the writer likes or dislikes about it. The closing gives the writer’s overall opinion and a recommendation.
Useful language: If you are looking for a …, try… It would appeal to … I use it mainly to … It features … If offers a wide range of … It comes in a variety of sizes / colors … Not only is it …, but it is also … What I like about it is that it … In conclusion, … To sum up, … I would strongly recommend …
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CONNECTORS / LINKING DEVICES
Connectors are linking words that join ideas and show how those ideas are related to one another. They help the writer organize his or her writing and make it easy for the reader to follow.
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to add points on the same topic:
and / in addition / furthermore / moreover / what’s more / also / too / as well as •
to express a contrast
but / however / yet / still / although / even if / even though / in spite of / despite •
to describe a cause or reason
because (of) / since / due to / as / as a result of / •
to describe a result
so / therefore / consequently / as a result / for this reason / that is why •
to show purpose
in order (not ) to / so as to / so that / to •
to describe similarity
similarly / in the same way •
to express personal opinion
in my opinion / I (strongly) believe (that) / I think/feel (that) / in my view / it seems to me (that) / personally / as I see it •
to introduce facts
in fact / as a matter of fact / actually / the truth is (that)
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to make general statements
in general / generally •
to list points
to being/start with / for a start / in the first place / first of all / for one thing / firstly, secondly, thirdly / finally / lastly •
to give examples
for example / for instance, / such as / like / particularly / especially •
to introduce opposing points
On the one hand / on the other hand/ in contrast / it can also be argued that •
to show sequence
first / at first / in the beginning / before / next / then / soon / meanwhile / later / after that / afterwards / at last / eventually / finally / in the end / during / when •
to show time
when / while / before / after / until / as soon as / by the time •
to conclude
in conclusion / to sum up / in short / in a nutshell
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