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Step 1 : Brainstorm for ideas
Write down all the ideas you can think of Don´t worry about whether the idea is relevant Don´t worry about grammar or spelling You can write in your own language
Step 2: Organise your ideas
Decide which ideas to keep and cross out the others Group similar ideas together Organise the groups according to a writing plan
Step 3: Focus on language
Think of words and expressions you will need in your work
Step 4: Write a first draft
Write your first draft on the computer or by hand. If you are writing by hand , use a pencil. Leave wide margins for notes. Leave space between lines for additions and corrections Write quickly. Don´t worry about neatness or accuracy If you can´t think of a word in English, write it in your own language. Look up the word in a dictionary later. If you can´t spell a word, write it any way you can. Then check the word in a dictionary or use a spellcheck when you have finished.
Step 5: Check your work
Use the Writer Checklist on this page to improve your work.
Step 6: Write a final draft
If you are writing by hand: copy your corrected work neatly onto a clean sheet of paper Use a pen and leave a margin on the left-hand side Make sure your paragraphs are clearly indicated
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NOTE ……………………………………………………………………………………
You can indicate the beginning of a paragraph by:
- Indenting (moving the first word of the paragraph to the right)
- Skipping a line before beginning a new paragraph. Each paragraph begins at the left-hand margin. Both styles are correct, but be consistent in your writing. The indented style is preferred for informal letters.
WRITER´S CHECKLIST
ORGANIZATION
□ I organized my work according to a plan □ Each paragraph has one topic □ My paragraphs are clearly indicated □ My ideas are in al logical order □ I used suitable connectors to link my ideas
CONTENT
□ My work is interesting and original □ I began with a suitable opening sentence □ I presented my ideas clearly □ I included only relevant ideas □ I supported my ideas with details and examples (opinion, for and against essay) □ I ended with a suitable closing sentences □ I used connectors to link my ideas
LANGUAGE
□ My grammar is correct □ My spelling is correct □ My word order is correct □ My punctuation is correct □ I used capital letter correctly □ I used adjectives and adverbs correctly
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CONNECTORS
Connectors are linking words which join ideas and show how those ideas are related to one another. They also help us to organize our writing and make it easy for the reader to follow.
Study the chart of connectors and phrases below.
Purpose Examples Adding points And /in addition/furthermore/moreover/what´s more/besides/ also/too/as well as/ To express a contrast
But/ however/nevertheless/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/one/another reason for…is…
To describe a result
So/ therefore/consequently/thus/ as a result/ as a consequence/ for this reason/ that is why To show purpose
In order to/so as to/so that/to
To describe similarity
Similarly/likewise/in the same way
To express personal opinions
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)
To make general statements
In general/generally/ as a rule/ on the whole
To list points To begin/ start with / in the first place / first of all / for one thing/ firstly, secondly, thirdly/finally/ lastly To introduce opposing points
On the one hand/ on the other hand/in contrast/ contrary to/ it can also be argued that/ but there are people who say/think (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/ all in all
Linking words
Linking words help you to connect ideas and sentences, so that people can follow what you say. Here is a list of linkers:
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Giving examples .......................................................................................................... .....................
For example For instance Namely
The most common way of giving examples is by using for example or for instance.
Namely refers to something by name.
“There are two problems: namely, the expense and the time.”
Adding information .......................................................................................................... ................
And In addition As well as Also Too Furthermore Moreover Apart from In addition to Besides
Ideas are often linked by and. In a list, you put a comma between each item, but not before and.
"We discussed training, education and the budget."
Also is used to add an extra idea or emphasis. "We also spoke about marketing."
You can use also with not only to give emphasis.
" We are concerned not only by the costs, but also by the competition."
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Sequencing ideas .......................................................................................................... ................
The former, … the latter Firstly, secondly, finally The first point is Lastly The following
The former and the latter are useful when you want to refer to one of two points. "Marketing and finance are both covered in the course. The former is studied in the first term and the latter is studied in the final term."
Firstly, … secondly, … finally (or lastly ) are useful ways to list ideas.
It's rare to use "fourthly", or "fifthly". Instead, try the first point , the second point , the third point and so on.
The following is a good way of starting a list.
"The following people have been chosen to go on the training course: N Peters, C Jones and A Owen."
Giving a reason .......................................................................................................... .....................
Due to / due to the fact that Owing to / owing to the fact that Because Because of Since As
Due to and owing to must be followed by a noun.
"Due to the rise in oil prices, the inflation rate rose by 1.25%."
"Owing to the demand, we are unable to supply all items within 2 weeks."
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If you want to follow these words with a clause (a subject, verb and object), you must follow the words with the fact that.
"Due to the fact that oil prices have risen, the inflation rate has gone up by 1%25."
"Owing to the fact that the workers have gone on strike, the company has been unable to fulfil all its orders."
Because / because of
Because of is followed by a noun.
"Because of bad weather, the football match was postponed."
Because can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. For example, "Because it was raining, the match was postponed."
"We believe in incentive schemes, because we want our employees to be more productive."
Since / as
Since and as mean because.
"Since the company is expanding, we need to hire more staff."
"As the company is expanding, we need to hire more staff."
Giving a result .......................................................................................................... .........................
Therefore So Consequently This means that As a result
Therefore , so , consequently and as a result are all used in a similar way.
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"The sea was cold, but he went swimming nevertheless." (In spite of the fact that it was cold.) "The company is doing well. Nonetheless, they aren't going to expand this year."
While , whereas and unlike are used to show how two things are different from each other.
"While my sister has blue eyes, mine are brown."
"Taxes have gone up, whereas social security contributions have gone down."
"Unlike in the UK, the USA has cheap petrol."
In theory… in practice… show an unexpected result.
"In theory, teachers should prepare for lessons, but in practice, they often don't have enough time."
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WRITING A PARAGRAPH
A paragraph consists of several sentences about a certain topic. It has the following parts:
**1. a TOPIC SENTENCE which gives the main idea of the paragraph
- SUPPORTING SENTENCES which add reasons, details and examples
- a CONCLUDING sentence which leads on to the next paragraph or** summarises the main idea
The parts of a paragraph should flow logically. The paragraph must be easy to understand. You can accomplish this by:
- using pronouns to refer back to the nouns in the text
- using connectors to show the connections between ideas
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AN OPINION ESSAY
An opinion essay states an opinion and tries to convince the reader that this opinion is correct. Look at the topic below. Then study the plan and read the model
Topic: Write an opinion essay on a topic connected to teen drivers Plan:
Useful connectors:
Many people think that…, In my opinion, however,…, I disagree, In my view,… I believe that ..., However,… Despite this, …, First of all, …, Secondly,…In addition,…, Therefore,… As a result…, It is clear that… In short,…To sum up,… In conclusion,…
ADULT SUPERVISION FOR TEEN DRIVERS- Good or Bad?
It is well known that teen drivers are often involved in fatal driving accidents. In order to help deal with this issue, some governments around the world have proposed that new teen drivers should bee required to drive with adult supervision for a period of time. While this suggestion may sound like a good way to save lives, in my opinion, it will not solve the problem.
First of all, a person´s age doesn´t determine their level of responsibility or their driving ability. It´s a fact that many accidents have involved experienced adult drivers.
Secondly, I believe that the more time a driver spends on the road, the better his or her driving ability will be. By preventing new drivers from driving without adult supervision, new drivers will inevitably gain less driving experience since they will only be able to drive when an adult supervisor is free to accompany them.
In short, forcing young drivers to drive with adult supervision will not reduce the number of teen fatalities. It is only by educating teenagers and adults about the importance of safe driving that we can hope to make a difference.
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A NARRATIVE
A narrative is a story about a series of events and the people involved in them. Look at the topic below. Then study the plan and read the model.
Topic: Write a story about a misunderstanding you once had
Plan:
JUMPING TO THE WRONG CONCLUSION
Last Saturday I visited my grandmother, who lives on the other side of London. I had not seen her for ages and I was looking forward to eating a piece of her delicious cake. It was a cold day, so I dressed warmly in a hat and scarf.
I got onto the train and looked for a place to sit. I walked up and down the aisles for some time until I found an empty seat next to an elderly man who was reading a newspaper. Relieved, I sat down and took out my book.
As soon as I had begun reading, I felt that the man was watching me. I felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to move but there were no empty seats. Finally, the train pulled into Kings Cross station. I rushed off the train, eager to escape the stare of the old man.
I left the station and began walking towards my grandmother´s house. After a few moments, I had a strange feeling that someone was following me. I turned round. To my surprise, the elderly man who had sat next to me on the train was running towards me. I started to run. I could hear the man coming up behind me. In a minute he would catch up with me…
“Wait!” he shouted. I stopped. The man stretched out his hand and I could see that he was holding something. “Your hat”, he said. “You left it on the train”. At that moment I realized that I had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
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A SUMMARY
A summary provides the reader with the main points of an article in as few words as possible. A summary usually does not include the writer´s opinion and it is written in his or her words where possible. Look at the topic below. Then read the original article and the model summary.
Topic: Write a summary of the article, using 50-70 words. Plan:
Baby Einstein DVDs: Educational or not? Baby Einstein DVDs are specifically aimed at babies and toddlers. These popular DVDs feature classical music, and babies seem to love watching them. Not only do the DVDs provide busy parents with a break from having to care for their infant, they are also said to have educational benefits. Yet recent research suggests that these DVDs may not be as beneficial to children as parents may like to believe. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that television viewing between the ages of 1 and 3 could in fact be harmful to them. Research at the University of Washington found that babies who had watched baby videos scored about 10 % lower on language skills than those who had not. In addition, experts have shown that baby videos may also be associated with attention problems later on. They claim that the more television children watch in their early years, the shorter their attention spans later in life. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is a group which has been fighting baby media companies for some time in an attempt to get them to admit that baby videos are not educational. They claim that the entire marketing strategy of companies like Baby Einstein is based on false and misleading claims that the videos are educational. Recently, the Baby Einstein company announced that they would give a full refund to anyone who had bought one of the DVDs in the last five years and wished to return it. The campaigners see the recent announcement as an unspoken admission that they did mislead the public and that the DVDs have no educational value. Yet it will be interesting to see how many parents will actually claim the refund and return the DVDs to the company. Although the videos may not turn their children into geniuses, as they might have hoped, they continue to keep them occupied and stimulated, without the need for parental involvement. That may well be something that parents are not willing to give up.
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Useful language: TIP: Leave out less important examples and details. Shorten or combine sentences and try to use your own words.
BEING CONCISE: Apparently,…, Finally,…, If…, Clearly,…, Consequently,…, In short,… Presently,… although.
MODEL SUMMARY:
DVDs designed specifically for babies and toddlers are very popular. Yet recent research has suggested that they may in fact be harmful to children´s development. In view of those findings, a recent campaign has accused media companies of deliberately misleading parents by implying that these products have educational value. Consequently, the baby Einstein company has agreed to give a refund to parents wishing to return the DVDs, although it is uncertain how many parents will accept their offer.
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A DESCRIPTION OF A PLACE
When we describe a place, we want to describe what the place looks like and to give an impression of the atmosphere. Look at the topic below. Then study the plan and read the model.
Topic: Write a description of a place you like.
Plan:
Useful language:
The first thing people notice …, It is located…, The scenery is…, it offers…, I can recommend…, You shouldn´t miss…, I love… when I go there, Most people in …work as …In short/conclusion,…
The Natural History Museum
One of my favourite places is the Natural History Museum in London. The museum is located in Kensington, close to the Kensington underground station. This museum is a very popular attraction, and for good reason. It´s one of the finest museums in the world – and admission is free!
The building itself is architecturally breathtaking, with its impressive ornate façade and enormous central hall. The ceilings, walls and arches are intricately painted and carved with animals and plants, representing the museums´s exhibits.
The museum has got two main galleries, the Life Galleries and the Earth Galleries. The Life Galleries offer displays of nearly all living things on earth, from gigantic dinosaurs and huge whales to the tiniest birds and insects. In the Earth Galleries, visitors can explore natural phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanoes and examine thousands of fossils and precious stones.
I highly recommend the Natural History Museum to anyone visiting London. It´s more than a museum- it´s an experience.
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AN INFORMAL LETTER
When we write an informal letter, we are usually congratulating, persuading or asking for/giving some information. Look at the topic below. Then study the plan and read the model.
Topic: Write a letter to your friend Harry accepting an invitation to go on an adventure holiday with you.
Plan:
Greeting
Body
Conclusion Closing
Dear Harry,
Thanks for your email! It´s great the summer is nearly here, isn´t it?
The adventure holiday you mentioned sounds like a great idea! Do you know if they offer rock climbing and canoeing? I hope so?
I´d love to come for two weeks, but my sisters getting married during the first week so I – obviously!- have to be here. I could come for the second week, though. You didn´t say how much it costs. I can only afford £200, so I hope it´s not more than that!
One more question for now – what´s the best way to get to Wales from London? Is there a train or a bus that goes near the place? Well, I´d better go now as I´ve got an exam tomorrow.
Hope to hear from you soon!
All the best, Susan
