WRITING SENTENCES - DidatticaWeb 2.0



WRITING

C. EADE

About the Exam

Part One: Reading Comprehension

You will read an article on a topic of general interest and answer various types of comprehension questions (multiple choice, matching, ordering etc).

Length of reading text: 6-7 paragraphs

Number of questions: 10-15

Time: 20 mins

Part Two: Writing a Composition

You will be asked to write an essay on the topic presented in the Reading test.

You will discuss two points of view (advantages/disadvantages, pros/cons) on the topic and give your own opinion.

You may use the ideas from the Reading as a starting point, but you should also add your own ideas.

Minimum Length: 250 words

Time: 70 minutes

You will be evaluated on your ability to:

• organize your composition (introduction, development, conclusion)

• use cohesive devices to link your ideas

• construct paragraphs with topic sentences

• write in full sentences,

• express your ideas clearly and accurately using a relatively wide range of lexical items

Websites for Writing

The Purdue On-line Writing Lab



Using English for Academic Purposes: A guide for Students in Higher Education.



Vocational Information Center: Communication Skills



DOS AND DON’TS

Worksheet

Here is a list of points giving advice on writing for General Training Writing Task 2. Decide if you should or shouldn’t do each one.

|1 |Read the instructions carefully |

|2 |Include all the information you are required to |

|3 |Write less than the required number of words (250 words) |

|4 |Write your answer on the answer sheet |

|5 |Keep to the timing. |

|6 |Order information in the sequence that is common in discursive writing in English, including an introduction, a development and |

| |a conclusion |

|7 |Support arguments with examples or other evidence |

|8 |Copy from other people’s work |

|9 |Check the composition after writing – for style, completeness, linking, logical structuring of arguments and accuracy of |

| |language |

|10 |Link the ideas and paragraphs |

|11 |Include information not asked for |

|12 |Write illegibly |

|13 |Leave out any required information |

|14 |Plan your writing before you start doing it |

|What you MUST do |  |What you MUSTN’T do |

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THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF WRITING

PARTS OF SPEECH

In your notebook, write definitions for the following and give examples.

noun, countable noun, uncountable noun, verb, action verb, state verb, adjective, adverb, subject, object, definite article, indefinite article

SENTENCES

A sentence must contain a subject and a verb.

Identify the correct subjects and verbs. Circle the subjects and underline the verbs. Are they always in the same position?

1. He depends on her in times of need.

2. Watch your step.

3. The insurance agent gave them sound advice.

4. How many new roads have been built?

5. The reporter asked how many roads had been built.

6. On the battleground, lay the wounded soldier.

7. In the newspaper, an interesting article was published.

8. Only by working effectively can you hope to succeed.

9. Some voted in favour of the motion, others against.

10. In spite of the economic crisis, consumers are expected to continue spending.

A sentence must begin with a capital letter, end with a full stop, question mark or exclamation point, and express a complete idea.

Which of the following are sentences? Explain.

1. The river runs through the forest.

2. Because I like it.

3. I think.

4. For example, my university.

5. I enjoy.

6. I enjoy learning new things.

7. After a long winter, when the snow begins to melt and the first blossoms begin to appear.

8. The longest river in the world.

9. The government has decided to reduce taxes, in spite of the lack of funds.

10. Engineers, who have an aptitude for drafting and mechanics.

CLAUSES

A clause is a group of words containing at least one subject and one verb. Clauses are used to form sentences.

There are two types of clauses:

1) Independent clause: subject + verb expressing a complete thought

e.g. The cost of living is rising.

2) Dependent clause: begins with a subordinator (when, while, if, that, who etc) not a complete thought, needs an independent clause

e.g. Although the price of oil has decreased.

What kind of clauses are these?

1. she is the prime minister

2. because global warming is an issue

3. whose task it is to fight crime

4. though it is crucial

5. when it was first created

6. the climate is changing

SENTENCE TYPES

There are four types of sentences:

1) simple sentences: one independent clause

e.g. The economy is getting worse.

2) compound sentences: two independent clauses joined by a coordinator

e.g. The economy is getting worse, and unemployment is rising.

3) complex sentences: a dependent and an independent clause

e.g. Although the price of oil has decreased, the cost of living is rising.

e.g., The company has had to downsize because of the economic crisis.

4) compound-complex sentences: combination of two or more independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

e.g. After getting my degree, I had planned to take a year out to travel, but I had to go to work immediately.

What kind of sentence are these?

1. The equipment was expensive to buy, but it has been a good investment.

2. The share price went up yesterday.

3. Although we may have to lay off some workers, we should be able to meet the deadline, as long as there are no more strikes.

4. Although we may have to lay off some workers, we should be able to meet the deadline.

Underline the dependent clause is the following.

1. When students from other countries come to the US, they often suffer from culture shock.

2. Many students are having financial problems because the cost of education has risen.

3. Albert Einstein, who is recognized as the a genius, was a high school dropout.

4. That professor who you should see is the chair of the English department.

5. Even though the new prime minister has asked for tax cuts, this is unlikely to happen in the near future.

6. Last year, the government reported that drug use is increasing.

Now write your own examples of the four types of sentences about the following topic: the importance of a university degree today

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..………………………

2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..………………………

3. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..………………………

4. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..………………………

PRACTICE

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Practice with Complex Sentences.

Subordinating expressions are needed to form complex sentences. Here are the most commonly used subordinators. Study them carefully and be sure you know their meaning. Look in the dictionary if you’re not sure.

|After |Although |As, just as |As if, as though |

|As soon as, as long as |Because |Before |Even though |

|How |If |Since |So that |

|Unless |Until |When |Whenever |

|Where |Wherever |Whether |Which |

|While |Who | | |

Exercise.

1) Underline the dependent clause in each sentence. One sentence has two.

2) Circle the subordinator.

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Now that you know the basic kinds of sentences, you can develop a good writing style. Overuse of the same type of sentence, whether it be simple or complex, leads to boring writing.

Look at the following example. What problems do you spot. How can it be improved?

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MAKING THE INNER LOGIC EXPLICIT

Read quickly through the text below. Do not pay attention to the gaps for the moment.

Nuclear Energy and its risks

There are three separate sources of hazard related to the use of nuclear reactions to supply us with energy. 1) ……., the radioactive material must travel from its place of manufacture to the power station. 2) …… the power stations themselves are solidly built, the containers used for the transport of the material are not. Unfortunately, there are normally only two methods of transport available, 3) ……road or rail. Both of these involve close contact with the general public, 4) ……the routes are bound to pass near, or 5) …… through, heavily populated areas.

6) ……, there is the problem of waste. All nuclear power stations produce wastes which in most cases will remain radioactive for thousands of year. It is impossible to de-activate these wastes, and 7) ……they must be stored in one of the ingenious but cumbersome ways that scientists have invented. 8) ……, they may be buried under the ground, dropped into disused mineshafts, or sunk in the sea. 9) …… these methods do not solve the problem. They merely store it 10) …… an earthquake could crack open the containers like nuts.

11) ……, there is the problem of accidental exposure due to a leak or an explosion at the power stations. As with the other two hazards, this is extremely unlikely and 12) ……does not provide a serious objection to the nuclear programme, 13) …… it can happen, as the inhabitants of Harrisburg or Chernobyl will tell you.

Separately, and during short periods, these three types of risk are no great cause for concern. Taken together, 14) …………., and especially over much longer periods, the probability of a disaster is extremely high.

2) Now answer the questions.

1. What is the text about?

2. How many supporting ideas does it give to defend its position

3. What position does it take on this topic?

4. What are they?

5. Underline the sentence that indicates that position?

6. What conclusion does the text make? Where?

3) Read the text again more carefully and complete the outline:

OUTLINE

Topic: the hazards of nuclear energy

Main idea or thesis: _________________________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

I. Transport

a) must travel from manufacture to _____________________

b) power stations solidly built, ___________________________

c) two means: ___________________________________________

d) close contact ________________: near or in ________________

II. _______________________________________________________

a) radioactive materials cannot ________________________

b) must be stored: eg __________________________________

c) not a solution: risk of ______________________________

III. _______________________________________________________

a) accidents: eg leaks or __________________________

b) unlikely but ________________________

Conclusion: three hazards not dangerous in themselves but ____________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

|1. |a) hence |b) firstly |c) rather |

|2. |a) secondly |b) nevertheless |c) although |

|3. |a) for example |b) such as |c) namely |

|4. |a) because of |b) although |c) since |

|5. |a) even |b) for instance |c) also |

|6 |a) secondly |b) thirdly |c) In that case |

|7. |a) because |b) therefore |c) after |

|8. |a) besides |b) for example |c) however |

|9) |a) by the way |b) lastly |c) however |

|10) |a) though |b) since |c) although |

|11) |a) thirdly |b) also |c) for instance |

|12) |a) consequently |b) instead |c) even |

|13) |a) although |b) nevertheless |c) if |

|14) |a) although |b) however |c) therefore |

Organizing your writing

Skim through the essay about the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet.

Answer the following questions.

A. The overall structure:

1) How many paragraphs does it contain? How did you recognize each paragraph?

2) How long are the paragraphs on the average?

3) Where does the introduction end and the development, or body of the essay start?

4) What information is given in the introductory paragraph? Which sentence presents the focus of the essay?

5) How many major sections are in the development?

6) How many supporting ideas are there? What are they?

7) Underline the expressions used to link paragraphs. What kind of link do they show?

8) Where does the concluding paragraph start?

B. The paragraphs

1) Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph. Where is it often placed?

2) How is the rest of the paragraph developed in relation to the topic sentence?

3) What expressions are used to link ideas within the paragraph?

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet

Virtually unheard of twenty years ago, the Internet was used by a handful of computer science experts. Today, it is one of the most powerful and commonly-used tools for communicating worldwide. The Internet can be defined as a collection of various services and resources whose main components include E-mail and the World Wide Web. The wide majority of households in the developed world boast an Internet access. However, before people connect to the Internet, they need to be aware of its disadvantages and advantages.

Many fear the Internet because of its disadvantages. First, children using the Internet has become a big concern. They can easily come across a site which is non-educational or even dangerous. In addition, children may also access pornography online by mistake. Therefore, parents need to be aware of these risks before allowing their children to access the Net.

In addition, musicians are concerned with disadvantages to the Net such as, accessibility and freedom. They are upset because the Internet provides their music online at no charge to consumers. File-sharing services, such as Napster, provide copyrighted songs to all Internet users. The main concern is that the music is free. Musicians feel they are not getting paid for their work. Legal cases have developed across the country with copyright owners declaring that their music is being plagiarized by people on the Internet.

Another major disadvantage of the Internet is privacy. Electronic messages sent over the Internet can be easily snooped and tracked, revealing who is talking to whom and what they are talking about. As people surf the Internet, they are constantly giving information to web sites. People should become aware that the collection, selling, or sharing of the information they provide online increases the chances that their information will fall into the wrong hands. Consequently, they will become victims of identity theft, one of the worst privacy violations with potentially devastating financial consequences. In other words, the most common Internet crimes are frauds and con games .

Today, not only are humans getting viruses, but computers are as well. The main source of these today is the Internet getting these viruses from the Internet. Some of these dangerous viruses destroy the computer’s entire hard drive, meaning that the user can no longer access the computer. Therefore, virus protection is highly recommended

Nevertheless, despite all of the terrible disadvantages of the Internet, there are numerous advantages to be taken into consideration. First of all, the most common thing the Internet is used for is research. Today, not only do most students use the Internet for their studies, but the World Wide Web has become one of the biggest sources for scientific research.

Furthermore, entertainment is another popular reason why many people surf the Internet. Downloading games, going into chat rooms, or just surfing the Web are some of the uses people have discovered. There are numerous games that may be downloaded at no charge. Finally, chat rooms are popular because users can meet new and interesting people.

Finally, shopping online has become a huge success, generating billions in revenue. Almost everything can be bought and sold on the Internet. While clothing is probably one of the most commonly bought items, it is also possible to go grocery shopping online. Therefore, whether it be for B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to customer) trade, every multinational company has its own Web site.

To sum up, it has been seen that today’s society is in the middle of a technological boom and that the Internet is a very powerful tool which brings both advantages and risks. However it can be stated without a doubt that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. In conclusion, those who choose to take advantage of this cutting-edge form of communication will no doubt have an advantage over those who simply let it pass them by.

ORGANISING YOUR COMPOSITION

Your composition should be organised into paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence which expresses the controlling idea of the paragraph, and 4 to 6 more sentences which develop this idea by explaining, giving examples, etc.

Use the following outline as a tool to organize your paper. Each box represents one paragraph.

|INTRODUCTION: |TRANSITION from advantages to disadvantages then FIRST WEAKNESS:|

|Lead-in to topic plus focus or purpose |state and develop with explanation, examples, etc |

|of paper. (analyse strengths and | |

|weaknesses) | SECOND WEAKNESS: state and develop with explanation, examples, |

| |etc |

|FIRST STRENGTH: state and develop with| |

|explanation, examples, etc |THIRD WEAKNESS: state and develop with explanation, examples, |

| |etc |

|SECOND STRENGTH: state and develop with| |

|explanation, examples, etc |CONCLUSION: SUM UP major points then one final CONCLUSION |

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|THIRD STRENGTH: state and develop with | |

|explanation, examples, etc | |

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BRAINSTORMING: The Advantages and Drawbacks of Tourism

I. There are two sides to every coin, even tourism. Make a list of all the possible advantages and disadvantages of Tourism. These do not reflect your own opinion. They are simply arguments in favour and against.

|Advantages |disadvantages |

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II. Organizing your ideas: Now try to classify these ideas into natural “umbrella” groups (e.g. economic, social, environmental, cultural, etc). The arguments that don’t fit into these groups will be eliminated.

II. An Outline of your structuring: At this point, you should have 2-3 supporting arguments for each section of your development. Complete the following outline with as much detail as possible.

STRUCTURING A COMPOSITION:THE ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS OF TOURISM

I. INTRODUCTION (one paragraph)

a) lead-in: ____________________________________________________

b) focus statement: pros and cons of _____________________

II. DEVELOPMENT

A) ADVANTAGES: (one paragraph for each advantage)

1) first advantage: ___________________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

a) ______________________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________

2) second advantage: _________________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

a) ______________________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________

3) third advantage: ____________________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

a) ______________________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________

B) DISADVANTAGES: (one paragraph for each disadvantage)

1) first disadvantage: ___________________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

a) ______________________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________

2) second disadvantage: _____________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

a) ______________________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________

3) third disadvantage: _________________________________________________

Supporting ideas:

a) ______________________________________________________________

b) ______________________________________________________________

c) ______________________________________________________________

III. CONCLUSION: (one paragraph)

a) summary of main points

b) final conclusion

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