GUIDELINES FOR WRITING

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Guidelines for writing
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When we learn a new language firstly, we need to know writing in that language. For this reason, I would like to introduce some data about writing in English as well as guidelines for writing
Firstly, We will see the
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Types of composition
When you write a composition you need to understand the type of writing required. Your piece of writing can be in the form of a letter, an article for a magazine! newspaper or a report. Just we found that there are three types of composition.
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First one is Letters. Letters are written to a person (e.g. your pen friend, a newspaper editor, etc) or a group of people (e.g.the students’ society, the local football club, etc) for a specific reason (e.g. to give advice, to make a complaint etc). They are divided into three :
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Informal letters people you know well, written in a personal chatty style.
Formal letters to managers/officials etc, written in a polite formal style.
Semi-formal letters people you do not know well or people you know but you
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Articles are found in magazines and newspapers. The following can be found in
The form of an article: There are two types: articles and essays
Descriptions of people, places, buildings, objects, festivals, ceremonies etc.
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Narratives about real or imaginary events which happened in the past. They can be written in the first person (first-person narratives) when the writer is the main character of the story or in the third person (third-person narratives) when the writer is describing events which happened to another person or group of people.
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News reports about current/recent events (e.g. fires, accidents, etc) written in impersonal style. News reports present facts objectively and unemotionally.
Reviews discussing a film, TV programme, book, restaurant, etc and recommending it or not to the reader.
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Discursive essays about arguments concerning particular subjects. They include:
«For and Against» essays which present the pros and cons on a specific topic
Opinion Essays which present the writer’s personal opinion on a specific topic
Providing Solutions to Problems which discuss a problem and its causes, making suggestions and mentioning the expected results and consequences
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Letters to the Editor which present the writer’s personal opinion on a specific topic or the writer’s suggestions on a specific problem.
Reports are formal pieces of writing and have a specific format and features. They include:
Assessment reports discussing the suitability of a person, place, plan, etc for a particular purpose, job, etc.
Proposals reports discussing suggestions or decisions about future actions.
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Understanding rubrics
To plan your composition you need to understand the rubric i.e. There is one question What is rubric? Rubric is a valuable tool for both teachers and students, as they provide clear guidelines for what is expected in an essay as well as the composition instructions. Read the rubric carefully and underline the key words/phrases which will help you decide what you will write about. Key words/phrases indicate:
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The Imaginary situation you will write about(e.g. You are a reporter .. to write about a fire which broke out last night …) This can also suggest who you are(e.g.a reporter), what has happened (e.g. fire broke out), etc.
The Imaginary reader who is going to read your piece of writing (e.g. the manager of the company you work for has asked you to write. This will help you decide on the writing style i.e. the appropriate style of language-formal/informal, etc you should use.
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The type of writing (e.g. a letter, an article describing an event you attended, etc) • the specific topics you should include in your answer (e.g. describe the place and comment on its good and bad points)
Study the example below.
You work for a travel magazine. Your editor 1 has asked you to write an article discussing the pros and cons of air travel, including factors such as cost and convenience. 1.situation 2.reader 3. type of writer4.specific topics
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Brainstorming for ideas
Write down any ideas, words and phrases that you can think of which relate to the specific topics of your composition.
Group your ideas, crossing out any irrelevant ones, and put them into a logical order.
Check that your ideas are relevant to the topic(s) in the rubric
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Your ideas should be organised into paragraphs. The layout of most types of writing consists of three parts: an introduction, a main body and a conclusion. I Introduction The introduction ,i.e. the first paragraph, is a short paragraph whose purpose is to give the reader a general idea of the subject of the composition. II should attract the reader’s attention so that he/she wants to continue reading. II Main Body The main body usually consists of two or more paragraphs and its purpose is to develop points related to the subject of the composition. The number of paragraphs and the way you divide them depends on the specific topics of the composition.
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Each paragraph should deal with points related to the same topic. Whenever you discuss a new topic, you should begin a new paragraph. For example, in a for and against essay the main body should have two paragraphs: one discussing the points for, and another discussing the points against. III Conclusion The conclusion is a short final paragraph in which you can summarise the main idea of the subject, restate your opinion in different words, make general comments, express your feelings, etc.
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Topic sentences & supporting sentences
Main body paragraphs should begin with topic sentences, A topic sentence introduces or summarises the main topic of the paragraph and gives the reader an idea of what the paragraph will be about.
The topic sentence should be followed by supporting sentences which provide examples, details, reasons, justifications and/or evidence to support the topic sentence.
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Linking words/phrases make your writing more interesting to the reader and easier to understand. • Some linking words (e.g. and, because, but, so, since, etc) can join two short sentences into one longer sentence. e.g. He is clever. He is hard-working. • He’s clever and hard-working. Ann is happy. She passed her exams, • Ann is happy because she passed her exams.
Linking words and phrases
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Some linking words/phrases (e.g.In addition, What is more, However, On the other hand, etc) show how ideas are related either between two sentences or two paragraphs. e.g. I have written to you three times already, • I still have not received a reply from you.
I have written to you three times already. However, I still have not received are ply from you.
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First complaint. Firstly the employees who delivered the cooker were extremely rude and careless. While installing the appliance they made a considerable mess, then they left without tidying the kitchen up. Adding more points second complaint. Furthermore, after they had gone, I noticed that the cooker was badly scratched and the operating instructions were missing.
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Linking words/phrases can be used to:
show time: when, whenever, before. while, as soon as, etc
list points or show sequence: first(fy), to start with, next, finally, etc
add more points: furthermore, more over,in addition, and, also, What is more, etc
show cause or effect: because, since, as a result, so, consequently, etc give examples: for instance, for example, such as, especially, etc
show contrast: however, on the other hand, despite, though, etc
introduce a conclusion: all in all, to conclude, to sum up, finally, etc
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There are a variety of writing techniques you can use to make your composition more interesting to the reader. To begin or end your essay you can:
address the reader directly i.e. write as if you were speaking to him/her. e.g. You can imagine what life would be like without wateruse direct speech to give somebody’s exact words, a quotation from a famous person or someone who has influenced your life, a proverb or a saying (i.e. a well-known phrase). In all cases it is necessary to use quotation marks. e.g. After all, «An apple a day keeps the doctor away:
use a rhetorical question i.e. a question that does not expect a reply. e.g. What would moden society be like without computers?
Writing techniques
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You can start a narrative by setting the scene i.e. by using the senses to describe the weather, atmosphere, surroundings and also to create mystery and suspense. e.g .It was a cold winter’s night. The wind was blowing hard as walking down the dark empty street.
You can also use a variety of adjectives, adverbs and verbs to make your composition more attractive to the reader. e.g.
-Hold on!- Helen screamed to Bob as she desperately tried to help him get out of the freezing water.
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The writing style you should use depends on the type of composition you are writing, the situation and the intended reader. Therefore, you should not use the same style of writing for every composition. The two main types of writing style are formal and informal. However, not all styles of writing fall under these categories. For example, in a letter to somebody you do not know very well or in an article for a student’s magazine, the style used is neither formal nor informal, but a blend of the two, known as semi-formal.
Understanding writing style
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Formal style is characterised by:
formal expressions, advanced vocabulary, longer sentences e.g. Taking everything into consideration, it can be said that the facilities offered are of poor quality.
formal linking words/phrases (i.e. However, Nevertheless, In addition, Consequently, etc.) e.g. Mobile phones are extremely useful for people who travel frequently. However, they can be dangerous.
no use of short forms (I’m, there’s …) e.g. I would be grateful if … (instead of: I’d be grateful if ..)
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Formal style is characterised by:
impersonal tone, i.e. use of the passive, no description of feelings e.g. Late this evening, 20-year-old Tim McCormack was pulled to safety after being trapped under debris for more than ten hours.
factual presentation of the information e.g. The Town Hall, constructed In the late 1800s, was seriously damaged by fire in 1909.
Informal style is characterised by:
everyday/colloquial expressions, vocabulary and idioms. e.g.I thought I’d drop you a line…, Thanks a million …, etc
frequent use of short forms e.g. I won’t be able to come to your party as I’ll be away on a business trip.
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Informal style is characterised by:
informal phrasal verbs e.g. Lucy takes after her father. She’s …
simple linking words/phrases (i.e.but, so, because, and, etc) e.g. It rains a lot here, so you’d better take an umbrella with you.
shorter sentences e.g. Thanks a lot for the invitation. I’d love to come.
personal tone i.e. use of first person (I/WE) e.g. I’ve got great news. I’ve found a new Job.
descriptive tone. use of adjectives/adverbs etc for vivid description e.g. It was a bitterly cold winter morning.
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You should always edit your piece of writing before handing it in. In order to do this, you should make sure:
you have used complete sentences and that the words are in the correct order (i.e. subject, verb, object, etc).
you have used the correct grammar (e.g. past tenses for narratives).
you do not repeat the same words, phrases, expressions, etc.
there are no spelling errors.
you have used the correct punctuation. (e.g. commas, full stops, question marks, etc)
you have indented the paragraphs (i.e. have begun the first line of each paragraph further in from the margin)
Editing your essay
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Thanks!
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