Writing an essay

2. Writing an essay PLAN • Discussion: advertising and the media • Writing an advertisement (informal writing) • Reading and the analysis of the sample essay (coursebook, page 88) • Reminder: theoretical background to writing an essay • Short writing exercises: using sentence variations • The writing task: TV commercials provide a useful service to viewers. Do you agree?

3. Discussion • What is the main purpose of advertising? Is it only to sell the product? • What are the commonest products advertised? Why? • How do advertisements and commercials influence us? Can they be detrimental? Why/ why not? • How are people portrayed in advertising? Are we subconsciously influenced by advertisements? How? Discuss the following adverts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACMFDyJ0GE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ixr-DvVvoQ

4. Writing task: writing an advertisement Writing task: write an advertisement for an event which will take place in your home town soon! Share it on some social media! Writing prompts: the name of the event, place, time, what to do/ see, why to come, slogan

5. The analysis of the sample essay (page 88) • How many parts are there in this essay? • Introduction: How does the writer introduce the topic? Is it an appropriate way? Why/ why not? Is the writer’s idea/ point of view clearly stated? Is there a thesis statement in the introductory part? • Main body. How many ideas does the writer propose? Are they clearly stated? Are they supported by reasons and examples? Is there a logical sequence of ideas? Are paragraphs/ the whole essay coherent? Why/ why not? • Which linking words/ phrases does the writer use? Why are they important? • Which conclusion is the most suitable? Why? What makes the other two conclusions inappropriate?

6. A discursive essay • A discursive essay is a piece of formal writing which discusses a particular issue, situation or problem. There are three types of discursive essays: • For and against essays • Opinion essays • Essays suggesting solutions to problems. (taken from V. Evans, Successful Writing Proficiency)

7. A good essay should consist of • An introductory paragraph (in which you clearly state the topic to be discussed, as well as your point of view/ opinion) • A main body (in which points are clearly stated in separate paragraphs; these ideas should also be supported and justified by examples), and • A closing paragraph (in which the general statement of the essay is summarised, and the writer’s opinion restated)

8. Sentence variety • One way to add interest to writing and increase its effectiveness is to vary sentence structures and its length. Academic writing almost never features a high percantage of simple sentences.

9. Sentence variety: exercise 1 • Combine the sentences with the correct relative pronoun leaving it out where possible: • I started a business. It wasn’t successful. • We sent a Christmas card to the bank manager. He lent us the money we needed. • The man suddenly left the bank. He had embezzled two million pounds from it. • We bought a house. It is next to the post office. • We went to visit a house. Bob lived there. • This is a photograph of a man. We lived in his house while we were at the university. • There is a large window in the kitchen. There is a beautiful view of the sea through it.

10. Sentence variety: exercise 2 • Using the directions in parentheses, rewrite the sentences: • (Combine in one sentence) The city was on the Atlantic Ocean. The city was hit by a hurricane. The city was almost entirely destroyed. • (Separate into two or more sentences) Electrical power to the city was cut off, and the water was contaminated, and many trees were uprooted after the hurricane, and people were worried about their homes. • (Combine in one sentence) Mrs. Heldon was the mayor of the city. She appealed to the citizens. She asked them to remain calm, and she asked them to wait for rescue teams. • (Separate in two or more sentences) The Red Cross is an international relief organisation, and it set up tents for homeless people, and it delivered food and clothing to the residents, and it fed the workers who rescued people from their homes.

11. Writing task: TV commercials provide a useful service to viewers. Do you agree? Process: • Think of the relevant points to support/ refute this opinion. • Write the introduction. Briefly introduce the topic, clearly state what you are going to discuss. • Choose one point to discuss in the first paragraph of the main body. State the point clearly and support it by an example or reason. Connect sentences within the paragraph using linking words. • Choose another point in the second paragraph of the main body. • Write a conclusion (What’s your overall opinion about the usefulness of commercials? Is there anything which you would like to emphasise?)

12. Criteria for assessment • Was the topic addressed in an appropriate way? • Does the text have the form of an essay (structure, thesis statement, topic sentences)? • Are paragraphs logically organised? • Are sentences within paragraphs logically connected? • Is the text coherent? • Grammar and vocabulary (accuracy, variety, complexity)