TSA Writing Skills (Secondary 3)

1. TSA Writing Skills(Secondary 3)

2. Pre-writing

3. Read the question You are Thomas. Your aunt from America is visiting Hong Kong. You went to Ocean Park with her today. You want to write a diary entry about it. Write your diary entry in about 150 words describing your visit to Ocean Park. Use the following pictures and your own ideas. Situation Text type Number of words What to write Underline the key words

4. bus dolphin show roller coaster jellyfish cable car Brainstorm ideas(1) Pictures ?

5. From the pictures, find out: • When is it? • Who are the people? • Where are they? • What are they doing? • How do they feel? • Can you think of any other ideas?

6. Brainstorm ideas(2) Mind map • Think of as many ideas related to Ocean Park as possible • Put them into groups and draw a mind map

7. dolphins Cable car Main ideas Watch sea animals Roller Coaster jellyfish Go on rides pandas Supporting details under the main idea ? restaurants Other ideas (2) Mind map Ocean Park Can you think of any more ideas?

8. What: the thing or action When: the time Where: the place Who: the people Why: the reason … How: the way something happens How many: the number of something How much: the price … Brainstorm ideas(3) Question words • Use ‘wh-’ words and ‘how’ question words to brainstorm ideas of different areas, e.g.

9. (3) Question words • today • Ocean Park • went on rides, watched sea animals, watched the pandas… • my aunt and I • she came to visit Hong Kong • excited, happy • When? • Where? • What (did you do)? • Who? • Why? • How (did you feel)?

10. While-writing

11. (1) Topic sentences We went on the rides as soon as we arrived at Ocean Park. We queued up for the roller coaster. There were many people and we waited for about 40 minutes. But the ride was exciting! Then we went on the pirate ship. We screamed while the ship was swinging. We enjoyed all the rides. A topic sentence is usually put at the beginningof a paragraph. Use topic sentence to introduce the main idea of a paragraph

12. Examples of the rides (2) Supporting details Main idea We went on the rides as soon as we arrived at Ocean Park. We queued up for the roller coaster. There were many people and we waited for about 40 minutes. But the ride was exciting! Then we went on the pirate ship. We screamed while the ship was swinging. We enjoyed all the rides. 1. Use examples to support the main idea of the paragraph

13. (2) Supporting details Main idea I think Ocean Park is a good place to visit. My aunt and I had great fun there.We not only enjoyed the exciting rides, but we also watched many sea animals. The view in the park was also very beautiful. We took a lot of pictures. These sentences explain why Ocean Park is a good place to visit. 2. Give reasons to support the main idea of the paragraph

14. (2) Supporting details We went on the rides as soon as we arrived at Ocean Park. We queued up for the roller coaster. There were many people and we waited for about 20 minutes. But the ride was exciting! Then we went on the pirate ship. We screamed while the ship was swinging. We enjoyed all the rides. These are some vocabulary items of a theme park. 3. Use relevant vocabulary items

15. (2) Supporting details I think Ocean Park is a good place to visit. My aunt and I had great fun there. We not only enjoyed the exciting rides, but we also watched many lovely sea animals. The view in the park was also very beautiful. We took a lot of pictures. These are some adjectives to describe the writer’s feeling towards the things in Ocean Park. 4. Use appropriate adjectives

16. (3) Linking ideas When we got to Ocean Park, we quickly queued up for the roller coaster. There were many people, but we still waited patiently… After going on the rides, we went to see the sea animals. We watched a dolphin show. We also went to the jellyfish aquarium… Use connectives to link up ideas

17. More connectives • Cause: because, since, as • Addition: and, too, also, besides • Contrast: but, however, yet, on the other hand • Purpose: in order to, so as to • Result: therefore, as a result • Sequence: first, then, after that, finally These connectives can link up short, separate sentences and make the paragraph more natural.

18. Formats

19. (1) Diary Date and weather • What happened • How you think and feel

20. (2) Informal letter Date Recipient • Opening • Main body • Ending Closing Sender

21. (3) Formal letter Sender’s address Date Recipient’s address Salutation Subject • Opening • Main body • Ending Closing Sender

22. Hi Chris, How are you? I’m fine. Please write soon. All the best, Regards, Love, Dear Mr Chan, Dear Sir / Madam, I am writing to… With reference to… I would be grateful… Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Different tones in informal and formal letters Informal letters Formal letters

23. (4) Article / Essay Introduction • introduce the topic • Main body • main idea 1 + supporting details • main idea 2 + supporting details • main idea 3 + supporting details • Conclusion • sum up the ideas • share your viewpoint

24. (5) Story Beginning • introduce the setting and the characters • Development • Introduce the plot / problem • Climax • the most important or exciting part • Ending • Explain how the problem is solved

25. Post-writing

26. Proofreading • Reserve 5-10 minutes • Check the language - tenses - spelling • Check the format (especially letters) • Check the number of words (about 150 words)

27. - The End -