WUC 203/03
Writing Skills for
University Studies
Different Types of Texts
Unit Overview
In this unit, you will have ample opportunity to practise writing different
types of texts i.e., persuasive, compare/contrast, definition, problemsolution, evaluation, cause-and-effect, narrative and classification.
For instance YOU WILL LEARN:
in persuasive writing how to use the language of persuasion to convince
people into action with what you say.
how to analyse, organise and also state similarities and differences
in comparison and contrast type of essays
to use the definitive essay to your advantage and much more.
how to write classification and narrative essays.
Unit Objectives
By the end of Unit 2, you should be
able to:
1. Recognise the characteristics and
keywords in different types of texts.
2. Communicate ideas effectively and
coherently in a variety of texts.
3. Write ideas effectively in the
various types of essays.
Introduction
It is important to know the features of
these different essays and how to go
about writing them if you are to
progress in your studies.
It is better to live in
the country than in
the city. Discuss.
Reminder
Failing to plan is planning to
fail.
" Anon
Essay patterns
You need to plan how you are going to organise the essay for this topic.
Here is one possible pattern:
Pattern 1:
1. Body paragraph 1: First view
2. Body paragraph 2: Second view
3. Body paragraph 3: Your opinion
Alternatively, you may decide on two body paragraphs " with each
paragraph presenting each view together with your opinion:
Pattern 2:
1. Body paragraph 1: First view and your opinion
2. Body paragraph 2: Second view and your opinion
You may wish to discuss each view followed by your opinion in separate
paragraphs.
This plan requires four body paragraphs:
Pattern 3:
1. Body paragraph 1: First view
2. Body paragraph 2: Your opinion of the first view
3. Body paragraph 3: Second view
4. Body paragraph 4: Your opinion of the second view
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
It used to be that people needed products to survive. Now
products need people to
survive. (The hook makes use of a quotation.)
General/Background Information:
Information on advertising being useful and informative
(Background information on
the first view). Information on advertising giving false
information and increasing the
prices of goods (Background information on the second
view).
Thesis statement:
This essay will discuss the two views (as mentioned in the
background information)as well as my personal view on
advertising.
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: Some people believe that advertising is useful and
informative.
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence: Other people believe advertising gives false
information and increases
the prices of goods.
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence: In my opinion, advertising
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Conclusion
Restatement/Summary:
While some people think that advertising is helpful and
enlightening (the first view), others believe it misleads and raises
the prices of goods (the second view). As for me, I personally feel
that there is truth in the two opposing views.
Closing statement:
Whether we like it or not, advertising is here to stay.
Introduction
Opening sentence: Begin your outline by
drafting your opening sentence " will it be an
announcement, refutation, question, quotation,
or a definition?
Refer to Unit 1
for the various strategies on writing the hook.
Background information:
Thesis statement:
Finally, you complete your introduction with a thesis
statement that tells your readers what you intend to
discuss in your essay.
You can simply state that you will discuss the two
opposing views followed by your own personal view "
three views in all.
You will need three body paragraphs for each of the
three different views.
Body
Body paragraph 1: In your first body
paragraph, your topic sentence will announce
what will be discussed:
Some people believe that advertising is useful
and informative.
Provide supporting details to support this
main idea. Provide facts, evidence, statistics,
or quotations to support the topic sentence.
Body paragraph 2:
In your second body paragraph, state in your topic
sentence that you will discuss the other view, i.e.
Other people believe advertising gives false
information and increases the prices of goods.
Similarly, you provide supporting
sentences to back up why this group of people are of
this second view.
Body paragraph 3:
In your third body paragraph, you give your opinion.
You can choose to support one of the two views
discussed, or agree with both views that advertising
is useful, increases the prices of goods, and
informative as well as gives false
information.
Conclusion
The conclusion is almost similar to the introduction.
However, you should avoid repeating the exact words.
Restatement: Restate the thesis statement with
different words " consult your dictionary or thesaurus
for synonyms. Your restatement need not be in a
single sentence. It is basically a summary of the thesis
statement, or a brief summary of what were discussed
in the body paragraphs.
Summary:
Provide a very brief summary of what was discussed, but do not introduce
any new ideas. Any ideas should be in the body paragraphs, not the
conclusion.
If your restatement provides a sufficient summary of what your essay is
about, it is not necessary to add any further sentences. The restatement
below uses two sentences:
Activity 2.1
Complete this essay outline on advertising by
adding three supporting sentences to the three
body paragraphs.
Feedback
Activity 2.1
Possible outline:
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence:
Some people believe that advertising is useful and
informative.
Supporting sentence 1:
Advertisements and commercials provide information
on products and services.
Supporting sentence 2:
Informs consumers of features, how to use, and prices
of products.
Supporting sentence 3:
Help consumers to make decisions
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence:
Other people believe advertising gives false
information and increases
the prices of goods.
Supporting sentence 1:
Aim of advertising to sell ! may make deceptive claims
to lure consumers.
Supporting sentence 2:
Advertising costs money ! costs passed to consumers.
Supporting sentence 3:
Consumers end up with flawed and costly products
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence:
I am all for advertising for the information it provides, but I am aware
that it can be misleading.
Supporting sentence 1:
I agree with both views.
Supporting sentence 2:
Informed of the latest products through advertising.
Supporting sentence 3:
I am aware of its negative side, so careful not to be misled, or overpay.
[Submit your outline to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.2
Based on the above outline, write out the essay in
500 600 words.
Activity 2.2
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and
comments.]
Activity 2.3
Prepare an outline for a discussion essay based on the following
topic:
As far as working people are concerned, the benefits of
distance learning far outweigh full-time study. Discuss.
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
_______________________________________________________
General/Background information:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Thesis statement:
_______________________________________________________
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________
Conclusion
Restatement:
_______________________________________________________
Summary:
_______________________________________________________
Closing statement:
_______________________________________________________
Activity 2.4
Based on the outline above, write out the essay in 500 600
words.
Summary
Basically, a discussion essay is just that " a discussion.
in a written form, a discussion essay is more organised " only
the ideas related to the topic find their way into the essay, and
the various ideas expressed are put into the related
paragraphs.
To discuss is to write about differing perspectives of a
concept or an idea. In general, the questions for discussion
essays do not ask if you agree or disagree with a particular
statement. Therefore, you can discuss the views of both
sides, and include your opinion.
You learnt how to write appropriate thesis statements, topic
sentences and the related supporting sentences, and the
conclusion for discussion essays.
Self-test 2.1
Prepare an outline for this topic:
Should we send students abroad for further studies? Discuss.
Then write the essay based on the outline you have prepared.
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
_______________________________________________________
General/Background Information:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Thesis statement:
_______________________________________________________
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Conclusion
Restatement:
_______________________________________________________
Summary:
_______________________________________________________
Closing statement:
_______________________________________________________
Introduction
In this section, you will learn about argumentative essays.
In argumentative writing,you take a stand either for or against
an issue, and convince other people with your
views.
Your objective in this type of essay is to win over your readers
by providing arguments to support your proposition.
Let us first look at what an argumentative
essay is.
The above topic asks what you think about euthanasia " which
means you have to give your opinion. In tackling such as essay,
you have to do the following:
1. State your stand or opinion in your thesis statement:
I think that euthanasia should be legalised for three reasons
(The above statement does not state what the three reasons are.)
I think that euthanasia should be legalised to fulfil the patients wish, to cut
the financial costs, and to end the familys suffering.
(The second thesis statement specifies the three reasons.)
2. Support your stand by elaborating the three main reasons in three separate
body paragraphs. Remember that each paragraph discusses one main idea.
3. Back up your three main reasons by writing supporting sentences. These
supporting sentences can be in the form of facts, statistics, examples,
evidence, and other additional information.
Facts / Examples
Main Reason #1
Facts / Examples
Facts / Examples
Goal or
Thesis
Statement
Facts / Examples
Facts / Examples
Facts / Examples
Facts / Examples
Facts / Examples
Facts / Examples
Essay patterns
Before you write your argumentative essay, you need to plan how you are
going to organise the information.
you explain what the issue is about and what your stand is.
n the body paragraphs, you give your reasons for taking the stance "
devoting each paragraph to a single point:
Pattern 1:
Introduction
Hook
Background information: Explain the issue and your
opinion on the issue.
Thesis statement
Body
1. Body paragraph 1: First point on the issue
2. Body paragraph 2: Second point on the issue
3. Body paragraph 3: Third point on the issue
Conclusion
In the second pattern, you discuss the other view, and explain its weaknesses
(we call this a rebuttal). After that, you counter the other view with your own
arguments (we call this counterargument). This pattern is known as a pointby point pattern because you explain a single point first. Then you rebut its
weakness (rebuttal), and end with your opinion (counterargument).
Pattern 2 (Point-by-Point):
Introduction
Hook
Background information: Explain the issue. Summarise the other view. Your
opinion on the issue.
Thesis statement
Body
1. Body paragraph 1: Discuss the other views first point. Rebut. Your
counterargument.
2. Body paragraph 2: Discuss the other views second point. Rebut. Your
counterargument.
3. Body paragraph 3: Discuss the other views third point. Rebut. Your
counterargument.
Conclusion
In the third pattern, you first discuss the other view in one block Then
you discuss and your view in another block. This is known as the
block pattern.
Pattern 3 (Block pattern):
Introduction
Hook
Background information: Explain the issue.
Thesis statement
Body
Block 1: The other view
1. Body paragraph 1: Discuss the other views first point. Your rebuttal.
2. Body paragraph 2: Discuss the other views second point. Your rebuttal.
3. Body paragraph 3: Discuss the other views third point. Rebut. Your rebuttal.
Block 2: Your view
1. Body paragraph 1: Your first counterargument.
2. Body paragraph 2: Your second counterargument.
3. Body paragraph 3: Your third counterargument.
Conclusion
Reminder
A goal without a plan is just a
wish.
" Antoine de Saint-Exupry
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: The first reason why euthanasia should be legalised is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence: The second reason why euthanasia should be legalised is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence: Another reason why euthanasia should be legalised is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Conclusion
Restatement/Summary:
In summary, euthanasia should be legalised because (State
the three reasons here).
(This single restatement summarises the three reasons why
euthanasia should be
legalised. Therefore it may not be necessary to write a separate
summary.)
Closing statement:
and Jack Kevorkian once said that Dying is not a crime.
(The closing statement makes use of a quotation.)
Activity 2.5
Complete this essay outline on euthanasia by completing the three body
paragraphs. Write three topic sentences with three supporting sentences for each of
the paragraphs.
Feedback
Activity 2.5
Possible outline:
Body Paragraph 1
Topic sentence: Some people believe that advertising is useful and
informative.
Supporting sentence 1:
Advertisements and commercials provide information on products
and services.
Supporting sentence 2:
Informs consumers of features, how to use, and prices of products.
Supporting sentence 3:
Help consumers to make decisions
Body Paragraph 2
Topic sentence: Other people believe advertising gives false
information and increases the prices of goods.
Supporting sentence 1:
Aim of advertising to sell ! may make deceptive claims to lure
Consumers
Supporting sentence 2:
Advertising costs money ! costs passed to consumers
Supporting sentence 3:
Consumers end up with flawed and costly products
Body Paragraph 3
Topic sentence: I am all for advertising for the information it provides,
but I am aware that it can be misleading.
Supporting sentence 1:
I agree with both views
Supporting sentence 2:
Informed of the latest products through advertising
Supporting sentence 3:
I am aware of its negative side, so careful not to be misled, or overpay
[Submit your outline to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.6
Based on the completed outline, write out the essay in 500-600 words.
Activity 2.6
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.7
Prepare an outline for an argumentative essay using the point-bypoint
pattern on the following topic:
Some countries have introduced a law to limit the number of hours
that an employer can ask an employee to work. Do you agree or disagree
with such a law?
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
_______________________________________________________
General/Background information:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Thesis statement:
_______________________________________________________
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
1. The other view:
____________________________________________________
2. Rebuttal:
____________________________________________________
3. Counterargument:
___________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
1. The other view:
____________________________________________________
2. Rebuttal:
____________________________________________________
3. Counterargument:
____________________________________________________
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________
Supporting sentences:
1. The other view:
____________________________________________________
2. Rebuttal:
____________________________________________________
3. Counterargument:
___________________________________________________
Conclusion
Restatement:
_______________________________________________________
Summary:
_______________________________________________________
Closing statement:
_______________________________________________________
Activity 2.8
Based on the above outline, write out the essay in 500600 words.
Activity 2.8
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.6
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.7
[Submit your outline to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.8
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Introduction
One type of essay that you may write at university level is the cause and
effect essay.
In such an essay, your task is to explain the causes (reasons), the effects
(results), or the causes and effects of a situation or event. Here are some
examples of causes that we encounter in our daily lives:
Situation (Effect)
Cause
Cause and effect are related. Study the effects below and see what caused
them:
Situation (Cause)
You will notice in the five examples above that one event is the cause,
which resulted in the effect in the other column.
Reminder
By failing to prepare, you are preparing
to fail.
" Benjamin Franklin
In the topic below, you are required to discuss about the effects:
Discuss the effects of the haze in Malaysia.
The next topic requires you to discuss both the causes and effects:
Discuss the causes and effects of the haze in Malaysia.
This last topic requires more from you, as you not only have to
discuss both the causes and effects, but you have to offer
your thoughts on what the government should do to solve the
haze problem:
Discuss the causes and effects of the haze in Malaysia.
What do you think the government should do solve the haze problem?
Essay patterns
Before you write your essay, you need to study the question.
As you are aware by now, the type of organisation and essay
pattern depends largely on the nature of the question.
Pattern 1 (Block organisation):
You use this pattern for answering the first and second
question:
Discuss the causes of the haze in Malaysia.
Discuss the effects of the haze in Malaysia.
Introduction
Introduction
Hook
Background information:
What is the haze?
Thesis statement
Hook
Background information:
What is the haze?
Thesis statement
Body
Body
Conclusion
Conclusion
In the essay pattern on the left, all the causes are discussed in the body.
Although you may not discuss the effects in the body paragraphs, you
may include some background information about the effects of the haze
in the introduction.
As for the essay pattern on the right, all the effects are discussed in
the three body paragraphs. Similarly, in the introduction, you may
write something about the causes of the haze.
First block
Second block
In this essay pattern, you discuss all the causes in one block of body
paragraphs, and all the effects in another block. Between these two blocks of
paragraphs (i.e., the cause block of paragraphs, and the effects block of
paragraphs), you may want to add a transition paragraph.
This transition paragraph concludes one block, and introduces the next block.
This transition paragraph is optional. However if you have a very lengthy essay of
many paragraphs, a transition paragraph will be helpful in separating the causes
and the effects. It prepares your readers for the new block.
First block
(The causes of the haze in Malaysia)
Second block
(The effects of the haze in Malaysia)
Third block
(What the government should do to solve the problem)
You can see the first event (A man kicked a dog) caused the second event (The dog
bit the man). The second event (The dog bit the man) caused the third event (The
mans leg hurt and it bled) which in turn caused another event, and so on.
The above cause-and-effect links can be written as a single paragraph. However, if
the individual links are complex, you may want to devote a paragraph discussing
an individual link.
If the causes and effects are closely related, use a chain organisation.
Social scientists theorised that computer games that promote fighting and killing are very addictive.
This addiction causes many young people to be glued to the computer screen.
Young people are glued to the computer screen.
Being glued to the computer screen the young people focus their entire energies and thoughts onto
the violent content of the games
The young people focus their entire energies and thoughts onto the violent content of the games.
This strong focus may blur the boundary between reality (their real life environment) and fantasy
(the virtual world created by computer games).
The blurred boundary between reality and fantasy.
As a result of the blurred reality between reality and fantasy, violent behaviour may occur.
Conclusion
It is important to focus on games that are non-violent such as chess and monopoly.
Activity 2.9
Based on the above outline, write out the introduction, conclusion,
and the linked causes and effects as a single paragraph.
Feedback
Activity 2.9
Is there a link between computer games and violence? Social scientists
believe that there is a close connection between computer games
and violence. The scientists theorised that computer games that
promote fighting and killing are very addictive, and this addiction
causes many young people to be glued to the computer screen.
These people then focus their entire energies and thoughts onto the
violent content of the games, blurring the boundary between reality
(their real life environment) and fantasy (the virtual world created by
computer games). As a result, violent behaviour may occur. To avoid
such negative effects, it is important to focus on games that are nonviolent
such as chess and monopoly.
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
General/Background information: Information on the haze
Thesis statement:
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: The main cause of the haze is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence: Another major cause of the haze is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence: The most obvious effect of the haze is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 4:
Topic sentence: Another effect of the haze is
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Conclusion
Restatement/Summary:
Closing statement:
Activity 2.10
Complete the above outline on the causes and
effects of the haze.
Activity 2.11
Based on the completed outline, write out the
essay in 500 700 words.
Activity 2.10
[Submit your outline to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Activity 2.11
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and comments.]
Study the question below and think about how you would plan your outline. Which
organisation would be most suitable for this question " block or chain organisation?
Recent surveys show that Malaysians are living longer. Why do you think that
Malaysians are living longer? What are the implications of a longer lifespan for the
individual and society?
1. The block organisation is most suitable for answering the above question.
2. The first block will discuss the causes (Why do you think that Malaysians are
living longer?).
3. The second part of the question will discuss the implications (What are the
implications of a longer lifespan for the individual and society?). Implications
here mean the effects and consequences that may take place in future.
4. You may want to discuss the implications in two different blocks:
The implications of a longer lifespan for the individual
The implications of a longer lifespan for society
The topic for the two blocks above is The implications of a longer lifespan.
The controlling idea (Do you still remember what a controlling idea is?) of
the topic sentence for the first block is the individual, while the controlling
idea for the next block is society.
In the first block, you write about the implications of a longer lifespan for the
individual.
You can write about several implications in a single paragraph, or devote the
different implications in several paragraphs " discussing each implication in
a different paragraph.
Example:
1. One implication of a longer lifespan for the individual who has stopped working is
financial. (The controlling idea is financial. Discuss only the financial aspect in
this paragraph.)
2. An aging individual suffers from deteriorating health. (The controlling idea is
deteriorating health. Discuss the deteriorating health aspect in this paragraph.)
3. Another implication of a longer lifespan for the senior citizen is loneliness. (The
controlling idea is loneliness. Discuss the loneliness aspect in this paragraph.)
Activity 2.12
Complete the outline for a cause and effect essay using the block
organisation for the following topic:
Recent surveys show that Malaysians are living longer. Why do you
think that Malaysians are living longer? What are the implications
of a longer lifespan for the individual and society?
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
_______________________________________________________
General/Background information:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Thesis statement:
_______________________________________________________
Body
Body Paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: Malaysians are living longer because
Supporting sentences:
1.
2.
3.
Activity 2.12
[Submit your outline to your tutor for
evaluation and comments.]
Body Paragraph 2:
Topic sentence: An increased life span will definitely have some
effects on the individual.
Supporting sentences:
1.
2.
3.
Body Paragraph 3:
Topic sentence: An increased life span will also have some effects
on society.
Supporting sentences:
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion
Restatement:
_______________________________________________________
Summary:
_______________________________________________________
Closing statement:
_______________________________________________________
Activity 2.13
Based on the above outline, write out the essay in 500 600 words.
Activity2.13
[Submit your essay to your tutor for evaluation and
comments.]
Summary
In this section, you learnt how to write the cause and effect essay.
In such essays, your task is to explain the causes (reasons), the effects
(results), or the causes and effects of a situation or event.
You can organise a cause and effect essay in two ways: Block
organisation, or Chain organisation.
In a block organisation, you discuss all your causes as a single block
" i.e. all your body paragraphs are about only the causes. Of course,
all your body paragraphs can also be about effects only.
Obviously, you can write about both the causes and effects in your
essay. You may write about the causes in several paragraphs in the
first block, and the effects in the following paragraphs in the second
block. You decide whether what you want to discuss first " the
causes or the effects.
In a chain organisation, all the causes and effects are linked or
connected to each other. You can have all the linked causes and
effects in a single paragraph, or you can discuss the individual links
in separate paragraphs.
You also learn how to plan your essay by organising your ideas by
selecting one of the four possible essay patterns
Self-test 2.3
Prepare an outline for this topic:
Many people complain that the quality of life in large cities is
deteriorating. In your opinion, what are the causes of this problem?
What measures do you think the government could take to solve this
problem?
Then write the essay of 500 700 words based on the outline you
have prepared.
Introduction
Take a look at the picture below. How would you go about describing it? One easy
way of describing the picture is to look for the similarities (two hands belong to
the same child, same size, shape, etc.) and differences (colour of paint on each
hand).
For instance, you could describe the picture as follows:
1. The picture shows two hands belonging to a child.
2. On the palms, one hand has black paint while the other hand has coloured
paint.
Compare means
looking at the
similarities.
You are expected to be able to write comparative essays in the courses that you
take so that you can describe common grounds and ideas in your analysis. For
instance, you will learn to describe similar best practices that are beneficial to all
in the field of business. In science, you should be able to write essays that show
similarities between Western and Eastern sciences.
Similarly, you are required to describe key differences between two ideas,
thoughts and elements. This means that you should be able to write texts that
show contrast between two things.
Activity 2.14
Look at the picture below of a mother and her son. Fill in the table
with similarities and differences:
Features
Age
Physical
Clothes
Roles
Similarities
Differences
Point-by-point organisation
Essay patterns
Before you write your essay, you need to study the question. As
you are aware by now, the type of organisation and essay
pattern depends largely on the nature of the question. You may
want to write an article comparing and contrasting two different
car models:
As a writer for a car magazine, you have been asked to write a compare
and contrast article on a Proton Iriz and a Perodua Myvi.
Body para 1:
Body para 2:
Body para 3:
Body para 4:
Body para 5:
Body para 6:
Body para 7:
Body para 8:
Engine of Iriz
Exterior of Iriz
Interior of Iriz
Price of Iriz
Engine of Myvi
Exterior of Myvi
Interior of Myvi
Price of Myvi
1st block
(Iriz)
2nd block
(Myvi)
1st point
(Engine)
2nd point
(Exterior)
3rd point
(Interior)
4th point
(Price)
Reminder
Similarities
Differences
Activity 2.15
Complete the outline below using the block organisation for this
topic:
Studying as a full-time university student or as a part-time ODL student.
Introduction
Opening sentence/Hook:
_______________________________________________________
General/Background information: Information on the options available for university studies
Thesis statement: Studying in the university as a part-time ODL student or as a full-time student has its advantages and
disadvantages.
Body
Body Paragraph 1: (Part-time student: advantages)
Topic sentence:
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 2: (Part-time student: disadvantages)
Topic sentence:
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 3: (Full-time student: advantages)
Topic sentence:
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Body Paragraph 4: (Full-time student: disadvantages)
Topic sentence:
Supporting sentence 1
Supporting sentence 2
Supporting sentence 3
Conclusion
Restatement/Summary:
_______________________________________________________
Closing statement:
_______________________________________________________
Activity 2.16
Based on the completed outline, write out the essay in 500 700
words.
Activity 2.17
Prepare an outline for a compare-and-contrast article using the
point-by-point organisation for the following task:
As a writer for a car magazine, you have been asked to write a
compare-and-contrast article on a Proton Iriz and a Perodua Myvi.
Make use of the Internet to gather information of both cars for your article.
Activity 2.18
Based on the completed outline, write out the essay in 500 700 words.
Summary
In this section, you learnt how to write the compare and contrast
essay. When you compare two items, you talk about what is similar
about them. When you contrast two items, you talk about what
is different about them. So in a compare and contrast essay, you
are expected to discuss similarities and differences between two or
more items.
You can organise a compare and contrast essay in two ways:
Block organisation, or Point-by-point organisation. In a block
organisation, you discuss all the similarities in one block, and all
the differences in another block. In a point-by-point organisation,
you devote a paragraph for each point or feature.
In compare and contrast essays, you discuss similarities and
differences between: two or more things, views, events, people,
and other items.
You also learnt how to visualise and organise your ideas at the
planning stage by using graphic organisers. These graphic organisers
can also help you in the process of generating ideas " all you have
to do is fill in the blanks.
Finally, you prepared and outline and wrote compare-and-contrast
essays using the block and point-by-point organisation.
Self-test 2.4
Prepare an outline for this topic:
Is it better to study in a public government school or an international
private school?
Then write the essay of 500 600 words based on the outline you
have prepared.
Introduction
Foreign students in Malaysia sometimes ask in what ways is a pantun
different from the poetry of their countries. Tourists might ask you to
explain what is unique about the Pasar Ramadhan that appears once a
year, or tell them about the Thaipusam or the Chinese Qingming festival.
In tests or exams, you might be asked to define sociolinguistics, Maslows
hierarchy of needs, opportunity cost, economy of scale, or some theories
in your academic studies. Perhaps you have been asked to explain what
love, patriotism, success, beauty, discipline, and other abstract and
controversial ideas mean to you.
Definition essays attempt to explain these events and ideas mentioned
above, as well as many other terms and theories from other fields. This
section will examine how you will go about writing such essays.
1.
Love
2. Respect
3. Racism
4. Procrastination
5. What is intelligence?
6. What does success means to you?
7. What are good parenting skills?
8. Winston Churchill, John Lennon, President Obama, and Elvis
Presley are considered to be very charismatic people. What exactly is
charisma?
9. Explain the law of diminishing returns.
10. Define behaviourism and how it works.
Essay pattern
Your topic sentence should identify your topic (the term being defined) and the
controlling idea (category of term, and its characteristic):
Web References
Some definition essays to read online:
1. A Definition of Happiness by Nikos Kazantzakis
http://grammar.about.com/od/shortpassagesforanalysis/a/
Kazantzakis.htm
2. Prettiness by Gore Vidal
http://grammar.about.com/od/shortpassagesforanalysis/a/
vidalprettiness.htm
3. The Meaning of Home by John Berger
http://grammar.about.com/od/shortpassagesforanalysis/a/
bergerhomepass.htm
Summary
The purpose of a definition essay is to define. In other words,
this type of essay explains in depth the meaning of a word, a term,
a concept, an idea, or a theory. Most of the time, we can define a
word or term in a sentence or two. However an extended definition
may take up several sentences, paragraphs, or even pages to explain
a concept. An extended definition of several paragraphs represents
your definition essay.
Some of the terms you have to define have definite and concrete
meaning (i.e., they are tangible " which you can see and touch),
while other terms such as love, commitment, and responsibility are
abstract (i.e., they are intangible).
In planning your definition essay, you need to let your readers know:
1. what term is being defined.
2. which category or group the term belongs to.
3. about the special characteristics or distinctive traits of this item
you are defining.
4. more about the item by using facts, examples, and stories.
Introduction
Do you sort and classify things in your life? We classify things and
objects into groups and categories in order to be organised, as well as
to keep track of things. You can see things being classified and
arranged in supermarkets and outlets of shopping complexes. In a
supermarket, similar foods are grouped together so that customers to
locate them easily. When different brands of canned food are placed
the same shelf, you can compare them and decide which you prefer.
In this section you will learn about writing classification essays. To
classify means to place items into groups or categories.
Here are some topics of classification essays. Some ideas on how they
can be classified are provided in the brackets:
1. Music young people listen to
(You classify the different categories of music ! rock, hip-hop, rap, dance, pop,
rhythm and blues, etc.)
2. Online educational resources available to ODL learners
(You classify the different educational resources.)
3. Bosses I have worked with
(This appears to be a very general topic, but you can classify the different types of
bosses.)
4. Teachers who have taught me
(You classify the teachers according to the subjects they teach, primary and
secondary school teachers, or their personalities. You decide.)
5. Smartphones
(You can classify them according to their prices, popularity, operating systems, and
other features.)
6. Social networking available to us today
(You can categorise them according to the services such as Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, or according to special-interest groups such as classmates, schools,
universities, professions, etc.)
7. Annoying people I have met
(You should have an idea how to create your own classifications by now.)
8. How students prepare for their examinations
(How do you prepare for your examinations? How do your friends prepare for their
examinations? Can you classify them?)
People enjoy many kinds of music. The young, teenagers, adults and the
aged all enjoy listening to music. People of various ages enjoy different
kinds of music - classical, evergreens, rock, punk, and ballads. This is
because these kinds of music have been popular with different generations.
Here, we are given two classifications " age and music. However, we are not
informed which age group prefers what kind of music. This information is
not clearly stated.
Therefore, the paragraph can be improved as follows:
Reminder
Your introduction must be clear so that your
readers know what and how the classification is
done.
Activity 2.23
Write a paragraph to describe the kinds of activities that you
engage in during your free time and weekends. Classify these
activities.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Essay pattern
Before you write your classification essay, you need to plan how you are going
to organise and present the information.
Introduction
Hook: Write your opening line.
Background information: Introduce the subject to be categorised. Provide some
background information and the purpose of the essay.
Thesis statement: Tell your readers of categories you are going to write about.
Body
Body paragraph 1: First point on the issue stated in your topic sentence.
Body paragraph 2: Second point on the issue stated in your topic sentence.
Body paragraph 3: Third point on the issue stated in your topic sentence.
Conclusion
Restatement/Summary: Restate your thesis statement. If your restatement
summarises the thesis statement, you may choose not to write a summary.
Closing statement: Conclude by giving an opinion, a recommendation, an advice,
a prediction, a quotation, or ask a question.
Activity 2.24
Complete the above essay outline on how to lead a healthy life.
Activity 2.25
Based on the above outline, write out the essay in
500600 words.
Introduction
What do you do when you find that you have a leaky bathroom tap? Do
you fix it immediately? And if you do not know how to fix it, what do you
do " call a friend to help you, or go online and search for a solution? Or
perhaps you can call a plumber. Do you have a computer that is running
too slowly? How do you solve the problem and get it to run faster?
These are some of the problems we face regularly " problems we would
like to solve.
In this section, you will look at another type of essays you may have to
write in your university studies, and even at the workplace " essays or
proposals that define problems and provide solutions.
1. What is the best way to get young people to stay away from drugs?
2. How can we prevent bullying in schools?
3. More and more marriages are ending in divorce. What can be done
to prevent this from happening?
4. Many students have problems submitting their assignments on
time. How can we solve this problem of procrastination?
5. Many Malaysian motorcyclists still do not wear helmets while
travelling on the road. How can we get them to wear helmets?
6. How can we encourage more Malaysians to take public
transportation?
7. What can all of us do to save water?
8. What can we do to prevent young people from becoming addicted
to computer games?
This is an account of the fire that happened last week on the first floor of the
administration building. The fire occurred due to a poor management decision. Six
months prior to the fire, the management had decided that one way of saving costs
was to switch off all lights and air conditioners during lunch hours. This, however,
was misinterpreted by the security guards as an order to switch off the main power.
The management did not rectify the guards action as they thought that this may
save money for the company.
Unfortunately, by switching off the main power, the automatic sprinkler was also
turned off. On 23 July at around 1.15 p.m., there was heavy smoke from one of the
storerooms on the first floor. Initial investigation seemed to show that someone
had been smoking in the storeroom. Due to the carelessness of the person or people
concerned, the recycled paper in the storeroom caught fire. As the sprinklers were
not operational, the fire was not put out. Subsequently, the fire spread to the other
rooms on the same floor.
In the second version, the poor management decision has been elaborated
on. Background information (e.g., saving costs, switching off the lights and
the air conditioners, misinterpretation by the guards) and an explanation as
to how the problem started (e.g., the automatic sprinkler was also turned
off, smoking in the storeroom, carelessness) are given.
Remember to adequately describe a problem by providing necessary
background information. Do not give lengthy unnecessary details that will
clutter your explanation and make it difficult for your reader to read and
stay focused on the problem.
Introduction
Have you ever read a book or movie review in a magazine or newspaper? That
review is actually an evaluation of a book a critic has read, or a movie
evaluated
by a reviewer. Similarly, have you ever told your friends about a movie you saw at
a Cineplex, and then recommended it to them because it was very good? Perhaps
you have read a novel and then told your friends not to waste their time reading it?
When you praise or criticise a movie you have seen, or a book you have read, or a
holiday destination you have been to, you have already evaluated them. You have
made an assessment or judgement. All evaluation involves an opinion.
This section will explore another type of essay you may be required to write in your
university studies " the evaluation essay. Knowing how to handle such essays
may prove to be useful eventually at your workplace. You may one day be required
by your management to write an evaluation of a product, a service, a place, or an
applicant from a shortlist for a vacancy for the company.
She tells you the price, and you respond in shock, Thats too much!
Its ridiculous! I would not buy it at that price. Your initial evaluation of
the smartphone was positive,
but your re-evaluation after you heard the price was negative. What
criteria did you use to say that the smartphone was fantastic at the
beginning, and what were the new criteria you used next to say that
you would not buy it? Obviously, in spite of the smartphone being
fantastic, you would not buy it based on the price criteria.
However, your sister bought it " what criteria did she use to make her
decision?
1. Evaluate a movie you have recently seen and explain why you liked it.
2. What is your all-time favourite song? Evaluate it to explain your choice.
3. Do you prefer to see your favourite band perform live or watch them on
television? Evaluate your preference.
4. Evaluate why home-cooked food is healthier than hawker food.
5. Evaluate the latest smartphone available today. Why is it better than the one
you are using now?
6. Your younger brother wants to buy a desktop computer. Evaluate the model
you would buy for him.
7. Your manager is looking for a venue where he can hold a one-day seminar for
sales staff. You have recently attended a workshop at one of the seminar rooms
in Wawasan Open University, so the manager has asked you to evaluate on the
suitability of this venue for his seminar.
8. Your department has recently bought new equipment. Your manager has asked
you to evaluate the equipment based on its benefits and the problems it caused.
Have you ever wondered how the many radio stations in Malaysia (or all over
the world) that play the weekly top songs in their countdown programmes
decide what to play? Their top or popular songs are based on several criteria
" the listeners votes, airplay frequency, streaming, or sales (American Top
40).
Do note that not everyone will agree with your evaluation. For example when
Rolling Stone magazine issue 963 (9 December 2004) published its list of
"500 Greatest Songs of All Time," many readers complained that their
favourite songs never made it to the list. Others complained that foreign
songs were not included. In spite of a lack of standard criteria for evaluating
what constitute a great song, publishers regularly produce such lists.
Here is the list of the top ten songs from the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" "
ranked by a point system based on the votes of 172 musicians, critics, and music
industry personnel:
How many of these greatest songs songs have you heard from the above
list? Do you agree with this list? If the songs are the greatest, why have
you not heard of them? What makes a song great " the meaningful lyrics,
the melody, the person singing it, the beat, or some indefinable criteria?
What is your personal favourite all-time number song? What criteria did
you use to rate this song of yours? Bear this in mind when you are writing
your evaluation essay " not everyone will agree with you. However, you
can try to convince your readers and explain how you evaluated the
subject.
You can also evaluate a problem. Some questions you can ask when
evaluating a problem are:
1. How serious is the problem?
2. What effect(s) has the problem on people and the environment?
3. How long will it take for the problem to dissipate?
Essay pattern
Before you write your evaluation essay, you need to plan how you are going to
organise and present the information.
Heres one possible way to organise your essay. Provide background
information about the subject in the introduction, and use the body paragraphs
to evaluate the topic using the selected criteria.
13. Body paragraph 1: Evaluation based on the 1st criteria
14. Body paragraph 2: Evaluation based on the 2nd criteria
15. Body paragraph 3: Evaluation based on the 3rd criteria
Some evaluation essays share some of the features of a compare-andcontrast essay like this one:
Topic 1:
As a writer for a car magazine, you have been asked to write a compare and
contrast article on a Proton Iriz and a Perodua Myvi.
Topic 1 requires you to compare and contrast the features of the two
car models. You do not have to evaluate which is the better car. However,
some writers do conclude by giving their evaluation as to which car gives
better value for money.
Look at Topic 2:
Topic 2:
You want to buy either a Proton Iriz or a Perodua Myvi. Evaluate both cars and
decide which car you would buy.
Report format
If the above evaluation is required at your workplace, you should not submit it as
an essay. An informal evaluation report for submission to your manager should be
in the memo format:
To:
From:
Date:
Subject: Evaluation of Cannon Multifunctional Laser Printer Model WOU203-03
Introduction
Findings
1. Benefits
2. Problems
Conclusion/Recommendation
Activity 2.32
Rewrite the above essay in Activity 2.31, this time present it as a
memo report.
Evaluating a suggestion
When you write an essay to evaluate a suggestion, a problem, or a situation,
you can follow the suggested pattern below:
1. http://www.aims.edu/student/online-writinglab/assignments/evaluation
2. http://classroom.synonym.com/write-evaluation-essay-2480.html
3. http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Write-an-Evaluation-Review-essay
4. http://conservationcouncilnc.org/evaluation-essay-writing-guidelinesforcollege
5. http://hubpages.com/hub/100-Evaluation-Essay-Topic-Ideas
Summary
In this section, you learnt how to write the evaluation essay. In
an evaluation essay you give your opinion about something after
you have evaluated it. You tell your readers whether it is good or
bad, practical or impractical, cheap or expensive, useful or of little
value, and so on.
When you evaluate something, you need to judge it by a set of
criteria. A criterion (singular) is a principle or standard by which
something may be evaluated or judged. For example, if you want to
evaluate a restaurant, your criteria could be the quality of the food,
the price, the variety, the service, the atmosphere, or the cleanliness of
the place. After you have evaluated the restaurant, you give your
verdict or recommendation " is the place worth going to?
Do note that not everyone will agree with your evaluation. Different
people use different criteria to evaluate something.
To be able to evaluate a problem or situation, you need to fully
understand the topic. While you are reading or researching the
topic, keep in mind the criteria you are using to evaluate it. If you
are evaluating a product such as a smartphone, a tablet, an app, or
a kitchen appliance, it is recommended that you test it. However, a
lot of consumers do buy products without going through the testing
or evaluation process.
Before you begin your evaluation essay, you need some criteria to
enable you to evaluate the topic of you discussion. Different topics
require different sets of criteria. Besides evaluating products, food,
movies, music, or places, you can also evaluate a suggestion, a
problem, a situation, or an idea.
At the workplace, you may present your evaluation in the form of
an informal report using the memo format.
Just like the other essays you have learnt about, you need to plan
your evaluation essay. You need to decide how you are going to
organise and present the information
Self-test 2.8
Prepare an outline for this topic:
Your manager is looking for a venue where he can hold a one-day
seminar for sales staff. You have recently attended a workshop at one
of the seminar rooms in Wawasan Open University, so the manager has
asked you to evaluate on the suitability of this venue for his seminar.
Then write the essay based on the outline you have prepared.
Alternatively, you may write it as an informal report.
Introduction
Do you love movies and animated cartoons on television? Do you read
comics, novels, short stories, and news stories in the newspaper? These
are various forms of narrative. A narrative can be a written, spoken, or
even drawn account of connected events and experiences which may be
true or imaginary. In this section we will learn about writing narrative
essays.
And if you recall, some of the hooks you learnt to introduce your
essay require some sort of narrative " the dialogue, anecdote, story,
or personal experience. If you have forgotten about these ways of
opening sentences, it is time for you to revisit them in Unit 1.
Learning how to write narrative essays will definitely be useful at the
workplace. The first four topics on the list are examples of narrative
writing you may be required to write at work.
Feedback
Activity 2.33
Text A is a narrative text.
Purpose
Every narrative essay has a purpose: To help you focus on what you are
writing in your narrative, you need a thesis statement, or a main or a
controlling idea. How do you create a statement for this topic?
Here are some examples of statements that identify the main idea:
1. Everyone in my group decided to try smoking cigarettes one day, and I was the
only one who stood the ground by refusing to get involved.
(The controlling idea is smoking cigarettes.)
2. I believe in academic honesty, and during my primary schooldays, when I saw
some of my classmates cheating in an examination, I decided to report it to the
invigilator.
(The controlling idea is cheating in an examination.)
3. Stealing is a crime, and I will never get involved in it.
(The controlling idea is stealing.)
4. I remember in 2011 when I had to stand up for something I believed in.
(The controlling idea is not specifically stated. The readers will have to read on
to find out what that something is.)
Narrator
You can choose to tell your story from your point of view " that is, you use the
first person singular I. Here are some other point of views common in stories
and narratives:
Setting
The setting is the time and place of the story. Where and when did the story take
place?
Characters
Who are the characters in your story? How many characters are there?
Events
In a simple narrative, you tell the story of a single event. This single event will
usually take place in a single time span and in one place.
A slightly more complex narrative may tell of a few events. Some narrative may
have a linked cause-and-effect chain where one incident leads to another incident.
Conclusion
There are several ways you may end your narrative
essay. You may end your narrative
with:
The final occurrence of the event
A twist or an unexpected ending
A message or a lesson learnt
An open and inconclusive ending
Essay pattern
Different narrative essays may require different patterns from the one given
above.
Here is a topic you might get in your Communications or Management course:
A customer complained about alleged poor customer service that you provided.
Your management requires an explanation from you.
To answer the above question which requires you to write a narrative, you must
first decide which important or significant events need to be mentioned. Additional
details that are necessary can be included so that the text can be better understood.
You must also decide on the purpose of the narrative text.
By having an idea as to
what the purpose is, it is easier for you to decide what main events and additional
details need to be included in the writing piece.
For a narrative text that narrates past events, the tense that is used is the past
tense.
For a narration that narrates events that happen all the time (such as narrating a
ceremony that takes place regularly), the present tense is used.
Here is an outline with two divisions " the problems and the solutions:
Based on the guiding questions, the following is a sample narrative essay. Keep
the purpose of your essay in mind which is: Give an account of the problems that
the customer had and the steps you took to help the customer.
Activity 2.35
Based on the outline you prepared above, write your narrative essay.
Songs that narrate a story
Visit WawasanLearn to view some narratives in a PowerPoint Show format. Do you
know that some songs are actually narratives that tell a story? One such song is
No Charge by Tammy Wynette. You can view the analysis of the various elements
on PowerPoint at WawasanLearn. The PowerPoint comes with the lyrics " and you
can hear the actual song being played along.
You can use Google to see the lyrics from the Internet. Make sure you locate the
Tammy Wynette versions, as there are different versions with slightly different
lyrics.
Here is an analysis of No Charge:
Summary
In this last section, you learnt how to write the narrative essay. A
narrative essay informs the reader about an incident or an event.
The narrative relates events in chronological order from the first
event that happened to the last event that happened.
Narratives are also found in other types of essays such as discussion
and argumentative essays. In your management course, you might
want to narrate an incident that led to a full-blown crisis " followed
by another narration that illustrates how the crisis was solved by
following certain principles. Textbooks are fond of using narratives
to illustrate a point.
And if you recall, some of the hooks you learnt to introduce your
essay require some sort of narrative " the dialogue, anecdote, story,
or personal experience. You can read about them again in Unit 1.
Self-test 2.9
Prepare an outline for this topic:
Write about a time when you disagreed with a decision that had
been made at your workplace and you did something about
it. Narrate the events that occurred from the time the decision
was made to your response. Explain why you disagreed with the
decision and why you felt that your response was the right thing
to do at that point. Explain what happened in the end.
Then write the essay based on the outline you have prepared.
Summary of Unit 2
Summary
In the previous unit, you learnt about the writing process. In Unit 2,
you begin to write the various types of essays. In a discussion essay,
you write about the varying views on a particular topic, including
your own view. The keyword in such essays is discuss. You also
learnt about the various essay patterns to organise discussion essays.
Next, you learnt about argumentative essays. In argumentative
writing, you take a stand either for or against an issue, and convince
other people with your views. Your objective in this type of essay is
to win over your readers by providing arguments to support your
proposition. It is also known as a persuasive essay or an opinion essay.
References
Brannan, B (2003) A Writers Workshop:Crafting Paragraphs,
Building Essays,
NewYork:McGraw Hill.
Butler, L (2007) Fundamentals of Acacdemic Writing, New York:
Pearson.
Leonhard, B H(2002) Discoveries in Academic Writing, Boston:
Heinle-Heinle.
Oshima, A and Hogue, A (2005) Writing Academic English, 4th edn,
New York:
Pearson Longman.
END OF TUTORIAL
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