EN 2101: Practical and Professional Writing III
Writing skills: causes and results
· Focus: expressions
used for describing causes/origins and expressions used for describing results.
e.g. was caused by, has become, led to, resulted in, as a result of…
(Ref: Language in Use: Upper Intermediate-classroom
Book page 80)
· Activities:
- Read and list the expressions used for talking
about causes and results
- Write other expressions which could be used
instead.
- Select a headline and expand it into a paragraph,
using expressions you have listed.
e.g.
Explosion Kills 20 people: leaking gas pipe-damaged when road was repaired-
explosion -20 people killed.
More illiterate children-warns report: cuts in
funds-fewer teachers-more children- unable to raise funds
Writing skills:
joining ideas
· Showing what comes
next. e.g. We arrived five minutes before the concert was due to begin.
Surprisingly there were still very few people in the auditorium.
· Expression which
denote continuation: fortunately, on the other hand, in fact. The contrary,
surprisingly, not surprisingly (provide sentences)
· Activities:
- Choose suitable expressions to fill in the gaps.
- Write suitable continuations: The job isn’t well
paid. On the other hand…
Informative/descriptive/expository writing
· Text types:
essays, newspaper reports, travel experience, interpret graphs/maps.
· Procedure: guided
writing - Help in thinking ideas, ordering them, considering vocabulary and
grammar.
Imaginative writing
· Encourage students
to create stories: Provide questions to stimulate writing. e.g. What if you see
some aliens in your village?
· Involve students
in writing and illustrating books.
· Writing based on
pictures-creative dialogues / stories
Persuasive and argumentative writing
· Writing skills:
balancing an argument / contrasting two different points of view - useful
expressions: on the contrary, but, in fact, on the other hand
(Ref: Language in Use. Upper - Intermediate.
Classroom Book. page 70)
· Activities: Write
arguments for and against to the following opinions.
e.g. Women and men now have equal
opportunities in society
Doing military
service makes young people better citizens.
· Focus: develop
logical arguments and cite evidence, use persuasive techniques and rhetorical
devices.
Design and use a questionnaire to write reports
· Introduce the
topic. e.g. Report about leisure activities
- build up words connected to the topic on blackboard
- design a questionnaire to find how people spend
their leisure time (group work)
- collect information from classmates
- discuss and write the report
· Introduce features
of report writing: structure - introduction, middle paragraphs, and conclusion
· Language focus: In
order to find out how people…, One surprising fact that emerged was…, The
results of our survey suggest that…
Analytic writing
· Focus: critical
and evaluative views of texts, drama, films and issues.
· Take account of
the student’s familiarity with the topic. Guide students to form their own view
taking into account a range of evidence and opinion and to organize their ideas
and information distinguishing between analysis and comment
