Engleski jezik struke 3 Sreda, 16.05.2018.

What to avoid Contractions and phrasal verbs Idioms and slang Negatives Cliché Vague language Pay attention to punctuation Simple language

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WRITING Cutting the clutter does not mean only writing short sentences! Punctuation marks, ordered by increasing power to separate: Comma Colon Dash Parentheses Semicolon Period Considered to be slightly less formal

parallelism - pairs or lists of ideas joined by “and”, “or”, or “but” should be written in parallel form, i.e. they should follow the same grammatical structure example: The broad implication is that strong and important relationships exist among the capability of a firm to innovate, its competitive strategy and the posture of its production resources.

paragraph 1 paragraph = 1 idea Paragraphs indicate a new idea to the reader Short paragraphs help readers because they are usually focused on one idea give away the punch line early Topic sentences can be confining, but helpful paragraph flow is helped by: Logical flow of ideas parallel sentence structure If necessary, use transition words; usually “and” and “but” will do

Various essays Analyse: examine in detail, showing pros and cons Assess: weigh up the value of and give a judgement Compare: show the similarities between two given items Contrast: point out all the differences between items Criticise: show both the good and bad points Define: give the exact meaning Describe: give a detailed account of Explain: make really clear, possibly giving a reason Explore: examine from various standpoints, showing the implications Outline: give the main points of Summarise: give a brief account of

What do you need for a good essay? to understand the precise task set by the title; to construct an effective argument; and to arrive at a well-supported conclusion.

Common mistakes in essays does not keep to the title that was set; has a poor structure; is too descriptive; does not have enough critical writing.

title be sure to understand the title return to the title throughout the writing process e.g. Dogs are much better suited for keeping in an apartment than cats. Do you agree or disagree?

Brainstorming write down all the ideas to support your argument select the ones that are best suited to the point you want to make in your conclusion

process break down the essay title into its component parts, and consider possible ways of addressing them; work with these component parts, and make relevant notes; build up the essay using the notes you have made; order it; present and discuss it; and form it into a coherent argument.

Think about the reader as you write! Possible structure overall chronological structure; broken down by comparisons according to the elements of the title; overall thematic structure; broken down by sub-themes; overall comparative structure; broken down by context Think about the reader as you write!

introduction Examine and compare the nature and development of the tragic figures of Macbeth and Dr Faustus in their respective plays. Begin with a general point Dr Faustus and Macbeth are both plays that show their respective playwrights at the pinnacle of their careers. Show your understanding of the task set When comparing the nature of the two plays’ respective heroes, both parallels and contrasts can be found. Show how you plan to address the title In the first section of this essay, the role of the tragic hero will be considered … The second section of the essay will examine the nature … Finally, a comparison will be made of the development of the two … Make a link to the first point In examining the characters’ tragic qualities, a useful starting point is Aristotle’s definition of tragedy…

paragraphs The middle part of your essay must fulfill the promises made in your introduction, and must support your final conclusions.

Useful linking words Likewise Correspondingly Equally Describing similarities Showing cause and effect Comparing and contrasting Likewise Correspondingly Equally Not only… but also In the same way Similarly Consequently As a result Thus Hence (never ‘hence why’) Since (try to avoid ‘as’ when showing cause and effect) Because Therefore Accordingly Alternatively However Conversely On the other hand Instead Yet On the contrary

conclusion A generic structure of a conclusion which may be useful: brief recap of what you have covered in relation to the essay title; reference to the larger issue; evaluation of the main arguments; highlighting the most important aspects.

Useful phrases and linking words To summarise It can be concluded that As can be seen Ultimately Given the above As described Finally

editing 'Editing and proof reading are not the icing on the cake, as some people think. They are absolutely crucial because it is only at this stage that the student can see that the argument hangs together, has a sequence and is well-expressed. Editing is both difficult and important.’ (Stott, 2001 p39)

Sample topic It is inevitable that as technology advances, traditional cultures will be lost. It seems that we cannot have these two things together. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

EXERCISE Background statement that sets the context for the essay INTRODUCTION CONCLUSION Background statement that sets the context for the essay Issue. An explanation of the problem Issue. Further explanation of the problem Issue. One solution Issue. A second solution Thesis statement outlining what the essay will cover and what perspective the writer will take Link to previous paragraph Restatement of main points and reaffirmation of thesis Restatement of main point and explanation that there may still be problems with it Broad final statement relating to significance of argument