1. Engleski jezik struke 3
Sreda,

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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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?

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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!

14. 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…

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

17. 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

18. 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.

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

20. 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)

21. 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?

22. 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