writing enda p guinan writing skills language centre nui maynooth

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Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

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Page 1: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Writing

Enda P GuinanWriting SkillsLanguage Centre

NUI Maynooth

Page 2: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The two types

• Any piece of extended writing is either*

• DESCRIPTIVEor

• ARGUMENTATIVE

*or possibly some kind of mixture

Page 3: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Descriptive

•List important points

•Your view often not needed

Page 4: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

•State your point of view

•Defend it with supporting arguments

Argumentative

Page 5: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

• Explain, with examples, how the system of government works.

• Outline some of the things that led to the defeat of the Japanese at the end of World War II.

• What is the difference between knowledge and belief?

• Compare and contrast the education system of the USA and your own country.

• What influence did the Greeks have on the ancient Romans?

• Write a concise description of the role of the World Bank in development today.

Which approach?

Page 6: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

‘The Parliamentary System of Australia’

Should you explain:• What a parliament is?• What is meant by a system?• What ‘Australia’ is?• Something about the history of

parliaments?• Who the present PM of Australia is?• What a democracy is?• What a vote is?

What to put in and leave out

Page 7: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

1. Why are you writing the essay at all?

2. Have a specific reader in mind when you write

Two things to take into account

Page 8: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Because the tutor wants to see if you have understood the lectures and the recommended reading.

1. Why are you writing the essay at all?

Page 9: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Someone who

Is intelligent enough to be one of your colleagues

Has a reasonable amount of common sense

Knows almost nothing about your subject

2. Have a specific reader in mind when you write

Page 10: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

This way…

• You won’t waste time explaining the obvious and things that any sensible person would know

• And you will explain the things that need explaining

• Imagine this person will read, but not mark, your work.

• Make it someone you respect, but who hasn’t had the benefit of attending your course

Page 11: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

‘The Parliamentary System of Australia’Should you explain:• What a parliament is?• What is meant by a system?• What ‘Australia’ is?• Something about the history of

parliaments?• Who the present PM of Australia is?• What a democracy is?• What a vote is?

Back to Australia!

Page 12: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The Descriptive Essay: The Introduction

Do not include the questions in the introduction - include the answers

1. Do I need to define any of the terms in the title?

2. Why is the topic I’m writing about important?

3. How am I limiting my discussion?4. Can I break up my task into a

number of areas?

Page 13: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

1. What do I need to define?

• Show the reader you understand what you must talk about

• Either you must define a term or explain some important feature of the term.

• Remember what you don’t have to explain

Page 14: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Try these: Which terms need definition?

1)Discuss the effects a curfew has on business interests in a city.

2)To what extent does sexual equality lead to social change?

3)Explain how a compass works.

Page 15: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Describe, with examples, the role of the defence forces in border

disputes.

• There are three arms of the defence force: the Army, the Navy and the Airforce. All three of these can be involved in border disputes, depending on the location of the border under dispute.

Page 16: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

2. Why is the topic important?

• Explain how the topic is important• Either in terms of its relevance

today or• In terms of its relevance to the

general study of the subject

• Example:

Page 17: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Describe, with examples, the role of the defence forces in border

disputes.

• A study of the defence force’s role in border disputes is worth examining because it is a good example of the way that the armed forces take over policing in areas where the police have little control.

Page 18: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

3. How am I limiting my discussion?

• No essay can deal with all aspects of a topic

• Select what you consider to be the central point

• Tell your reader just what area you will discuss

• Say why you are limiting yourselfExample:

Page 19: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Describe, with examples, the role of the defence forces in border

disputes.

• As most disputes are land-based, this discussion will limit itself to examining the role of the Army.

Page 20: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

4. Can I break up the task into a number of parts?

• This will give you an idea of the number of paragraphs you will have

• Use words like ‘major’, ‘main’ or ‘most important’

• Use lots of words from the title• Don’t write out which areas you will

be describing (you essay itself does that!)

Page 21: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Describe, with examples, the role of the defence forces in border

disputes.

• Although the army becomes involved in many ways, there are three main roles that the defence force in general, and the Army in particular, has in border disputes.

Page 22: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Body text

• A sequence of paragraphs each logically following from the last and each developing a point

• Each paragraph:o Begins with a restatement of the

final sentence of the introo States your info in detailo Ends with an example

Page 23: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The Conclusion

• Short• You could:• Write about future implications (if

relevant)• Write about influence of what you

have described on wider issues• Suggest how the situation could be

improved in some way

Page 24: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The Fall of the Roman Empire

There were, then, many reasons why the Roman Empire fell. As the empire crumbled, it became divided into the two centres of Rome and Constantinople. The resulting rivalry meant that the Arab forces were able to gain much more ground in Europe and North Africa than they might otherwise might have done. In the long term this was perhaps an advantage to European culture as a whole, for it exposed Europe to Arab philosophy and science: both of which were in many ways far superior to those of Europe at the time.

Page 25: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The Argumentative Essay

• Puts forward a point of view• Defends that point of view

• Most frequently used approach in academic writing (for extended pieces)

• Tests ability to think logically

Page 26: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The Introduction

• Sets out the problem (topic)

A typical intro (no of sentences in brackets)

• Relates topic to reader’s experience (1+)• Sets out problem (often question form) (1)• Shows opposing voices and explains why

(1+)• Sets out writer’s opinion (1)

Page 27: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

1. Relate to reader’s experience

• Less important in college essays!• However…• “This is something you will be

interested in. It discusses something you have been thinking about recently”

• May take several or only one sentence

Page 28: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Examples

• The recent troubles in the Middle East have been widely reported in the world’s press.

• In the last year there have been over five hundred violations of air traffic rules in the USA.

• In last week’s daily papers there was a great deal of coverage given to a case of child beating. The parents, it seems, were blaming their cramped housing on their sudden loss of control.

Page 29: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

2. Question that sets out the problem behind the

topic• Let’s call this the issue• V important. Makes the topic

perfectly clear• Helps you get to the root of the

problem and stay relevant• Watch out! Some issues are lame:

Page 30: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Lame issues

• Is theft a crime?• Is the world round?• Should we obey the traffic rules?• Are women legally equal to men?• Is violence a bad thing?

• Why are these lame? How could you improve them?

Page 31: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

3. Objections that exist and why?

• A good issue should have two sides• Acknowledging this does two things• 1. Tells reader (who may share the

opposing view!) that opposing view has some strong arguments

• 2. Makes sure there are two sides. If not, it’s not a good issue - it may be lame

Page 32: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Careful though…

• Don’t give more than one support for the other argument

• Introduce opposing arg with: Some people maintain… It can be argued that… It might be said that…

§ ‘can’, ‘might’, ‘may’ are tentative words

Page 33: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Spot the difference

• Students are lazy people. This sound like a fact Speaker sounds very definite

• It might be said that students are lazy people. Speaker sounds doubtful Speaker doesn’t agree with it

Page 34: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

4. Set out your opinion

• Let’s call this the MIS (Main Idea Statement)

• The MIS is the answer to the question posed by the issue

• Do not provide any reasons - yet (more difficult than it sounds!)

• Introduce MIS something like this; However, it is clear that… There are many reasons why…

Page 35: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Body text: The supporting arguments

• Make sure your supports actually support your MIS

• Each support should have its own paragraph (or two)

• Follow the three steps State Explain Example

Page 36: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

State

• Begin new paragraphs with: The first reason why [restate MIS] is

[first support] The second reason why [restate MIS]

is [first support] The third…. and so on

Page 37: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Explain

• Clarify the point - enhance the topic sentence

• Bring in quotations from sources• Make reference to other authorities• Give weight to your point of view

Page 38: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Example

• Conclude your paragraph with an example

• Be as precise as possible - facts and figures

• Resist the temptation to ‘massage’ or invent information

Page 39: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

The Conclusion

• Do not list all of your arguments• Attempt a solution• Your issue had two sides - how

might they be reconciled in the light of your arguments?

• You can make suggestions here• You don’t have to neatly reconcile

things

Page 40: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

An example

• Although it is clear that the police should definitely not be armed, there are occasions when it is necessary for them to have weapons: when dealing with a dangerous criminal, for example. The answer then may be to allow the police to carry weapons only when permitted to by a judge or someone similar.

Page 41: Writing Enda P Guinan Writing Skills Language Centre NUI Maynooth

Questions and answers to

[email protected]