NECESSARY PREPARATION FOR BOOSTING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ESSAY WRITING COMPETENCE ARGUMENTATIVE(OPINION) ESSAY

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NAM ĐỊNH

TRƯỜNG THPT A HẢI HẬU

Tác giả : VŨ THỊ THU THỦY

Trình độ chuyên môn: Cử nhân SPNN Chức vụ: Giáo viên

Đơn vị công tác: Trường THPT A Hải Hậu

Hải Hậu, tháng 5 năm 2015

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2 Structure of an essay

3 Some steps of reaching a thorough essay4 Some tips of essay writing

5 Suggestions of writing a good argumentative (opinion ) essay

6 Suggestions of identifying an argumentative(opinion) essay 7 Argumentative essay templates

IV RESULT AFTER APPLYING THE STUDY IN TEACHINGV PROPOSAL

REFERENCES 1 Reference

2 Some outlines of several argumentative essay topics

I THE SITUATION AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE STUDY

- Essay writing is a difficult skill in teaching and learning English at high schools.- Teachers and students at high schools are in the period of getting used to newEnglish textbooks Moreover, essay writing didn’t use to be the main part in class and almostall exams, so a lot of us – teachers of English at high schools – have difficulty finding outsteps of teaching essay writing effectively

- Some teachers haven’t been clearly aware of the roles of essay writing in teachingand learning a foreign language.

II ACTUAL SITUATION

- To introduce necessary preparation of essay writing

- To show how to organize steps of essay writing effectively and how to deal withinitial problems that may arise.

- To give teachers and students confidence in teaching and learning essay writing,especially argument(opinion) essay writing

- Scope : This subject is concerned with ways of enhancing essay writing competence,

especially argumentative(opinion) essay writing Researching in the process of teaching andlearning essay writing in English at Hai Hau A high school.

- Object: HaiHau A High School Students

- Methods: Reading reference books , discussing with other teachers, applying in

teaching, observing and drawing out experiences.

III SOLUTIONS1 Types of essays

1.1 The Descriptive Essay2.1 The Definition Essay3.1 The Illustration Essay

4.1 The Comparison/Contrast Essay 5.1 The Cause/Effect Essay

6.1 The Narrative Essay

7.1 The Process Analysis Essay8.1 The Classification Essay

9.1 The Argumentative/Persuasive Essay10.1 The Research Essay

11.1 The Critical Analysis Essay

2 Structure of an essay

Supporting idea 2

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Supporting idea 3

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

2-Conclusion(Transition)Capture attention – thesis statement

(paraphrase the essay statement)

Restate the thesis

Restate General Supporting Ideas

Powerful Conclusion or Statement of Significance

Supporting idea 1

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Essay Format

2.3 Thesis (Thesis Statement)

- This sentence is definitely significant in an Essay.

- It is also a challenging task with which Essay writers usually have to struggle.- Your thesis must be performed as a clear and concise sentence, which generatesyour main points and tell the reader what you are going.

3.3 Outline

- Straightway sketch out your essay.

- Map out each paragraph with one point corresponding to the order of the essay’smain points in the thesis.

- Bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain.

4 Some tips of essay writing

1.4 Reading as much as you can to explore new ways and new beautiful structures asyou need to supplement your essay in order that your essay becomes more

professional and vivid.

2.4 Using as many synonyms as possible to create an abundant essay.3.4 Following the four elements essential to a good essay

In order to write a good essay, students need to understand the four essential elements ofessay writing and how each element contributes to the whole.

The four elements essential to good essay writing are: unity, order, cohesion and coherence , and completeness The following example illustrates the importance of these

elements in essay writing.

Element 1: Unity Unity in an essay begins with the thesis statement Every essay has

two or three controlling ideas that is expressed in the body of an essay In order to write agood essay, think about your theme and all the points you want to make

Element 2: Order Order refers to the way you organize your supporting ideas.

Whether you choose chronological order, order of importance, or another logicalpresentation of details, a solid essay always has a definite organization In a well-orderedessay, the reader follows along easily, aided by signposts which gain importance in theargumentative essay Order helps the reader grasp your meaning and avoid confusion.

Element 3: Cohesion and Coherence

Coherence is the quality that makes your writing understandable Sentences within a

paragraph and the body paragraphs need to connect to each other and work together as a

whole One of the best ways to achieve coherence is to use transition words These words

create bridges from one sentence to the next and one paragraph to the next as well You canuse transition words that show order (first, second, third); spatial relationships (above,below) or logic (furthermore, in addition, in fact)

Cohesion describes the way in which a text is tied together by linguistic devices, such

as And so we see , Additionally , Therefore , However and On the other hand .

So cohesion refers to connectivity in a text Coherence refers to how easy it is to understandthe writing

Element 4: Completeness Completeness means an essay is well-developed If all

sentences and paragraphs clearly and sufficiently support the thesis, then your essay iscomplete If there are not enough sentences and paragraphs or enough information to proveyour thesis, then the essay is incomplete Usually three supporting ideas, in addition to aintroduction and concluding paragraph, are needed for an essay to be complete Theconclusion or the last paragraph should restate your thesis by reinforcing your points.

4.4 Adding transitional words, such as adverbs at the beginning of the paragraph andbetween each sentence if possible This makes your essay sound smoother andmore professional.

TOOLS OF COHESIONLinking ideas and making transitions

Meaning Function

Coordinators Subordinators

Content OptionsTo introduce a

similar or additional idea

Also in addition

Beside moreover

Both…and Not only…butalso

As Just as

As…asLike / alikeJust likeSimilar to(be)alike(be)similar

To introduce an opposite idea, and to contrast things

However NonethelessIn contrast Instead In / by comparison Nevertheless On the other handOn the one handStill

ButYet But rather

AlthoughEven althoughThoughWhereaswhile

DespiteIn spite ofCompared to/with

(be)different(be)dissimilar(be)unlikeDiffer from

To introduce an example

For example

An example ofIncluding

To signal chronological order

First,second graduallyFirst of all

As soon asBeforeNow thatSinceUntil _WhenWhile

The first, the second, the next, the last, the

final Before After Since 19 _In the

year _To indicate

order of importance

Above all

First and foremostMore/most importantlySignificantly

Last but not least

A more important_The most important_The second most

important_the primary_To introduce a

Result from(be) the result of

Due toBecause ofThe effect ofThe

consequence of

As a result of As a

consequence of

To introduce an

effect or result AccordinglyAs a resultConsequentlyHence

Thus Therefore

Cause

Have an effect on

AffectThe cause ofThe reason for

In briefIn conclusionIn shortIn summaryIndeed

It is clear that…We can see that

The evidence suggests that…These examples show that…

5 Suggestions of writing a good argumentative (opinion ) essay

1.5 Here is what you need to keep in mind in order to write a good opinion essay

+ Decide your opinion as for the topic discussed

+ Make a list of examples, viewpoints and reasons to support your opinion.

+ Use linking words and phrases to join the sentences and the paragraphs within the text + Write in a formal style, introduce the topic clearly and state convincing arguments Normally, an opinion essay should be divided into 3 parts

+ We often read/hear that

+ In my opinion , I strongly believe that , I am in favor of , it seems to me that + From my point of view, as far as I can see, as I see it

+ Many people think that…However, I think…

+ According to some people,…., Personally, I believe…

+ Some people are for the opinion that… Nevertheless, in my opinion,…

 Part 2: Body

In this part you use examples and reasons to support your viewpoint (at least 2

paragraphs).You can also include a paragraph presenting the opposing point of view and reason why you think it is an unconvincing idea.

Some useful expressions

- Making extra points

+ What's more + In addition

+ Furthermore, moreover

- Introducing a contradictory point

+ Although, even though + Despite

+ Despite the fact that + However

- Contrasting views for and against

+ On the one hand/side on the other + While it's true that

+ You could also argue that + Nevertheless / However

+ One advantage / Another disadvantage is that + Opponents of this idea claim/ maintain that…

+ Those who disagree/ are against these ideas may say/ assert/ point out that… + Some people may disagree with this idea.

+ Others may argue/ think that…

+ There may be some truth in their argument, however it cannot be denied that…

Part 3: Conclusion

+ Given this, it can be concluded that

+ For all the above reasons, I am convinced that…

2.5 Three possible organisation patterns

All argumentative topics have supporting ideas and opposing ideas Before starting writing, it is imperative to make a list of three ideas and choose the most suitable ones among them for supporting and refuting

Supporting idea

2( for your side)

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Supporting idea

3( for your side)

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

2-Conclusion(Transition) -Thesis statement(Agree/Disagree with the statement)

- Paraphrasing, instead of rewriting, the essay statement

Restate the thesis

Restate what you think and make any suggestions if you wantSupporting idea

1( for your side)

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Pattern 1

Supporting idea

2( for your side)

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Opposing idea + refutation

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

2-Conclusion(Transition)-Thesis statement(Agree/Disagree with the statement)

- Paraphrasing, instead of rewriting, the essay statement

Restate the thesis

Restate what you think and make any suggestions if you wantSupporting idea

1( for your side)

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Pattern 2

Opposing idea 2 + refutation

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Opposing idea 3 + refutation

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

2-Conclusion(Transition)-Thesis statement(Agree/Disagree with the statement)

- Paraphrasing, instead of rewriting, the essay statement

Restate the thesis

Restate what you think and make any suggestions if you want

Opposing idea 1+ refutation

- topic sentence -explanation/details1-

Pattern 3

6 Suggestions of identifying an argumentative(opinion) essay

Normally, argumentative essays have the following types of questions:+ To what extend do you agree ordisagree?

+ What is your opinion on this?

+ What do you think (of this statement)?+ What are your opinions about….?+ Is it a good idea to….?

+ To what extent is … always good?+ Which of the views do you agree with?+ Should people marry before 25?

+ Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the given statement?+ Do you believe…?

Some people argue that immigrants should adopt the local culture when immigrating to a new country An alternative view is that they can adapt to a new environment by establishing

Some people argue that immigrants should adopt the local culture when immigrating to a new country An alternative view is that they can adapt to a new environment by establishing

7 Argumentative essay templates

- Increased access to information - Better communication

- Business, transactions and goverment conferencing - (Your opinion).

Negative changes:

- Physical and psychological problems

- (Your opinion).

First Body Paragraph:

(Topic sentence) To begin with, computers have substantially improved people’s lives.(Supporting Idea 1)Needless to say, increased access to information is one of the mostevident ways computers have changed the way we live (Example 1) From work, to hobbies,

to learning about world events and scientific advancements, the Internet has given peopleimmediate access to information that was previously difficult or even impossible to get.

(Expanding 1) With more and better information, we can make smarter decisions.(Supporting Idea 2) Another beneficial change to people’s lives that can be directlyattributed to computers is that of better communication technologies (Example 2) These

include the most personal exchanges carried out via email or instant messaging, to the mostcomplex communication satellite systems that allow us to watch a World Cup game livefrom the other side of the world.

Second Body Paragraph:

(Supporting Idea 3) Moreover, on top of these advances in our ability to obtain informationand communicate, computers facilitate everyday business, transactions and governmentconferencing (Expanding 1) People nowadays can do business online, which saves them alot of time and money (Example 1) Online systems allow people to do their banking, pay

the bills, and even buy a new wardrobe without having to leave home or even putting pen to

paper.(Expanding 2)Similarly, goverment conferencing can take place online with no needto travel long distances to attend meetings (Example 2) This form of meeting is becomingmore and more popular in many countries (Concluding) Thus, since the advent of

computers, people’s lives have changed a lot in a positive way.

Third Body Paragraph:

(Topic sentence) Some observers might say this all sounds great, yet there are downsides to

the computer revolution that lessen some of the appeal of these benefits, if only slightly.

(Supporting idea 1) The most prominent is physical problems (Expanding 1) If people

spend so much time at their computers, they do not get enough exercise, which can lead to

numerous health problems (Supporting idea 2) Psychollogically , with too much time spentsitting in front of computers, they do not develop healthy interpersonal skills (Example 2)

Increases in depression and violence are two visible effects of this problem.

(Summary) It is far from clear where the changes computers have brought to our lives will

eventually take us Like all new technology, computers bring mixed blessings to peole’s

everyday lives (Opinion) At present, I believe the benefits outweigh the negative

SAMPLE 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic.

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive in the future.

To what extent do you agree with this view?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

You should write at least 250 words.

1) Introduction

You should keep your introduction for short Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning Therefore, you need to be able towrite your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.

You should do just two things:

the question)

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by

IT, with many advances in this field However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, it can be argued that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from the question Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

2) Body Paragraphs

For a good essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have sentences to support this

Let’s look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs

Here is the first body paragraph:

To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster, resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us For

example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and more convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to come.

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two

supporting ideas, which are underlined No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would then lose coherence.

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more negative effects in the introduction So the next two paragraphs are about these.

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial For

example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms ofcommunication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and viruses Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

3) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

The full Essay:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, it can be argued that these developments in IT will resultin more negative impacts than positive

To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster, resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us For

example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and more convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to come Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of

communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and viruses Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe developments relating to new technology are likely to produce many negative effects in the future that mustbe addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts to individuals and society.

SAMPLE 3

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyedcommunication among friends and family Use specific reasons and examples tosupport your opinion.

The invention of television is undoubtedly one of humankind's greatest inventions It is a way of communication among people of one country and different countries and nations People watch TV to find out about the latest news, weather, sports, etc It is a great way to learn new and extend one's range of interests Scientists say that children spend the same amount of hours in front of TV as they do in school I think that this can be said about many grown people too Also, television is a great means of eliminating stress and tension One can relax and leave one's troubles behind lying on one's favorite sofa and watching a

comedy However, some people believe that television has destroyed communication among friends and family

Personally, I do not agree with this statement A couple centuries ago people spent their time

gambling, reading, gossiping or playing chess I do not think that television is a cause of destroyed communication among family members and friends First of all, if members of a family have common interests and they want to make each other happy they will always find many ways to spend their time together and be close Otherwise, if people avoid each other and they do not have anything to share with each other they will find television a great way to escape from this miserable existence I believe that many people chose family and their friends over some soap operas or a movie

Second of all, I think that television can be a great resource of subjects to discuss Many people watch different educational programs to find out more about their environment, nature, wild life animals, economic situations, etc So, when they gather with their friends they discuss important issues and arque with each other in looking for the truth

My husband and I often watch the news channel to keep abreast of the latest news After thatwe always discuss some issues we concerned about Also, we like to watch a TV show "the funniest animals" We like this program because it makes us laugh I can not imagine how these programs can prevent our communication and be harmful to our relations.

To summarize, I would like to add that if people want to communicate with each other they will find a way to do it Otherwise, if television were not existent, people would find other escapes and reasons not to be with each other such as drugs, gambling, etc.

SAMPLE 4

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should begin learninga foreign language as soon as they start school Use specific reasons and examples tosupport your opinion.

Language is the best means of communication In the modern globalization era it is not enough to be able to speak one language to communicate with the outside world I strongly support the idea that children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school They faster become familiar with a strange language, improve their hearing ability to understand new words as time goes by and learn new words In the following paragraphs I will list some reasons to support my position.

First of all, if one wants to see outcome soon, one must start sooner So, the early children begin to learn new language the better will be the result Scientists say that a child does not confuse two different languages but learns them more effectively.

Second of all, adults are often afraid to make mistakes when they are speaking in a new language This fear is one of the biggest barriers for a person in his efforts to speak freely Otherwise, children do not afraid of making grammatical mistakes because basically they

the melody of a language.

To sum up, I think that it is very essential for children to begin learning a foreign language intheir early ages It is brings many benefits such as great pronunciation Also, it help a child develop and gain more knowledge which is good for a long run.

communicate with the children of the same age Adolescence is a period when children learn more from their friends then from their parents At this age many young people reject their parents' advices and warnings They begin to learn from their own experience, make

conclusions and analyze their first mistakes It is very important for parents in this period to be supportive and patient Children may slam door and refuse to do some things because theywant to feel independence

Another important aspect of this is that parents are the first people who must worn their children about the danger of drugs and cigarettes and how to avoid and say "No" when they need to In the modern world parents must talk with their children about everything because it can save their life and make them happier So, the role of parents is really important because it gives the strength and understanding the real world.

In conclusion, I think that parents are the best teachers because they give their knowledge that can not be taken from books when it needs to be known by children.

SAMPLE 6

According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time theyspend with real human beings Should we worry about the effect this is having on socialinteraction or should we see the Internet as a way of opening up new communicationpossibilities worldwide ?

What are your views ?

Internet has been playing an essential part in human lives and having an enormous impact onevery working sector Supporters of internet application regard it as a way of creating newchances for peope to communicate with one another Meanwhile, others argue that Internetdoes reduce social interaction Personally, I find the latter viewpoint fallacious for thefollowing reasons.

To start with, thanks to the Internet, people can emotionally keep in touch with their friendsand relatives all around the world There has been a trend of studying abroad amongVietnamese students with hope enjoying advanced studying facilities and innovative teachingmethods as well as having the feasibility of well-paid salary in the future Besides, offices inalmost every field have been sent overseas to have access to and learn how to apply newtechnologies or go to for a business trip to seek for potential cooperation For these reasons,more and more people are living far away from their family and friends However, withInternet connection, thay can still contact with each other by sending email, or messages onFacebook, and chatting through Yahoo Messenger, or even Skype where they can hear voiceor see faces.

Furthermore, people also use Internet as a means of working communication The mentioned utilities, applications as well as services provided by the Internet enable bosses tosend their request to their employees immediately or give suggestions to deal with difficultiesby mail In addition, with room chat, they might organise online meetings as wanting to havethe attendance of members working abroad.

above-Nonetheless, opponents argue that Internet exerts negative influences on social interactionbecause they insist that the more time the Internet is used, the fewer opportunities for realinteraction with others there will be This argument is true to some extent, however, it isobvious that only in the past did this situation exist With such devices as webcam ormicrophone, and the latest version of Yahoo Messenger and Skype, people nowadays can alsohave face-to-face conversation regardless the geographical distance.

In summary, Internet has been applied to keep human beings closer worldwide And with suchfast speed of technology development, it is expected to play a more vital part in human livesin the near future.