AD-LCE001Study Skills: Outlining a Paper

TSIM Kam Wan

Discussion

The aim of writing an essay

The lecturer wants……….

……….me to show that I understand the subject

How will your essay be graded?

Content LanguageSubject focusedLogicalrelevant

GrammarSpellingpunctuation

Task 1: Titles

Look at these title for essays, please brainstorm some points which you would write under each question!

1. Reclaiming land in Hong Kong: an analysis of the policies of the Hong Kong government on Lantau Island, in Hong Kong Harbour, in Tsuen Wan, on Peng Chau and near Tuen Mun.

2. Some thoughts on how we treat the elderly in Hong Kong.

3. Why men think differently to women?4. Euthanasia: a religious perspective.5. Why Hello Kitty is an icon for Hong Kong

Youth?

Do you have any problem in listing points for each question?

Because the title is too broad? Because the title is too detailed? Because the title is too irrelvant?

Why?

Why do we need/want to write? To help us remember things (like shopping lists). To help us count things . To send messages to people far away. To help us get our words right (like making up a poem

or a story) For-to communicate formally or informally our

meaning of life. To do thing. To express our own feeling. To encourage people. To celebrate our wining of life. To record our life. To reflect our thought.

How to solve our chaos of writing ideas?No idea

Methods/strategies Brainstorming Freewriting Questioning Interviewing Branching Jotting notes of a problem and random

thoughts Exploratory talk/listening Mind Mapping

Task 2: Rewriting titles

Homework

Task 4: Analysing essays

Outline of an essay Introduction Main Body Conclusion

Task 4 – Text 1 & Text 2 What topic this essay will talk about? What is in the introduction? What is the main content? Paragraph 1 &

Paragraph 2? What is the conclusion? Is there any problem of this essay? Content?

Language?

Task 5: Organising the plan Put the points which match the Essay 2 into

logical order. Organisation of the Essay

Introduction Main Content Conclusion

Task 5 -Organisation for Essay 2 Introduction

General comments on going to the beach (4) More specific point about popularity in the summer (5) Some reasons why there are dangers (10) An outline of what’s in the essay (2)

Main Body Paragraph 1

Popularity because of the environment (7) Popularity because of the atmosphere (6) Popularity because of the low cost (8)

Paragraph 2 Dangers of heatstroke and sunburn (3) What to do to avoid heatstroke and sunburn (12) Security dangers: what are they? Things stolen! (9) What to do to avoid things being stolen (13)

Conclusion A summary of the main points: nice place/cheap, but be

careful with health and your valuables (1) The beach will remain popular (11)

Task 6 : Making sure you’re including relevant details

Relevant information is information that supports the points I want to make,

Task 7 1. Brainstorm the topic using a mind-map

2. Cross out irrelevant information//add more ideas to the ones you already have

3. Arrange your information in a logical order

Task 8 – Planning different types of writing

1. Analysing Examining something in some details, step-by-step, looking at many aspects

2. Arguing Giving an opinion on something, perhaps to support it or to disagree with it

3. Comparing and contrasting

Discussing two or more things, looking at their similarities and differences

4. Defining Giving the meaning of something; explaining what it is and what it isn’t

5. Describing a process

Explaining how something happens

6. Discussing cause and effect

Describing why something happens, or what happens as a result of something

7. Illustrating /exemplifying

Giving examples of something so that it is clearer to the reader

Task 8 – Planning different types of writingii. Shakespeare is the greatest writer in English: do you agree?

(2. Arguing)Giving an opinion on something, perhaps to support it or to disagree with it

iii. HSBC and BEA: assess the ways in which these two banks provide customer service

(3. Comparing and contrasting)Discussing two or more things, looking at their similarities and differences(1. Analysing)Examining something in some details, step-by-step, looking at many aspects

i. Describe the development of policies towards the elderly in Hong Kong and say why these changes have occurrediv. Give an account of how companies can use marketing information in the development of new products.

(5. Describing a process)Explaining how something happens

v. Discuss the development of the Hong Kong tourism industry in the last decade

(6. Discussing cause and effect)Describing why something happens, or what happens as a result of something

Task 9 –Types of writing

A. Compare and contrast the ways in which two mobile phone makers advertise their product in Hong Kong

3. Comparing and contrasting Discussing two or more things, looking at their similarities and differences6. Discussing cause and effectDescribing why something happens, or what happens as a result of something

B. Describe the recent history of the mobile phone market in Hong Kong, and discuss the way in which it might develop in the future.

5. Describing a processExplaining how something happens1. AnalysingExamining something in some details, step-by-step, looking at many aspects

Writing Skills-Developing Paragraph – Example One

Topic sentence + 3 examples + Sum up sentences•Step 1 – Develop topic sentencesJapanese technology dominates the household goods market.•Step 2 – Think at least 3 examples to support the topic sentences. Make short notes of the examples.

Sony cassette players, Sharp toasters, •Toshiba micro-wave ovens, National rice cooker

•Panasonic televisions, Sanyo Fridges•Step 3 – Think one sentence to sum up the theme

This is just the tip of ice-berg.•Step 4 – Turn the notes into sentence. Write the whole paragraph by connecting examples

Paragraph

Japanese technology dominates the household goods market. (Topic sentence) Every shop, supermarket and department store is full of Sony cassette players or Sharp toasters. Panasonic televisions line the shelves and the kitchenware sections are filled with National rice cookers, Toshiba micro-wave ovens and Sanyo fridges. (Three examples) And this is just the tip of ice-berg. (Sum up sentence)

Developing ParagraphExample One

Topic sentence + 3 examples + Sum up sentences•Step 1 – Develop topic sentences

I hate the weather in the summer.•Step 2 – Think at least 3 examples to support the topic sentences. Make short notes of the examples.

It’s so hot – can’t stand in the sun too longHumid – very sweaty

Typhoons – frightening – heavy rain - annoying•Step 3 – Think one sentence to sum up the theme

That is the reasons I hate summers in Hong Kong.•Step 4 – Turn the notes into sentence. Write the whole paragraph by connecting examples

Example Two

ParagraphI hate the weather in the summer. (Topic sentence) It gets so hot outside that I can’t stand in the sun too long. I have to stay indoors all the time and I don’t like that either. And then there is the humidity. I can’t walk anywhere without getting hot and sweaty. Any finally, summer is the typhoon seasons. Every year there are typhoon scares – When we are scared that a typhoon will actually hit Hong Kong. If it does this is very frightening. But usually the typhoon just brings a lot of heavy rain, which is very annoying. (3 Examples / Explanation) That is the reasons I hate summers in Hong Kong. (Sum-up Sentence)

Example Two

Step 1: Topic Sentence

There have been many famous Chinese Women.

Step 2: 3 Examples

A) _____________________________________

B) ______________________________________

C) ______________________________________

Step 3: Sum up Sentence

__________________________________________________

Step 4: Whole Paragraph

Classwork 1 – Team Work

Step 1: Topic Sentence

Computers are very useful machines.

Step 2: 3 Examples

A) _____________________________________

B) ______________________________________

C) ______________________________________

Step 3: Sum up Sentence

__________________________________________________

Step 4: Whole Paragraph

Classwork 2 –Team Work

Step 1: Topic Sentence

I would love to have a lot of money.

Step 2: 3 Examples

A) _____________________________________

B) ______________________________________

C) ______________________________________

Step 3: Sum up Sentence

__________________________________________________

Step 4: Whole Paragraph

Homework 3 – Individual Work