Unit 3. Academic Writing: Persuasive Essays 1. Grammar for Writing: Verb Forms Review

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Unit 3

Academic Writing: Persuasive Essays 1 Grammar for Writing: Verb Forms Review

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Academic Writing Persuasive Essays 1

OUTCOMES

By the end of this lesson, you will have:

• practised analysing essay questions

• practised brainstorming ideas for an essay

• identified different parts of an essay

• practised how to plan an essay

• considered how to use and develop ideas for an essay

1. INTRODUCTION TO ESSAY WRITING

1.1 What are the steps in writing an essay? With a partner, write the different stages of essay writing.

Read the essay question

………

1.2 What is a persuasive essay?

………..

2. ESSAY QUESTION ANALYSIS

2.1 Read the essay question and answer the questions. Discuss your answers with your partner.

Some people believe governments should try to save languages that are in danger of extinction.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

What is the topic?

What is the specific focus?

What is the task?

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3 3. BRAINSTORMING

After you have analysed the essay question, you need to brainstorm your ideas.

Sometimes, students find it difficult to think of ideas for their essays. There are a few things you can do to help you develop your ideas.

When you are brainstorming, don’t just think about your ideas. Also, think about what other people might think about the essay topic. Consider what your family, friends, classmates / colleagues, people from other countries may think.

It is also important to read widely to learn what other people think about different issues. You then may be able to use and/or adapt these ideas in your writing.

When you read other people’s opinions about a topic, ask yourself:

Why do they have that opinion?

Do I agree with their opinion?

Are their explanations and examples strong?

Who would agree with their opinion?

Who would disagree with their opinion?

For a persuasive essay, it is a good idea to brainstorm different arguments that are both for and against the statement.

3.1 In the table below list arguments for and against the essay statement.

Some people believe governments should try to save languages that are in danger of extinction.

FOR AGAINST

3.2 Now, look at all the arguments you have written down. Write ‘S’ next to the reasons you can explain and easily give examples for. Write ‘W’ next to the ones which are weak and are more difficult to explain.

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4 3.3 It is usually a good idea to try and use the strong arguments in your essay. Deciding which arguments are strong can also help you decide how you respond to the question.

You can respond to the question in various ways. You might:

a. agree 100%

b. partially agree/disagree c. disagree 100%

Read the statements below. What is the position of the writer (a – c above) for each statement?

1. ……… 2. ……… 3.

………

3.4 Look at the strong and weak arguments you wrote down above. What will your position be?

agree 100% partially agree / disagree disagree 100%

4. ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE ESSAY

4.1 Read the sample essay below and answer the questions:

a. What is the writer’s response to the question? (100% agree, 100% disagree, partially agree /disagree)

Does the writer mention any of your ideas?

Label the sample essay with the appropriate Essay Part and Function (a – g). Write the correct letter in each gap. The letters can be used more than once.

Languages are an important symbol of culture and customs.

Language preservation is costly and funds should

be spent elsewhere.

If sufficient funding is available, some effort should be made to save

dying languages.

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5 Some people believe governments should try to save languages that are in danger of extinction.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

_____ Globalisation has caused the world to become smaller and because of this a few languages have become the main languages of communication. Unfortunately, as part of this trend, many of the world’s minority languages are gradually disappearing and may become extinct.

_____ This essay will explain why governments should try to preserve these languages as they both represent a particular culture and are a source of pride for their speakers.

_____ One reason why governments should preserve dying languages is that language is a vital connection to the cultural identity of its people.

_____ Many minority languages have been used for generations to pass on traditions and culture. These traditions often represent the culture and help define the people. _____ For example, Australia’s indigenous people have very close ties to the land and nature and the stories that their ancestors have passed on to the younger generations help explain the importance of nature in Aboriginal culture. Maintaining the traditional languages of the Aboriginal people helps ensure that everyone will know of the traditions and history of the original inhabitants of Australia.

_____ Another reason that governments should try to preserve languages is that they can help people to be proud of their culture. _____ When people know a language, they often take an interest in the culture and seek to learn about the art, literature, food and history related to the language. This is especially the case, if it is the language that was spoken by a person’s ancestors. _____ Therefore, if governments make an effort to retain traditional languages, this will result in a more culturally rich nation that its people are proud of.

_____ In conclusion, it is important that governments endeavour to protect languages from extinction. _____ By doing so, people will develop both an understanding and knowledge of the culture and a pride in its history and traditions. _____ Therefore, governments should consider different ways that this can be done.

ESSAY PART & FUNCTION a. Thesis Statement:

Shows the writer’s response to the position b. Topic Sentence:

Provides the main ideas that support the thesis c. Summary Statement(s)

Recaps/reviews main points

d. Background

Sentences: Gives broad statements to introduce the topic

e. Supporting

Sentence(s): Develops the main ideas with reasons, examples, etc f. Final Comment: Gives a prediction, suggestion or final remark

g. Thesis Restatement:

Restates the writer’s response to the position

WRITING TIP:

Remember: It is important to read widely to learn about different people’s opinions and help you develop your own opinions. You may be able to use these ideas in your writing or you can adapt them to the particular topic you are writing about.

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6 5. THESIS CONSISTENCY

5.1 Highlight the thesis statement, topic sentences, thesis restatement and summary statement in the sample essay. Which position and topics are stated in each statement?

Thesis Statement: position

………..

topics

………..

Topic Sentence 1: position

………..

topic

………..

Topic Sentence 2: position

………..

topic

………..

Thesis Restatement: position

………..

Summary Statement: topics

………..

WRITING TIP:

Maintaining the same position throughout your essay means having thesis consistency.

The writer can check for thesis consistency by:

• Locating the thesis in the introduction (i.e. the writer’s response to the position)

• Ensuring the topic sentences in the body paragraphs reflect the stated response

• Restating the same position in the conclusion

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7 6. WRITING AN ESSAY PLAN – WORKING BACKWARDS

Before you write your essay, it is good practice to plan your essay. Usually, you will write your plan before you write your essay. However, here we are going to work backwards and develop the plan from the essay.

6.1 Look at the sample essay again and complete the essay plan below. This should be done in note form.

Introduction

• Background information: - Globalisation



fewer main lang’s used for

communication



minority lang’s disappearing /

becoming extinct

• _Thesis: - Govt. should preserve dying lang’s – represent culture

& source of pride Body Paragraph 1

• Main Idea (argument 1): -

………

• Explanation -

………

& Examples: -

………

Body Paragraph 2

………

& Examples: -

………

Conclusion

• Thesis Restatement: -

……….………..………

• Summary Statement(s): -

………

• Final Comment: -

………

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8 7. WRITING AN ESSAY PLAN

7.1 Analyse this essay question.

Old buildings should be knocked down to make way for progress.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

What is the topic?

What is the specific focus?

What is the task?

7.2 Brainstorm reasons for and against.

7.3 Look at the ideas you brainstormed.

• Which ideas are strong and you can easily explain and give examples for? Write ‘S’ next to these/

• Which ideas are weak, more difficult to explain and you cannot think of any examples for? Write

‘W’ next to these. You will probably use the strong ideas in your essay.

• Which ideas are main ideas? You can mention these in the topic sentences.

• Which ideas are examples and/or explanations? These can be used in the supporting sentences.

• Can you match any main ideas with examples and/or explanations?

7.4 Now, decide what your position is. Will you agree, disagree or partially agree/disagree?

• Mark a cross on the continuum to show your opinion.

• Compare and discuss with a partner.

Reasons for Reasons against

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9 7.5 Using your strong ideas from the brainstorm, write an essay plan. Remember to do this in note form.

Introduction

• Background information: -

………

• Thesis: -

………

-

………

& Examples: -

………

& Examples: -

………

Conclusion

……….………..………

………

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10 8. ANALYSIS TASK

8.1 Read the following essay and highlight the different parts of the essay (background statements, thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting sentences, thesis restatement, summary statement and final comment).

8.2 Write a plan for the essay.

Old buildings should be knocked down to make way for progress.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

As society becomes more advanced, modern buildings are appearing in our cities and towns. Clearly, this trend is a sign of healthy urban development. However, this essay will argue that old buildings need to be protected as much as possible because many of them are historically, culturally and financially important.

Many old buildings are of significant historical and cultural importance, and so should be protected.

For example, a building from the 19th century might show particular design features or skills of that era. Importantly, they also provide information about significant events, as well as show daily life. As a result, we have gained a lot of knowledge and understanding of people’s skills, how they responded to events and more generally, how they lived, from these buildings. If these buildings were

demolished, we would not have a way of preserving these cultural and historical artefacts and, therefore, it is unlikely that future generations would be able to learn from the past.

Another reason for keeping old buildings is that if they are in good condition, they can be a regular source of income and can earn money. This can be very helpful, particularly for the local economy. In the past, in my country, old buildings were demolished to make way for new structures. However, this changed in the 1900s. Instead of spending money on demolishing them and constructing new ones, the government would renovate these buildings and charge an entrance fee for visitors. The revenue gained from doing this can help to maintain the upkeep of the buildings and allow for funds to go back into the community. Some of this money could be used for the construction of new buildings and the development of much-needed facilities. Clearly, protecting our past can contribute to the needs of the present and will allow for future progress.

In conclusion, every effort should be made to protect and maintain old buildings. They can offer insight into our historical past regarding people’s skills and coping methods, and they can boost the present-day economy. It is important to remember these aspects when considering knocking down a part of the past.

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11 Introduction

• Background information: -

………

• Thesis: -

………

-

………

& Examples: -

………

- Body Paragraph 2

………

& Examples: -

………

Conclusion

……….………..………

………

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13 9. ESSAY TASK

Some people argue that spending money on the conservation of wild animals is a waste of resources and that this money could be better spent on other, more important things. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Use this space to

BRAINSTORM

your ideas

Reasons for Reasons against

Use this space to

PLAN

your essay

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Grammar for Writing Verb Forms Review

OUTCOMES

By the end of the lesson, you will have

identified common verb forms (tense, aspect and modality) and their function.

practiced using their form within sentences and paragraphs.

practiced paraphrasing by transforming some sentences using the common tenses.

1. REVIEW

1.1 Your teacher will give you an introduction. You will need to work with a partner/group to write it, order it and fill in the missing verbs.

1.2 Read the information in the box. Share your knowledge and understanding of the content with a partner.

For BE10 writing, the following past, present and future verb forms as well as modals are commonly used. It is important they are reproduced accurately in your writing tasks.

• Present Simple

• Present Continuous

• Present Perfect

• Past Simple

• Future Simple

• Modals

1.3 Write the verb form from the box above to identify the tense/feature in the sentences taken from the Unit 3 sample essay.

Sentence Verb Form

1. As society becomes more advanced, modern and hi-tech buildings are appearing in our cities and towns.

2. In the past, my country, old buildings were demolished to make way for new structures.

3. Many old buildings are of significant historical and cultural importance.

4. We have gained a lot of knowledge and understanding of people’s skills…from these buildings.

5. Every effort must be made to protect and maintain old buildings.

6. This essay will give detailed reasons for this view.

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15 1.4 Identify the reason for the tense/other feature in 1.3 by writing the appropriate verb from in the gap.

1. Stating the current situation. e.g. Present simple 2. Connecting the past to now __________________

3. Showing an ongoing situation __________________

4. Showing a completed action / state before now __________________

5. Stating a responsibility or obligation __________________

6. Referring to a future situation __________________

2. PRACTICE I

2.1 Read the following body paragraph and circle the correct verb form in each case.

One of the main reasons that developers give for demolishing these old buildings is that they 1.

become / have become unstable and 2. were / are no longer in a state to use due to safety precautions. In the past, governments 3. maintain / maintained certain old buildings, but as they 4. were / are sold off into the private sector, this maintenance 5. was / is often neglected. This now means that many old buildings 6. are / have not being maintained and they 7. became / have become vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes and storms. Therefore, as a safety measure, the authorities should 8. removed / remove and 9. replaced / replace these old structures with new structures.

2.2 Match the tense or feature (A –F) with the correct form (i-iv) in the table below. Then put the verbs from the example paragraph above in 2.1, into the correct row of the table.

• You many not find examples of all the forms.

Tense or feature Form Number in para.

A. ____ Past simple i. Subject + present form of verb B. ____ Present continuous ii. Subject + past form of verb

C. ____ Present simple iii. Subject + modal + infinitive without to D. ____ Present perfect iv. Subject + is/are + present participle E. ____ Future simple v. Subject + will + present form of the verb F. ____ Modal verbs vi. Subject + has/have + past participle

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16 2.3 Match each sentence with a tense or feature from the table above, in 2.2. Then use the words in brackets to correctly complete the sentences.

• More than one tense/feature may fit some sentences; try to find the best match.

• Use the time phrases to help you identify the appropriate form of the verb.

1. Present

Simple It is generally believed that preserving old buildings ………….………...…

extremely important. (be)

2. The preservation of old buildings ……….……...… to increase in importance in the future. (continue)

3. At one time, the preservation of old buildings ………….………...… as less important. (see)

4. I firmly believe that preserving old buildings ……….………...… a high priority for the government. (be)

5. Since the last century, preserving old buildings ………….………...…

extremely important. (become)

6. Currently, governments ……….……...… to realise the importance of building preservation. (start)

3. PRACTICE II

3.1 Complete the paraphrase of the first sentence by using the verb in bold. Ensure the second sentence has a similar meaning to the first.

• You may have to change the form of the verb.

• You should use between 2 and 6 words for each gap.

1. Having regulations that protect historic buildings is necessary to ensure history is recorded.

SHOULD

Governments ………regulations that protect historic buildings to ensure history is recorded.

2. The WWF, established 45 years ago, provides conservation education in developing countries.

DELIVER

Since its establishment 45 years ago, the

WWF………..………… conservation education in developing countries.

3. An increasing number of people are backing up their family photos on hard drives.

CHOOSE

More and more people ……… their family photos on hard drives.

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17 4. There is no proof that preserving old buildings is cheaper than demolishing them.

PROVE

It ………..………new buildings is cheaper than demolishing them.

5. We need to take measures to protect giraffes if we want them to survive for future generations.

WILL

If we do not take measures to protect giraffes,

………..……… for future generations.

6. The construction firm’s proposal for the building’s demolition has not changed yet.

PLAN

The construction firm still ………..……… the building.

3.2 Here’s the introduction that you studied at the start of the lesson. Look at it again to see if you are happy with your answers or if you’d like to change them before the class checks the answers

together.

* use passive here Over the years, many buildings with historical and cultural value ...……….……..…

(*demolish). Although this ………..……..… (be) common practice in the past, these days, destroying properties with cultural value ……….………..… (be) now unacceptable.

This essay ……….…….….……..… (discuss) the reasons why the preservation of old buildings is not being undertaken and ………...………..… (present) measures that authorities ……….…..… (take) to preserve these buildings.

WRITING TIP:

When you are writing your essays, pay special attention to the accuracy of your verb forms, especially to simple past, present perfect as well as passive, which are forms that many BE students frequently make mistakes with.