C2.1 WRITING MORNING CLASS

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There are two topics to choose from. 
Send your doc, odt file, photo, or write on the form.  The deadline is 1.05pm.

How to Write a Report

In a report you must:

• state the purpose of the report
• use headings for each section
• use a formal and impersonal style

 Introduction (Reason for writing)

• The aim/objective/purpose of this report is to ...
• This report aims to... 
• It is based on a survey conducted/carried out among...                            
• Nouns: information, ideas, suggestions, situations, conditions, comments,
• measures, steps, solutions, causes, consequences, issues, ...
• Verbs: recommend, consider, suggest, examine, evaluate, outline, analyse, present, give information on, to cause, to bring about...

Body

• Headings from the task
• It should be considered/taken into account... , it is worth considering...
• According to (the majority of respondents, 50% of ...)
• In spite of /Despite the fact (that) + sentence
• In spite of /Despite +noun or ...ing
• Predicting the future: The outlook for ... is bright/optimistic/depressing.  The future looks bleak/remains uncertain/is promising
• This seems unlikely in the near future
•  It is (therefore) believed / obvious that…would be ideal for…
• The research shows/proves...  

Making/giving recommendations

• We suggest/propose that + sentence
• We suggest/propose + ing ...
•  In light of the results of the survey we believe the following measures should be adopted…
•  In the short/long term, we suggest you should consider…
•  My recommendations are as follows: …
•  In my view, in future, we should…
•  To improve the situation, we recommend…
•  It is recommended that…  I would strongly recommend that ... should + bare infinitive
• The best solution is/would be to...
• This will have an impact on ...

Conclusion

• In conclusion...To sum up,…To conclude,…
• From the research/the statistics we conclude that...

Style

• Do not use contractions.
• Use passive forms whenever possible.
• Use relative clauses to join ideas: The period during which he lived was full of uncertainty.
• Use these formal words:     kids children  
•             a lot (of) many / a large number of  + countable noun
•             a lot (of) much / a great amount of / a great deal of + uncountable
•             a lot (intensity) very much / significantly / dramatically 
• Avoid using the word things / something,  etc. Use a more specific word (problems, situation, solutions, subjects, and so on).

Adapted from  http://cae-tips.blogspot.com.es

Online Collocation Dictionaries

• http://www.ozdic.com
• https://inspirassion.com/en/

How to Write an Essay

Structure of an essay

• Title

You can use the one from the question or make up your own  

• Paragraph 1: Introduction

Introduce the topic and say what you are going to talk about and capture the interest of the reader

• Paragraph 2

Discuss one bullet point (perhaps the one you disagree with) and give reasons to support your argument, whatever it is. Point out advantages and maybe also disadvantages (on the other hand, it is ....). Use examples where possible.

• Paragraph 3

Discuss the second bullet point (perhaps the one you agree with) and give reasons. Point out advantages and disadvantages, if necessary.  

• Conclusion

You write a summary of what you have said.  You should give your opinion on which option you prefer here. 

• It goes without saying you should aim for advanced-level vocabulary and structures: inversion, participle clauses, passive forms,etc., and  advanced linkers like "In spite of the fact that", "furthermore", ...
• Avoid repetitions and contractions.

• Some teachers propose:  10 minutes for  planning, 25 minutes for writing and 10 minutes for  editing/proofreading.

Here are some essay samples with corrections and an essay sample with a makeover
CPE essay

Writing an article

Download the pdf file: Writing an article

How to write a proposal

A proposal is very similar to a report so:
You need formal vocabulary (that means no contractions), a title,  and headings:

A possible layout would be:
- paragraph 1:  introduction (where you indicate the purpose of the    proposal)
- paragraph 2: background information
- paragraph 3: Present different ideas and suggestions with their pros and cons.
- paragraph 4:  conclusion , where you present your recommendations

Link 1

Review Phrase Sheet

Here you can find great expressions for your review

Useful Language for your Writing Tasks

Here you'll find links to downloadable material on useful language 
More advice here

Some posts for your writing and speaking

Here are some recommended posts by Cork English Teacher:
Cover letter
Writing essays
Functional language 
Extreme adjectives
-ed endings 

How to make a book report

You'll have to make a 5-minute oral book report at the end of April. 

Here are some pointers: 

Soon you'll have to make an oral presentation about a book of your choice. 

Here are some pointers:

Introduction

You should state the book's title, the topic, and the author's name. Include publication information as well as the book's genre and the setting.

Body

• Did you enjoy the book?
• Was it well written?
• Which characters play important roles that relate to the overall theme?
• Is this book a part of a series?
• What is the writing style?
• Plot summary.
  

  Conclusion

• Was the ending satisfactory?
• Would you recommend this book?  
• Your opinion

(Adapted from http://homeworktips.about.com/od/writingabookreport/a/report.htm )

• Book Report Template

• Book report form 

Formal letters

• Writing job applications with examples 
• Another example
• Three excellent cover letter examples
• Language for Formal letters

Writing a Book Review

Some pointers, sample language, etc:

Link 1
Link 2

COMPOSITION CALENDAR

 The first deadline is for the Mon/Wed class, the second is for the Tu/Thu class.
All the topics are from our text book.

- October  27^th & 28^th – Information on a museum or a sight. Writing Practice, p. 135

- November 24^th& 25^th – Description of a trend,  Writing Practice,  p.121

- December   15^th & 16^th - Opinion Essay on one of the topics in Writing Practice A, p.123

- January 26^th & 27^th  – Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.                Writing Practice, p.125

- February 23^rd & 24^th  –  Description of a process, Writing Practice,  p.127

- March 23^rd & 24^th  –  Covering Letter .Writing Practice C, p. 129

- April 27^th & 28^th  – Magazine article. Writing Practice, p.131

- May  25^th & 26^th – Wiki guide. Writing Practice, p. 133

Writing help

A good site for writing tips and examples.

How to write a proposal

A proposal is similar to a report:

•  How To Write A Proposal Essay
• What is a proposal?
•  Useful language

CAE Writing & Vocab handout

This is a great handout. Check it out!

Writing an article

What is an article?

An article
• is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or journal
• is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the readers’ attention
• may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions
• can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience
• should be written in an interesting or entertaining manner
• should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts
• is in a less formal style than a report

An article can
• describe an experience, event, person or place
• present an opinion or balanced argument
• compare and contrast
• provide information
• offer suggestions
• offer advice

A realistic article should consist of:

1. an eye-catching title which attracts the readers’ attention and suggests the theme of the article.    (Think about why you read a magazine or newspaper article recently - what made you read it?)    Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.
2. an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the reader’s attention.
3. the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in detail.
4. the conclusion - summarising the topic or a final opinion, recommendation or comment.

REMEMBER
Before you begin writing it is important to consider:
• where is the article going to appear - in a newspaper or magazine?
• who are the intended readers - a specific group such as students or teenagers, or adults in general?
• what is the aim of the article - to advise, suggest, inform, compare and contrast, describe, etc.?

These three points are the deciding factors in the layout of your article, its style, language and level of formality.
Determine the information you are going to use and organize your ideas carefully into paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence.
The article could be formal, semi-formal or informal, depending on your intended audience.
Use vocabulary and descriptive language appropriate for the article. Linking words and expressions, and a variety of vocabulary will only improve your work and make it more interesting.

DO NOT use over-personal or over-emotional language or simplistic vocabulary.
DO NOT talk about yourself. You are writing for the general public, not a close circle of friends.

Your opinions are only interesting to other people if you can make them amusing, justify them or explain them.

(From onestopenglish.com)

Useful language for reviews

How to Write a Book Review

Book reports and book reviews are similar. Book reports tend to be a little more descriptive (What is this book about?) and book reviews are usually more persuasive (Why a reader should or shouldn't read this book). Both offer a combination of summary and commentary.
They are a way to think more deeply about a book you've read and to demonstrate your understanding.

General elements of a book review:
      
      Introduction
Here you want to provide basic information about the book, and a sense of what your review will be about. You should include:

• Title (underlined)/Author
• Publication Information: Publisher, year, number of pages
• Genre
• A brief (1-2 sentences) introduction to the book and the review.

        Body
There are two main sections for this part. The first is an explanation of what the book is about. The second is your opinions about the book and how successful it is.
Explain the author's purpose and/or the main themes of the book. Then you can summarize.
Provide brief descriptions of the setting, the point of view (who tells the story), the protagonist , and other major characters. If there is a distinct mood or tone, discuss that as well.
Give a concise plot summary. Along with the sequence of major events, you may want to discuss the book's climax and resolution, and/or literary devices such as foreshadowing. But be careful not to give away important plot details or the ending.

Analysis and Evaluation
In this section you analyze or critique the book. You can write about your own opinions; just be sure that you explain and support them with examples. Some questions you might want to consider:

• Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
• Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?
• What are the strengths and weaknesss of the book?
• What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving, dull?
• Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?

    Conclusion
Briefly conclude by pulling your thoughts together. You may want to say what impression the book left you with, or emphasize what you want your reader to know about it.

(adapted from http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbookreporths.html)

How to Write a Book Review

You could cover these points:
1. Title and writer's name.
2. Paragraph summary of the book plot
3. Short description of each main character
4. Author writing style
5. Things I would change in the book
6. Things I liked in the book
7. Why you should read this book

Make a list of all the great 'persuasive language' words you can think of that describe characters, the plot, and the author's style.
E.g. Evocative, gruesome, insightful, ensnaring, gripping.

Now is the time to put everything together, and combine them with formal language.

For an example click here