Tips for Writing Essays and Paragraphs, Schemes and Mind Maps of Media Writing

Download Tips for Writing Essays and Paragraphs and more Schemes and Mind Maps Media Writing in PDF only on Docsity! GETTING READY FOR EXAMS The Key to Good Academic Writing From Paragraphs to Essays Professor: Mohammed El Messaoudi ESSAY FORMAT Introduction Body Conclusion Thesis Statement 1. Do Belgian Malinois Make a Good Family Dog? 2. Talk about the pros and cons of Belgian Malinois. 3. Belgian Malinois Should NOT Be the Latest Pet Craze WAYS TO START YOUR INTRODUCTION Strategy:  Provide some interesting background about the topic in the form of a general statement  Use a thought-provoking quotation  Ask a question about your topic  State a surprising fact or a puzzling statement  Start with a short story Examples: • Malinois, one of the four breeds of Belgian sheepdogs, has found its way to the hearts of Moroccan youngsters. • “Malinois dogs are creatures to be loved, not feared!” Dr. S. Rosner • Why don’t many people like Malinois dogs? • In 2009, the first Malinois was brought to Morocco. • Diablo was a very protective dog when the robbers approached. The dog saved my life. WAYS TO START YOUR INTRODUCTION  Strategy  State a common misconception  Describe a problem  Give an analogy  Show how the topic is related to the reader’s experience  Examples  The Belgian Malinois is not a hostile dog.  Everyone knows that living in a big city like Casablanca requires having a protective dog.  A Belgian Malinois is just like a devoted body guard.  Most people know how difficult it is to be in safety and peace in a dangerous city. THE FUNCTIONS OF A THESIS STATEMENT To announce the topic to the reader To reflect a judgment about the topic To provide the reader with a blueprint of what is to come in the paper Malinois, a breed of shepherd dogs, have been used in military, police and avalanche rescue operations in Belgium for years. Today, they are kept as pets in different parts of the world. Interestingly, these intelligent dogs have also found their way into Moroccan people's hearts. Belgian Malinois are nearly found in every street in Morocco. Because of their large frames, excellent herding instinct and athletic nature, Malinois are believed to be great watchdogs for many Moroccan youngsters. 1. Attention getter 2. State your problem. 3. Bridge or transition sentences 4. Thesis statement **NOTE: This doesn’t mean your intro is 4 sentences long. It just has 4 parts. Example of an Introduction THE BODY The body is a set of paragraphs that develop the idea expressed in the thesis statement.  Make a list of main ideas that support the thesis statement. Each main idea becomes the main idea sentence for a body paragraph.  Arrange the main ideas in logical order (time, place, importance)  Plan out each body paragraph by listing major details that support each main idea  Order the details within each paragraph in a logical way. Each body paragraph may end with a concluding sentence. ➢Most paragraphs follow a certain format. They have three basic parts: 1. topic sentence 2. supporting sentences 3. concluding sentence p.10 Paragraph Form ➢Indent the first word of paragraph. ➢Leave space on both sides of paragraph. ➢Begin each sentence with a capital letter. ➢Be careful about punctuation. ➢Don’t start each new sentence on a new line. Topic Sentence ➢ A good paragraph starts with a sentence that states the main idea of the whole paragraph. ➢ - first sentence in a paragraph, introduces the main idea ➢ - gives the reader a clear sense of the content ➢ - contains words or phrases called controlling idea ➢ This sentence is called topic sentence. p.13,14 ➢Supporting sentences can give 1. examples, 2. facts, 3. explanations, 4. or reasons. p.16 Concluding Sentence ➢This sentence restates the main idea of the paragraph using different words. ➢It summarizes the main points of the paragraph or makes a final comment on the topic. ➢Topic sentence: The students in my class come from many different parts of the world. ➢Concluding Sentence: My classmates are an interesting mix of people from many different countries. p. 17,18 3 TIPS FOR FINDING THE TOPIC 1. Look for the subject of the first sentence. Subjects are nouns (persons, places, things, or ideas). 2. Look for a word or phrase that is frequently repeated or referred to. 3. Finally, ask: What do ALL the sentences in the paragraph deal with? READ TO FIND THE TOPIC IN THIS PARAGRAPH: Does watching violence on TV make people more prone to violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has some negative effects. One study found that heavy TV watchers are more fearful of others. They try to protect themselves with guns, alarm systems, and door security locks. In the same study it was found that heavy TV watchers are less upset about real-life violence than are non-TV watchers. All of the violence they see on TV makes them less sensitive to the real thing. A recent study also found that TV violence increases aggressive behaviour in kids and makes them more likely to select toy guns rather than other kinds of toys. 1. Kids 2. TV Watching 3. TV Violence 4. Real-life Violence Does watching violence on TV make people more prone to violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has some negative effects. One study found that heavy TV watchers are more fearful of others. They attempt to protect themselves with guns, alarm systems, and security locks on doors. In the same study it was found that heavy TV watchers are less upset about real-life violence than are non-TV watchers. All of the violence they see on TV makes them less sensitive to the real thing. A recent study also found that TV violence increases aggressive behavior in kids and makes them more likely to select toy guns rather than other kinds of toys. 1. Sometimes the topic is not the subject of the first sentence. 2. Sometimes the topic is not repeated.