Lesson
Writing an essay or a composition proves to be challenging enough in one's first language, not to mention in a foreign language. So, here are some tips and strategies on how to organize your writing easily and quickly, in order to get full marks for the organization aspect of your essay/ composition when you sit an English exam, such as TOEFL or others. Read on to familiarize yourselves with the basic types of essays and advice on how to structure them.
“Tell them ...” on the mountain – A parable to remember on the day of the exam |
Once upon a time at the top of a high, high mountain, there lived a wise old retired English teacher who had an incredibly pragmatic approach not only to life but to composition writing. Students would come from far and wide to learn the secrets of his craft. Most listened, scratched their heads and muttered, “Nonsense!” but as Teacher Mary made the long trek up the mountain, she sensed that her journey had not been in vain. Reaching the top, she greeted him as he gestured for her to sit.
“Have you the answer, old sage?” she said, after catching her breath. “Have you got the key to help my students write competent, articulate, well-organized, exam-passing compositions?”
“I might,” he said humbly. “Only you can decide.”
“Tell me, old sage. I'm all ears.”
“It's simple, my child. We all know that a composition needs an Introduction, a Main Body and a Conclusion, but what confuses everyone is what to do when they come to writing each of these parts.”
“Yes ...?” said Teacher Mary expectantly, sensing she was about to hear The Truth.
“Well, it's simple,” he said, as he wrote in her notebook.
Teacher Mary read the shaky scrawl and gazed up at him in awe. “It is that simple, isn't it?” she said. “No more long, wandering introductions which don't prepare the readers for what's ahead. No more messy conclusions that introduce all kinds of new ideas that the readers aren't prepared for in the last paragraph.”
“You are a genius,” she said, radiant with gratitude. “I must go and, well, ... tell them!” |
SUMMARY OF MAIN COMPOSTION/ ESSAY TYPES
PROTOTYPE
Introduction → Tell them what you're going to tell them.
Main Body → Tell them.
Conclusion → Tell them what you told them.
TYPE 1 Narrative
Introduction | Restate the topic in your own words and briefly introduce the person or incident you will be writing about. |
Main Body |
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Conclusion | Discuss the influence the person / incident has had on you and what you learned. |
TYPE 2 Problem/ Solution
Introduction | Restate the situation in the topic in your own words. State simply that the situation involves problems (name them, if appropriate), but solutions do exist. |
Main Body | Devote a separate paragraph to each problem.
|
Conclusion | Summarize by restating the message in introduction. Close, if possible with a thought-provoking statement about putting solutions into effect. |
TYPE 3 For and Against
Introduction | Briefly restate the issue in the topic. State simply that the issue has advantages and disadvantages or reasons to be 'for' or 'against' it. (Save your opinion for the end.) |
Main Body | Devote a separate paragraph to each side of the argument.
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Conclusion | End by weighing up both sides and expressing your opinion. |
TYPE 4 Opinion
This type may ask your opinion about what you would choose in a certain case or about what the key aspects of an issue are. You might also be asked if you agree or disagree with something.
Introduction | Briefly restate the topic and your opinion (eg, your choices or whether you agree). |
Main Body | Devote a separate paragraph to each choice, key aspect or side of the argument.
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Conclusion | End by restating your opinion and leaving readers with a thought-provoking idea. |
BEFORE AND ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM:
In the days before the exam, make a careful study of your own work and any models your teacher has given you. Pay careful attention to advice on organizing and developing and on using clear topic sentences and linking devices.
On the day of the exam, the examiner will read the topics as you read along. If you don not understand something, you may ask the examiner to explain. When the examiner is certain there are no more questions, you will then be given time to write your composition (30-40 minutes, depending on the specific exam).
Although handwriting is not one of the grading criteria for most exams, do your best to write neatly and legibly.
Remember your time is limited, meaning that you cannot possibly delve into every single aspect of a subject. What you can do in that time is to treat a topic by mentioning and developing 2-3 points in each paragraph.
FOCUS:
In most exams you are given a choice between 2 or more topics. Study the topics and decide which one you can develop more effectively.
Read the questions carefully. Make sure you are clear on what it asks you to do and what type of composition it is.
Take 5 minutes to plan out the composition on scrap paper. Jot down a quick paragraph plan and make brief notes about points to include in each part of the composition (Introduction, Main Body, Conclusion). It is good to jot down any impressive vocabulary or phrases what you might like to fit in. all this may seem like a waste of time, but it could be a life-saver if your mind goes blank while you're writing.
Spare a few minutes to read over your work. When you have finished, proofread what you have written, looking for omitted words and obvious errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation.
FINAL CHECKLIST:
Introduction-Main Body-Conclusion
Clear topic sentences
Linking words for logical development
General ideas supported with reasons/examples
Good range of vocabulary and grammar
Comments
Turkey |
Turkey |
Turkey |
Indonesia |
Georgia |
Philippines |
Iraq |
Guadeloupe |
Cameroon |
Saudi Arabia |
Netherlands |
Netherlands |
United Kingdom |
Greece |
Greece |
Albania |