[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Thus, you-as an English as a Second Language writer and speaker- will need to be willing to
invest an even greater effort into perfecting your English writing.
In the writing sections of this chapter, we will take you through steps that will help you learn how
to organize your ideas, form an outline and develop organization, write a draft, and finally
edit/proofread your essay. And yes, by the day of the test, you will need to know how to
accomplish all of this in the 30-minute time frame that the TOEFL essay allows! But don't be
discouraged. With dedication and perseverance, you will no doubt see results.
Your final essay must do the following in order for you to achieve the highest score possible:
(1) Your essay must effectively discuss the topic you have been asked to address.
It is vital that you read the assigned topic very carefully and not add or delete anything. This is
one of the most common mistakes in writing an essay-by adding a few words, or conversely
ignoring one or two significant ones, a test taker can easily digress from the assigned topic. Of
course, the end result is failure to address the topic.
(2) Your essay must be well organized.
You must have an introduction (with a thesis statement), a body (with supporting details for your
thesis), and a conclusion. Because essay organization is very important, this will be dealt with in
greater detail later in this chapter.
(3) You must show consistent ease in your use of the English language.
This includes using correct grammar as well as the appropriate use of idiomatic language.
Remember, you are trying to prove that your English skills are advanced enough for you to do as
well as native English speakers in an American university class.
(4) You must prove to your readers that you possess a wide range of vocabulary and know how to
use terms in an appropriate fashion.
In other words, be very careful with the words you choose and avoid redundancy of both words
and ideas. You want to be conservative so that you can show how much vocabulary and how
many different word forms you know.
You must be able to paraphrase some or all of the question asked or the quotation given. This
shows that you have a broad vocabulary, that your reading comprehension is adequate, and that
you can avoid redundancy in your writing. You will also need to be able to paraphrase your thesis
in your conclusion to remind your readers of your main idea.
STANDARD ESSAY FORM
282
TWE Essays 283/292
In general, an essay is made up of three basic components: an introduction, a body, and a
conclusion. The length of an essay may vary greatly, but because you only have 30 minutes in
which to prepare, write, and proofread your TOEFL essay, you should aim for an essay containing
a maximum of four to five paragraphs (unless you are a highly accomplished English writer). Your
first paragraph, the introduction, will introduce the main topic of your essay to your reader, and it
typically ends with your thesis statement (the most important sentence in your essay). The next
part of your essay is the body. The body provides detailed support to prove your thesis. The body
will be made up of the main subpoints of your thesis, each with its own paragraph. Thus, your
body will most likely consist of 2-3 paragraphs. Your final paragraph is your conclusion. These
three basic parts are outlined below and discussed in greater detail in subsequent lessons.
I. Introduction
A. Hook (to capture your reader's attention)
B. General information on assigned topic (no details)
C. Thesis (one-sentence statement of main idea plus viewpoint)
II. Body
A. Sub-Point One
1.Topic sentence
2. Details supporting topic sentence
B. Sub-Point Two
1. Topic sentence
2. Details supporting topic sentence
C. (Possible) Sub-Point Three
1. Topic sentence
2. Details supporting topic sentence
III. Conclusion
A. Paraphrase of thesis
B. Summary of viewpoint
C. General final statement/comment
TIME DIVISION FOR A 30-MINUTE ESSAY EXAM
One of the biggest dilemmas students face with essay examinations is how to make the best use of
their time during the test. Certainly, the amount of time each student will need to make an outline,
write the essay, and proofread will vary. However, all of these steps are necessary to produce a
283
TWE Essays 284/292
clear, organized essay with few grammatical errors. Below is a suggested way to divide the limited
time you are given:
1-3 minutes-Read and Paraphrase Question 3-5 minutes-Plan, Prewrite
17-20 minutes-Write Essay
5-7 minutes-Proofread, Correct Essay
TYPES OF ESSAYS
The list below contains the most common types of essays found in an essay examination. After
you have read your essay question and interpreted it, the next step is for you to decide what kind
of essay you will need to organize and write. Determining the type of essay will help you write
your thesis statement, decide how many body paragraphs are needed, know which transitions are
appropriate to use, and much more.
Compare and Contrast Essay
This is one of the most typical forms of essay examinations. A comparison tells the ways in which
a person, place, thing, event and so on are similar. A contrast points out differences. There are
two common methods of organizing compare/contrast essays. Let's use the topic of "urban life vs.
rural life" as an example:
(1) Body
A. Similarities between urban and rural life B. Dissimilarities between urban and rural life
OR
(2) Body
A. Urban life: advantages and disadvantages B. Rural life: advantages and disadvantages
Persuasive Essay (Also Known as Personal Opinion Essay)
In the persuasive essay, you are trying to convince your reader to agree with a particular position
or viewpoint you have expressed in your thesis. While adjectives and adverbs may sway your
reader, the most effective way to bring your reader over to your side is through facts, detailed
examples, and/or personal knowledge. Be sure to incorporate some aspects of the latter in the
body of your persuasive essay.
This type of essay may be written in the first person and include: in my opinion, it seems to me, or
in my view. However, even if you use the third person (and this is often considered to be more
sophisticated), you can make your stand clear to your reader.
Descriptive Essay
The purpose of a descriptive essay is to present a detailed picture of a person, place, object, event,
etcetera. To make the image as real as possible, you can use words or linguistic devices known as
"imagery." These may be words that appeal directly to the reader's senses. That is, you can help
284
TWE Essays 285/292
your reader see, hear, taste, smell, or feel what it is you are describing by choosing vivid
vocabulary. Avoid vague, general words such as good, nice, and bad, and replace these with more
descriptive, specific terms. Metaphors (comparisons of two unlike items) are also often used in
descriptions. Try to imagine that your reader has never experienced the object that you are
describing; it is your job to bring this subject to life.
Cause and Effect Essay
To "cause" an action means to make something happen; the result or consequence of that action is [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
Thus, you-as an English as a Second Language writer and speaker- will need to be willing to
invest an even greater effort into perfecting your English writing.
In the writing sections of this chapter, we will take you through steps that will help you learn how
to organize your ideas, form an outline and develop organization, write a draft, and finally
edit/proofread your essay. And yes, by the day of the test, you will need to know how to
accomplish all of this in the 30-minute time frame that the TOEFL essay allows! But don't be
discouraged. With dedication and perseverance, you will no doubt see results.
Your final essay must do the following in order for you to achieve the highest score possible:
(1) Your essay must effectively discuss the topic you have been asked to address.
It is vital that you read the assigned topic very carefully and not add or delete anything. This is
one of the most common mistakes in writing an essay-by adding a few words, or conversely
ignoring one or two significant ones, a test taker can easily digress from the assigned topic. Of
course, the end result is failure to address the topic.
(2) Your essay must be well organized.
You must have an introduction (with a thesis statement), a body (with supporting details for your
thesis), and a conclusion. Because essay organization is very important, this will be dealt with in
greater detail later in this chapter.
(3) You must show consistent ease in your use of the English language.
This includes using correct grammar as well as the appropriate use of idiomatic language.
Remember, you are trying to prove that your English skills are advanced enough for you to do as
well as native English speakers in an American university class.
(4) You must prove to your readers that you possess a wide range of vocabulary and know how to
use terms in an appropriate fashion.
In other words, be very careful with the words you choose and avoid redundancy of both words
and ideas. You want to be conservative so that you can show how much vocabulary and how
many different word forms you know.
You must be able to paraphrase some or all of the question asked or the quotation given. This
shows that you have a broad vocabulary, that your reading comprehension is adequate, and that
you can avoid redundancy in your writing. You will also need to be able to paraphrase your thesis
in your conclusion to remind your readers of your main idea.
STANDARD ESSAY FORM
282
TWE Essays 283/292
In general, an essay is made up of three basic components: an introduction, a body, and a
conclusion. The length of an essay may vary greatly, but because you only have 30 minutes in
which to prepare, write, and proofread your TOEFL essay, you should aim for an essay containing
a maximum of four to five paragraphs (unless you are a highly accomplished English writer). Your
first paragraph, the introduction, will introduce the main topic of your essay to your reader, and it
typically ends with your thesis statement (the most important sentence in your essay). The next
part of your essay is the body. The body provides detailed support to prove your thesis. The body
will be made up of the main subpoints of your thesis, each with its own paragraph. Thus, your
body will most likely consist of 2-3 paragraphs. Your final paragraph is your conclusion. These
three basic parts are outlined below and discussed in greater detail in subsequent lessons.
I. Introduction
A. Hook (to capture your reader's attention)
B. General information on assigned topic (no details)
C. Thesis (one-sentence statement of main idea plus viewpoint)
II. Body
A. Sub-Point One
1.Topic sentence
2. Details supporting topic sentence
B. Sub-Point Two
1. Topic sentence
2. Details supporting topic sentence
C. (Possible) Sub-Point Three
1. Topic sentence
2. Details supporting topic sentence
III. Conclusion
A. Paraphrase of thesis
B. Summary of viewpoint
C. General final statement/comment
TIME DIVISION FOR A 30-MINUTE ESSAY EXAM
One of the biggest dilemmas students face with essay examinations is how to make the best use of
their time during the test. Certainly, the amount of time each student will need to make an outline,
write the essay, and proofread will vary. However, all of these steps are necessary to produce a
283
TWE Essays 284/292
clear, organized essay with few grammatical errors. Below is a suggested way to divide the limited
time you are given:
1-3 minutes-Read and Paraphrase Question 3-5 minutes-Plan, Prewrite
17-20 minutes-Write Essay
5-7 minutes-Proofread, Correct Essay
TYPES OF ESSAYS
The list below contains the most common types of essays found in an essay examination. After
you have read your essay question and interpreted it, the next step is for you to decide what kind
of essay you will need to organize and write. Determining the type of essay will help you write
your thesis statement, decide how many body paragraphs are needed, know which transitions are
appropriate to use, and much more.
Compare and Contrast Essay
This is one of the most typical forms of essay examinations. A comparison tells the ways in which
a person, place, thing, event and so on are similar. A contrast points out differences. There are
two common methods of organizing compare/contrast essays. Let's use the topic of "urban life vs.
rural life" as an example:
(1) Body
A. Similarities between urban and rural life B. Dissimilarities between urban and rural life
OR
(2) Body
A. Urban life: advantages and disadvantages B. Rural life: advantages and disadvantages
Persuasive Essay (Also Known as Personal Opinion Essay)
In the persuasive essay, you are trying to convince your reader to agree with a particular position
or viewpoint you have expressed in your thesis. While adjectives and adverbs may sway your
reader, the most effective way to bring your reader over to your side is through facts, detailed
examples, and/or personal knowledge. Be sure to incorporate some aspects of the latter in the
body of your persuasive essay.
This type of essay may be written in the first person and include: in my opinion, it seems to me, or
in my view. However, even if you use the third person (and this is often considered to be more
sophisticated), you can make your stand clear to your reader.
Descriptive Essay
The purpose of a descriptive essay is to present a detailed picture of a person, place, object, event,
etcetera. To make the image as real as possible, you can use words or linguistic devices known as
"imagery." These may be words that appeal directly to the reader's senses. That is, you can help
284
TWE Essays 285/292
your reader see, hear, taste, smell, or feel what it is you are describing by choosing vivid
vocabulary. Avoid vague, general words such as good, nice, and bad, and replace these with more
descriptive, specific terms. Metaphors (comparisons of two unlike items) are also often used in
descriptions. Try to imagine that your reader has never experienced the object that you are
describing; it is your job to bring this subject to life.
Cause and Effect Essay
To "cause" an action means to make something happen; the result or consequence of that action is [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]