WRITING TASK 2

 Paragraph 1 – Introduction

The introduction is usually ‘funnel shaped’. It begins with the broadest topic
(sentence 1).

Then, it narrows to the thesis statement or the part of the topic that will be
specifically addressed in the essay (sentence 2).

The last sentence of the paragraph usually outlines the main points that will
be covered in the essay (sentence 3).

A pattern for introduction paragraphs

 Read the following question and the sample
introduction paragraph.

 Some students who enrol in university studies have

difficulties with their writing skills. Discuss the
reasons for this problem and critically assess the
effectiveness of university intervention writing
programs.

 Background statement
Assignment essays are frequently used as assessment
tasks to involve students in research, academic
reading and formal essay writing.

 Thesis statement
Because poor writing skills can affect students’
success in tertiary education, it is important that
writing problems are understood so that university
assistance programs are adequate.

 Outline statement
This essay will identify and examine the main
causes underpinning student difficulties with
academic writing and consider evidence to evaluate
whether programs delivered in universities address
this problem.

o Sentence 1 – Hook sentence

 Interesting Question Hook
 An interesting question hook is when you ask a
question that relates to your essay or paper. 
And the only way a person can know the answer
to that question is by reading your writing.
 What is the difference between successful
college students and unsuccessful college
students? 

 Strong Statement/Declaration Hook

A strong statement hook is a sentence that
makes an assertive claim about your topic.   It
connects to the thesis statement and shows the
importance of your essay or paper.
A strong statement is a great technique because
it doesn’t matter if your reader agrees or
disagrees with your statement.  They will want to
see how you support your statement.
Online college classes are cheaper and more
effective than in-person college classes. 
  
 Fact/Statistic Hook
Facts and statistics hook your reader because
they give real information about a topic.
You can impress your reader with your knowledge
and evidence from the very beginning of your
essay. 
But, you need to include facts that are accurate,
interesting and reliable. 
 Evaluate your information and make sure it
comes from a credible source.
Almost two-thirds of American adults at some
point in their life lived in a home with at least
one gun. 

 Metaphor/ Simile Hook

 The metaphor/simile hook engages your readers
because it makes them think about a topic in a
different way. 
 Your audience wonders what you mean and how
you compare a topic to something that seems
unconnected.
 The boyfriend is not really a rat, but he behaves
like one.
 A simile is like a metaphor.  Both compare two
unrelated things to each other, but a simile uses
the words  like  or as to connect them. A simile is
less strong than a comparison in a metaphor. 
 Writing a research paper is like running a
marathon when it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
 This is a hook where you begin with a short story
or episode that relates to your topic.
 Readers love stories, especially a well-written
story that is memorable.  The key to a great
story hook is making sure the story directly
connects to your essay or paper topic.

 Story Hook
  This is a hook where you begin with a short
story or episode that relates to your topic.
 Readers love stories, especially a well-written
story that is memorable. 
 The key to a great story hook is making sure
the story directly connects to your essay or
paper topic.
 Your story can be personal or someone else’s
story.
 I got off the train and pulled my luggage
behind me.  A cab pulled up to the curb, and the
driver got out.  He lifted my luggage and said,
“Miss, I’m just going to put your stuff in the
boot.”  I didn’t know what he meant until I saw
him open the car’s trunk.  Then I realized the
boot means car trunk.  I got in the cab,
wondering how many other words would be
different in England. 
 You’ll see this story hook is longer than other
types of essay hooks.   That’s okay.  Your hook
can be longer, but it shouldn’t be a large part of
your essay or paper.   Compare the length of your
hook to the length of the essay.

 Description Hook
This is a hook where a vivid description of a
scene draws your readers into your writing.  
A good description hook will make your reader
want to know what comes next in your writing.    
 It’s most popular in narrative essays, but you can
use a description hook with any type of writing
(yes even academic papers).  
But, like the story hook ask yourself, “Will this
description hook be acceptable in this course?”
The dog howled in pain and limped along the side
of the road.  His leg was cut and blood streamed
down his leg. 

 Quotation Hook. 
 This is a hook where you begin your essay
with a quotation.  The quotation could be from a
famous person, but it doesn’t have to be. You can
quote anyone if it connects to what you’re writing
about.
 Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most
powerful weapon you can use to change the
world.”
 If you want to use a quotation for a hook,
make sure you quote the words exactly.  Choose
quotations where the words are striking,
powerful, and/ or memorable.

o Sentence 2 - Background statement

 A background statement is the first sentence of an
IELTS essay.
  It is written to introduce the essay question by
paraphrasing it.

 In clearly-written sentences, the writer gives some

background on the main topic; explains the academic
problem and tells the reader what to expect in the rest of
the essay.
 You can follow a basic pattern (recipe) for writing
introduction paragraphs to help you get started.
 As essay topics and lecturer requirements vary, you will
find that ‘the recipe’ will need to be adjusted to suit the
style of essay you will be asked to write.
 Try to write your introduction straight from your
question analysis, and then review it many times while
you are writing the body of the essay—this will help you
to keep your essay on target (i.e. answering the set
question).
 Note that most introductions generally only include
references if definitions are taken from an information
source.

o Sentence 3 – Thesis statement

 The thesis statement is the most important part of
the introduction.
 It gives the reader clear information about the
content of the essay, which will help them to
understand the essay more easily.

 The thesis states the specific topic, and often lists

the main (controlling) ideas that will be discussed
in the main body.

 It may also indicate how the essay will be

organised, e.g. in chronological order, order of
importance, advantages/disadvantages,
cause/effect.

 It is usually at the end of the introduction, and is

usually (but not always) one sentence long.

 In short, the thesis statement:

 states the specific topic of the essay;

 often lists the main (controlling) ideas of
the essay;
 may indicate the method of organisation of
the essay;
 is usually at the end of the introduction;
 Is usually one sentence.

 Here is an example of a thesis statement

with no subtopics mentioned:

 While cars have undoubted advantages, they also

have significant drawbacks.
  This thesis statement tells us the specific topic of
the essay (advantages and disadvantages of
cars) and the method of organisation
(advantages should come first, disadvantages
second).
 It is, however, quite general, and may have been
written before the writer had completed the
essay.

 In the following thesis statement, the

subtopics are named:

 While cars have undoubted advantages, of which

their convenience is the most apparent, they
have significant drawbacks, most notably
pollution and traffic problems.
 This thesis gives us more detail, telling us not
just the topic (advantages and disadvantages of
cars) and the method of organisation
(advantages first, disadvantages second), but
also tells us the main ideas in the essay
(convenience, pollution, traffic problems).
 This essay will probably have three paragraphs
in the main body.

o Sentence 4 - Outline sentence

 There are two major types of outline:
 Topic Outline
 Sentence Outline

 A topic outline lists words or
phrases. A sentence outline lists complete sentences.
 A topic outline arranges your
ideas hierarchically (showing which are main and
which are sub-points), in the sequence you want,
and shows what you will talk about. 

 As the name implies, it identifies all the little mini-

topics that your paper will comprise, and shows
how they relate.

 A sentence outline does all of this, plus it

shows exactly what you will say about each mini-
topic.

 Each sentence, instead of simply identifying a mini-

topic, is like a mini-thesis statement about that
mini-topic.

 It expresses the specific and complete idea that that

section of the paper will cover as part of proving
the overall thesis.

 The method described below will produce

a sentence outline.

 Your sentence outline should, if done thoroughly

and carefully, represent almost a first draft of your
research paper.

 Once you’ve written it, the paper will practically

write itself. You’ll just be filling in the blanks, so to
speak—providing specific examples and other
support to flesh out and prove the ideas you’ve
already sketched out.
  The purpose, in other words, of doing this work is
not to make work for you, but to save you work in
the long run by breaking the job down into smaller,
manageable tasks.

 Tip: Outlines can be very detailed or very general, but the

more detail you have the farther you’ll get toward writing
your paper. Here’s an example.

A paper of 12 pages (about 4,500 words) might have four

major topics or points, represented by roman numerals
(I - IV) in the outline.

This would mean each point would represent about three

pages of the final paper.

These three pages will include background information,

multiple sources, different pieces of evidence and
explanation supporting that point, and often a brief
description of alternative views and an explanation of
why those views are not so convincing.

Smaller points supporting each of the main points might

then take up a single page or 2 - 3 paragraphs—again
with evidence, explanation, alternative views and so on.
Finally, even smaller points under these might
correspond to individual paragraphs in the final draft.

 Writing the Sentence Outline

1. Write out your thesis at the top of the page.

2. Make a list of points you must prove to prove

your thesis. What would someone have to agree
with, in order to agree with the thesis?
o These will be the main sections of your paper. Like the
thesis, these should be complete, declarative sentences
—something you can either prove or disprove.
 3. On a new page, write your first main point. This
is the thesis for that section of the paper.

4. Make a list of the points you have to prove to

prove that point. Just as with the main points,
these should be complete, declarative sentences
—statements you can prove or disprove.

5. These are your sub-points for that section.

6. Repeat the process for each of your main points.

 Once you have the main points and supporting points

written down, it’s time to start organizing.
 First make sure which are main and which are
supporting points.

 For example, you may find that what you thought was
a main point is really part of proving another main
point.

 Or, what you first listed under a main point may need
its own section.

 This may change as you continue to work on the

outline and draft the paper.

 Now you can decide what order you want to present

your ideas in.

 Again, label them with letters or numbers to indicate

the sequence.
  Tip: Don’t just settle for one organization. Try out at least
two different sequences.

You’ll be surprised at the connections that emerge, the

possibilities that open up, when you rearrange your ideas.

You may find that your thesis suddenly snaps into focus, or
that points that seemed unrelated in fact belong together, or
that what you thought was a main idea is actually a
supporting idea for another point.
Good writing is all about re-vision, which literally means
“seeing again”—seeing your work from a fresh perspective.

You can do this at every stage of the writing process, and

especially at the organization stage.

 Finally, write up the outline in the order you’ve

chosen. Remember to include a thesis statement at
the start of the outline, and cite and list your
sources.

EXAMPLE
Each supporting paragraph in a short essay should support points made in
the thesis statement.

The thesis statement acts as a road map for the rest of your essay; it defines
the ideas and the order in which they will be presented.
Your reader expects to see information pertaining to the subject and in the
order signalled in the introduction.

Moving away from the mental map you established may cause the reader to
become lost in the text and miss important points.

Begin each supporting paragraph with a topic sentence. This statement

reinforces your point for the reader.

Everything in the paragraph should support the point you establish in the
initial sentence.

Use specific facts from your research and specific examples to enhance and
clarify the point you are making.

Once drafted, read back through the information. Does each sentence
support the topic sentence? Do you explain and give examples that support
the topic?

Does the paper flow smoothly between paragraphs?

Transitions at the end of one paragraph or the beginning of the next help
the reader understand connections, follow logical development, and navigate
through the text.
Reasons to start a new paragraph
 Introduce a new idea
 Emphasize an idea
 Introduce a logical pause
 Introduce a subtopic
 Conclude the composition

Suggestions for writing paragraphs

 Avoid paragraphs that are either too long or too short

 Develop a single idea in a paragraph
 Use different patterns of paragraph development (narration,
description, definition, example, comparison and contrast,
analogy, cause and effect, or process)
 Provide transitions between paragraphs to make your
writing flow smoothly (refer to the section on Transitions)
  Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph

o Sentence 1 - Topic sentence

 A unified paragraph focuses on and develops a
single main idea.

 This idea is typically captured in a single sentence,

called a topic sentence.

 "A topic sentence should, if possible, do four

things:

(1) Provide a transition from a the

preceding paragraph
(2) introduce the topic of the paragraph,
(3) Make a main point about this topic, and
(4) Suggest how the rest of the paragraph
will develop this point”.

o Sentence 2 – Example
 The other sentences in the paragraph, the
supporting sentences, should elaborate on the topic
sentence in a logical fashion.

o Sentence 3 – Discussion
 The supporting sentences, also called the body of
the paragraph, are used to support, explain,
 illustrate, or provide evidence for the idea
expressed in the topic sentence.

o Sentence 4 – Conclusion
 A conclusion reiterates the importance of the main
idea and summarizes the evidence presented in
support of it.

 Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph

o Sentence 1 - Topic sentence

 A unified paragraph focuses on and develops a
single main idea.

 This idea is typically captured in a single sentence,

called a topic sentence.

 "A topic sentence should, if possible, do four

things:
(1) Provide a transition from a the
preceding paragraph
(2) introduce the topic of the paragraph,
(3) Make a main point about this topic, and
(4) Suggest how the rest of the paragraph
will develop this point”.
o Sentence 2 – Example
 The other sentences in the paragraph, the
supporting sentences, should elaborate on the topic
sentence in a logical fashion.

o Sentence 3 – Discussion
 The supporting sentences, also called the body of
the paragraph, are used to support, explain,
illustrate, or provide evidence for the idea
expressed in the topic sentence.

o Sentence 4 – Conclusion
 A conclusion reiterates the importance of the main
idea and summarizes the evidence presented in
support of it.
 Sample Strategy for Supportive Paragraphs:
1. The first sentence usually presents the topic
that you will address in the paragraph.
2. The topic sentence should present the claim, or
main idea, that you will develop and support
within the rest of the paragraph.
3. In the several sentences that follow, provide
facts regarding your topic and explain how this
information supports your topic or claim.
4. After the topic sentence, present specific facts
that support that topic Explain how each fact
logically supports the claim or topic. Remain
 focused and specific, relating only information
relevant to your topic sentence.
5. After proving the point you presented in your
topic sentence, conclude the paragraph with a
transitional sentence that leads readers to the
next paragraph
6. End with a transitional sentence that shows
how the main idea of this paragraph relates to
the main idea of the next paragraph.
"A paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that develops a main idea.
Paragraphs serve as the primary building blocks of essays, reports, memos,
and other forms of written composition".
In essence, paragraphs control the design and structure of the written
composition.
Paragraphs in the middle of your composition develop the thesis statement
and provide transition ideas between supporting details.
Paragraphs should be "unified, coherent, and adequately developed, while
flowing from one to the next as smoothly as possible"

 Paragraph 4 – Conclusion
Things to avoid in conclusions:

 repeating the thesis verbatim

 repeating ideas from the introduction
 introducing a new idea not discussed in the main body of the paper
 apologizing for your views
o Sentence 1 – Summary
 A conclusion is a call to action.

 It reiterates the main idea of the essay stated in the

introduction, summarizes the evidence presented in
the body of the essay, draws any conclusions based
on that evidence, and brings a written composition
to a logical close.

o Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis

 Many writers choose to begin the conclusion by
restating the thesis, but you can put your thesis into
the conclusion anywhere—the first sentence of the
paragraph, the last sentence, or in between.

 Restating your thesis is just a short part of your

conclusion.

 Make sure that you are not simply repeating

yourself; your restated thesis should use new and
interesting language.

o Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

 After you have restated your thesis, you should not just
summarize the key points of your argument.
 Your conclusion should offer the reader something new
to think about—or, at the very least; it should offer the
reader a new way of thinking about what you have said
in your paper.

 An essay, a research paper, or a report can end with

any of the following:

a short summary of the main idea

a call to action
a reiteration of the main points made
a question
a proposed solution to the question raised in the
thesis statement
a statement of the significance of findings
a statement of the limitations of the study or
research
a recommendation for further exploration of the
subject 

Transitions

Transitional words and expressions are devices that allow you to

move from one idea to the next without abrupt changes.
A good essay, research paper, or report uses transitions to help
the reader follow the line of thought from sentence to sentence or
paragraph to paragraph. Transitional expressions make your
writing more readable and structurally coherent. Use them for
clarity and smooth flow of thought.
 Rule to Remember
Transitional expressions help achieve better clarity, readability, and
structural coherence of your writing.
Transitional expressions help the reader follow the line of thought
from sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph.

Transitional words and expressions are used for variety of

purposes:

To signal an in addition, furthermore,

addition: moreover, besides, and, also,
likewise

People today try to be more aware of the causes of global

warming. In addition, many of these people take small steps to
fight it.

To signal an for example, for instance, thus, in other words,

example:
to illustrate, that is, in particular

The more specific you can be the better. In other words, provide
enough detail to make your argument sound.

To compare: similarly, likewise, in this manner

Curriculum development plays a role in the success or failure of

online instruction. Similarly, student background and computer
accessibility may affect its outcomes as well.

To indeed, truly, as a matter of fact, to repeat,

emphasize:
even
I always wanted to do my internship in Europe. As a matter of
fact, I specifically applied to companies that had their branch
offices there. I even did research in my last year of school on these
companies.

To signal again, also, and, and then, besides, finally,

sequence:
first... second... third, furthermore, last,

next, still

This book is a great resource on ancient

civilizations. Furthermore, the reason I particularly like this book
is that it presents a factual account of events.

To contrast: in contrast to, however, but, still, nevertheless,

yet, on the one hand / on the other hand,

on the contrary, at the same time,

while this may be true

On the one hand, there are countless advantages to online

delivery of instruction; on the other hand, there are also some
limitations that need to be considered.

To signal before, now, afterwards, subsequently, later,

time:
earlier, meanwhile, in the meantime, while,

as long as, so far

Presidential hopefuls have received a lot of publicity lately. In the

meantime, the media seem silent on a few crucial proposals being
debated currently in the House.
To in general, for the most part, as a general rule,
generalize:
on the whole, usually, typically

For the most part, this project has been a success.

To signal accordingly, as a result, because, consequently,

cause and
for this purpose, hence, so, then, therefore,
effect:
thereupon, thus, to this end

The price of gas has been rising steadily over the last few
years. As a result, people are buying more fuel-efficient cars.

To signal although it is true that, I admit that,

concession:
it may appear that, naturally, of course,

granted that

Although it is true that the study is extensive, we cannot say that

its results are conclusive.
To summarize, as a result, as has been noted, as mentioned earlier,
repeat, or
as we have seen, in conclusion, in other words,
conclude:
on the whole, to summarize

As has been noted, the word "would" is used more often in

general fiction while the word "used to" is much more frequent in
public conversation.