Essay Writing
المقررات الدراسية موسومة بـ "Essay Writing"
Essay Writing Process
Learn about the essay writing process and how to successfully and effectively use it. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
The essay writing process consists of 6 parts that lead on from one another:1. Analysing the question
2. Generating Ideas
3. Research
4. Planning
5. Drafting
6. Editing
Analysing an essay title has 4 stages:
1. Pick apart the title. Look for:
a. Topic or content words or phrases that tell you the main subject of the essay
b. Limiting or focus words that tell you which aspects of the subject you should write about
c. Direction words that tell you what you need to do
2. Focus on the title
3. Make notes – write down any questions that are prompted by the title
4. Use the title – keep checking the exact wording and refer to the essay title in your introduction and conclusion
You will learn
- The process
- Analysing the question
- Generating ideas
- Research
- Planning
- Drafting
- Editing
English-Adverbs
In this course , learn about adverbs and how they are used. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
Adverbs describe, give more information about or limit a verb.Adverbs answer questions such as:
· How?
· When?
· Where?
· Why?
Adverb examples
Here are some examples of adverbs in sentences.
· Mary sings beautifully
o Beautifully - the adverb beautifully tells us how Mary sings.
· David is extremely clever
o Extremely - the adverb extremely tells us the degree to which David is clever.
· The car goes incredibly fast
o Incredibly - the adverb incredibly tells us how fast the car goes.
Adverb positions
Adverbs can occur before or after a verb in a sentence.
Here is an example of the adverb ‘silently’ being used before and after the verb ‘crept’.
The thief crept silently across the rooftop.
The thief silently crept across the rooftop.
You will learn
- Adverbs
- Turning adjectives into adverbs
- Adverb positions
Tense
Learn about tense, what is meant by the past tense, present tense, future tense and how simple, continuous and perfect tenses work. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at what the word tense means by looking at three different types of tense, namely past, present and future.In the English language when we talk about the tense of a word what we are really talking about is when the word (usually an action or an event) is taking place.
There are three main tenses in English and these are known as past, present, and future tenses – with one or two variations of these main three available to us, too.
By using the most appropriate tense in our sentences, we can then give the reader a better idea of when something happened, when it is going to happen, or even whether it is happening right there and then as they are reading the text.
You will learn
· Know what is meant by the past tense· Know what is meant by the present tense
· Know what is meant by the future tense
· Understand how simple, continuous, and perfect tenses work
Skills of Punctuation
Learn about punctuation, how to use a full stop, question marks, exclamation marks and the different ways of using commas and apostrophes. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at some of the most common types of punctuation, and think about how to use this punctuation in everyday writing.Punctuation are marks and symbols that we use to separate out our words and our sentences. Every sentence has some kind of punctuation symbol included in it – like this one, for example, which has a dash, commas, and will have a full stop.
The reason that we use punctuation is that it helps to make our writing – and the things we are trying to say through our writing – a little easier to read.
Using punctuation can be the difference between someone understanding your thoughts and ideas, and someone not understanding them at all! So it is always worth knowing which punctuation mark you should be using and where you should be using it.
You will learn
· Know how to use a full stop· Know how to use question marks
· Know how to use exclamation marks
· Understand the different ways of using commas
· Understand the different ways of using apostrophes
Proofreading with SPAG
Learn about proofreading with SPAG, what is meant by this, how to use SPAG as part of your proofreading and how to write your own proofreading checklist. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this session we are going to look at the different ways you might proofread, or check through, different parts of your written work.Proofreading is when you read back over a document that you have written – such as a letter or an essay, for example – and you double check that everything is written and punctuated correctly.
Most people will proofread their work multiple times, each time looking for separate things.
· The first time you read your work you might be checking your spelling – is everything spelt correctly?
· The second time you read through your work you might be checking your tenses – is everything written in the right tense? Is everything written in the same tense? And so on.
The main reason for proofreading your work is to check that what you have written is of the best quality that it can possibly be. Here are examples of what proofreading, again and again, can help check for.
· The order we have written things in – does it make sense or could it have a better flow? Does it sound well thought-out or does it sound more like we got distracted halfway through?
· The way we have written things – if we have handwritten our work then this might be a case of checking whether our writing is clear for someone else to read; this point might also encourage us to look at how we have phrased things and whether our meaning is coming across.
· Whether there are any mistakes – checking for mistakes is especially important as not only does this affect how clear your work is but it can also affect how professional your work looks as well.
You will learn
· Understand what is meant by proofreading· Understand what is meant by SPAG
· Know how to use SPAG as part of your proofreading
· Know how to write your own proofreading checklist
Prepositions, conjunctions and articles
Learn about prepositions, conjunctions and articles, what prepositions and conjunctions are, how prepositions are used and when to use a conjunction and a number of different articles. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
Prepositions are a type of word that have one or two different uses in the English language. In fact, we use prepositions so often in our speech and our writing that they are thought to be some of the most common words in English.
A preposition is a word – or sometimes a phrase – that is used to explain where something is or when something is happening/will happen in relation to something else.
When we look at some example sentences you might be surprised to see just how many words count as a prepositions. You will probably recognise most of them!
You will learn
- Know what a preposition is
- Understand how prepositions are used
- Know what a conjunction is
- Understand when to use a conjunction
- Know a number of different articles
Prefixes and Suffixes
Learn about prefixes and suffixes and what they are, examples of them and how to add them to a word. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at what prefixes and suffixes actually are and think about the different ways we can use these add-ons in our writing.A prefix is something that you add on to the beginning of a word in order to change the word’s meaning.
There are a number of different prefixes available in the English language and each has its own meaning which then adds to the original meaning of a root word. A root word is a word in its most basic form before anything has been added to it (like a prefix, or even a suffix).
So we can think of prefixes like this:
prefix + root word = new meaning
You will learn
- Understand what a prefix is
- Know a number of different examples of prefixes
- Understand how to add a prefix to a word
- Understand what a suffix is
- Know a number of different examples of suffixes
- Understand how to add a suffix to a word
Planning Your Writing
Learn about planning your writing, why it is important, how to write a good and useful story plan and how to use these planning tips for other types of writing. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we will think about why it is useful to plan your writing before you start, and we will also think about some of the questions we might want to answer as part of this planning.
Generally speaking, when you plan your writing you will think long and hard about what you want to say, how you want to say it, and the order you are going to say these things in.Planning will help you to work out the most important points that you want to make in your writing, and it will help you to plan how you are going to construct or write these points too.
Even though there will be times when you might want to just sit down and write, a good plan will give you guidance to make sure that your writing is as clear and as well put together as possible, to make for a better experience for your reader.
You will learn
- Understand why planning your writing is improtant
- How how to write a good and useful story plan
- Know how to use these planning tips for other types of writing
Paragraphs in Fiction
Learn about paragraphs, what it is and how they are used in fiction and non-fiction. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at what paragraphs are and the different ways they are used across different types of written text.
Paragraphs are used in fiction – these are pieces of writing that are made up, like stories and poems – and non-fiction – these are pieces of writing that are true and based on facts, like textbooks and newspaper articles.However, fiction and non-fiction texts use paragraphs in very different ways.
Fiction is any kind of writing that is not real but is instead made up from things in the writer’s imagination.
In short stories and books, paragraphs are used in very important and special ways. They help a writer to organise a text so that it makes more sense to a reader, so the story is as enjoyable and as well-written as it can possibly be.
The five main reasons for using paragraphs in fiction writing are:
1. To introduce new characters
2. To introduce speech
3. To change the mood, or emotion
4. To introduce a new theme
5. To move between time
You will learn
- Know what a paragraph is
- Understand how paragraphs are used in fiction
- Understand how paragraphs are used in non-fiction
Metaphors and Similes
Learn about metaphors and similes, what figurative language is, what a metaphor and simile is and how and when we use them. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at what metaphors and similes are, and how we might use them as part of writing.
Metaphors and similes are both examples of figurative language – this is an umbrella term that covers lots of different writing techniques in English.Not only does figurative language include metaphors and similes but it also includes things like hyperbole (when you deliberately exaggerate something) and onomatopoeia (which is when a word sounds like the thing that it is describing).
The reason it is called figurative language is because these different writing styles are not to be taken literally – meaning they work through associations and imagery, rather than saying things how they really are.
You will learn
- Understand what figurative language is
- Know what a metaphor is
- Know what a simile is
- Understand how and when we use metaphors and similes
Homonyms
Learn about homonyms, what homonyms and homophones are, the difference between them and the most common homonyms in English. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at the meaning of the word homonym and take a closer look at some words that fall into this language family.
In the English language homonyms are a family of words that sound the same or similar to each other, but they have completely different meanings.Homonyms is actually a big name that covers a few other types of words as well, such as:
· Homophones
· Homographs
· Heteronyms
Homophones are very common in English and there are lot of words – many of which we use on a daily basis – that fall into the homophone family.
Homophones are a type of homonym and the term is used to describe words that sound the same, or sound very similar to each other, but they have different meanings and different spellings.
If we say where (W H E R E) and wear (W E A R) aloud it is easy to spot that these words sound exactly the same as each other – even though they have different spellings and different meanings.
You will learn
- Understand what homonyms are
- Understand what homophones are
- Know the difference between homonyms and homophes
- Know several of the most common homonyms in English
Informal Letter Writing
Learn about informal letter writing, what informal letters are, when informal letters are used and the type of language used for them. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we will look at what an informal letter is, including the different types of language we might use to write them, and who we might send them to.
Informal letters are usually sent to someone that you know personally or have met in real life – meaning friends, family members, or maybe even a pen pal (a pen pal is someone who you keep in touch with through sending letters, and they are often someone who lives far away).Informal letters might be normal letters – i.e. they are paragraphed and run from the top of a page down to the bottom – but they can take other forms too, such as postcards for example.
They use relaxed, chatty, and familiar language, as these letters will always be sent to someone that you know, and who knows you, very well.
Informal letters are often used to share information about your day-to-day life. You might write about what you have done on your most recent holiday, for example, or what you have been doing at work or college recently.
You will learn
- Know what informal letters are
- Know when informal letters are used
- Understand the type of language used for informal letters
Formal Letter Writing
Learn about formal letter writing, what makes a formal letter, when formal letters are used, who they are usually sent to and how to write a letter of complaint. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we will look at the main features of a formal letter, including what these letters might be written about and who we might be sending them to.
In this technological age some people think that writing letters is an outdated way of getting in touch with someone.Emailing and texting is a lot quicker, but a letter gives you something physical that you can keep – either as a memory or for more official reasons (sometimes letters are used to send out important information to people, and these letters might be filed away somewhere safe for the future).
There are many different reasons why people write letters, even now, and because of this there are different styles and types of language that can be used to write these letters.
Examples of formal letters are letters that you might send to a newspaper, like a letter to an editor, for example. Another example would be a letter sent to a company or organisation – this could be to tell them something about their product or their service, or it might even be to complain about their product.
You will learn
- Know what makes a formal letter
- Understand when formal letters are used
- Know who formal letters are usually sent to
- Know how to write a letter of complaint
Different Types of Texts 1
Introduction
On a day to day basis there are many different types of text that you are likely to come into contact with – whether you are reading a newspaper, a book, or even just an advertisement.The main types of text that we will discuss in this session are:
· Non-fiction
· Fiction
· Poems
· Plays
Every different text has its own style and its own set of rules that writers have to follow, and we will think about these in the following sections as well.
Non-fiction texts are written about things that are true, and they are usually based on or around facts – this means that details in non-fiction texts are often things that can be proved or supported by other texts.
Even though all non-fiction texts have to include facts, these texts can still come in different shapes, sizes, and styles, and they can still be quite creative as well.
You will learn
- Know what a non-fiction text is
- Know what a fiction text is
- know what poems and plays are
- Undersand the main characters of each types of text
Types of Poetry
Learn about different types of poetry, how to spot a poem, what a narrative poem, pattern poem, shape or concrete poem and a nonsense poem are. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
Poetry is a type of literature that conveys a thought, describes a scene or tells a story in a concentrated, lyrical arrangement of words.A poem is a type of text where people write creatively – which means they use more descriptions, plus one or two other techniques – and they can either use their imaginations (making it fiction) or they can use their own lives (making it non-fiction) to find things to write about.
There are some poems that are a mixture of fiction and non-fiction because some writers, or poets, like to use a blend of the two.
One way that we can spot a poem is to look at how it is set out on the page. While normal writing goes from one side of the page to the other, poems usually look a little different to this as their lines are often much shorter and they can be of different lengths.
So if you see a text that looks more like this,
with sentences that do not go straight to the end of the line,
it will probably mean that you are dealing with a poem.
Another thing to look out for with poems is the language that they are using as they are often quite descriptive. Descriptions really stand out in some poems because of the techniques that the writer is using, for example, a poem might contain alliteration to make certain words stand out.
You will learn
- Know how to spot a poem
- Understand what a narrative poem is
- Understand what a pattern poem is
- Understand what a shape or concrete poem is
- Understand what a nonsene poem is
***** She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron *****
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
*******
Autobiographical Writing
Learn about autobiographical writing, what it is, examples of it, the main features and why autobiographical writing is important. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Intoduction
In this course we are going to look at what autobiographical writing means, and how this type of writing is different from other types.An autobiography often comes in the form of a book, and the main feature of the book – or rather, the autobiography – is that it tells a reader the life story of the person who is writing.
So an autobiography by Joe Bloggs will also be the life story of Joe Bloggs – that is where the ‘auto’ part of the autobiography comes from.
There are some books that are just biographies and the main difference between biographies and autobiographies is the writer’s involvement with the story being told. So while an autobiography tells the writer’s life, a biography will be the writer telling the story of someone else’s life.
Autobiographical writing is not only an important area of writing, but it is also quite a broad area too, as there are lots of different types of autobiographical writing that we can think about, such as:
Autobiography
This is the traditional type of autobiographical writing where the writer tells their life story.
Memoir
A memoir is a more focused type of autobiographical writing because, unlike an autobiography, a memoir is usually used for a writer to retell just one part of their life, i.e. they give a reader a snapshot of a certain event, rather than an overview of their entire life.
Personal essay, or journal
This type of autobiographical writing involves the writer focusing on certain thoughts and feelings that they want to document by keeping a written account of them.
You will learn
- Understand what autobiographical writing is
- Know a number of examples of autobiographical writing
- Understand the main features of autobiographical writing
- Know why autobiographical writing is important
Alliteration and Onomatopoeia
Learn about alliteration and onomatopoeia, what they are, how and when to use alliteration, examples of onomatopoeia and how to use it in writing. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at what these words actually mean and how we can use them to improve our written work.Alliteration is when a small selection of words start with the same sound, for example:
Charlie checked on his pet chickens.
The repeated ‘ch’ sound in this sentence is what creates the alliteration. It is worth remembering though that alliteration is all about sound and not necessarily about the letters making the sound, so words can be alliterative even if they start with a different letter – as long as the sound is the same! For example:
Claire kicked at the carpet.
Alliteration is used in creative writing – like poems and stories – for several reasons. It is often used in poems to draw the reader’s eye to a certain detail – using the words to highlight a particular line or sentence.It is used in a similar way in stories, as alliterative sentences and phrases are likely to stand out more when people are reading.
You will learn
- Know what alliteration is
- Understand how and when to use alliteration
- Know what onomatopoeia is
- Know some common examples of onomatopoeia
- Understand how to use onomatopoeia in writing
Adjectives
Learn about adjectives, what it is, what a comparative and superlative adjectives are and when to use different types of adjectives. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introdcution
In the English language there are different word types that we use to make up our sentences. Examples of these word types are verbs (also known as doing words), adverbs (that add description to a verb), and nouns (which are things, a place, or a person).
Adjectives are another word type that we use on a day-to-day basis. One way to think of adjectives is as describing words, as they are typically used to describe a noun and give a reader or a listener more detail about something. Using words to build detail will make your descriptions even better and make your writing even more enjoyable for a reader.
You will learn
- Understand what an adjective is
- Understand what a comparative adjective is
- Understand what a superlative adjective is
- Know when to use different types of adjectives
Active and Passive Voice
Learn about active and passive voice, what a verb is, what the passive and active voice is and when and where we use them. This course is ideal for intermediate learners.
Introduction
In this course we are going to look at what active and passive voices are when it comes to writing sentences, and how these tools are used in different ways.
When you are deciding whether a sentence is written in the active voice or the passive voice, an important language trick that will help you to work this out is spotting the verb in the sentence.Remember that when we talk about verbs we are really talking about doing words, or words that signal some kind of behaviour.
These can be physical behaviours: sing, run, jump, shout, wander.
But they can also be mental and spiritual behaviours: think, ponder, consider, exist, dream.
There are several different reasons for using the passive voice, including:· Not knowing who has performed a certain action
· It is obvious who has performed a certain action
· It is not important who has performed an action
· The person performing the action has been mentioned earlier
· The sentence is about people in general, rather than one person
You will learn
- Know what a verb is
- Understand what the passive voice is
- Understand what the active voice is
- Know when and where we use active and passive voices
Writing - Formal and Informal
In this course, you will learn the difference between formal and informal writing.
Introduction
When you are writing an essay or a letter for an unknown audience, you should try to avoid contractions and any use of slang words. You need to ensure that you do not write in quite the same way as you might talk to a friend.
You will learn
- The difference between formal and informal
- How to structure and write a letter
- How to structure and write an email