... As it happens, however, writing essays is one of the best ways to develop the mental skills necessary for learning and thinking. Despite the widely held belief that human beings are rational animals, the fact is that we are no such thing--at least not naturally. What we are is capable of rational thought. We have the capacity to learn how to reason, but that capacity does not come to fruition without careful nurturing. Just as the skilled athlete has, through diligent effort and application, honed physical capacities that are inherent but not well developed in most human beings, so the skilled thinker has studied and trained himself to apply mental skills in a manner beyond the reach of most untrained minds. The exercise of rational thought or procedure to analyze a subject and to express in an orderly way the judgments arrived at through such analysis is called "discourse." Writing which aims to arrive at an understanding of a subject--or to make such an understanding possible for the reader by leading him through the steps of rational analysis of that subject--is called "discursive" writing. Virtually all of the writing required of a student in high school or college should be discursive, and it is a truly unfortunate trend that highly personal and so-called "creative" writing has often been allowed to replace discursive writing in much of the curriculum. The function of training in discursive writing is to enable the student to learn...
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...edition Writing essays The language that we use for writing essays is often more formal than the language that we use in conversation. The next four pages give you help with the more formal type of language that is usually used in writing. They give words and phrases that will help you to write your ideas clearly and naturally, and in a way that is suitable for an essay. Saying what you agree with You will first need to read the essay title carefully, and decide what you agree or disagree with about it or whether you think it is true. Use these words and phrases to say what you agree with or what you think is true about the statement: Certainly . . . It is certainly true that . . . It is certainly the case (= true) that . . . Examples: An example essay You could be asked to write many different types of essays in English during the course of your studies. These may include factual essays, descriptive essays or stories. You may also be asked to write letters, emails, reports or pages from a diary as writing exercises. The phrases below all relate to the language you might want to use in a discursive essay (= an essay in which you are asked to discuss something). The title of the example essay is: ‘Despite the increased availability of ‘healthy’ food and our greater knowledge of what makes a healthy diet, we are fatter and less healthy than ever before.’ Discuss. Before you start Make sure you understand what you are expected to do in writing the essay. If you do not understand...
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...Basic techniques for generating ideas. Brainstorming. Brainstorming consists in writing series of words or sentences just as they flow from our mind, although they have no logical order or connections. Once the words are written down, we have to establish relationships among them. This is the embryo of the future text. Free writing. Free writing is a similar technique to the brainstorming. Consists in writing a text without previous decisions or ideas about how we want to write it. Just choosing a topic and writing about it, and then we can summarise the main ideas. Organisation of information. There are some basic rules for writing a well - structured text. The text should be organised in a clear way; it must not be a twisted or an incomprehensible lot of ideas. We have to try to write according to certain conventions about hoe the text is organised. We have to structure our text in paragraphs. Each paragraph must express one idea. Some rules referring to the paragraphs: A paragraph must be clearly separated from other paragraphs, either by an empty line or by indenting the first line, or both. There must be no blank spaces or half-empty lines inside the paragraph. A paragraph in academic prose does not begin with a dot, a line or a kind of mark, except in special circumstances. Each body paragraph must normally have a topic sentence, and more than one sentence. Types of paragraphs. The introductory paragraph. There must be at least one...
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...write an essay about yourself, then this article is just for you. Here, we will present several tips on how to write an essay about myself properly and succeed. Usually, the task to write essays about myself is given to those entering a high school/college/university or even to those applying for a job. An essay about yourself should present necessary information on what kind of person you are, introduce your achievements. Do you want to impress the reader? Think about the best ideas to present in the descriptive essay on yourself! Maybe, some of the ideas presented below will interest you: * How to write an essay about myself: idea #1 Boring: start writing with a mere introduction – your name, education, purposes, etc… Cool: present a catchy proverb or a famous expression that can describe what kind of person you are, what you believe in, what rules you follow, etc. * How to write an essay about myself: idea #2 Boring: say about your strong and weak points, about your goals, etc… Cool: describe an event/person that made you stronger. Prove that everything happens for some reasons, and you are here because you want and can do a lot for the institution/organization. * How to write an essay about myself: idea #3 Boring: be modest and demonstrate your awareness of tact. Cool: prove that you are better than the others. Do you remember such proverb – the ends justify the means. Be a real fighter, but do not break the rules set. You may use some free essays on myself...
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...to: A. Point out the different parts of an essay. B. Distinguish the characteristics of each part of the essay. C. Restate the ideas given in the essay by answering several questions. II. Subject Matter A. Topic identifying parts of an essay B. Reference Advanced Composition for Non-Native Speakers of English. Why Should Students Eat Breakfast Every Day. Retrieved at http://eslbee.com English Time (2013). Identifying the Elements of an Essay. Educational Resources Corporation. Cubao, Quezon City. C. Materials worksheets, reading selection, III. Teaching- Learning Sequence A. Pre-Reading Define essay. Have a brief review about the selection “I Am a Filipino” as a guide to explain the parts of an essay through a quick game. Post the following questions: 1. What are the duties of a Filipino? (Introduction) 2. How did history affect me as a Filipino? (Body) 3. How can I become worthy of the inherence I gained? (Conclusion) Distribute strips of papers with answers written on them. Let students decide where to put the appropriate answers to each question. * meeting my responsibility * performing my obligation * should value the abundance given by the new land * recognize the heroes and ancestors from the past * by valuing and entrusting the freedom to the people of the future Explain each part – how it is developed. Introduction – gives the topic of the essay; usually consists of one paragraph. What is the...
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...effect of planning, drafting, proofreading and editing of the work on the final text produced. • Awareness of writing for a specific purpose, audience and context – as well as register, style and tone – especially in SECTIONS B and C. • Grammar, spelling and punctuation. • Language structures, including an awareness of critical language. • Choice of words and idiomatic language. • Sentence construction. • Paragraphing. • Interpretation of the topic that will be reflected in the overall content: the introduction, the development of ideas and the conclusion. Copyright reserved Please turn over English Home Language/P3 3 NSC – Memorandum DBE/Feb.–Mar. 2014 SUGGESTED APPROACH TO MARKING SECTION A: ESSAY Refer to SECTION A: Rubric for Assessing an Essay found on page 8 of this memorandum. CRITERIA USED FOR ASSESSMENT CRITERIA MARKS CONTENT AND PLANNING 30 LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING 15 STRUCTURE 5 TOTAL 50 1. Read the whole piece and decide on a category for CONTENT AND PLANNING. 2. Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING. 3. Re-read the piece and select the appropriate category for STRUCTURE. SECTION B: LONGER TRANSACTIONAL TEXT Refer to SECTION B: Rubric for Assessing Longer Transactional Texts found on page 9 of this memorandum. CRITERIA USED FOR ASSESSMENT CRITERIA CONTENT, PLANNING AND FORMAT LANGUAGE, STYLE AND EDITING TOTAL MARKS 18 12 30 1. Read the whole piece and...
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...Management & Organisations Essay for Semester 1, 2014/15 This essay counts as 20% of the overall assessment of this module. Write an essay of approximately 2000 words on the following: Critically discuss the extent to which Fayol’s classic analysis of the management function has largely been made redundant by the more recent empirical studies of what managers actually do, such as that favoured by Mintzberg. When writing your essay, you may wish to consider the following: * The different perspectives on management taken by Fayol and Mintzberg; * The different approaches to the study of management taken by Fayol and Mintzberg; * Your essay should be analytical and discursive, not simply a description and comparison of Fayol’s and Mintzberg’s work; * Be wary of internet sources – anyone can put anything on the internet so it doesn’t mean it is right; such sources, especially student essays, often have serious flaws! Essays should be word-processed, draw upon established literature on the subject area, and be referenced appropriately One copy should be posted in the assignment boxes on the 2nd Floor of the Armstrong Building by 4pm on Monday 17th November. Please note that assessed work is not returned and feedback is provided via the Module Feedback Sheet. You are therefore advised to keep a copy of the assignment for your own use. Marks and feedback on your essay will be provided at the start of the second term in January. Essays will be assessed on the following...
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...UNIT 1 Special Note: The argumentative essay is a very useful test of a student’s ability to think logically. Argue: v. 1. to persuade someone to do or not do something. 2. to give the reasons for your opinion, idea, belief, etc. Argumentative: adj. someone who is argumentative often argues or like arguing. Argument: n. a set of reasons that show that something is true or untrue, right or wrong etc. When you have an opinion and try to convince your listener or reader to accept your opinion, you are agreeing with or disagreeing with something. For example: In an everyday situation, you may try to convince a friend to go somewhere or in a composition or speech class, the instructor may make an assignment in which you must support or oppose the use of nuclear energy to produce electricity. If you agree or disagree on an issue, you will want your reader or listener to accept your point of view. There are a few types of argumentative compositions such as: 1. Advantages and disadvantages 2. Expressing opinions/providing solutions to problems 3. Expressing arguments for and against a topic 4. Compare and contrast something or somebody PURPOSE of ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS * An argument follows when two groups disagree about something. * People can have different opinions and can offer reasons in support...
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...HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS Visit our How To website at www.howto.co.uk At www.howto.co.uk you can engage in conversation with some of our authors – all of whom have ‘been there and done that’ in their specialist fields. You can get access to special offers and additional content but, most importantly, you will be able to engage with, and become a part of, a wide and growing community of people just like yourself. At www.howto.co.uk you’ll be able to talk to, and share tips with, people who have similar interests and are facing similar challenges in their lives. People who, just like you, have the desire to change their lives for the better – be it through moving to a new country, starting a new business, growing their own vegetables, or writing a novel. At www.howto.co.uk you’ll find the support and encouragement you need to help make your aspirations a reality. How To Books strives to present authentic, inspiring, practical information in their books. Now, when you buy a title from How To Books, you get even more than words on a page. HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS A step-by-step guide for all levels, with sample essays Don Shiach howtobooks ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author and publishers are grateful to Nicholas Murray and the Rack Press, Kinnerton, Presteigne, Powys LD8 2PF for permission to reproduce History from Nicholas Murray’s collection ‘The Narrators’. Published by How To Content, A division of How To Books Ltd, Spring Hill House, Spring...
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...Religion’s role in the modern World Is it too strong? In the modern world religion is playing a large role, through the way it can guide and structure society too the way it can damage and wreck it. From terrorists using religion as an excuse for their actions and Jehovah’s witnesses refusing medical blood transfusion for children not able to choose their religion. The way religions can manipulate and force people into citations they may be uncomfortable with. Yet can change the corrupt and lost into a good citizen that benefits society. However, is the role of religion too large in an easily influenced modern world? With whole countries ruled by one religion and wars breaking out based on ones belief. Children brainwashed and others left ignorant of a world that can, yet, cannot help. In the twenty-first century religion governs whole countries, towns, communities. From the Middle East to a small American town, religion is everywhere. It is argued that religions tight grasp on the Middle East stops it falling into anarchy giving laws to abide by that gives a repercussion to breaking them stronger than those of a prison cell. On the other hand however religion can force one into situation that one would not be comfortable with. Making children take up a religion without chose brainwashing them into a world of ignorance and stubbornness. Religion gives benefits to society feeding children with strong morals, normally, respected of the states rules. Religions such as Christianity...
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...Academic essay on Annie Proulx's "Job Story" Choices are something we all make. Not necessarily important choices, but there will always be a time to make them. It's not always good choices, but they have to be made. There will always be consequences, whether it's bad or good. Throughout the story, Leeland Lee has to make a lot of choices. Where to live, where to work and when to work. All the different choices he made, put him in the position he is now. Leeland Lee is an awkward-looking young boy. His face is heavily boned, which he has gotten from his mom, his neck is quite thick and he has red-gold hair. His eyes are as pouchy as a middle-aged alcoholic. His nose is broad and lays close to his face. Lori Bovee is Leeland Lee's wife. She has an undistinguished oval face, and hair of medium length. Leeland Lee is the protagonist of the story, because he is the main character. I would say Leeland is a flat and static character as he is an endless optimist. He doesn't give up when it comes to finding a new job, and despite his wife dying he still gets a job at Unique Eats. The reason he is a static character is because he doesn't change at all. After getting several different jobs he doesn't change anything, after his mom and wife dies he doesn't change one single thing except the fact he isn't listening to the radio anymore, but since that have been an important factor of the story all along, it can also show a lot about how he has changed. The story starts November...
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...Essay on “Job History” written by Annie Proulx In the short story “Job History” written by Annie Proulx, we follow Leeland Lee from the time of his birth, until he is about fifty years old. In the short story we follow Leeland through his harsh life, with ups and downs, in the form of thoughts, feelings, incidents, etc. Leeland is born in a ranch in Wyoming, and lives there with his wife Lori. Leeland does not look particularly good, in fact he is a very unattractive man; (page 91, line 12)“Leeland’s face shows heavy bones from his mother’s side. His neck is thick and his red-gold hair plastered down in bangs. Even as a child his eyes are as pouchy as those of a middle-age alcoholic, the brows rod-straight above wandering out-of-line eyes. His nose lies broad and close to his face, his mouth seems to have been cut with a single chisel blow into easy flesh” And in the top of that, we see how Leeland through his life, tries to find a successful career, but fails consistently. He moves various times from place to place, too seek occupation and good business. But it is hard when you’re a high school dropout, without a career. Leeland have to changes his job constantly, because of his lack of luck, and since he can’t get along white his bosses. He is never able to stay at one job or place for long, which lead to problems in the family. He has a hard time supporting his wife, and their children financially. Throughout the story the author, Annie Proulx manages...
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...An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal[->0] point of view[->1]. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism[->2], political manifestos[->3], learned arguments[->4], observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition of an essay is vague, overlapping with those of an article[->5] and a short story[->6]. Almost all modern essays are written in prose[->7], but works in verse[->8] have been dubbed essays (e.g. Alexander Pope[->9]'s An Essay on Criticism[->10] and An Essay on Man[->11]). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke[->12]'s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding[->13] and Thomas Malthus[->14]'s An Essay on the Principle of Population[->15] are counterexamples. In some countries (e.g., the United States and Canada), essays have become a major part of formal education[->16]. Secondary students are taught structured essay formats to improve their writing skills, and admission essays[->17] are often used by universities[->18] in selecting applicants and, in the humanities and social sciences, as a way of assessing the performance of students during final exams. The concept of an "essay" has been extended to other mediums beyond writing. A film essay is a movie that often incorporates documentary film making styles and which focuses more on the evolution of a theme or an idea. A photographic essay[->19] is an attempt to cover a topic...
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...We all know love. We have all loved in some kind of way. We love our parents, significant others and even our friends. But we can also love other things like animals or material things. But what is the difference between loving and liking? And is it better not to love and feel pain or to love and be hurt in the progress? Jonathan Franzen seeks to answer these questions in his essay “Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts”. The essay “Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts” is, as mentioned, written by Jonathan Franzen and published in The New York Times, May 28, 2011. Jonathan Franzen is born in 1959, and he is an acclaimed American novelist and essayist. The essay is based on the commencement speech he delivered at Kenyon College in Ohio, USA. “Our technology has become extremely adept in creating products that correspond to our fantasy ideal of an erotic relationship, in which the beloved object asks for nothing and gives everything, instantly. (…)” As Franzen claims in his essay, many people can feel like they love their technological object. It gives them a satisfaction, which human interaction maybe wouldn’t. Franzen however thinks, that people in general don’t love material things: they like them. There is a major difference between loving and liking – even though it might appear small. “Liking, in general, is commercial culture’s substitute for loving.” Products are made to be likeable, but if that concept in transferred to a person, you would instantly see...
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...Reaction – “Salvation” The nonfiction short essay “Salvation” written by Langston Hughes in 1940, presents a theme on the literal and often manipulated perception of children. Hughes narrates the essay as he recounts his disappointing attempt at salvation. Hughes aunt told him that when she was saved by Jesus she saw a light, and felt something happen within herself. As children will do, Hughes took her story literally and was heartbroken as he sat in front of the church and watched other children “saved” while he was not. He believed that Jesus must not want him because he did not see or feel anything. In the end, Hughes is forced to lie about accepting Jesus and in turn rejects the Christian faith all together. I related to Hughes story on many accounts. I am a mother of three young children who perceive everything in life literally, and as a young girl I was raised in a very religious environment. I could visualize and almost feel Hughes devastation as he sat at the front of the church crushed by the thoughts of God not wanting him. “Still I kept waiting to see Jesus” (Barnet, Cain, & Burto, 2011, pp. 351). One of the churches that my family attended for a short time during my childhood practiced speaking in tongs. I specifically remember feeling just like Hughes during a service when other children were speaking in unnatural languages perceived to be sent from God himself. I could not understand why I was not chosen to talk for God and intern was hurt and...
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