Ibrahim Moulsy High School

BASICS ON WRITING FOR BAC STUDENTS

Mr. Abdelkarim Foulfoula

A PARAGRAPH is a group of complete sentences that are related together to discuss a main idea. A standard paragraph must include these elements :

1. The topic sentence 2. Supporting sentences 3. The concluding sentence 4. Transition words ( connectives)
The topic sentence is the first sentence in the paragraph.
Technology has many advantages. To begin with, its making our lives easier and
Its a complete sentence that summarizes the content of the
paragraph in a general way.
more comfortable. In other words, people save more time and effort with the use of technology.
Supporting sentences are the complete sentences that come
after the topic sentence to support, develop, or explain it.
Supporting sentences should :
- be specific enough to give relevant details
- present examples, statistics, facts, ideas
- be related together through the use of transition words to
achieve unity and coherence of the paragraph

For example, machines and robots can perform all of our hard tasks perfectly and in no time.
Also, great inventions, like the telephone, computers, the television, the cell-phone, and the
internet have made communication easier and better. Additionally, findings have shown the
positive effect of technology on our economic growth. Nowadays, 70% of world businesses
rely on technology to improve the quality of their products or services. Moreover, the various
technological advances in transportation have turned our world into a small village. This
allows for effective interaction between people from different places and cultures. In fact,

The concluding sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph.

It restates ( repeats in different words) the main idea of the
paragraph or summarizes the information presented in it.

with all these advantages, technology has brought about many positive changes to our
every-day lives.

AN ESSAY is group of related paragraphs which develop and discuss a central idea. A standard essay must include the following parts:

1. The introduction 2. The body 3. The conclusion .

- The introductory paragraph gives
Technology is the application of science for economic, social, commercial, or practical purposes. It has
general background about the topic.
- It introduces the central idea of the certainly changed our ways of life both positively and negatively. So, I believe that technology has some drawbacks
essay tobe discussed later.
in addition to its many advantages, too.
- It introduces key words / terms.
On the one hand, Technology has many advantages . To begin with, its making our lives easier and more
- The body consists of at least two
paragraphs.

comfortable. In other words, people save more time and effort with the use of technology. For example, machines and

- Each paragraph begins with a clear

topic sentence that is thematically
related to the thesis statement or
central idea in the introductory
paragraph.

the television, the cell-phone, and the internet have made communication easier and better. Additionally, findings have

- Each paragraph contains within it

supporting sentences to support the
topic sentence and ends with a
concluding sentence.

robots can perform all of our hard tasks perfectly and in no time. Also, great inventions, like the telephone, computers,

shown the positive effect of technology on our economic growth. Nowadays, 70% of world businesses rely on
technology to improve the quality of their products or services. Moreover, the various technological advances in
transportation have turned our world into a small village. This allows for effective interaction between people from
different places and cultures. In fact, with all these advantages, technology has brought about many positive
changes to our every-day lives.
On the other hand , there are some drawbacks to technology. First, people are becoming more and

- Supporting sentences provide

explanation, give examples, present
facts and statistics.

more over-dependent on technology. Second, machines are replacing humans in factories. This means that more people

- Transition expressions are used to

relate paragraphs.
- Transitions expressions are used to
relate sentences.

people. Also, because of the incredible breakthroughs in entertainment industry, people have become less active.

are losing their jobs to automation ; this leads to a rapid increase in unemployment rates, especially among young

Thats to say, they exercize less and spend more time sitting before the TV set or before their computers surfing the
internet or playing video games. Additionally, the technological advancements in chemical industry have led to the
spread of many dangerous diseases, like cancer, HIV, and H1N1. Whats more, internet addiction is one of the negative

- The conclusion : The concluding

paragraph summarizes the main
points discussed in the essay and
contains a call for action from the
part of the writer.

outcomes of modern technology. Thus, technology can be a harmful and destructive tool sometimes.
To sum up, technology has become an essential part of our life. However, its a double-edged sword that can
change our lives to the better or to the worst. So, its entirely up to us to use it wisely either or foolishly.

AN ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH presents an opinion on a topic and lists a number of reasons, examples, facts, ideas to support it.

The topic sentence presents the

writers opinion / argument.

I believe that all students in all countries should study a foreign language. First, knowing a foreign language can help
you in your life. If you speak more than one language, you have a better chance for a good job. Many companies today deal
with other companies in other countries. So, they need workers who can speak another language. Also, your life can be
more interesting and exciting when you can talk to people from other countries , read their books, watch their movies, and

A number of reasons, examples,

facts are arranged in the form of
supporting sentences to support the
writers opinion / argument.

sing their songs. Second, studying English gives you the opportunity to learn about the world and its cultures. Remember
that a language is not seperate from the people who speak it. When you learn a language you learn more than words ; you
learn how other people think and live. In our small world today, its very important for world peace that we understand one
another. Additionally, When you study a different language you learn about yourself, too. Learning another language gives
you the chance to look at your own language through someone elses eyes. For example, English uses only one word for
the pronoun you . So, when an American studies Spanish and learns that Spanish uses two words for you, he may ask,

The concluding sentence restates

the writers opinion / agrument in
different words.

Why does English have only one word for you ?. Therfore, the American is thenlearning about his language and culture.
Given all these reason, I think that the world will be a better place if all students every where have the chance to
study a foreign language.

A CAUSE-EFFECT PARAGRAPH discusses the causes and consequences of an action, situation, event, or decision.

The topic sentence introduces the

There are many factors that can lead teenagers to drop out of school. One major cause of such social concern
main idea.
is that many youths dont have positive role models in their lives. So, the absence of an encouraging adult in a young
persons life causes him or her to think negatively about himself or herself. In other words, it will not allow them to live
- Supporting sentences follow to
up to their full potential. Also, this lack of a positive role model often results in their involvement with the wrong type of
support the topic sentence.
people and activities. When students become involved in such negative situations, they usually don't concentrate fully
- Causes and effects are arranged in
on their studies. This can lead many young children to give up on their education quite early. Another cause of dropping
sentences using cause-effect
out of school is lack of determination. Since theyre not determined to graduate, it can be very difficult for many youngsters
to stay in school. Many students find it difficult to stay focused on school as they believe that getting an education is
expressions.
useless nowadays. Others simply hate school because they feel they are forced to attend classes. In some cultures, quitting
school can be the result of peer and family pressure. Unfortunately, many teenagers give up into this pressure very easily.
Even worse, if the presence of this pressure is too negative it can lead to states of depression and drug addiction. In fact,
The concluding sentence summarizes drugs become the only thing they are focused on. As a consequence, their lives are destroyed tragically. Thus, dropping
out of school can be the result of personal, psychological, and social factors.
the paragraphs content.
A narrative paragraph tells the reader what happened. It relates a sequence of past events using chronological order. It must contain these

elements of : - Setting ( time /place)

- Point of view - Character - Action .

I dont like weekends, but last weekend I had the best time of my life. On Friday night, my best friend came
- The topic sentence sets the setting (time)
over and we made a delicious, mouth-watering pizza. After we ate, we had a friendly video game competition. A few
- Point of view (who tells the story) :
1st person I / we or 3rd person he /she/they
- Character (who / what is in the story )
- Action ( what happened ? )
- Supporting sentences are arranged in a
chrnological order and are connected
through time expressions or adverbs of
sequence .

moments later my other best friend, Alia, joined us. On Saturday, my dad took us out on the boat. The weather was
perfect and the water was warm. It was a great day to go for a swim. Later in the evening , we went to the movies.
We saw an action packed thriller and ate a lot of popcorn. Later that night, we spent some time playing chess. Finally,
on Sunday, we rode our bikes all over town. By the end of the day, my legs became very sore. We had great moments.
I only hope the next weekend can be as fun as this one. Now, with such experience, Ive changed my opinion about
weekends. Now its my belief that weekends can only be as exciting and fun as wed make them to be.

A COMPARE-CONTRAST PARAGRAPH tells as about the similarities and differences between two or more people, animals, objects, places, or ideas.

- The topic sentence introduces the two

items to be compared and contrasted.
- Aspects of comparison and contrast are
listed in the supporting sentences using
compare-contrast expressions.
- The concluding sentence includes the
writers personal thought.

Oceans and lakes have much in common, but they are also quite different. Both are bodies of water. Oceans
are very large bodies of salt water, while lakes are much smaller bodies of fresh water. Lakes are usually surrounded
by land, unlike oceans that are what surround continents. Both have plants and animals living in them. The ocean is
home to the largest animals on the planet, whereas lakes support much smaller forms of life. In conclusion, I think
either of the two will make a great place to visit and enjoy when its time for vacation.

A FILM REVIEW is a a briefly written description, analysis, and evaluation of the different aspects of a film.

Film Review Elements :

Basic Information : The film title, genre,
release date, director, screenwriter, main
actors, producer
Description : Summarize the story in a
few sentences without giving away too
much of the plot so as not to spoil your
readers viewing. Describe the actors
performance.
Analysis : Give your opinion about the
film (good or bad), the aspects you like
the most and/or the ones you like the least
about the film . Highlight the theme(s) ,
moral message(s) in the film.
Evaluation and Recommendation:
Restate your general thoughts and
feelings about the film and tell readers
whether they should or shouldnt see it.

Twilight is a 126-min romance fantacy written by Melissa Rosenberg, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and
produced by Mark Morgan. The film is set in Washington and Arizona and it stars a teenager ( Kristen Stewart ) and
a vampire (Robert Pattinson) . It was released theatrically in November 2008 and it tells the story of a high-school
girl and a mysterious vampire . The two fall in love, but they have to overcome social pressure and other obstacles
to take a chance be together. Kirstens acting was impressive in the film , and Robers performance was captivating.
Twilight received numerous film awards including MTV Movie Award, Peoples Choice Award, and Young Artist
Award. In addition, it twas nominated for Best Fantasy Film at the 35th Saturn Awards, and nominated for
two Grammy Awards. I find this film to be incredibely moving , exciting, and thrilling. In fact, my favorite aspect
of the film is its touching scenes. The special effects are just amazing, especially the ones featuring the wolves
fighting. Another great thing that I like about Twilight is its terrific sound track . It suits the mood of the film in a
perfect way. The only thing I dont like about the film is some of its extremely bloody scenes. They are disappointing.
Yet, the best thing about it is its excellent plot. The story is very relatable because it explores these important classic
and modern-day themes of good and evil, sacrifice, the power of love, the power of tradition, appearance and reality,
man and the natural world, and family pressure. Over all, I think this film contains great directing and acting. It is
full of emotional moments, and tells an excelent moral story. Thats why I highly recommend it.

A REPORT is a piece of organized writing which presents descriptive information about an event, or investigates and analizes a situation.

Elements of a Report on an Event :

- The title should be short and precise . It
should give a general idea about the
content of the report.
- The introduction sets the setting for the
report by giving details about the time,
place, and participants.
- The body , sually limited to one paragraph,
includes the main ideas of the report.
- The conclusion evaluates the success of the
event and the reactions of participants and
attendees.

The Ibn Khaldoun Conference Hall, in Rabat was the destination of many people from all parts of Morocco,
on November 20th . The event was a seminar organized by the UNECEF Office in Morocco. The seminar was
about the urgent topic of Dropping out from school in rural areas: causes and solutions . Participants included
educators, parents associations, and political officials. Approximately 200 people attended the meeting. The
activities were varied and they included mini-lectures , workshops, presentations. The participants concluded that
there were three main causes of dropping out from schools in rural areas. The first one was poverty the second
one was long distances between school and home, and the third one was child labor . Also, the participants
suggested a few solutions to this issue. Some of these solutions were encouraging drop-out students to return to
school, supporting poor families financially, so they can send their children to school, and sensitizing parents and
civil society about the importance of education . In fact, the seminar was fruitful, informative, and successful, and
people who attended were happy with the outcome.

AN INFROMAL LETTER is a letter written to a friend or a relative. A letter should include a heading, an opening, the body, conclusion, and closing

- In The heading ,write your address

and date at the top right-hand corner.
- Begin the salutation or greeting
from the left margin. Use a comma
after the greeting in Th opening ,
introduce the subject of the letter.

In The body , briefly outlines the

information, ideas, content that you
writer want to communicate to your
address.

- The conclusion briefly restates the

bodys content.
- The complimentary closing comes
below at the right- hand bottom of
the body. Use a comma after that.
Write your name below the closing.

Hay Sandi, N 33
Rabat, Morocco
April 8, 2016

Dear John ,
Thank you very much for your letter. I was glad to learn about some aspects of your culture, and Im very happy to
tell you a little bit about Morocco and its culture.
Morocoo is a north African country. Its the home for a variety of ethnicities that live now together in peace. These
include the Arabs , the Amazigh, people of Andalusian origin, and people of sub-suharian descent. Islam is the
predominant religion here. Also, the country is home to a considerabley large Jewish community, and a minority of
Christians, as well. Generally, Moroccans are friendly, easy-going, nice people, who are yet mostly known for their
good sense of humor and hospitality.
The influences of tradition and history reflect on the clothes that Moroccans wear. The "djellaba" is a full-sleeved
robe that is commonly worn by Moroccan women. The "gandora", which is another popular robe worn by men, is a
short-sleeved male version of the womens djellaba. Moroccan people are a heterogenous group par excellence.They
owe such diversity to the many cultures that have influenced them.
Moroccan cuisine is a mix of Arab-Amazigh and Mediteranean inlfluences. The two main dishes the country is
best-known for are tajine and couscous. Other popular dishes include pastila, ttanjia, and meat balls. Drinking
mint tea is an important ritual that is performed with family and friends.
I hope this gives you an idea about Moroccan culture. Please write to me soon, and give my best wishes to your
family.
Best wishes ,
Nabil