Introduction To Essay Writing

Session 5
Writing & Note-taking

Essay types
Which essay types did you learn at school?

Types of essays
3Ds
Describe Discuss Defend

In pairs, discuss the following :
Purpose Essay example
 Adopt a strong position and to 1. Compare and contrast the
Defend position and powers of the UK
present evidence as to why this
question is right. prime minister and the US
president.
Describe  Show you have a good general

understanding of a particular 2. Discuss the relative merits of
private and state-funded
topic, but not to necessarily
education.
take a strong position.
Discuss  Present the different viewpoints

3. “Governments should be able
to use prisoners as a source of
connected to a particular topic,
cheap labour.” Discuss.
and to assess which one you
tend to agree with?
Describe a topic or aspects of the topic.
In groups, discuss which different viewpoints. You can
Discuss
essay type are the following: then say your position.
your viewpoint or challenge
Defend the position given in an essay
1. Discuss the impact of out-of-town shopping centres on the regions in which

they occur. Discuss both the negative & the positive; what do you think?)
2. It has been claimed that democracy is the best form of government in the
modern state. How far do you agree? Defend what you think.
3. Discuss the ways that politeness is achieved in English and another

language you are familiar with. Describe how this is achieved.
Describe a topic or aspects of the topic.
In groups, discuss which different viewpoints. You can
Discuss
essay type are the following: then say your position.
your viewpoint or challenge
Defend the position given in an essay
1. “Newspapers should not identify a person by their race, colour or religion

unless this information is relevant to the news story.” Discuss.
Defend to support or challenge this position.
2. To what extent does the media influence how the general public views
scientists and their work?
Discuss the influence of the media vs. other influences.
3. What factors affect people’s choice of career? Describe these factors.

In which section
would you find:
Introduction • A statement of the writer’s
position on the topic.
• A statement of the writer’s position on the topic.
• A summary of the main
• An outline of how the essay is organized.
arguments in support of the
• Definitions of key terms used in the essay. writer’s position.
• Background information on the topic. • A series of generalisations
relevant to the topic.
Body • An outline of how the essay

is organized.
• A series of generalisations relevant to the topic. • Definitions of key terms
• Evidence to support each generalization. used in the essay.
• Evidence to support each
Conclusion generalization.
• A restatement of the writer’s
• A restatement of the writer’s position on the position on the topic.
topic.
• Background information on
• A summary of the main arguments in support of the topic.
• Background/ general information:
Intr • Thesis statement (say what the different positions are and perhaps give your own view):
o
• Topic sentence (one of the positions):

• Detail sentence 1 (support the position with evidence):
• Detail sentence 2 (support the position evidence):
Para • Detail sentence 3 (support the position with evidence):
g1
• Topic sentence (the other position):

Para • Detail sentence 3 (support the position with evidence):
g2
• Summarise the different positions:

Con • Reinforce your own view:
clusi
on
Writing an essay outline
The social responsibility of large international

companies
Unscramble the following introduction
1 Large international companies play an increasing role in the everyday lives of people across the world.
However, I will argue in this essay that their first duty is in fact
to support the communities in the developing countries in
which they are based, by providing good working conditions, a
safe and clean local environment, and health care and
educational facilities for workers and their families.
Some would say that the priority of international companies is

to make profits and, therefore, provide income to their owners
and shareholders.
In countries where governments do not have the
resources to provide social support for all of their
It is perhaps in developing countries, however, that they have citizens, international companies may be the only
most impact. organisations able to maintain and improve quality of
life.
Unscramble the following introduction
Large international companies play an increasing role in the everyday lives
of people across the world. It is perhaps in developing countries, however,
that they have most impact. In countries where governments do not have
the resources to provide social support for all of their citizens,
international companies may be the only organisations able to maintain
and improve quality of life. Some would say that the priority of
international companies is to make profits and, therefore, provide income
to their owners and shareholders. However, I will argue in this essay that
their first duty is in fact to support the communities in the developing
countries in which they are based, by providing good working conditions,
a safe and clean local environment, and health care and educational
facilities for workers and their families.
Drafting an introduction
Checklist:
• Did they start with general information?
• Did they recognise the different positions/views?
• Did they present their own view?
• Did they use impersonal pronouns and
it-clauses?
• Did they avoid repetition?
Outline of the body paragraphs
-Argument that profits should come before social responsibility
-Arguments that social responsibility should come before profits
Discuss ideas with a partner that could fall under the 2 body paragraphs.
Match the ideas to the paragraphs
-Argument that profits should come before social responsibility
-Arguments that social responsibility should come before profits
• economic arguments
-provision of good working and living conditions for employees can increase levels of productivity, and
therefore profits to companies (Howarth, 2005; example from Bangladesh)
-focus on profits can lead to involvement in corruption scandals and environmental accidents; can
severely damage reputation of a company (Smith, 2008; example from India)
• Without first making profit, there is no money to help poor (Roberts, 2007)
• ethical argument
-basic human rights of all people should be respected; international companies should recognise this in
their dealings with employees (Howarth, 2005)
• motives of some companies which have implemented social responsibility programmes have been
questioned: do they only do it as a public relations exercise? (Roberts, 2007; example of Conco in
Botswana)
• company's first duty is to its shareholders (Klein, 2000)
Outline
Formative 1
• You can also refer to the opening
sentences in ex.9.3 p.21.
• Write an outline for an essay
with the title : ‘There is a debate
about whether immigration
positively or negatively affects a
country.’ Discuss.
Writing an essay outline- peer feedback
Post your outlines around the room.
Go around the room, read the outlines and give your

classmates feedback on:
1. Clarity of the thesis statement
2. Presenting the different positions in a balanced way
3. Supporting evidence for each position
Drafting the introduction to an essay
Discuss in pairs:
‘The impact of out-of-town shopping centres on the regions in which
they occur.’
Key components of an introduction (ex 10.1)
Organizing ideas in an introduction
Discuss in pairs:
‘To what extent does the media influence how the general public views
scientists and their work?’
What ideas could be included in an essay with the same title?
Organizing ideas in an introduction (ex 10.2-
p.23)
Work in groups:
Put the cut-up cards in order to make the first draft of the introduction
to this essay.
Organizing ideas in an introduction (ex 10.2-
p.23)
Can you improve the introduction?
Language for writing: common knowledge
Drafting an introduction to a discuss essay
‘There is a debate about whether immigration positively or negatively
affects a country.’ Discuss.
ve y o u r
i m p r o
t i nu e to c t i on s.
Con i n t r od u
n es an d
outl i

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Session 5

Writing & Note-taking

Which essay types did you learn at school?

Describe Discuss Defend

Describe  Show you have a good general

Discuss  Present the different viewpoints

1. Discuss the impact of out-of-town shopping centres on the regions in which

3. Discuss the ways that politeness is achieved in English and another

1. “Newspapers should not identify a person by their race, colour or religion

3. What factors affect people’s choice of career? Describe these factors.

Body • An outline of how the essay

• Topic sentence (one of the positions):

• Topic sentence (the other position):

• Summarise the different positions:

The social responsibility of large international

Some would say that the priority of international companies is

-Argument that profits should come before social responsibility

-Arguments that social responsibility should come before profits

Post your outlines around the room.

Go around the room, read the outlines and give your

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