Academic Writing
Easy Essays A complete guide to write argumentative essays for international English exams.
Rosmery Ribera Ferrier Centro Boliviano Americano
A Publication of LOGO
Creative Commons
• EASY ESSAYS by Rosmery Ribera Ferrier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCo .
Table of Contents What’s in this Ebook? Chapter 1 Steps to writing an essay Chapter 2 Resources Chapter 3 Example essays Chapter 4 TOEFL essay writing topics
Table of Contents What’s What’s in in this this Ebook? Ebook?
1
2
5
Steps Steps to to write write an an essay essay
1 3
4
2 3
5
Resources Resources
4
TOEFL TOEFL essay essay writing writing topics topics
Example Example essays essays
2 Steps Steps to to write write an an essay essay
• A) Understand the question. 5
1
4
• B) Brainstorm
2 3
• C) Organize your writing • D) Write your essay • E) Edit your essay • F) Present your work • G) Reflect about your writing
WORD DOCUMENTS
RESOURCES RESOURCES
3
• A) Writing body paragraphs 5
• B) Argumentative paragraph formula
1
4
2 3
• C) How to brainstorm for an essay • D) Argumentative Essay Structure • E) Argumentative Essay Skeleton • F) Argumentative Essay Rubric
1 CHAPTER ONE
What’s in this Ebook
What’s in this Ebook • About this eBook This eBook was produced as part of the EVO session “Crafting the Perfect eBook” by Shelly Sanchez Terrel. This sessions are MOOCs offered by TESOL every January. If you are interested in being part of this amazing professional development opportunity, please follow this link: http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/10708567/FrontPage I became fond of Academic Writing because I saw my students’ struggles. That is why, I decided to read a lot as well as write a lot. The results of my acquired knowledge plus a process of trialerror-reflection, led me to develop a method that helps my pupils write an argumentative essay in thirty minutes-the time they have for the TOEFL test. It is my hope that you benefit by reading the contents and using the resources presented here.
Writer’s Writer’sBio Bio
Thank you. Always click on the video icon for multimedia. Always click on the mouse icon to go to the next page.
2 CHAPTER TWO
Steps to writing an essay
The “Skeleton” Method
Steps to write 2 an essay
Writing is widely used as a means of communication in many different scenarios around the world. We are accustomed to writing from everyday text messages to formal e-mails. Academic Writing, on the other hand, is an issue reserved for English as a Second Language tests in the EFL arena in my country and many other non English speaking countries. These tests cover all the skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Students seem to receive adequate preparation for the first three. Nevertheless, the most neglected skill appears to be writing. Seeing my students’ struggles to get decent scores turned me into an avid reader in order to find a simple way to teach Essay Writing. After a period of approximately three years of research, trial and error, and reflection, the result was what I like to call the “Skeleton” method. In my approach, the steps to write an essay do not vary from what is generally taught. Nonetheless, my approach is designed to provide learners with ready made writing outlines which they can use to write fully developed papers when they get to the writing stage.
11Minute Minute
•A) Understand the question. The argumentative topics for international English as a Second Language tests will present students with mainly two options: -To give an answer supported by three reasons:
-To give three answers
Students need to be able to understand these two situations in order to develop their essays correctly. This step is key to do the brainstorming. Online Online example example
Answer supported by three reasons
Click on the video icon for multimedia.
Three answers
Click on the video icon for multimedia.
55Minutes Minutes
•B) Brainstorm I recommend using sticky notes in order to get used to expressing ideas with as few words as possible.
To get sticky notes to be used online, on your smart phones or on your PC, click on the icons. Online Online
App App
PC PC
Generating Ideas • First, answer the argumentative essay question correctly. • Second, select WH.. Words to guide your thinking to find supporting reasons within each answer. • Third, decide on the type of evidence for each supporting reason. • Finally, brainstorm evidence. • The process to generate concise ideas is shown on the next page.
•B) Brainstorm The process to generate concise ideas is shown here. Click on the video icon for multimedia.
Practice •
Here are the topics. Decide which brainstorming pattern to use on each one and start. Do not forget to time your brainstorming. (5 minutes)
•
Share your responses on the eBook’s site.
•
Use any of the suggested tools.
Online Online
App App
PC PC
22minutes minutes
•C) Organize your writing Now is time to briefly think about connectors and grammar structures to be used. Click on the video icon for multimedia.
The The “Skeleton” “Skeleton”
Advanced Advanced Grammar Grammar
Essay Essay Structure Structure
33minutes minutes
• D) Write your essay
Write only four sentences. Remember to maintain parallel structure on your thesis statement. Click on the video icon for multimedia.
Example Example
Practice •
Now it is time to write your introductory paragraph. Remember you have 3 minutes to write this paragraph.
•
Share your responses on the eBook’s site.
15 15minutes minutes
• D) Write your essay
Use the “Argumentative Paragraph Formula”. Click on the video icon for multimedia. Post your work to our community.
Formula Formula
Practice •
Based on your brainstorming and following the process described before, write your 3 Body Paragraphs now. Remember you have 5 minutes to write each paragraph.
•
Share your responses on the eBook’s site.
33minutes minutes
• D) Write your essay
Write only two sentences. Remember to maintain parallel structure when re-stating your thesis statement. Click on the video icon for multimedia. Post your work to our community.
Example Example
Practice •
Based on your brainstorming and following the process described before, write your Closing Paragraph now. Remember you have 3 minutes to write this paragraph.
•
Share your responses on the eBook’s site.
22minutes minutes
•E) Edit your essay You are almost done!. Follow this eBooks advice and revise your essay.
00minutes minutes
•F) Present your work Bravo!! Now you have a great essay to post to our community.
XXminutes minutes
•G) Reflect about your writing After you receive your teacher’s feedback, you should follow her or his advice and re-write your essay. Post your essay to our community.
3 CHAPTER THREE
Resources
The “Skeleton” Method
3
RESOURCES
Find and download all the documents I used to explain and create Argumentative Essays here. Click on the briefcase icon.
4 CHAPTER FOUR
Example essays
The “Skeleton� Method
4
Example essays
Find and download pictures of handwritten Argumentative Essays here. Click on the briefcase icon.
5 CHAPTER FIVE
TOEFL Essay Writing Topics
TOEFL essay writing topics Find and download a list of topics here. Click on the briefcase icon.
Thanks for reading this eBook.
My Motto
I believe in learning as a way of living and teaching as a way of giving back to our community.
Online
• Tools • B) Brainstorm • http://padlet.com/teacherroscba/gb6b8yx
• Documents Organize •C) • Skeleton your writing https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B • Grammar https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B • Essay Structure
Online • Example •
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_bSemf4LJX TWVNHMHd5VWVQZ0E
• •
Formula https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_bSemf4LJX Ta2ZCZWV5aUgxQ2M
•
Closing Paragraph
•
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_bSemf4LJX TRHR1d0M4SG53S1E
Online • RESOURCES • https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_b Semf4LJXTMzRVSVNGMmE0TlU • Example Essays • https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_b Semf4LJXTRjFsRmd2cjZRdW8 • TOEFL Essay Topics • https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_b Semf4LJXTa01YVHFGZmNweU0
PC • Tools • B) Brainstorm https://drive.google.com/drive/fold ers/0B_bSemf4LJXTTXAxeTNVYXd HUk0
App • Tools • B) Brainstorm https://itunes.apple.com/pg/app/li ght-notes-litebeautiful/id932972398?mt=8
• https://plus.google.com/u/0/com munities/1106125746100525251 90
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