This is the 16th post of our writing workshop and I think it is a good time to look back on what we have been publishing so far, so that we can collect our ideas and gain some straightforward framework in the technque of composition writing.
Here are the main ideas that we have been touching on so far.
Presentation
Your composition will always be neatly presented, written in blue or black ink, and with no corrections or insertions. You must leave a margin at the top, bottom, on the right and on the left. If you are word processing your composition, remember to double-space it, so that the teacher can insert their comments in-between the lines.
Before writing
• Read the task carefully so that it is clear to you. Remember: ALWAYS DO THE TASK.
• Planning your writing in advance will help you organize your ideas in the most logical way and save you time.
• Brainstorm for ideas to add to the information you are given in the task. Choose the ideas you can best write in English about and have more vocabulary for.
• Make a paragraph plan. Your article will definitely have 3 clear parts: Introduction+body+conclusion, and we will be writing a four-paragraph or five-paragraph composition: With the word limit we are given (around 180 words), there is no room for more paragraphs.
The composition
• A short, catchy TITLE is essential in all types of compositions except in letters and emails.
• All writing tasks demand an INTRODUCTION which gives a summary of the topic in the task.
• The composition will usually have two or three main paragraphs, which will make up the BODY of the composition. In the body, we will develop our ideas and opinions. Basic rule for writing paragraphs: Each new paragraph has ONE MAIN IDEA. The main idea is stated in the TOPIC SENTENCE. The topic sentence is usually the FIRST SENTENCE in the paragraph.
• The main idea, the TOPIC SENTENCE, is supported and developed by RELEVANT DETAILS in the paragraph. The sentences which develop the topic sentence are called SUPPORTING SENTENCES. We cannot write more than three or four supporting sentences in a paragraph. The supporting sentences will usually consist of an EXAMPLE or ILLUSTRATION (a very short anecdote or example); and/or REASONS/RESULTS (causes or consequences) of the idea in the topic sentence. We can also close a paragraph by MAKING SUGGESTIONS to improve the problem or situation dealt with.
• A CONCLUSION -brief and to the point- that rounds off the text. We must be careful not to introduce new arguments in the conclusion and we have to try and refer back to the main ideas we have defended in the article but USING DIFFERENT WORDS.
• The sentences within a paragraph are often connected by LINKING DEVICES/CONNECTORS.
• The different paragraphs are also connected by LINKING DEVICES/CONNECTORS.
After writing
We must always allow time to check and revise our composition.
