How to start your essay?

I am sure many of you have a problem in starting your essay. Many of my students take a long time to
start their introduction or worse, they use the overused intro.:
Everyone in this world has a friend......
Everyone in this world love to watch television..


Your introduction must be something that grabs peoples attention. Use the following ideas:
1 Use some startling information or fact
Start with a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make. Then, elaborate with a
sentence or two.
Example:
Topic: Teenagers and their problems
o A recent survey on teenagers provided some food for thought for parents. It was found that about
70 per cent of them smoked, 40 per cent watched pornographic videos and 14 per cent took
drugs.Several factors have been identified as contributing to these problems.
2 Use an anecdote
An anecdote is a short story that illustrates a point.
Example:
Topic: The loafing syndrome among teenagers
Raj and his friends do not go home after school. They hang out daily at a shopping complex to while
their time away. There, they join many other students from other schools. Sometimes, they play some
video games or just enjoy each others company. Raj and his friends are just the tip of the iceberg of
the loafing syndrome among teenagers.
3 Dialogue
Use an appropriate dialogue to start your story or convey a point. Use only two or three exchanges
between speakers to make your point.
Topic: An unforgettable incident
Help! Someone just snatched my purse! The screams shattered the still of the night. Suddenly,
lights were switched on and heads popped out of doors and windows. Hey, whats the matter?
4 Use a question
You can also use a rhetorical question which jolts people into attention.
Topic: Reduce, reuse and recycle
Did you know that Malaysians throw away 1.2 million tonnes worth of newspapers daily? For every
ten newspapers bought, only four are recovered for recycling. Thus, the government spearheaded a
recycling campaign to encourage Malaysians to separate their waste.
Topic: Coping with peer pressure
What choice do you have if your friends are pressuring you to do something which you think is wrong?
Would you walk away? Are you able to say no?
5 Use a definition
Define your topic.
Example:
Topic: Gawai Dayak Festival
In Sarawak, the word Gawai is the equivalent to a Festival. Numerous Gawais are celebrated
throughout the year by the States indigenous people but Gawai Dayak marks the end of the harvest
season and heralds a new year.
6 Use a quotation
Topic: How to save water
It is better to be safe than to be sorry. That is the message of the environmentalists to those who take
water for granted. For one day, we may be faced with the situation whereby there is not enough water
for everyone. Thus, we should take steps to save water.
7 Use a general statement
Use a general statement about your topic, then narrow it to a specific point of view.
Topic: Ways to reduce pollution
Of late, there has been increasing concern with the impact of pollution on the environment and our
society. The public outcry over the various environmental disasters in our own country should be
lauded. How do we resolve these problems?


THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF ESSAY WRITING
THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY



Lets say we are going to write a reflective composition titled What would you do if you had a lot of
money? Use the acronym B.A.G. to help you plan your essay.
B Brainstorm for main ideas
A Add supporting details
G Get Organised.

STEP 1 BRAINSTORM for main ideas
Write any idea that you may have concerning the topic above in the box below.


STEP TWO: Add supporting details
From the main ideas, add more facts or ideas that support each main idea.















STEP 3 GET ORGANISED

Look at all the points and determine which paragraph is stronger and should have top priority.
Rearrange the points and make them into a list. Think of an interesting introduction and a suitable
conclusion. Your basic structure should roughly look like this.


TOPIC:
INTRODUCTION:
BODY
Main Idea 1.
Supporting details
Main Idea 2
Supporting details
Main Idea 3
Supporting details ..

CONCLUSION



There are many ways to organise your essay depending on the types of essays.
i. Chronological order according to the order of how the events occurred
ii. Cause and effect discuss the causes (reasons) first, then give the effect.
iii. Problem to solution discuss the problems, then give the solutions
iv. Spatial order describe from one spot to the next . This is suitable for descriptive writing.
v. Climactic order starts with the least important to the most important.
Reverse climactic order starts with the most important to the least important

WRITING THE ESSAY

1. IDEAS FOR INTRODUCTIONS
The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give her an idea of the
essay's focus.

Introduce your essay with an attention grabber.
Here are some ideas:
Use some startling information or facts
A recent survey on teenagers who smoked revealed that 20% picked up smoking before they were 13.
Use an anecdote.
An anecdote is a short story that illustrates a point.
Be sure your anecdote is short and relevant to your topic.
Raj and his friends do not go home after school. They hang out daily at shopping complexes after
school. They are just the tip of the iceberg of the loafing syndrome.

Use a question
Do you know that Malaysians throw away 1.2 million tonnes worth of newspapers daily? For every ten
newspapers bought, only four are recovered for recycling.
Use a general statement and lead to your topic
Use a few sentences to explain your topic in general terms. Then, lead the reader gently to your main
point or thesis of the essay. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach
your thesis.

Example:
Of late, there has been increasing concern about the impact of pollution on the environment and our
society. How do we reduce pollution?

AVOID THESE INTRODUCTIONS:
1. Nowadays, we hear of many snatch theft cases..
2. Everyone in this world needs a friend .
3. The dictionary defines a computer as .

These are overused introductions and teachers are tired of reading these introductions.

Conclusion
The conclusion (in three or four sentences) sums up your points or provides a final perspective on
your essay.
IDEAS FOR CONCLUSION
Express your hopes about the topic
Finally, it is hoped that as people become more aware of the need to recycle, more will come forward
and get involved in environmental issues.
Call for action
Shall we just sit back and wait till all our landfills overflow? Lets get involved and do something to
save our environment.



Other ideas:
include a brief summary of the essay's main points.
ask a provocative question.
compare with other situations


POWER WRITING
WRITING BETTER PARAGRAPHS

What is a paragraph?
A paragraph can be divided into three different sections. The first section is the topic sentence which
is usually at the beginning of the paragraph, the body and the closing.

The Topic Sentence
This topic sentence tells you what the paragraph is going to be about, and how it relates to the subject
of the essay and the previous paragraph.

Body Sentences
Body sentences support the topic of the paragraph. There are supporting details and elaboration in
these sentences.

Closing Sentence
This sentence completes the idea expressed in the paragraph. It should also set up a connection to
the next paragraph.

1. A good paragraph has only one main idea and one or two supporting details.
Example:
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. I
would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would
have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. There would also be a robot to clean and
vacuum the house. I will certainly make sure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.

The main idea of the sentence is buying a house for my parents and I go on to describe in detail
what the house would be like.

2. How to elaborate or add supporting details?
To support a topic sentence, consider some of these possible ways:
Add examples
Supply further details or explanation
Tell a story that illustrates the point you're making
Discuss a process
Compare and contrast
Example:
Most word processing software gives you several options for printing. You can print a copy or several
copies of the same document with different fonts. Besides that, you can also print a range of pages.
What is more, you can even preview a document before printing it out. You can finally say goodbye to
the good old typewriter.

Topic sentence: word processing software several options for printing.
Body sentences (Supporting details): print a copy, several copies, different fonts, a range of pages,
preview.
Note that I have given examples and explanation to support my main idea.
Closing sentence: I end the paragraph by implying that now that you have the software, you can say
goodbye to the typewriter.

3. Choice of words

i. Do not use tired words like beautiful or nice. Use: magnificent, breathtaking, inspiring, fantastic,
and so on.
i. Do not pepper your essay with words that are superfluous. If a sentence means the same thing with
a word taken out, take it out. Using extra words and phrases which do not add anything to what you
are saying will imply to the examiner that you are running out of things to say.
Example:
Do not write:
Ever since Mr Tan came into my class, he transformed it, changing it so that it was altogether different
from what it has been like before.
Write:
Mr Tan transformed my class. (Here, give examples of how he did it.)

ii. Do not use words or phrases that are either unheard of or too bombastic.
Chin Yit, a student from Pahang wrote to ask whether using beatiful words will gain her more marks.
She had taken these words from a thesaurus. Her teacher is right. She will not gain more marks as
she is testing the examiner and boring her readers.

Example: propitious (favourable), ebullient(cheerful),affray(scuffle,fight), edacious.


How to improve my writing?
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING?
I receive a lot of e-mails and queries from my students asking me to give them advice on how to
improve their English, especially their essay-writing. Here is my advice.

1 Use it or lose it
There are times when I wish I have a magic pill that I could give to students. The fact is, there are no
shortcuts. To learn a language, one has to use it. Start today. Speak to your friends.
If you are shy, start with a few words or phrases in your conversation. Practise speaking in front of the
mirror.

2 Read it
Read the newspapers. I would recommend the sports pages if you are a sports enthusiast, or the
letters to the editor. You will learn how to give opinions, to complain and to elaborate your ideas. Go
to your school library and borrow a book.
Make use of pockets of time during school such as in between classes. I am quite sure you are able
to squeeze ten minutes a day for reading. Do not get bogged down if there are words that you do not
know. Just read the easier stuff first.

3 Write it
My students are required to keep a journal in my classes. What is a journal? Is it like a diary? A diary
is a record of your daily experiences but a journal is more than that. It is a collection of your thoughts,
responses to events in your life and it may also include any interesting article, poems or even a song.
I keep a journal of articles and quotations that are motivating.
There are many types of journals which you can keep. Check out the bloggers on the Internet for
more examples. Search also for examples of journals to help you get started. (To read all about
journalling and how to get started, go to www.wakimbo.com/htdocs/tools/jrn/pyp/jar.html)
I would like to invite you to join my students in a journalling programme. I have provided seven
prompts below to help you get started. Get a notebook or any old diary and begin your writing journey
with me. Make the notebook special by decorating it. Just use the prompts (questions) to help you get
started.
Read the prompt and respond instantly with the first thing that comes to your mind. Do not stop at one
sentence or two. Write for as long as you want without worrying about your grammar.
We will come to errors later. Apart from writing, you can also add pictures, photographs, poems,
drawings. Be creative. See you next week with more prompts. Remember, use it or lose it. Bye.

Day 1: What is something that you like about yourself?
Day 2: Write about three fears of your life.
Day 3: Which quality do you dislike most about yourself? Is it laziness, selfishness, or childishness
and why?
Day 4: What is something that makes you happy? Why?
Day 5: Do you have a favourite subject in school and one that you dislike? Write about these
subjects.
Day 6: Do you have a favourite teacher?Write about his/her class qualities. What makes you look
forward to his/her class?
Day 7: Have you ever had a crush on someone? Write about your experience(s). If you have never
had a crush, what do you think about falling in love? Is it advisable? Is it a waste of time?

Power Writing - Writing effective paragraphs
Today, we will look into ways of elaborating an idea in a paragraph.
POWER WRITING WORKSHEET 1

What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is made up of sentences.

What is a good paragraph?
A good paragraph has a clear topic sentence and it is well supported or elaborated. This means that
the paragraph has one main idea and a few supporting details.


Look at the following paragraph:

According to a newspaper report, snatch thieves are
getting more violent. Some of the criminals have resorted
to slashing their victims with knives before escaping with
their victims bags. On May 18, a woman was attacked
by two men on a motorcycle while she was walking home
from work at night.



1. What is the main idea of this paragraph?


2. What are the supporting details?




3. There are many ways to support your topic sentence such as giving examples, explaining by giving
reasons, stating facts or statistic, or giving further descriptions.

What method did the writer use to support the main idea?


4. Now, it is your turn to write a good paragraph (add three or four more sentences) with the following
topic sentences. The first one has been done for you.

a. I like hot and spicy dishes. ( give examples and a reason)

I like hot and spicy dishes such as asam laksa and chicken curry. I also cannot resist a hot bowl of
tomyam, a sweet and sour dish. These dishes never fail to lift up a dull and boring day.




b. Playing computer games is a good pastime. (explain or give reasons)




c. Homework is a waste of time. ( explain)




d. School life can sometimes be very boring. ( give examples)




e. Cigarette smoking is hazardous to health. (give facts)




f. Boys should learn how to cook. (give reasons)






g. I dislike people who cannot keep a secret. (describe or give examples)