Writing

= Improving your English punctuation = = = = = = =

** Writing informal letters ** Writing informal letters (class presentation):

= Linking words = = **Giving examples** = ====**For example, for instance **==== ====**Adding information **==== ====**And / in addition / as well as / also / too / in addition to / apart from / besides **==== ====Ideas are often linked by **and**. In a list, you put a comma between each item, but not before **and**. //"We discussed about diet, exercise and health issues."// ** Also ** is used to add an extra idea or emphasis. "We **also** spoke about nutrition." We don't usually start a sentence with **also**. If you want to start a sentence with a phrase that means also, you can use **In addition,** or **In addition to this…** **As well as ** can be used at the beginning or the middle of a sentence. //"**As well as** exercising, we must eat healthy foods."// **Too **goes either at the end of the sentence, or after the subject and means **as well**. //"They were worried **too**."// **Apart from ** and **besides** are often used to mean **as well as**, or **in addition to**. //"**Apart from** exercising, it's important to eat properly." **"Besides** exercising, it's important to eat properly." //**Summarising **==== ====**In short / in brief / in summary / to sum up / to summarise / in a nutshell To conclude In conclusion ** We normally use these words at the beginning of the sentence to give a summary of what we have said or written. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> **<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; letter-spacing: -1.05pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Sequencing ideas **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Next / a<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">fter that / t<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">hen / first / second / f****inally** We normally use these words at the beginning of the sentence to help us understand the sequence of events.==== ====**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; letter-spacing: -1.05pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Giving a reason **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Because / because of/ since / as **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Because of **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">is followed by a noun. //"**Because** of bad weather, the football match was postponed."// **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Because **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. "//**Because** it was raining, the match was postponed."// **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Since **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> and **as** mean **because**. //"**Since** the school is growing, we need to find a bigger building."// //"**As** the school is growing, we need to find a bigger building."// ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> **<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; letter-spacing: -1.05pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Giving a result **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Therefore / so consequently / this means that / as a result **==== ====**Therefore /**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> **so /** **consequently** and **as a result** are all used in a similar way. "There are more students in our school. **Therefore** / **So** / **Consequently** / **As a result**, we need more teachers." **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">So **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">is more informal. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> **<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; letter-spacing: -1.05pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Contrasting ideas **==== ====**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">But / however / although / even though / despite / despite the fact that / in spite of / in spite of the fact that / while. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">But **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;"> is more informal than **however**. It is not normally used at the beginning of a sentence. //"She works hard, **but** she doesn't earn much." "She works hard. **However**, she doesn't earn much."// **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">Although **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES;">, **despite** and **in spite of** introduce an idea of contrast. With these words, you must have two halves of a sentence. //"**Although** it was cold, she went out in shorts." "**In spite of** the cold, she went out in shorts."// ====

= How to write a good report =

1. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Choose your topic **. Sometimes the topic will be given to you. 2. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Write down everything that you think you know ** about the topic. 3. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Ask yourself questions ** that you would like to have answered in relation to the topic. You can ask yourself question words such as //who//, //when//, //what//, //how//, //why//, etc. 4. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Think about possible references ** which could be used to answer your questions. Would the answers be in the internet? Do you need to interview an expert? Would other references such as atlases, etc. provide answers to your questions? 5. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Collect all the material ** that can be used to answer your questions. Begin reading the resources you have in order to locate answers to your questions. When you find an answer to a question, record the answer. When you read information which confirms what you already knew, put a check by it. Keep reading to find the answers to your questions. 6. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** If you are expected to cite references **, you can write all of your references on a single sheet of paper. 7. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> After you have found answers to your questions and recorded them, ** you can put your information into categories **. For example, categories related to coyotes might include "food," "habitats," "relatives," etc. 8. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> You need to ** develop a semantic map ** to reflect your categories. This semantic map includes the main topic in the center, subtopics in "bubbles" which surround the main topic and details which spread out from the "bubbles". In this way, the semantic map builds the information into a plan for drafting a report. A semantic map looks like this:



9. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> Using the semantic map to guide your writing, you can now ** draft a paragraph describing each "bubble" on your semantic map **. A topic sentence provides a general statement about the information to be included in the paragraph. The details which support the topic sentence follow. Now you can consider how you will be reporting the information which you have learned (ie. formal report, videotape, web site, presentation to the class, etc.). 10. <span style="color: red; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> D**raft an introductory paragraph and a conclusion to your report.** 11. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Read and revise your report ****. ** Refine the introduction, revise the paragraphs to support effective communication of the information, use appropriate language to help the paragraphs flow meaningfully, and refine your closing paragraph. Continue this until you are satisfied with your report. Your teacher and peers may help you to do this. 12. <span style="color: windowtext; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; fontsizeadjust: none; fontstretch: normal;"> ** Edit your writing ** for spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization.