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BBI2421
GENERAL WRITING SKILLS
Week 6 & 7
Outlining
Opinion Paragraphs/Essays
Coherence
Unity
Outlining
Why outline?
– to organise your thoughts
– to ensure you don’t leave out anything important
Outlining
Topic Sentence
A. Supporting Sentence 1
1. Detail (example, etc.)
2. Detail
3. Detail
B. Supporting Sentence 2
1. Detail (example, etc.)
2. Detail
3. Detail
Follow this format!
C.
Supporting Sentence 3
1. Detail (example, etc.)
2. Detail
3. Detail
Concluding Sentence
Outlining
Topic Sentence: There are three reasons why Malaysia is one of the best countries in the world.
Supporting Sentence 1: Firstly, Malaysia has an excellent health care system.
Detail 1: Malaysians have easy access to medical services.
Detail 2: This health care system is priced reasonably.
Supporting Sentence 2: Secondly, Malaysia’s education system is of parallel to International
standards.
Detail 1: There are many well-trained teachers and established institutions.
Detail 2: Many Malaysians gain acceptance into the Ivy Leagues.
Supporting Sentence 3: Finally, Malaysia has a stable and consistent economy.
Detail 1: Many global investors are turning to Malaysia for investment.
Detail 2: The living standards of Malaysians have positively increased over the
years.
Concluding Sentence: As a result, Malaysia is a desirable place to live.
Opinion Paragraphs
When do we write an opinion paragraph?
We write an opinion paragraph to say
what we think about a subject.
Opinion Paragraphs
Structure
• In the first sentence, explain the topic statement (or topic)
and give your opinion/s about it.
• In the subsequent sentences, give reasons for your
opinion/s.
• In the concluding sentence, summarise your opinion/s.
Opinion Paragraphs
Content
• Give simple facts and examples to support your ideas.
• As well, give specific reasons to support opinions.
• Do not write about advantages and disadvantages or points
for or against.
Opinion Paragraphs
Useful Language
• Giving an opinion:
– In my opinion,…
– Personally, I think…
– I believe that…
– I feel very strongly that…
– To my mind…
– I (completely) agree
– I disagree with…
– it seems to me that…
Opinion Paragraphs
Useful Language
• Reason and Result:
– This is because…
– As a result, …
– Therefore…
– My main reason is…
– Another reason is…
• Addition:
– What’s more, …
– In addition, …
Opinion Paragraphs
Useful Language
–
–
–
–
–
Furthermore, …
Moreover, …
Too
As well
Also
• Concluding:
– To sum up, …
– To conclude, …
– In conclusion, …
– It is clear that…
Coherence
Coherence is the unifying element in good writing. It refers to the unity
created between the ideas, sentences, paragraphs and sections of a
piece of writing.
Coherence is what gives a piece of writing its flow. It also gives the reader a
sense of what to expect and, therefore, makes the reading easier to
follow as the ideas appear to be presented in a natural, almost
automatic, way.
When writing lacks coherence, the reader is forced to stop and reread.
Occasionally, the reader may just give up out of frustration.
(Taken from http://158.132.164.193/elsc/material/Writing/coherenc.htm)
Coherence
Coherence can be achieved by using:
1. nouns and pronouns consistently.
2. transition signals.
3. logical division of ideas.
Coherence
1. Using nouns and pronouns consistently
• Continue to use the same nouns and pronouns
throughout a paragraph
–
–
if you begin with a plural noun such as students, don’t change
to singular (student)
don’t switch from you to they or he for no reasons
Coherence
2. Using transition signals
• Words and phrases that connect the idea in one sentence
with the idea in another sentence
–
–
–
–
e.g.: first/second, furthermore, on the other hand, for example,
in conclusion
= traffic signals  tell you reader when to slow down, turn
around, and stop
makes your paragraph smoother
helps your reader understand your paragraph more easily
Coherence
3. Using logical division of ideas
• a pattern of organization in which you
–
–
divide a topic into points
discuss each point separately
• use logical division to organize many kinds of topics
–
reasons/kinds/types/advantages/disadvantages/qualities
Coherence
3. Using logical division of ideas
• how to?
– begin your paragraph with a topic sentence
– in the supporting sentences, discuss each point one after the
other
– introduce each new point with a signal word or phrase
– support each point with a convincing detail such as an example or
a statistic (numbers – cost, amounts, percentages, etc,.)
– end your paragraph with a concluding sentence
Unity
To write an effective paragraph, you have to:
• stick to one idea from start to finish
• support the topic sentence with supporting sentences that
illustrate, clarify, and/or explain the main idea
• omit irrelevant information
Unity
Which sentence affects the unity of the paragraph?
1
In the night sky, the stars and planets seem to be at the same distance
from the Earth, but that is an illusion. 2 The stars are distant suns in their own
galaxies. 3 Even the nearest star which is called Alpha Centauri is much farther
away than the Sun. 4 The name Alpha Centauri is derived from the Arabic phrase
Rijl Qantūris meaning “Foot of the Centaur”. 5 At such distances, the stars, no
matter what sizes they are, look like point of lights. 6 Nevertheless, there is a great
diversity among stars. 7 Some are much hotter than the Sun while others are
considerably cooler. 8 Some stars are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye
over vast distances while others are barely visible. 9 This depends on whether a
star has a tenth or a hundred times more of the Sun’s contents and also on its
aging process called Stellar aging. 10 This is the process of change in a star brought
about by its aging. 11 It is a very slow process. 12 It takes millions and billions of
years for stars to age. 13As a result, stars appear unchanging.