Trần Đức Minh – HCMC Banking University

ESSAY WRITING

INTRODUCTION TO AN ESSAY

STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY

Main parts Components

INTRODUCTION Paragraph 1:
 ___BACKGROUND__ statements: briefly introduce the ___TOPIC____
(paraphrasing)
 _THESIS_ statement (CÂU DẪN): states your OPINION and main points
(ANSWER THE QUESTION)
BODY Paragraph 2:
- TOPIC sentence: explains the main point that supports your opinion
- SUPPORTING sentences (câu củng cố ý tưởng): support your main point
with details and examples
Paragraph 3: same as above
Paragraph 4: same as above
CONCLUSION Paragraph 5:
 Thesis _RESTATEMENT_: rewrites the thesis statement (paraphrasing)
 Final thoughts: write your comments on the topic
- make a judgement (LỜI NHẬN XÉT CÁ NHÂN)
- give a _RECORMENDATION_
- do not add any _NEW IDEAS_

USEFUL LANGUAGE
1. General statements
 It has been generally accepted that + S + V
 There is no doubt that + [topic-N] + is a growing concern in modern society.
 In this day and age, the question of whether to V + O + is a challenging one.
 In recent years, people have a tendency to + V
2. Thesis statement
Opinion  Some people may think that [point 1- S + V] while others believe [point
Discuss both views 2- S + V]. Both sides of this argument will be discussed in my essay
and give your opinion below.
 While I tend towards the viewpoint that [point 1- S + V], I would have
to argue that [point 2- S + V].
Advantage / Disadvantage  There have been various arguments for and against [topic-N], and this
- What are the advantages essay will examine both sides/its advantages/its disadvantages.
or disadvantages of...  While the benefits of [topic-N] are evident, I believe that [topic-N]
- Do the advantages is/are more likely to create a harmful impact.
outweigh the
disadvantages?
Discussion  Although some people may believe that [topic- S + V], I completely
Do you/To what extent disagree with this view.

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do you agree or disagree  I totally agree with the statement and will provide the reasons to
with the statement? support my opinion.

3. Topic sentence
 It is often assumed/said/believed that
 It is quite/really important to understand that...
 It seems a fair suggestion that...
 A commonly held view is that...
 As is self-evident/widely known, S + V
 A major consideration in arguing for/against + [topic-N] + is that...
4. Transition
 Firstly / Secondly / Finally,
 In the first / second place
 To begin with, To embark on
 Another / One more + N (reason/benefit/problem/argument...) + is that...
 Additionally / In addition / Moreover / Furthermore,
 Therefore / Thus / As a result / For these reasons,
 However / Nevertheless / On the contrary,
5. Example
 For example / For instance,
 A useful / notable / well-known example of [X] is...
 By way of illustration, S + V
 This is certainly true in the case of + N + which/who + S + V
 To illustrate this point, consider + N + which/who + S + V
6. Advantage and disadvantage (synonym)
 An argument in favour of  An argument against
 Benefits  Drawbacks
 Positive aspects  Negative aspects
 Upsides  Downsides
7. Conclusion
 In conclusion / In summary / To sum up,
 All things considered,
 From what has been discussed above, it can be seen that...

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PRACTICE: WRITE THE INTRODUCTION

Children are now less active in their free time than in the past. Therefore, sports
lessons must be compulsory in schools. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Step 1: Paraphrasing the topic

Step 2: Writing the general statements

Step 3: Writing the thesis statement

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BODY PARAGRAPHS

A body paragraph:
 should start with a clear ________________ which has a topic and a controlling idea;
 should continue with __________________ which provide explanations, details, and examples
to support the controlling idea;
 should end with a __________ sentence though it is not required.

TOPIC SENTENCE
1. Identify the topic sentence
It is clear that every culture defines beauty differently. Africans think plump women are attractive
but Europeans believe thin women are beautiful. People in some cultures believe that tattoos are
attractive. Others consider body piercing a sign of beauty. Brightly dyed hair is another style that
many find pleasant looking.
2. Circle the topic of the sentence and underline the controlling idea about the topic
1. Italy is a very interesting country to visit.
2. Cell phones and driving are very dangerous, so they should be banned.
3. School uniforms should be mandatory for all students.
4. Eating a vegetarian diet is the best way to stay healthy.
5. Although buying a house seems attractive, renting an apartment has many advantages.

3. Write a topic sentence for the following topics

1. playing a musical instrument

2. computer games

COHERENCE AND COHESION

1. Coherence within a paragraph
Coherence means all the sentences support a _______ idea.

Practice: Read the paragraph below, cross out the TWO sentences that do not support the main idea
Because cell phones and driving are a deadly mix, it is essential to impose a ban on all cell phone use
by drivers. The most obvious reason for this is to save lives. Each year thousands of drivers are killed or
seriously injured because they are talking on cell phones or texting instead of watching the road while

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they are driving. The roads on which they drive often come with beautiful scenes. Another reason is
that these drivers cause accidents that kill other people. Sometimes these drivers kill other drivers;
sometimes they kill passengers or even pedestrians. The dead victims still have their family being left
uncared for. These careless drivers certainly do not have the right to endanger others’ lives.

2. Cohesion - Cohesive devices

Read the paragraph and answer the questions
Inconveniences when you travel can be avoided if you follow certain steps when packing your suitcase.
The first thing is to review your travel plans and activities. Make a list and save it so that you can check
your items before you leave. Secondly, gather the items you will need for your activities. Thirdly, you
are ready to pack. Start with large items such as books or shoes, then place shoes in plastic bags and fit
them into the corners of your suitcase. Another step to take is to put in the smaller items, for example,
clothes, accessories, lotions, etc. Finally, before you close your suitcase, check your list. It is best to
take your time when you pack your suitcase because a well-packed one is the secret to a good travel
experience.

1. How many steps in packing a suitcase?

2. Underline the words and phrases that help you identify the steps.
Useful expressions: See the Transition section on page 2

PRACTICE - Writing the body paragraphs

Some people say that parents should decide on what kind of medical care their children should receive,
while others believe that this is the state’s responsibility. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Body paragraph 1
 Topic sentence:

 Supporting sentences:

Body paragraph 2
 Topic sentence:

 Supporting sentences:

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PARAPHRASING

Example Paraphrased
1. Use synonyms
The diagram below shows the process by which bricks
are manufactured for the building industry.
School children are becoming far too dependent on
computers, which is leading to a bad effect on reading
and writing skills.

2. Use a different word form

Some people think that environmental protection is
the responsibility of politicians, not individuals.
Robots will replace humans in driving cars in the not-
faraway future.
3. Change from the Active to the Passive
The government should spend money on saving
languages that are used by few speakers.
The real estate developers invested over $40 million
USD into the development of a new building.
4. Use the dummy subject “it”  It + be + Adj / V3/ed that S +V
Some people think the government should ban
dangerous sports.
Many animal species are becoming extinct due to
human activities.
5. Combine the techniques -

Some people think that environmental protection is  Synonyms + word form + dummy subjects + passive
the responsibility of politicians, not individuals as voice
individuals can do too little.

Some people think that the government should ban  Synonyms + passive voice
dangerous sports.

 Synonyms + word form + dummy subject + passive voice