Writing Essay

Persuasive/ Argumentative writing

Persuasive writing, known as creative writing or an argument, is a piece of writing in which the writer uses words to convince the reader that the writer's opinion is correct with regard to an issue.

How to write a persuasive essay

• Analyse your audience -  Make sure that you know your audience age, occupation and  background info for example students and the age is 17 many of them came from Kuala Lumpur

• Choose your topic - Select suitable topic that is appropriate to your audience. This is important because it will create interest towards your audience.

• Prepare your speech starting with the introduction

• Will solve the problem.

•  Is cost effective.

• Is feasible to implement.

• Is a reasonable solution to the problem?

• Can stand up to possible objections.

• Is better than other solutions.

Introduction should include

• Attention Getting Opener
• Lead in
• Thesis statement

Body (at least 3 body required)

• Fact
• Elaboration
• Example

Conclusion

• Summary (include all your main point)
• Concluding memorable remark (Right a good sentence to sum up your essay)

Tips

Agree completely- if your audience already know about the topic, you must find out different topic.

Be indifferent- your must find out why they are indifferent to your topic

Speech must interest them, convince them and persuade them to adopt your opinion.

Disagree completely- you must find out why they disagree with your opinion in order to convince them.

Example

Topic: Smoking should be banned

Along with such significant social problems as alcoholism, STDs, or racism, smoking cigarettes remains in the number of the most significant ones. At the same time, public attention to the problem of smoking remains significant; in addition, smoking has undergone the most radical controlling measures, such as bans, from numerous healthcare and governmental organizations.(Attention getting Opener) However, despite of seeming rationality standing behind these measures, smoking bans are in fact much less fair than it is usually considered.(Thesis statement)

To start with, a smoking ban is a manifestation of social injustice in its pure form. Even though smoking has become less popular in the recent decade, there still lives a large amount of smokers of all ages, whose rights are infringed upon by such measures. In fact, we are talking about segregation based on a lifestyle criteria (UnhealthyNationFS). Smoking is harmful and unpleasant for those who do not smoke, but aggressively denying people of their habits is unacceptable, due to several reasons. (Body 1)

Smoking remains a legal activity, and tobacco is a legal substance. Unlike alcohol, smoking tobacco does not make people behave inadequately, and does not pose immediate danger to the health of a smoker or people around them—unlike a drunk person who can act aggressively or insulting towards others. However, smokers often have to leave an establishment they spend time in to smoke a cigarette (regardless of the weather conditions, by the way), whereas drunk people are allowed to stay inside. Besides, rather often establishments today have no separate rooms for smokers and non-smokers, so smokers often have either to accept the rules, or leave. It is strange that democratic societies do not compromise in this circumstance (UnhealthyNationFS). (Body 2)

Moreover, smokers today have no right to smoke in a number of other public places, such as beaches, public transport stops, or parks. In fact, smokers have to deal with zero tolerance and direct tyranny of the non-smoking majority of people. This is totally undemocratic; for instance, in the United Kingdom, where a total ban has been enabled, about 68% of people opposed to such a legislative measure, as the British Office for National Statistics reported (Spiked). However, despite such opposition, the total ban was imposed anyways, since the influence of lobbying groups who were against smoking was strong. Similar situations can often be observed in the United States. (Body 3)

Even though smoking remains a dangerous and harmful habit, smokers are the same people as non-smokers, and have the same rights. However, since smoking bans started to be imposed, it seems that society faces the equivalent of segregation based on lifestyle criteria. Smoking remains a legal occupation, and tobacco is a legal substance that does not cause an individual to act violently or insulting—unlike the consumption of alcohol. However, smokers face rights infringement more often than those who abuse alcohol. In addition, smoking bans are sometimes imposed in an anti-democratic way, as it has happened in Great Britain, where a total ban had been imposed regardless of significant opposition within the society. If lobbyists can enforce total bans despite of popular opinion, what else can be banned simply because wealthy individuals yearn for their interests to be enacted? (Conclusion)

(Adapted from academic help.com) 

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Informative essay

Definition

An informative essay is a description and elaboration of some particular information. The write is restricted to describe the knowledge related to a particular topic’s information only. In this type of essay, you can’t express your own view of the topic.

The goal of an informative essay is not to present your opinion, but "to inform or educate the audience on a given topic" (The KU Handbook for Writers, 2008, p. 102).

Your informative essay might

•  explain something most readers won’t know

•  present the latest research on a topic

•  define a complex term

•  compare and contrast opposing viewpoints

•  analyze a cause-effect relationship

•  teach readers how to solve a problem or apply knowledge

For this course, your informative essay should be 3–5 pages in length and use at least four sources. You should also use a formal academic writing style, avoiding contractions like won't and presenting evidence objectively instead of saying I think or relying on personal experience.

Structure of an Informative Essay 

The basic structure of an informative essay is very simple. It needs to have a beginning, middle, and end.

·         The beginning needs to present the topic and grab the attention of the audience. It needs to include the focus sentence for the entire essay.  

·         The middle will be the main bulk of the essay and it will contain all the important facts that you are covering. This is where the audience will get their questions answered. Remember to answer these questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. 

·         The end is a conclusion where you will summarize the essay. It should spur the reader or listener to learn more about the topic.

 

Introduction

Here is an example of the beginning of an informative essay: 

As you are listening to me, you might not think that today is the day that you will save a life. It is quite easy to save a life any day and it only takes a little bit of your time. I’m not talking about being a paramedic or fireman; I am talking about donating blood. 

The Closing

Here is an example of a closing: 

So that now you know how easy it is to donate blood, it’s time to take action. After all, you have plenty of blood, so why not share? When you do, you will feel good about yourself and you will save a life.

Subjects of Informative Essays

Informative essays, sometimes called expository essays, can be used for many purposes. They can compare viewpoints on a controversial subject as long as they don’t include the author’s opinions. They may analyze data, like in a cause and effect situation, or educate the audience on ways to do something, like solving a certain kind of problem.

For example:

•  An informative essay might explain the pros and cons of the death penalty, using statistics on crime rate reduction as a pro and statistics on innocent men being found guilty as a con. 
•  An informative essay might analyze whether lack of education is a cause of homelessness by using statistics and information about the educational attainment of homeless men and women. 
• An informative essay might educate the audience on how to open a bank account.

How to write informative essay?

1.  After you have chosen the topic, you will need to research and gather all the pertinent details on that subject. You need to ascertain what you already know about the subject and then decide what you would like to know.
2. You will need to make a list of the important facts and then list the main steps in your paper. Make sure all your facts are accurate. You will need to write a topic sentence for each fact and write a focus sentence (thesis statement) for the entire essay.
3. Create an outline that will organize your facts in a logical way. Then you will be ready to make your first draft.
4. Editing is an important step for any writing project. Reading your essay out loud will help you notice places where the writing is awkward or unclear. If possible, have someone else read it and give you their ideas for improvement. Of course, you will need to pay attention for grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and other errors.

Adapted:  http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples/examples-of-informative-essays.html

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Descriptive Essay 

Definition

(Descriptive essays) use the senses of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste to provide the reader with a mental image or feeling about the subject.

Descriptive essays strive to create a deeply involved and vivid experience for the reader. Great descriptive essays achieve this affect not through facts and statistics but by using detailed observations and descriptions.

What do you want to describe?

As a started on descriptive essay, it's important for to identify exactly what to describe. Often, a descriptive essay will focus on portraying one of the following:

• a person
• a place
• a memory
• an experience
• an object

Ultimately, whatever you can perceive or experience can be the focus of your descriptive writing.

Why are you writing your descriptive essay?

It's a great creative exercise to sit down and simply describe what you observe. However, when writing a descriptive essay, you often have a particular reason for writing your description. Getting in touch with this reason can help you focus your description and imbue your language with a particular perspective or emotion.

Example: Imagine that you want to write a descriptive essay about your grandfather. You've chosen to write about your grandfather's physical appearance and the way that he interacts with people. However, rather than providing a general description of these aspects, you want to convey your admiration for his strength and kindness. This is your reason for writing the descriptive essay. To achieve this, you might focus one of your paragraphs on describing the roughness of his hands, roughness resulting from the labor of his work throughout his life, but you might also describe how he would hold your hands so gently with his rough hands when having a conversation with you or when taking a walk.

How should you write your description?

If there's one thing you should remember as you write your descriptive essay, it's the famous saying: show don't tell. But what's the difference between showing and telling?

Consider these two simple examples:

• I grew tired after dinner.
• As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.

The first sentence tells readers that you grew tired after dinner. The second sentence shows readers that you grew tired. The most effective descriptive essays are loaded with such showing because they enable readers to imagine or experience something for themselves.

As you write your descriptive essay, the best way to create a vivid experience for your readers is to focus on the five senses.

• sight
• sound
• smell
• touch
• taste

When you focus your descriptions on the senses, you provide vivid and specific details that show your readers rather than tell your readers what you are describing.

Quick Tips for Writing Your Descriptive Essay

Writing a descriptive essay can be a rich and rewarding experience, but it can also feel a bit complicated. It's helpful, therefore, to keep a quick checklist of the essential questions to keep in mind as you plan, draft, and revise your essay.

Planning your descriptive essay:

• What or who do you want to describe?
• What is your reason for writing your description?
• What are the particular qualities that you want to focus on?

Drafting your descriptive essay:

• What sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures are important for developing your description?
• Which details can you include to ensure that your readers gain a vivid impression imbued with your emotion or perspective?

Revising your descriptive essay:

• Have you provided enough details and descriptions to enable your readers to gain a complete and vivid perception?
• Have you left out any minor but important details?
• Have you used words that convey your emotion or perspective?
• Are there any unnecessary details in your description?
• Does each paragraph of your essay focus on one aspect of your description?
• Are you paragraphs ordered in the most effective way?

 Adapted: http://www.writeexpress.com/descriptive-essay.html

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Cause and effect Essay

Definition:

In this kind of essay, the aim is to explain the causes (reasons) or the effects (results) of an event or situation.

    e.g. Causes of air pollution (multiple factors leading to air pollution).

    e.g. Effects of watching too much TV (many effects of a situation).

Sometimes an event causes something to happen, and that situation leads to another event, and it causes another event to happen. This is called the causal chain or domino effect.

    e.g. Use of deodorants will bring the end of the world.

There may be several causes or effects of a situation. However, in a student essay, it is advisable to keep the number of major points to 2 or 3, which form separate developmental paragraphs.

Organization:

Depending on the topic, there may be three patterns of organization:

1. Multiple causes-->effect

In this pattern, the organization is as follows: 

Thesis statement: Air pollution is caused by the following factors: exhaust gases from cars, uncontrolled factory releases, and burning of low-quality coal for heating.

I. exhaust gases from cars

    A. government does not have enough control

    B. citizens are not conscientious

II. uncontrolled factory gases

    A. no regular checks on gases released

    B. factories are inside the borders of residential areas

III. burning of low-quality coal for heating

    A. no governmental control

    B. other forms of energy too expensive

Each developmental paragraph is devoted to one of the causes of air pollution. Each cause is supported by two minor supports. While writing, these major and minor ideas should be adequately explained and exemplified as well.

2. Cause-->Multiple effects

In this pattern, the effects of a certain situation  are explained in separate paragraphs, with the following organization:

thesis statement: Watching too much TV is one of the major sociological issues of this century, which has many effects on the physiology and psychology of people.

I. eating disorders

    A. TV meals

    B. obesity

II. communication problems

    A. more violence

    B. no interpersonal talk

   

Again, we have grouped related effects under two main points: physiological and psychological. Then, we have supported each effect with two minor supports (A and B). While writing, we should explain these major and minor supports by giving examples and/or defining what we mean, as well.

3. Causal chain / Domino

In this pattern, the events lead to one another, as in the following organization:

thesis statement: Using deodorants with chlorofluorocarbon gas will bring the end of world.

I. Chlorofluorocarbon gases are contained in most deodorants  and released by  some factories  into the air.

II. This gas causes the ozone layer  to become thinner and finally disappear in patches.

III. The unfiltered ultraviolet rays of the sun cause overheating in the poles of the earth, where the icebergs start to melt.

IV. The huge amount of water released from the poles leads to a rise in the sea-level.

V. The sea will cover the land and this will be the end of the world.

Again, each major point should be supported with examples, statistics that show that there are some factories and deodorants that release chlorofluorocarbons, that there is a rise in the sea-level, etc.

Language:

To explain reasons and results, we use:

As a result,

As a consequence,

Consequently,

So,

Since

As,

Because

One reason why ...

One of the most important reasons why ...

The main reasons why ...

There are other reasons, too, ...

Do not forget that using transitions enables the piece of writing to be coherent; it is easier for the reader to follow our ideas when transitions are used to link them together. However, overuse of transitions causes a traffic jam and should be avoided. We should be using transitions sparingly (only when necessary).

Sample cause and effect essay

EFFECTS OF WATCHING TOO MUCH TV

Discoveries and invention of devices  are always welcome till we, humans, find a way to abuse its benefits and be adversely affected by it. This was the case when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-ray and within five years, the British Army was using a mobile x-ray unit to locate bullets and shrapnel in wounded soldiers in the Sudan. TV was also invented with positive thoughts in mind – there would be no national borders, education and communication would be worldwide, etc. However, we are now trying to overcome its physiological and psychological adverse effects on human beings.

One of the physiological effects of watching TV in excessive amounts is eye-strain. It is true that there are specifications for watching TV; TV should be 5 m. away from the eye, the room should be adequately lit, TV should be placed at the same height with our eyes, etc. However, these do not prevent our eyes from getting tired if we keep watching TV for a long time. Another effect is obesity, which is widely observed in people who like watching TV and eating snacks  everyday (there is even a term “TV snacks” to refer to fast food that is suitable for eating in front of the TV). TV is such a powerful machine that people cannot get away from it – it is addictive.

Apart from the physiological effects, TV also causes psychological effects. One  is a result of being exposed to violence. After seeing so many violent scenes on TV, people start considering violent actions normal and they lose their sensitivity to their environment. Partly connected to this effect, the interpersonal communication among people decreases. Being insensitive to the suffering of other people causes people to become alienated. Also, after coming home from work people seek to relax in front of the TV, and generally people prefer watching TV to talking to each other. This issue is very important since lack of interpersonal relationships mostly end with divorces.

Shortly, inventions are meant to be beneficial for human beings, if we know how to benefit from them. TV is one of such inventions that need to be used for the right purpose only – being educated and entertained for a reasonable (according to age) period of time. We may, then, be safe from or at least reduce the adverse physiological and psychological effects of watching too much TV.

Adapted: http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/Cause%20and%20effect%20Essay.htm

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Problem-solution essay

Problem Solution Essays explain a problem and give a detailed plan for how it can be solved. These essays:

• ·    Describe the problem.
• Convince the reader the problem needs solving.
• Explain the solution proposal.
• Argue that this is the best solution.
• Refute any objections.

Problem Solution Essays are something you will write all the time in your work and in life. If you've thought, "I know how this could be done better!" you have an idea for your problem solution essay.

Step One: Think about groups that you belong to and problems that those groups have. Make a list of groups you belong to like:

• School
• Home town
• Clubs
• Sports Groups
• Hobby groups
• People groups (teenager, high school student, college student, family member, male, female, race, culture, language group)

Step Two: Then make a list of problems you have encountered in some of these groups. Sometimes, there is a situation when there is a plan for solving the problem, but it isn't working, or maybe the plan isn't being enforced. The problem doesn't have to be a big one, but it has to be something you can convince other people needs to be solved and can be solved, or at least made better.

Step Three: Once you have your topic, you might want to go through the exercises in my Problem Solution Guide to get ready to write your paper.

Finding a Solution to the Problem

·     Once you've decided what problem you want to solve. You need to decide on a solution. The table below lists many of the kinds of solutions that we often create to solve different sorts of problems. Look through these types of solutions to get ideas for a solution to your problem.

Intro ideas

• True-life story about the problem.
• Personal experience story
• Scenario—imagined story illustrating problem.
• Statistics/facts about the problem which make it vivid for reader.
• Explanation of problem with facts and history of problem.
• Frame story (story of problem in intro; story of solution in conclusion).
• Description which makes the reader see the problem.

 Propose a Solution: thesis

·     State your solution clearly in one sentence. Usually this is your thesis sentence which will come at the end of your description of the problem.

·     This thesis sentence usually comes at the end of your description of the problem, however sometimes, if your solution is short and simple, you may end up telling it just at the end.

Body of Problem Solution Essay

The Body of your paper will be three or more paragraphs. The Body of your paper must:

• Explain your solution clearly.
• Give details about how solution will solve the problem.
• Explain who will be in charge and how it will be funded.
• Give evidence that your solution will work (expert opinion, examples of when it has worked before, statistics, studies or logical argument)

 The Body of your paper will also seek to argue that your solution:

 In order to make a convincing argument, you will need to consider objections to your plan carefully and refute them logically with argument and/or evidence.

Conclusion of Problem Solution Essay

You conclusion will be one or more paragraphs. In your conclusion, you want to clinch your argument and convince your reader that your solution is the best. Here are some effective conclusion ideas:

• Tell what the reader should do
• Give a description of how situation will change if your plan is adopted
• Use the end of the frame story to show how solution is needed or how it will work.
• Give a real-life example or scenario showing adoption of your plan and how it works.
• Give convincing facts, statistics or expert testimony on the solution or the problem.

Adapted from VirginiaLynne.com -Guidelines to write problem solution essay

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