WRITING MATERIAL

PA0 2020

ENGLISH IV WRITING EXERCISE 1

NAME:____________________________________________________________________

You are going to watch a video about parts of an essay, take notes and summarize the information in a web
map.

You can do it either by hand, so that you take a picture and past it here, or you can do it directly here. Use
your creativity.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P4fzbzwwAg

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PA0 2020

WRITING THE INTRODUCTION (PRACTICE)

The Introduction of an Essay

a. HOOK / ATTENTION GETTER

b. CONNECTING INFORMATION (BACKGROUND)
c. THESIS STATEMENT

A. The HOOK (or attention getter) is the opening sentence of an essay. It grabs
the reader’s attention.
Type of hook Example hook

Shocking statement/fact Each year thousands of teenagers die in driving accidents.

The dictionary defines “gossip” as “casual conversation,” but gossip is in
Definition reality a much more negative interaction.
Quote from a famous person The poet Emily Dickinson once said: “Saying nothing…sometimes says the
most.”
Do you think students should be forced to wear sweaters when it is over 35
Question degrees?
Many advertisements offer a free gift during Christmas time, but
Humorous statement isn’t every gift free?
After college, I had to decide between a low-paying job that seemed like
Dilemma fun and a more mundane job that paid really well.
"According to 2008 figures from the Pew Research Centre, 97% of
Striking numbers and today's K-12 students spend many hours each week playing video
statistics games."(Keith Devlin, Learning Math with a Video Game)

PRACTICE EXERCISE

1. Identify the type of hook.

Type of hook Example hook
How would you feel if you returned from gym class, opened your
locker to get changed, and found that your clothes had been stolen? What
would you do?
There's a thin line between a numerator and a denominator. If you laughed
at this fraction joke, you are a math person!
"Any achievement in business is never accomplished by a single person; a
team of skilled members from diversified fields is always needed." (Steve
Jobs)
"Archaeologists believe, based on marks they've seen on
mummies, that human beings had tattoos between 4000 and 2000 B.C. in
Egypt."(David Shields, 36 Tattoos)

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PA0 2020

Write a hook for each of the prompts written below.

Topic #1: Pick a sport and write a hook sentence that will get the reader as excited about that sport as you are.
 Hook Sentence:

Topic #2: Pick a career and write a hook sentence that will get the reader as excited about that career path as
you are.
 Hook Sentence:

Topic #3: Write a hook sentence about the problem of pollution that will motivate people to do something about
it.
 Hook Sentence:

Topic #4: Write a hook sentence highlighting the importance of music in people’s lives.
 Hook Sentence:

Topic #5: Write a hook sentence about a contemporary issue in Ecuador.

 Hook Sentence:

B. CONNECTING INFORMATION (BACKGROUND)

 Mentions the topic or subject of the essay.
 Gives background information to connect the reader to

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PA0 2020

the topic.

PRACTICE EXERCISE

HIGHLIGHT the hook and UNDERLINE the connecting information of the

following paragraph.

World Cup

Also called the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup, this
event is one of the most riveting and most-watched in the world. The World Cup displays
the best of men’s national football teams around the globe traditionally (women had their
first world cup starting from 1991), with one champion standing at the end of the
competition. With football being perhaps the most popular sport worldwide, the World Cup
is the climax of excitement for countless fans. However, most fans do not know much of
this competition’s history and background. Therefore, this essay will delve into the depths
of the World Cup’s past, its main stars and the projections.

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 The most common location of the thesis statement is the last sentence in
the introductory paragraph.

TOPIC The subject of the essay.

The writer’s position about the topic. The writer defines the 3 arguments.
CONTROLLING
IDEA

EXAMPLES

TOPIC Cell phones in the classroom

Should be prohibited for 3 main reasons, they are a source of distraction,
CONTROLLING they allow cheating and they limit students’ face to
IDEA face interaction.

The final thesis statement is:

Cell phones in the classroom should be prohibited for 3 main reasons: they are a source of
distraction, they allow cheating and they limit students’ face to face interaction.

TOPIC Societies should not vote with computers.

Because elections are too important to trust to cyberspace due to security
CONTROLLING concerns, another reason is the lack of access to
IDEA Internet and electronic vote might represent a complication for people with
disabilities.

The final thesis statement is:

Societies should not vote with computers because elections are too important to trust to
cyberspace due to security concerns, another reason is the lack of access to internet and electronic
vote might represent a complication for people with disabilities.

PRACTICE EXERCISE:

ENGLISH IV WRITING PRACTICE 1

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Find the Topic and the controlling ideas:

The Effects of a Lack of Sleep

A lack of sleep seems pervasive. We are sleeping less than ever before; some studies have
shown. Our lives are becoming more and more busy with each passing era, and even
children are suffering from sleep deprivation due to all the activities they are engaging in.
In light of these issues, it is important to know the effects of a lack of sleep. The most
common effects of sleep deprivation are drowsiness during the day, experiencing
microsleeps, a difficulty concentrating, impulsive behaviour, a difficulty learning, and
lower physical immunity.

TOPIC

CONTROLLING
IDEA

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia is more common than you think. Millions of people experience insomnia every
year. Tossing, turning, not being able to shut off your brain to slip into the state of sleep
—it is extremely frustrating, and unhealthy. In order to avoid getting insomnia, this essay
will explore the causes of this phenomenon so you can be better prepared to prevent and
to avoid this pain. The causes of insomnia involve medical conditions, depression,
anxiety, lifestyle, and food.

TOPIC

CONTROLLING
IDEA

ENGLISH IV WRITING PRACTICE 1