AGUI

DETOCOMPOSI
TIONAND

ESSAYWRI
TING

VOLUME1

BY

D.I
.W.ZAMBEZI

MARCH2017 ALLRI
GHTS
RESERVED
ASSESSI
NGCOMPOSI
TIONSANDESSAYS

Whenmar
kingEngl
i
shPaper2wehav
etobeari
nmi
ndt
hatt
hepaper

hast
wosect
ionst
hati
sAandB.Thepaperl
astf
oranhourandhal
f.I
n

t
hisar
ti
cleweshal
ltakeal
ookatt
hebasi
csofanswer
ingt
hef
ir
stpar
t

whi
chr
equi
rest
heexami
neet
oanswerwi
thanEssay
.Acomposi
ti
onor

anessaycanhav
emanypur
poses,butt
hebasi
cst
ruct
urei
sthesame

nomat
terwhat
.

Youmaybewr
it
inganessayt
oar
guef
orapar
ti
cul
arpoi
ntofv
iewort
o

expl
aint
hest
epsnecessar
ytocompl
eteat
ask.Ei
therway
,youressay

wi
l
lhav
ethesamebasi
cfor
mat
.Ify
ouf
oll
ow af
ew si
mpl
est
eps,y
ou

wi
l
lfi
ndt
hatt
heessayal
mostwr
it
esi
tsel
f.Youwi
l
lber
esponsi
bleonl
y

f
orsuppl
yi
ngi
deas,whi
char
ethei
mpor
tantpar
toft
hecomposi
ti
onor

anessayany
way
.

WHATDOESTHI
SSECTI
ONLOOKSAT?

St
udentwi
l
lbeaskedt
owr
it
eacomposi
ti
onsoressaywhi
chcanbea

nar
rat
ive,descr
ipt
iveoranar
gument
ati
ve.Al
lthesecomposi
ti
onsar
e

based on t
he st
udent
's abi
l
ityt
o t
hink cr
eat
ivel
y. Apar
tfr
om
composi
ti
onsoressay
s,st
udent
scanbeaskedt
ooptal
ett
erwhi
chmay

come ei
theras a f
ormalori
nfor
mall
ett
er.Teacher
s ar
e hi
ghl
y

encour
aget
ohel
pst
udent
stoknowt
hel
ayoutoft
hel
ett
erbei
tfor
mal

ori
nfor
mal
.

I
tiseasyf
orast
udentt
ooptal
ett
erconsi
der
ingt
hef
actt
hatt
her
eisa

wayofwr
it
ingi
t.I
tshoul
dshoul
dbeknownbyst
udent
sthatbesi
des

get
ti
ngmar
ksf
rom t
hecont
entt
her
eisaneasywayt
ogetsi
mpl
emar
ks

byj
ustwr
it
ing t
headdr
essand sal
utat
ion pr
oper
ly,especi
all
yfora

f
ormal
let
ter
.

Somet
imesst
udent
scanbeaskedt
owr
it
eaSpeechoraRepor
t.Thi
sis

anot
herar
eat
hatmostst
udent
sar
elef
tbehi
nd.Ther
eisapr
operwayof

wr
it
ingar
epor
tthi
sshoul
dbemadeknownbyst
udent
sbef
oret
hey

ent
eri
ntot
heexami
nat
ionr
oom.Mostt
eacher
sar
enott
aki
ngt
hisi
nto

consi
der
ati
onandhav
edi
scour
agedt
hei
rst
udent
sfr
om answer
ingsuch

quest
ions,howev
eri
t'
sver
yeasy(
lookf
oranar
ti
cl
eonSpeechand

Repor
tWr
it
ing)
.

WHI
CHSKI
LLSARETESTEDI
NTHI
SSECTI
ON?

Si
ncet
hissect
ionf
ocusont
heSt
udent
'scr
eat
ivi
ty,t
hechi
l
dshoul
d
ent
ert
heexam r
oom wi
thacl
earmi
ndsoast
obeabl
etoshowhi
s/her

cr
eat
iveski
l
ls.Teacher
sar
ehowev
erencour
agedt
oteachst
udent
sto

be cr
eat
ive,i
magi
nat
ive,f
ict
ive,i
nvent
ive,const
ruct
ive,f
anci
fuland

or
igi
nat
ive.Thi
swi
l
lhel
pst
udent
stoanswert
hissect
ionoft
heEngl
i
sh

Language paperwhi
ch i
s ai
med atexpr
essi
ng good Gr
ammat
ical

connot
ati
ons.

WHATI
SCONSI
DEREDWHENWRI
TINGORMARKI
NG
THI
SSECTI
ON?

1.NEATNESSANDHANDWRI
TING

St
udent
sshoul
dbet
aughtt
oobser
vet
hepr
operwayofwr
it
ing.Agood

handwr
it
ingal
way
ssendsagoodat
ti
tudet
owar
dsy
ourwor
ktot
he

mar
ker
.Neat
nessi
sdet
ermi
nedbyt
hewayy
ouhandl
eyourpenony
our

paper
.Thewayi
nkt
alkst
othepaperdef
inest
heneat
nessofy
ourwor
k.

Goodhandwr
it
ingandneat
nessar
ekeyt
olegi
bil
i
tyandsuccessf
ulness.

2.PARAGRAPHI
NGANDARRANGEMENT

Neat
ness bei
ng t
he f
ir
stpr
ior
it
ytoi
mpr
ess t
he mar
keri
tis al
so

i
mpor
tantt
oconsi
derpar
agr
aphi
ng.Mostst
udent
sar
enotawar
eoft
his
ar
ea,t
heydon'
tknow whyweputpar
agr
aphsi
n composi
ti
onsand

essay
s.I
t'
sthatsi
mpl
e,i
deast
hatexpl
ainst
hesamei
ssueshoul
d

al
way
sbei
nthesamepar
agr
aph(
getacopyonpar
agr
aphi
ng)
.Imagi
ne

how i
twi
l
llookl
i
kei
fal
lpar
agr
aphshav
eatl
eastei
ghtl
i
nes,t
hewor
k

wi
l
lbeappeal
i
ngt
hat
'spr
operar
rangementofwor
k!

3.COHERENCE

Thi
slooks mor
ethe same wi
th par
agr
aphi
ng butt
her
eis a gr
eat

di
ff
erence.Coher
enceconsi
der
sthear
rangementofi
deas,t
hewayt
he

t
opi
cist
ackl
ed.I
nfacti
deasshoul
dbear
rangedi
nlogi
calor
der
.The

f
ir
sti
deaexpl
oredi
nagi
venpar
agr
aphshoul
dbel
i
nkedt
othenexti
dea

i
nthenextpar
agr
aph.Mostst
udent
swonderwhyi
t'
seasyt
ofai
lEssay
s,

t
hat
'sanot
hersecr
et.Ther
emustbeconsi
stentr
elat
ionshi
poft
hepar
ts

ofanessay
.

4.CONTENT

I
tispr
obabl
yoneoft
hecausat
ivear
eaoff
ail
ure.Somest
udent
sar
e

f
ail
i
ng bef
oret
heyat
temptanswer
ing t
he quest
ions.The abi
l
ityt
o

under
standt
hequest
ioni
sdi
ff
erentf
rom t
heabi
l
ityt
otel
lthequest
ion'
s
demands.The f
ir
stsent
ence maybe cor
rectbutt
he nextcomi
ng

sent
enceswi
l
lbel
eadi
ngsomeonet
otheanunaskedquest
ion.Most

st
udent
str
ytocr
eat
ethemsel
vesquest
ions.Bei
ngof
ftopi
cshoul
dbe

av
oidedatanycost
.Thi
scanonl
ybeav
oidedbyf
requent
lyv
isi
ti
ngt
he

t
opi
csent
ence.

5.PUNCTUATI
ON

I
tissur
pri
singl
ybadt
oknowt
hatsomei
fnotal
lst
udent
soutof100wi
l
l

wr
it
eaneasywi
thoutput
ti
ngpunct
uat
ionmar
kssuchas:or;mer
ely

becauset
heydon'
tev
enknowt
hei
ruses.St
udent
sshoul
dknowal
lthe

punct
uat
ionmar
ksandwher
ethesecanbeused.Capi
tall
ett
ersshoul
d

beputi
npr
operpl
aces.Commas,f
ullst
opsandal
lpunct
uat
ionmar
ks

shoul
d be known bef
oret
he exami
nat
ion day (
look f
oran ar
ti
cl
e

Punct
uat
ionMar
ks)
.

6.TENSES

Thecor
rectuseofwor
dsshoul
dbeobser
ved.Theonl
ywaywear
e

madet
ounder
standwhent
hest
oryhappenedi
sbyt
hecor
rectuseof

t
enses.I
t'
seasyt
odef
inet
enses,t
ensemeanst
ime.Av
erbshoul
dtel
l

ust
het
imei
thappened,i
tishappeni
ngorwheni
twi
l
lbehappeni
ng.

St
udent
sar
eadv
isedt
ouset
hepr
opert
ensesf
ort
hem t
obeabl
eto
expl
aint
hei
rideasi
nanessay
.
7.SENTENCECONSTRUCTI
ON

"
Subj
ect
s,v
erbsandobj
ect
s ar
ethebui
l
dingbl
ocks 
ofanysent
ence.To

beabl
etoi
dent
if
yanduset
hem cor
rect
lyi
soneoft
hef
ir
stst
epst
o

wr
it
ingandspeaki
nggoodEngl
i
sh.
..
..
.." Mostst
udent
sar
efai
l
ingt
o

r
ightpr
opersent
ences,t
hisi
sthemai
nreasonwhyEngl
i
shLanguage

hasbecomet
hemostdi
ff
icul
tsubj
ect
.Howev
erst
udent
sshoul
dbe

t
aughtt
oconst
ructgoodsent
encesasawayt
oimpr
ovet
hei
rEssayand

Composi
ti
on wr
it
ing ski
l
ls.A good sent
ence shoul
d hav
e pr
oper

punct
uat
ionmar
ks,subj
ect
,ver
bs,ar
ti
cles,pr
onounset
c..
..al
lar
ranged

i
nthecor
rector
der
.Remember
,speaki
ngi
sthef
ir
stsecondl
anguage

ski
l
lnecessar
y.

8.SPELLI
NGSANDNUMBEROFWORDS

St
udent
sgoi
ngf
oranexam shoul
dal
way
sbeabl
etof
orm wor
dswi
th

l
ett
ersaccor
dingt
othepr
inci
plesunder
lyi
ngt
heaccept
edusage.Pr
oper

spel
l
ingsar
ekeyt
ogoodex
planat
ionofev
ent
sandi
deas.Asent
ence

shoul
dhav
esuchasawayofscor
ingbet
termar
ks.Theonl
ywaya

st
udentcanpassEngl
i
shLanguagei
sbywayofobser
vingr
ules.Know

t
henumberofwor
ds.
STEPSTOFOLLOW
Thesesi
mpl
est
epswi
l
lgui
dey
out
hrought
hecomposi
ti
onwr
it
ing

pr
ocess:

(
i.
)Deci
deonwhi
cht
opi
cyouwantt
owr
it
eabout
.

(
ii
.)Pr
epar
eanout
li
neoradi
agr
am ofy
ouri
deas.

(
ii
i.
)Wr
it
eyourcomposi
ti
ont
opi
corst
atement
.

(
iv.
)Wr
it
ethebodyofy
ouressayorcomposi
ti
on.

(
v.)Wr
it
ethemai
npoi
ntswhi
chwi
l
lmaket
heessay
.

(
vi.
)Wr
it
ethesubpoi
ntst
osuppor
tthemai
npoi
nts.

(
vii
.)El
abor
ateont
hesubpoi
ntswi
thphr
asesandexampl
es.

(
vii
i
.)Wr
it
ethei
ntr
oduct
ionpi
cki
ngupsomemai
nideas.

(
ix.
)Wr
it
etheconcl
usi
on,
alsost
ati
ngwhathasbeendi
scussed.

(
x.)Addt
hef
ini
shi
ngt
ouchesandcor
rectal
ler
ror
s.

I
NCONCLUSI
ON
A goodwayofor
gani
zi
ngy
ourwor
konpaperi
simpor
tantnotonl
y

becausei
tmakest
hepapereasi
ert
omar
k,buti
tal
sogui
dest
hemar
ker

t
hrought
hepaper
.Acl
ear
lyor
gani
zedpaperwi
l
ldr
aw t
hei
nter
estand

conv
incet
heexami
ner
.Vol
ume2wi
l
llookatt
hecont
ent
sandst
ruct
ure

oft
hei
ntr
oduct
ion,bodyand t
heconcl
usi
on and Vol
ume3 wi
l
lbe

l
ooki
ngatt
hedi
ff
erentt
ypesofessay
sandcomposi
ti
ons.Vol
ume4and

5wi
l
lconsi
dert
hesampl
esoft
hev
ari
oust
ypesofcomposi
ti
onsasa

wayt
oappl
ywhathasbeendi
scussedi
nal
lthev
olumes.

Formor
einf
ormat
ionandanyot
hermat
eri
alt
hati
sli
nkedt
o
 LanguageSt
ruct
ures,
Essay
sandComposi
ti
ons
f
eelf
reet
ocont
act
SnrWi
lson
at
+263774783022or+263734028622
andwewi
lladdy
out
oourWhat
sApppl
atf
ormf
orquest
ions
andanswer
s.