21-22 t1 Intermediate Writing Booklet

2021-2022
1
GENERAL INFORMATION
This writing booklet is for Intermediate students at Yaşar University English Preparatory Class.
Using this booklet, students should be able to cover all of the writing objectives listed in the
writing syllabus. At the start of every unit, there are unit objectives so that students will be
able to assess what they can already do and what they need to learn or practice. Each unit
finishes with a reflection part. In addition, there are ‘end of unit checks’ at the end of the
booklet. Students can use them to reflect upon what they have learnt and/or ask for extra
assistance if necessary. The materials are based on a presentation, practice and production
model. Students are presented with a variety of examples and chance to practice through the
units and also appendixes, which list model answers and extra assignments. CMDO would also
like to take this opportunity to thank the instructors who have helped with the production of
this booklet through their invaluable feedback, extra materials and precious time.
Table of Contents
1. Paragraph Structure
2. Describing Graphs
 Statistical Data Paragraph Organization
 Coherence
 Cohesion
3. Introduction to Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay

 Thesis Statement
 Main Functions of the Body Paragraph
 Putting Arguments in Order
4. Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay Introductions and Conclusions

 The Introductory Paragraph
 The Concluding Paragraph
5. Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay Editing and Practice

 Formal vs Informal Writing
 Cohesion, Coherence and Unity
References
End of Unit Checks
Appendix
 Model Essays
 Extra Assignments
 Error Correction Symbols
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Unit 1
Paragraph Structure
By the end of this unit, you will be able to
• write an opinion paragraph following the steps of the writing process.
At Intermediate level, you are going to write statistical data paragraphs and five-paragraph
opinion essays. In order to write them, first you need to learn the paragraph structure.
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Below are the steps we follow while writing a paragraph:
UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT
BRAINSTORMING: FREEWRITING / LISTING
ORGANISING IDEAS: MIND MAP / CHART
OUTLINING
PARAGRAPH WRITING
A paragraph is a short piece of writing that is about only one topic. Firstly, it is important to
understand the topic and the question that you are going to give your opinion on. Then you
brainstorm about the topic in the form of freewriting or listing. After that, you organize your
ideas in a mindmap or a chart. Following that, you make your outline with your topic sentence,
main supporting points, details, and a concluding sentence. In an outline, you do not need to
write sentences for main supporting points and their details; key words will be enough. After
completing your outline, you will be ready to write your paragraph.
UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT
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It is important to understand what you are going to write about. If you understand the
topic and the question, you can write well. In order to understand the topic and the question,
pay attention to the key words in the assignment.
Below is a sample writing task. The topic is underlined and the question is circled.
People have different opinions about working and studying at the same time. Some people
think that it is a good idea to work while studying since you can gain work experience, but
other people think that it is not a good idea believing that it may affect your studies
negatively. What do you think about this?
Do you think it is a good idea to work and study at the same time?
Now, do the same with the question below. Underline the topic and circle the question.
Mobile phones are commonly used nowadays. Some people think that mobile phone use is
necessary, especially for education. That’s why they support using them during class time. On
the other hand, some others think that it might have bad effects, such as losing
concentration during lessons. What do you think about this? Do you think it is a good idea for
students to use mobile phones in the class?
BRAINSTORMING
Freewriting: Freewriting is a way of brainstorming. While freewriting,

you think about the topic and write any ideas that
come to your mind. In other words, you start by
categorizing everything you can think of before
you begin to organize your ideas. You can later
abandon the ideas that are not directly connected
to the topic. Make sure that they are all related to
the topic.
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Below is an example of a freewriting about working and studying at the same time:
McDonalds no social life lessons not enough time exams money
family budget problems no friends tired part-time jobs
lots of things to do at the same time not enough salary
PRACTICE: Now, freewrite about the topic using mobile phones in the class.
Listing: Another way to brainstorm is making a list. It is like freewriting, but in a different form.
Like in freewriting, you can write anything about the topic in the form of a list.
Now, make a list about using mobile phones in the class.
→
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ORGANIZING IDEAS
Mind Map:
After brainstorming, you need to organize your ideas so that your

paragraph will be organized, too. One way to organize your ideas
is to make a mind map. In a mind map, you write the topic in the
center and then write your ideas (is it a good idea or a bad idea?)
from your freewriting or your list, into the circles around the topic.
Then next to the circles, you can
write reasons and examples.
Here is an example of a mind map:
not enough time to study

buy what you want
more money problems with studying
Working
Yes, it is a and No, it is a bad
good idea. studying at idea.
the same
time
stressful
experience time management skills no social life
for the future more colleagues not going out psychological problems
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more friends
PRACTICE: Now, make your own mind map on the topic of using mobile phones in the
class.
Making a Chart: The second way to organize your ideas is to make a chart. In the example
below, the first column is spared for “it is a good idea to work and study at the same time”
while in the second column, there are some possible reasons, examples or details for “it is not
a good idea to work and study at the same time”. Look at the chart about the topic of working
and studying at the same time.
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PRACTICE: Now, make your own chart about the topic of using mobile phones in the
class.
Yes, it is a No, it's not a

good idea. good idea.
- -
- -
- -
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OUTLINING
After brainstorming and organizing your ideas, you should make an outline. An outline
shows your idea about the topic, main supporting points and the details which support those
points. In an outline, we do not write full sentences for the main supporting points and details.
We only write words or phrases. Your outline should include the following:
 a topic sentence
 at least two main supporting points
 as many details (extra information or examples) as possible
 a concluding sentence
To outline, first, you should choose your best

answer to the question. You can find your best
answer in your mind-map or chart. Your best
answer is the answer that has at least 2
reasons or more. You should only choose ONE
answer from your mind-map or chart because
all paragraphs in English are about ONE topic.
This best answer becomes your topic sentence.
Then choose at least 2 of your best reasons

(these are your main supporting points) that
support the best answer (your topic sentence).
Next, you choose extra information or
examples (these are your details) for your
main supporting points.
Finally, you rewrite your topic sentence or

summarize your main supporting points and
this becomes the concluding sentence of your
paragraph. Now you have one, complete
outline.
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PARAGRAPH WRITING
Topic Sentence:
In a well-organized paragraph, the first sentence is the topic sentence. The topic sentence is
the main idea of that paragraph. It also answers the question. There are two parts of a topic
sentence: the topic and the controlling idea.
to p ic s e n te n c e
topic
controlling idea
The topic is the general idea given in the question. The controlling idea is your opinion about
the topic.
Look at the topic sentence of our paragraph about working and studying at the same time:
In my opinion, it is a good idea to work and study at the same time.
controlling idea topic

(your own opinion)
You should start your topic sentence with a transition of opinion. In the box below, you can
find some transitions of opinion:
In my In my
opinion,... view,...
I believe I think
(that) ... (that) ...
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PRACTICE: Now write your own topic sentence for the question below:
Mobile phones are commonly used nowadays. Some people think that mobile phone use is
necessary, especially for education. That’s why they support using them during class time. On
the other hand, some others think that it might have bad effects, such as losing
concentration during lessons. What do you think about this? Do you think it is a good idea for
students to use mobile phones in the class?
Topic Sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Main Supporting Sentences:
The sentences at the center of your paragraph are called main supporting sentences because
they explain or discuss the main idea. They explain why the main idea is true. You should write
at least two main supporting points in your paragraph.
Look at the main supporting sentences written for the topic sentence:
“In my opinion, it is good to work and study at the same time.”
Main Supporting Sentence 1: Firstly, it is economically advantageous.
Main Supporting Sentence 2: Secondly, you can get work experience.
Main Supporting Sentence 3: Thirdly, it is socially advantageous.
As you can see, you should use transitions between your main supporting sentences.
Transitions come at the beginning of sentences and are often followed by a comma. These are
the transitions you can use while writing your main supporting sentences:
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First(ly), ... Next, ... Lastly, ...
First of
Third(ly), ... Last of all, ...
all, ...
To begin In
Finally, ...
with, ... addition, ...
Second(ly), .
Also, ...
..
PRACTICE: Now write your main supporting sentences for your topic sentence about
mobile phone use in the class. Do not forget to use transitions.
Main Supporting Sentence 1:

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Details:
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For a fully developed paragraph, you must write details for each of your main supporting
sentences. These details can be reasons or examples. Without sufficient details, your argument
may look weak to the reader. You need to have at least one detail for each main supporting
point. Yet, of course it is better to add more details and explain further, which will make your
paragraph a better one. If you explain your main supporting points with details, your paragraph
becomes better.
Below are some transitions you can use while writing your details:
For For As an
example, ... instance, ... example, ...
Below are details written for the main supporting sentences on the topic of working and
studying at the same time. As you can see, the details are the either examples or reasons that
explain the main supporting sentences further. They do not move to another topic, but stay on
the same topic with the main supporting points.
Main Supporting Point 1: Firstly, it is economically advantageous.

Detail 1: For example, you can earn money while still getting pocket money from your family.
Main Supporting Point 2: Secondly, you can gain work experience.

Detail 2: As an example, you can learn about the job that you want to do in the future.
Main Supporting Point 3: Thirdly, it is socially advantageous.

Detail 3: For instance, you can meet many people in your job and your colleagues can become
your friends.
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PRACTICE: Now write details for your main supporting sentences on the topic of
mobile phone use in the class.
Detail 1:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Detail 2:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Detail 3:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Concluding Sentence:
The concluding sentence is very similar to the topic sentence. There are two ways of writing a
concluding sentence. The first option is to rewrite the topic sentence with different words. This
is called a restatement of the topic sentence. The other option is to write a summary of the
main supporting points in the paragraph.
Look at the example below:

Topic sentence: In my opinion, it is a good idea to work and study at the same time.
Restatement of the topic sentence = In conclusion, I believe (that) one can study and work at
the same time effectively and that it has many advantages.
Summary of the main supporting points = To summarize, I think working and studying at the
same time is a good idea because you can earn money, you can gain work experience and you
can make more friends.
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As you can see, you should use a transition with concluding sentences. The most common ones
are:
In conclusion,
All in all, ... In short, ...
...
To
To sum up, ...
summarise, ...
PRACTICE: Now write your own concluding sentences for the topic sentence about
mobile phone use in the class. Write one restatement and one summary sentence.
Restatement:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Summary:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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A FINAL LOOK AT THE PARAGRAPH
Below are two different examples of an outline written on the topic of working and studying at the
same time. In the first outline, ideas are categorized into three main supporting points, and in the
second one, they are categorized into two main supporting points but with more details. Both of
them are acceptable.
Topic sentence: In my opinion, it is a good idea to Topic Sentence: I believe that it is good to work
work and study at the same time. and study at the same time.
Main economically advantageous Main economically advantageous

Supporting Supporting
Point 1: Point 1:
-Detail: more -Details: more money
money
buy what you
want
Main gaining work

Main gaining
Supporting experience
Supporting work
Point 2:
Point 2: experience
-Detail: for your
-Details: for your future
future job
job
internship
Main socially for your CV

Supporting advantageous
Point 3: time
-Detail: meeting management
new skills
colleagues
and Concluding Sentence: To summarize, I think
friends working and studying at the same time is a good
idea because it is economically advantageous
Concluding Sentence: In conclusion, I believe it is a and you can gain more work experience.
good idea to work and study at the same time.
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It is good to write a short title for your paragraph. In order to write a
proper title, you should first finish writing your paragraph and then check
its content.
Here is an example paragraph on the topic of working and studying at the same time. Can you
find which outline on the previous page matches the paragraph below?
Work and Study

In my opinion, it is good to work and study at the same time. Firstly, it is economically
advantageous. For example, you can earn money while still getting pocket money from your
family. Secondly, you can get work experience. As an example, you can learn about the job that
you want to do in the future. Thirdly, you can make more friends. For instance, you can meet
many people in your job and your colleagues can be your friends. To summarize, I think
working and studying at the same time is a good idea because you can earn money, you can
gain work experience and you can make more friends.
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Below, you may find other outline examples written on the same topic, yet
supporting the opposite side of the topic.
Topic sentence: In my opinion, it is not a good Topic Sentence: I think it is not a good idea to
idea to work and study at the same time. work and study at the same time.
Main no social life Main no social life

Supporting Supporting
Point 1: Point 1:
-Details: no time to -Details: no time to go
go out out
no friends no friends
Main psychological
psychological
Supporting problems
problems
Point 2:
Main studying
-Details: living in a
Supporting problems
rush
Point 2:
-Details: not enough
stress
time to study
Main studying problems
Supporting failing grades
Point 3:
-Detail: no time to
study
properly
Concluding Sentence: In conclusion, I think it is a

bad idea to work and study at the same time
Concluding Sentence: In short, I do not think it is
because you do not have a social life and you can
a good idea to work and study at the same time.
have many problems with studying.
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Here is another example paragraph supporting the opposite side of the topic. Can you
find which outline on the previous page matches the paragraph below?
Work and Study

In my view, it is not a good idea to work and study at the same time. To begin with, if
you work and study at the same time, it means you will not have a social life. For example, you
cannot go out much and you cannot meet new people. It means you cannot have many friends
around you. This can lead to psychological problems and you can get depressed. In addition,
working and studying at the same time can cause problems with studying. If you work and
study at the same time, you do not have enough time to study for your lessons. This means you
might get failing grades. To sum up, I do not think it is a good idea to work and study the same
time because of not having a social life and problems with studying.
Remember to indent your paragraph!

In my view, it is not a good idea to work and study at the same time. To begin with, if
you work and study at the same time, it means you will not have a social life. For example, you
cannot go out much and you cannot meet new people.
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PRACTICE: Now it is time to write a paragraph on your own. Read the question below
and prepare your outline first.
Nowadays, most people live in big cities, but there is also a number of people who prefer living
in the countryside. Big cities are attractive, but they also have some disadvantages. Do you
think it is better for children to grow up in a big city?
Topic Sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Main Supporting Points & Details:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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PRACTICE: Now write your paragraph here.
______________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Unit 2
Describing Graphs
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
• write a paragraph about statistical data on the given graphs and charts by using the target vocabulary
correctly
• analyse graphs and charts and decide whether to use logical or time order in a statistical data
paragraph
• analyse and edit the paragraph you have written in terms of unity, coherence and cohesion
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TYPES OF CHARTS / GRAPHS
Pie
chart
Bar
chart
Line graph
Study the graph below and discuss what you see.
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Questions for discussion:
1. What is this graph about? How do you understand?

2. Which categories of data are shown in the graph?
3. What do you think a trend is?
4. Is any trend / data more outstanding than the others? Why?
5. How has time affected water use?
While describing a statistical data graph, the first thing you should look at is the title of
the graph. You need to find out what the graph is about and what information it provides.
“Global water use by sector” is the title of the graph, so this graph is about global water use by
sector. Also, please note that the graph can give you a time frame and amounts / numbers. For
example, the graph above is about global water use by sector, from 1990 to 2000, in km3. This
information will be useful later when you learn how to write a topic sentence for your
paragraph. While writing a statistical data paragraph, you should write a topic sentence, three
main points and a concluding sentence. You can write three main points by either grouping
the data in the graph or dividing the graph into three by analyzing the changes (trends),
depending on the graph.
Categories of Data:
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In a graph, data might mean a number, amount, or situation that can change. For example, we
have three different categories of data in the graph on the previous page: agriculture, domestic
use and industrial use. You can see that they changed over time. You can use these three data
categories to write three main points in your paragraph.
A Trend:
A trend refers to a change in the data of the graph. It can be upward, downward or stable.
While describing a graph, you first need to analyse the trends and then you divide the graph
into three sections and describe these trends in three main points.
Below, you can find the outline format for your statistical data paragraph. We will look at each
part one by one in this booklet.
Outline:
Topic Sentence (an opening sentence

explaining what the graph is about and
when & where)
+ Main Point 1 (Grouping data / Analyzing

trends)
+ Detail 1 (numerical data about main
point 1)

trends)
point 2)

trends)
point 3)
+ Concluding Sentence (summary of

data / summary of trends)
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HOW TO WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE FOR A STATISTICAL DATA PARAGRAPH
As the topic sentence explains the graph in general, it should always be in Simple
Present Tense. The topic sentence is like the introduction to the information you are about to
give. For this reason, it is a good idea to start the sentence with an introductory expression
such as:
The line graph / bar chart / pie chart shows (the number of / the percentage of / the amount of) ...
indicates…
illustrates…
gives information about / on...
Remember to write the type of the graph / chart you are looking at. Is it a line
graph, a bar chart or a pie chart?
 After the introductory expression, you need to mention what the data in the graph is about.
The graph / chart shows the number of students ...

indicates the amount of money ...
gives information about the families ...
illustrates the changes in disposable income ...
 And you should complete your topic sentence with the additional information like time,
place or any other details. You can find this information in the title of the graph.
The graph / chart shows the number of students studying at state universities in Turkey between the ages 21 and 27.
indicates the amount of money spent on health services between June and December in 2017.
gives information about the families who prefer to live outside the city in Canada.
illustrates the changes in disposable income spent in Ireland between 1998 and 2000.
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Examples:
Topic Sentence: The line graph illustrates the number of yellow fever disease cases in
Southeast Brazil between 1983 and 1992.
Topic Sentence: The line graph shows the number of visitors to Hong Kong by country / area
between 2002 and 2009 (in millions).
PRACTICE: Look at the graphs / charts below and write a topic sentence for each .
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Useable and unusable gold reserves in Turkey in tonnes
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
2000 2001 2002 2003
Useable Unusable first bars:

useable
second bars: unusable
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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1200
The number of English teachers in Izmir
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Male Female
line beginning at 800: female line beginning at 1000: male

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
35
Worldwide computer game sales in millions
30
25
20
15
10
0
1980 1990 2000 2010
Horror games Adventure games

first
bars: horror games second bars: adventure games
___________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________
COMMONLY USED VOCABULARY IN STATISTICAL DATA PARAGRAPHS
To describe graphs / charts, there is some language which will always be useful. Below there is
a list of vocabulary you can use. Verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs can help you write your
main points. As you will see, there is a number of words which are similar in meaning. This
means that you will be able to use a variety of vocabulary. Check the words that you do not
understand using your dictionary and practice using the words / phrases, so that you use them
in the right way.
Introductory
expressions Verbs Nouns Adjectives Adverbs Approximations
(to be used
in topic
sentences)
The graph / *upward trends: *upward trends: *to describe *to describe approximately
chart increase (from… a rise (in / of) sudden / fast sudden / fast around
shows to… / by / to) an increase (in / of) change: change: about
/indicates grow (from…to… / by a climb (to) dramatic dramatically almost
/illustrates / to) (*for numbers (reach) a peak (of) sharp sharply nearly
/ gives only) rapid rapidly
information reach (a peak) significant significantly
on/about… rise (from…to…/ by /
to)
*downward trends: *downward trends: *to describe *to describe small

decrease (from… a fall (in / of) small / slow / slow change:
to…/ by / to) a decline (in / of) change: slightly
drop (from…to / by / a decrease (in / of) slight gradually
to) a drop (in / of) small steadily
fall (from…to…/ by / gradual slowly
to) steady little by little
*change
decline (from…to…./
by / to)
*no change (in)
*change
*fluctuate
*no change:
did not change
remain stable (at)
stay (at)
The words you will choose might depend on the data in the graph as well. You will see more
details of how some of the vocabulary is used in the examples on the following pages.
31
Preposition use:
When you write a statistical data paragraph, it is very important to use prepositions correctly because
they help you explain the numerical data provided in the graph. Below is a sample graph and
explanations about preposition use in a statistical data paragraph.
Graph 1
 You use the preposition ‘at’ for numbers when no change is being described.
House sales were at 90,000 in 1995.
House sales remained stable at 90,000 between 1995 and 2000.
 You use the prepositions ‘from’ and ‘to’ to describe the change in a specific period or
section in the graph.
House sales fell from 110,000 in 2005 to 80,000 in 2010.
House sales increased from 30,000 (houses) in 1980 to 100,000 (houses) in 1990.
 You might also use the prepositions ‘between…and…’ as well as ‘from ….to’ to
specify the periods of time that you will mention.
Between 1985 and 1990, …
From 1980 to 1990, house sales increased dramatically.
 You use the preposition ‘by’ to show the change / difference in number or
percentage between specific periods.
Between 1985 and 1990, house sales increased by 40,000.
Between 1980 and 1990, house sales increased by 70,000.
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 You might also use an ‘of-phrase’ to describe changes.
There was an increase in the number of house sales between ….and …
There was a rise in the rate of unemployment between…..and….
There was decrease in the percentage of Internet users.
There was a rise in the amount of rainfall in Springfield.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES FOR GRAPH VOCABULARY
Graph 2
Verbs:
 increase (from…to / to / by):
The average weekly temperature of Izmir in winter increased from 6°C in week 5 to 12°C in week 6. (Graph
2)
In week 5, the temperature was 6°C. However, in week 6, it increased sharply to 12°C. (Graph 2)
Between weeks 5 and 6, the temperature increased by 6°C. (Graph 2)
House sales increased from almost 30,000 (houses) in 1980 to 100,000 (houses) in 1990. (Graph 1)
In 2000, house sales were nearly at 90,000. Then they increased to 110,000 in 2005. (Graph 1)
House sales increased by 70,000 between 1980 and 1990. (Graph 1)
33
 grow (from…to… / to / by): (*for numbers only)
House sales grew from almost 90,000 in 2000 to 110,000 in 2005. (Graph 1)
House sales were at 90,000 in 2000. Then it grew to 110,000 in 2005. (Graph 1)
House sales grew by 20,000 from 2000 to 2005. (Graph 1)
 climb (from…to…/ to / by):

The temperature climbed dramatically from 6°C in week 5 to 12°C in week 6. (Graph 2)
The temperature was 6°C in week 5, whereas it climbed to 12°C in week 6. (Graph 2)
The temperature climbed by 6°C between week 5 and week 6. (Graph 2)
 rise (from…to… / to / by):

It rose slightly from 12°C in week 9 to 13°C in week 10. (Graph 2)
House sales were nearly at 30,000 in 1980. Yet, they rose significantly to 100,000 in 1990. (Graph
1)
It rose by 4°C between weeks 7 and 8. (Graph 2)
 reach a peak (of):

House sales reached a peak of 110,000 in 2005. (Graph 1)
 decline (from…to… / to / by):

It declined from 17 °C in week 1 to 6°C in week 5. (Graph 2)
The temperature was nearly 11°C in week 4. Then it declined to 6°C in week 5. (Graph 2)
House sales declined from 100,000 in 1990 to almost 90,000 in 1995. (Graph 1)
It declined by 5°C from week 4 to week 5 (Graph 2).
 decrease (from…to…/ to / by):

It decreased from 12°C to 8°C between week 6 and week 7. (Graph 2)
House sales decreased by 10,000 between 1990 and 1995. (Graph 1)
34
 drop (from…to…/ to / by):
It dropped significantly from 13°C in week 10 to 6°C in week 11. (Graph 2)
House sales were at 100,000 in 1990. Then they dropped slightly to 90,000. (Graph 1)
 fall (from…to… / to / by):

The temperature was nearly 11°C in week 4. It fell to 5°C in week 5. (Graph 2)
Sales fell by 40,000 between 2005 and 2010. (Graph 1)
 change (from…to…/ to / by):

It changed from 6°C to 7 °C between week 11 and week 12. (Graph 2)
 fluctuate:
The temperature fluctuated between weeks 3 and 7. (Graph 2)
 remain stable (at):

It remained stable at 12°C between week 8 and week 9. (Graph 2)
Sales remained stable at 90,000 between 1995 and 2000. (Graph 1)
 stay (at):
It stayed at 12°C between weeks 8 and 9. (Graph 2)
Nouns:
You can write sentences either by using the preposition ‘of’ or ‘in’ with some nouns for
describing graphs / charts. When you use the preposition ‘of’ you specify the number, rate
or percentage. The preposition ‘in’ is used to refer to the data.
 a rise (in / of):

There was a significant rise in temperature in Izmir between weeks 5 and 6. (Graph 2)
There was a rise in house sales between 1980 and 1990. (Graph 1)
There was a rise of 70,000 in house sales between 1980 and 1990. (Graph 1)
 an increase (in / of):
There was an increase in temperature between weeks 11 and 12. (Graph 2)
35
There was an increase of 40,000 in house sales from 2000 to 2005. (Graph 1)
 a fall (in / of):

There was a slight fall in house sales between 1990 and 1995. (Graph 1)
There was a fall of 7°C between week 10 and week 11. (Graph 2)
 a decline (in / of):
There was a sharp decline in house sales between 2005 and 2010. (Graph 1)
There was a decline of 4°C between weeks 6 and 7. (Graph 2)
 a decrease (in /of):
There was a sharp decrease in house sales between 2005 and 2010. (Graph 1)
There was a sharp decrease of 7°C between weeks 10 and 11. (Graph 2)
 a drop (in /of):
There was a sharp drop in temperature between weeks 10 and 11. (Graph 2)
There was a sharp drop of 30,000 in house sales from 2005 to 2010. (Graph 1)
 change:
There was a dramatic change in the temperature between weeks 3 and 5. (Graph 2)
There was a sharp change in house sales between 2005 and 2010. The sales decreased from
almost 110,000 in 2005 to 80,000 in 2010. (Graph 1)
 no change:
There was no change in the temperature from week 8 to week 9. (Graph 2)
There was no change in house sales between 1995 and 2000. (Graph 1)
36
Approximation:
When you are unsure about the exact numbers / percentages or these are not so clear in the
graphs / charts, your statements can be approximations. While mentioning these, you might use
words such as approximately, around, about, almost and nearly.
In 2000, house sales were nearly at 90,000. (Graph 1)
House sales declined from 100,000 in 1990 to almost 90,000 in 1995. (Graph 1)
The temperature was about 11°C in week 4. Then it declined to 6°C in week 5. (Graph 2)
Adjectives and Adverbs:
adjectives => followed by nouns!

adverbs => preceded by verbs!
There was a significant rise in temperature in Izmir between weeks 5 and 6. (Graph 2)
There was a slight fall in house sales between 1990 and 1995. (Graph 1)
In week 5, the temperature was 6°C. However, in week 6, it increased sharply to 12°C.
(Graph 2)
House sales were at 100,000 in 1990. Then they dropped slightly to 90,000 in 1995. (Graph 1)
37
PRACTICE: Match the sentences to the graphs by paying attention to the verbs and adverbs
in bold.
1. The number of laptops sold fluctuated and then remained stable.

2. The number of laptops sold rose slightly and then decreased sharply.
3. The number of laptops sold did not change.
4. The number of laptops sold first decreased gradually and then increased dramatically.
5. The number of laptops sold fell steadily.
6 9
a) 5
b)
4 6
3
2
4.5
2.5
4
c) 2
d) 3.5
1.5 2.5
2
1
1.5
1
0.5
0.5
0
0
16
14
12
e) 10
0
38
PRACTICE: Look at the graph below and complete the sentences with an appropriate
preposition from the box.
of to (2 x) from in at
1. There was an increase ____ 10 % _____ the number of people voting between 1980 and 1990.
2. The percentage of voters remained stable ______ 40% between 1985 and 1990.
3. The number of people voting fell ______ 40% in 1990 ______ 30% in 1995.
4. The percentage of voters increased _____ 50% in 2000.
PRACTICE: Below you will see some statistical data paragraphs. Read them and circle
the correct words.
39
Number of customers visiting the Zara store in Forum Bornova yesterday
The line graph gives information about the number / percentage of customers in the Zara
store in Forum Bornova from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. yesterday. To begin with, there was a slight /
dramatic / small rise in the number of customers visiting the Zara store between 10 a.m. and 1
p.m. There were only two / three / five people in the store at 10 a.m.; however, the number of
people reached / increased / fell to 22 at 1 p.m. Then the number of people fell slowly / slightly
/ sharply until 3 p.m. It decreased from 22 people to 5 people. Finally, there was a slight /
significant / sharp fall in this number between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. It fell from 5 people to 4, then
on / until / to 3. To sum up, the number of people in the store first increased sharply until 1
p.m., then decreased significantly until 3 p.m., and finally continued to go down little by little
towards the evening.
40
The bar chart demonstrates the number of monthly sales in a vehicle store between
January and April in 2013. To begin with, the number of car sales decreased and then remained
stable / dropped / increased between January and April. The vehicle store sold 7 cars in
January, but this number dropped to 5 in February and rose to 10 in April. Secondly, the
number of truck sales shows a gradual / slight / slow increase between January and April. It
rose from 5 to 7, 7 to 9, and then from 9 to 11. Finally, the number of boat sales first remained
stable and then increased significantly / slightly / sharply between January and April. It
remained stable at 1 in January and February, also / but this number went up to 3 in March and
4 in April. Furthermore / In conclusion, the number of car and truck sales grew significantly and
the number of boat sales increased gradually.
PRACTICE: Fill in the blanks with the words in the box below. There is ONE extra word.
slightly fell secondly a rise whereas

thirdly reached a peak to begin with to conclude
41
The line
graph gives
information about the number of books read by men and women at Burnaby Public Library
between 2011 and 2014. _____________, the number of books read by men and women
increased between 2011 and 2012. The number of books read by men rose from 3000 in 2011
to 4000 in 2012, and the number of the books read by women grew from 5000 in 2011 to 8000
in 2012. ________________, the number of books read by men and women continued to
increase between 2012 and 2013. The number of books read by women showed a slow
increase from 8000 to 10000, whereas the number of books read by men increased sharply
from 4000 to 10000. ______________, there was ____________ in the number of books read
by men between 2013 and 2014, ______________ there was a decline in the number of books
read by women. To make it clear, the number of books read by men kept increasing and
______________ of 14000 in 2014, but the number of books read by women went in the
opposite direction and _______________ from 10000 to 8000. ____________, between 2011
and 2014 at Burnaby Public Library, the number of books read by men first increased steadily
and then sharply, but the number of books read by women first increased and then decreased.
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PARAGRAPH
42
There are two different methods in writing a statistical data description paragraph. How you
organize to write your paragraph might depend on the content of the graph / chart given. Here
are the methods used:
1) Grouping (similar) categories of data in a graph / chart

2) Analysing trends and dividing the graph / chart into three distinct sections
1) Grouping Data:
When you look at the graph above, you can see that there are three different categories of data: pop,
rock and
rap Album Sales in Millions music
5 album
4,5 pop sales.
4 While
3,5
writing a
3 rock
2,5
rap
2
1,5
0,5
0
2015 2016
statistical data paragraph for this kind of a graph, you can take these three categories of data as the three
trends to be described in the three main points of your paragraph.
In this graph, pop, rock and rap album sales are given in millions. Note that the graph shows the
changes in these album sales for two years, from 2015 to 2016, and how time has affected album sales. In
your paragraph, you should mention the changes in the graph in three main points;
*POP: The number of pop albums decreased.

*ROCK: The number of rock albums increased.
*RAP: The number of rap albums did not change.
43
The pie charts above show the changes in total school spending between 1981 and 1991. Here
you should first categorize the data logically into three different groups and then describe the
changes in three main supporting points. As there are more than three categories of data, the
three groups might be as follows:
Increased: Resources (e.g. books), Teachers’ Salaries

Main point 1: The percentage of spending on resources (e.g. books) and teachers’ salaries
went up.
Decreased: Other Workers’ Salaries, Furniture & Equipment
Main point 2: The percentage of spending on other workers’ salaries, furniture and equipment
decreased.
Stayed almost stable or showed little change: Insurance
Main point 3: The spending on insurance showed little change.
2) Divide the graph into three sections:

As mentioned before, trends are the changes in the data of the graph. It can be upward,
downward or stable. While describing a graph, you first need to analyse the trends and then
44
decide on how you can divide the graph into three sections or categorize the data. Next, you
will describe these trends in three main points.
Look at the graph below and answer the questions:

 How has the temperature changed over time?
 How would you divide this graph into 3 different sections?
Weekly temperatures in Izmir
When you look at this graph, you will see that it can be logically divided into 3 sections. The first
section is an increase, the second part is a decrease, and finally the third part is another increase.
Below you can see how those are organized as main the points of your paragraph.
45
Main Point 1: Between Sunday and Monday, the temperature in Izmir rose slightly.
Main Point 2: After Monday, the temperature gradually decreased until Thursday.
Main Point 3: Between Thursday and Saturday, there was a sharp increase in the temperature.
Year 1993 begins at 2 Year 1994 begins at 3
This line graph shows the amount of rainfall (in inches) in Springfield between 1993 and 1994.
After analysing the trends, you might divide the graph starting from ‘July until September’
mentioning both of the years, and then the second section might refer to the period ‘from
September to November’. Finally, you might refer to the changes / trends during ‘November and
December’. That means your main points will be like this:
Main Point 1: Both in 1993 and 1994, the amount of rainfall in Springfield first decreased and
then increased between July and September.
Main Point 2: In 1993, while the amount of rainfall in Springfield rose sharply between
September and November, this amount decreased in 1994.
Main Point 3: In 1994, the amount of rainfall in Springfield increased between November and
December. Similarly, it continued to increase between November and December in 1993.
46
Alternatively, after analysing the trends, you might choose to organize your main points
first by dividing the graph into sections and then logically categorizing the data.
Year 1993 begins at 2 Year 1994 begins at 3
You see that in both of the years, the rainfall amount first decreased and then in 1993 it rose
significantly until December, whereas in 1994 it fluctuated until December. Taking these changes
(trends) you will organize your main points like this:
Main Point 1: The amount of rainfall in Springfield fell between July and August both in 1993 and
1994.
Main Point 2: The amount of rainfall in Springfield rose significantly between August and
December in 1993.
Main Point 3: The amount of rainfall in Springfield fluctuated between August and December in
1994.
HOW TO ORDER INFORMATION IN A STATISTICAL DATA PARAGRAPH

(COHERENCE)
There are two ways to order the information in our paragraphs. One way is time order. This
means that the main points describe the trends in the graph in the order that they happened.
In other words, the trends must be ordered chronologically.
47
You can find a model statistical data paragraph written both in time and logical order on
page 64.
Look at the line graph below. Notice that we generally divide the data chronologically and take
three main points from the dates as follows.
line beginning at 50: Italian line beginning at 100: English
Foreign Language Course Participants at Lady Language

School Italian English
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2015 2016 2017 2018
48
PRACTICE: Order the following events using the graph above.
Obesity fell to 5%. Obesity rose to 18%.

Obesity rose to 14% Obesity rose to 10%.
Obesity rose to 6%. 1 Obesity fell to 14%.
Another way is called logical order. Unlike time order, we look for the most noticeable
changes in logical order and try to order them in terms of their significance. Additionally,
when we group data in terms of their changes or similarities, the statistical data paragraph is
written in logical ordering. Look at the examples below.
The money spent on different needs in Turkey (1971 and 2001)
49
As there are more than three categories of data and fewer than three different years, grouping the data
logically is the easiest way to write the main points.
Main point 1: increased: Computers, Cars, Restaurants

Main point 2: decreased: Food, Books, Furniture
Main point 3: did not hange: Petrol
The number of muffins sold in a local Starbucks store

180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Main point 1: increased a lot: Monday - Tuesday & Saturday - Sunday

Main point 2: decreased: Wednesday - Thursday & Friday - Saturday
Main point 3: increased slightly: Tuesday - Wednesday & Thursday - Friday
HOW TO MOVE FROM ONE IDEA TO ANOTHER (COHESION)
50
Do you remember the linking words you studied while writing an opinion paragraph? (to begin
with, firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally etc.) You can still use all of these linking words while writing
your main points in a statistical data paragraph.
To begin with, ... /

Firstly, .... / First of Secondly, ... Thirdly, .... / Finally, ...
all, ...
On the other hand, a certain group of linking words which are listed below are also common to use
in a statistical data paragraph:
Linking Words Used for Main Points & Details

Time Difference Addition &
Similarity
After Whereas In addition, …
Then / … (and) While Both …. and ….
then…
However, … Also, …
Next … also …
Before but … Similarly, …

yet, …
Until In contrast, … Likewise, …
When On the other

hand, ...
These linking words can be used both while writing your main points and also
adding details. While adding details in a statistical data paragraph, you need to
give at least a piece of numerical data to explain each main point clearly.
While further explaining your main points, you might also use the phrase: “To make it clear” in your
details.
To make it clear, …
Below, you might see a few examples of linking words and phrases from the graphs you
have previously studied.
51
 To begin with, there was a dramatic rise in the number of customers visiting the Zara
store between 10 am and 1 pm.
 Secondly, we can see a big decrease in the number of master’s degree students.
 In 1994, the amount of rainfall in Springfield increased between November and
 There were only two people in the store at 10 am; however, the number of people
increased to 22 at 1 pm. OR There were only two people in the store at 10 am.
However, the number of people increased to 22 at 1 pm.
 First of all, house sales increased significantly between 1980 and 1990.
 House sales were nearly at 30,000 in 1980, yet they rose significantly to 10,000 in 1990.
OR House sales were nearly at 30,000 in 1980. Yet, they rose significantly to
10,000 in 1990.
 The temperature was 6°C in week 5, whereas it climbed to 12°C in week 6.
 The amount of rainfall in Springfield fell between July and August both in 1993 and 1994.
 In 1993, while the amount of rainfall in Springfield rose sharply between September and
November, this amount decreased in 1994.
 The shop sold 7 cars in January, but this number dropped to 5 in February and rose to 10
in April.
 Finally, the number of PhD students also declined in 2016.
 To make it clear, the number of books read by men kept increasing and reached a peak of
14000 in 2014.
PRACTICE:
52
1. Look at the graph / chart below and discuss with a partner how you would divide it
into three different sections.
2. Look at the sentences below and decide which three sentences could be used
as main points. Put a tick next to those you chose.
a. Between 1960 and 1970, the number of cases remained the same. _____
b. After 1980, there was a sharp decline in the number of cases until 1990. _____
c. The number of cases remained stable between 1975 and 1980. _____
d. From 1980 to 1990, the number of cases rose and fell. _____
e. Between 1960 and 1975, the number of cases grew significantly. _____
3. Please put the three main points you chose into order.
1) ______ 2) _______ 3) _______
PRACTICE: Write main points for the graphs / charts below.
53
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
first 0 bars:
2000 2001 2002 2003
useable
Useable Unusable second
bars:
unusable
Main Point 1: ___________________________________________________________

Main Point 2: ___________________________________________________________
Main Point 3: ___________________________________________________________
Main Point 1: ___________________________________________________________

Main Point 2: ___________________________________________________________
Main Point 3: ___________________________________________________________
54
The number of English Teachers in Izmir
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Male Female
line beginning at 800: females line beginning at 1000: males
Main Point 1: ___________________________________________________________

Main Point 2: ___________________________________________________________
Main Point 3: ___________________________________________________________

35
30
25
20
15
10
0
1980 1990 2000 2010
first bars: horror games second bars: adventure games
Main Point 1: ___________________________________________________________

Main Point 2: ___________________________________________________________
Main Point 3: ___________________________________________________________
55
PRACTICE: Look at the graph below. The detail for the first main point is already
written for you. Write the details for the 2nd and 3rd main points.
Fast food
Sit-down
The line graph

meals per year from 1970 to 2000. Firstly, there was a slight increase in the number of both
sitdown restaurant and fast food meals from 1970 to 1980. To make it clear, the number of
sitdown restaurant meals went up from 20 to 32 and the number of fast food meals increased
from 20 to 29. Secondly, the increase in both types of meals continued from 1980 to 1990, but
with different numbers.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Finally, there was again a rise in both types of meals between 1990 and 2000.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
All in all, between the years 1970 and 1980, firstly the number of both types of meals
increased, later the number of fast food meals increased dramatically, but the number of
sitdown restaurant meals rose only slightly.
56
PRACTICE: Now write details for the main points you have written previously (on
pages 54-55).

5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
2000 2001 2002 2003
Useable Unusable
first bars:
useable second bars: unusable
Detail 1: __________________________________________________________________
Detail 2: __________________________________________________________________
Detail 3: ________________________________________________________________________

1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Male Female

Detail 1: __________________________________________________________________
Detail 2: __________________________________________________________________
Detail 3: ________________________________________________________________________
57
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
1980 1990 2000 2010
Detail 1: _________________________________________________________________
Detail 2: _________________________________________________________________
Detail 3: _________________________________________________________________
HOW TO WRITE A CONCLUDING SENTENCE
You should end your paragraph with a powerful concluding sentence while writing a statistical
data paragraph. Let’s have a look at the graph below and its topic sentence.
Year 1993 begins at 2. Year 1994 begins at 3.
Topic sentence: The line graph shows the changes in the rainfall in Springfield in 1993 and
1994 (in inches).
58
Concluding sentences of statistical data paragraphs CANNOT be restatements of the topic sentence
because topic sentences only introduce the name, place and the time of the data, not the changes.
However, our concluding sentence MUST summarize the changes (main points) in the graph.
Have a look at the concluding sentence for the same graph.
Year 1993 begins at 2. Year 1994 begins at 3.
1994 (in inches).
Main Point 1: Both in 1993 and 1994, the amount of rainfall in Springfield first decreased and
then increased between July and September.
Main Point 2: In 1993, while the amount of rainfall in Springfield rose sharply between
September and November, this amount decreased in 1994.
Main Point 3: In 1994, the amount of rainfall in Springfield increased between November and
Concluding sentence: The amount of rainfall in both of the years first decreased and then
increased until September, then whereas it continued to increase in 1993, it first decreased
and then rose in 1994.
Conclusion for the alternative:

1994 (in inches).
Main Point 1: The amount of rainfall in Springfield fell between July and August both in 1993 and
1994.
Main Point 2: The amount of rainfall in Springfield rose sharply between August and December in
1993.
Main Point 3: The amount of rainfall in Springfield fluctuated between August and December in
1994.
Concluding sentence: The amount of rainfall in 1993 firstly decreased and then increased, and
in 1994 it fluctuated between July and December.
59
Please use the verb “fluctuate” very carefully. For data to fluctuate, there needs to be at least
three changes in different directions. For example: an increase, a decrease and an increase
again. Also, DO NOT use “change” or “change a lot” for your concluding sentences because
these statements are too general.
Linking words for

Concluding Sentences Fl
uctuation To sum up, …
Check pages 59, 62, 64,
In conclusion, …
and 66 for concluding
In short, …
sentence examples!
1 2 3 In summary, …
To conclude, …
PRACTICE: Write a concluding sentence for the graphs which you have previously
written a topic sentence, main points and details for.

5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
2000 2001 2002 2003
first
Useable Unusable bars:
useable
second bars: unusable
___________________________________________________________________________
60
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Male Female
___________________________________________________________________________

35
30
25
20
15
10
0
1980 1990 2000 2010

_________________________________________________________________________
61
MODEL STATISTICAL DATA PARAGRAPHS
CO2 emission rates by sectors in Turkey
2000
1990 2000
Thermal 20%
Transport 30%
Domestic 20%
Commercial 30%
The two pie charts illustrate the changes in
the CO2 emission rates by sector in Turkey between 1990 and 2000. Firstly, the most noticeable change
occurred in the rate of CO2 emission in the thermal sector with a decrease. To make it clear, the rate of
emission in the thermal sector decreased from 35% in 1990 to 20% in 2000. Next, the rate of CO2 emission
in the commercial and domestic sectors were the only ones which increased. The rate of CO2 emission in
the commercial sector increased from 20% in 1990 to 30% in 2000 and in the domestic sector, this rate
grew to 20% in 2000 from 15% in 1990. It grew by 5% between those years. Lastly, the rate of CO2
emission in the transport sector did not change between 1990 and 2000. To illustrate, it stayed at 30%. To
conclude, the rate of CO2 emission in the thermal sector decreased while it increased in the commercial
and domestic sectors and it did not change in the transport sector.
PRACTICE: Look at the following pie charts and write a statistical data paragraph.
62
The main sources of energy in the USA in the 1980s and the 1990s
NP 5% O 2%
NP 10%
HP 5% C:
NG 41%
O 42% HP 10%
C 22%
C 37%
NG 26%
coal HP: hydroelectric power NP: nuclear power O: oil NG: natural gas
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
63
line beginning from 8.4: Bulgaria line beginning from 7.95: Austria
The line graph shows the changes in the populations of Austria and Bulgaria in millions
between 1996 and 2007. To begin with, the population in Austria increased slowly from 1996
to 2001 but the population of Bulgaria decreased gradually. Austria’s population was 7.95
million in 1996 and reached 8.1 million in 2001, but Bulgaria’s population fell from 8.4 million
to almost 8.1 million. Secondly, whereas the population in Austria continued to increase slowly
between 2001 and 2003, Bulgaria’s population kept decreasing. Austria had a population of
almost 8.1 million in 2001 and reached nearly 8.2 million in 2003. In contrast to this, Bulgaria’s
population declined from 8.2 million to 7.9 million between the same years. Finally, the
population of Austria kept increasing between 2003 and 2007, while the population of Bulgaria
continued to decrease. To make it clear, Austria reached a peak of 8.4 million in 2007, whereas
Bulgaria’s population dropped from nearly 7.9 million in 2003 to 7.7 million in 2007. In short,
while the population of Austria steadily rose between 1996 and 2007, the population of
Bulgaria steadily decreased between the same years.
Alternative logical ordering:
The line graph shows the changes in the populations (in millions) of Austria and Bulgaria
between 1996 and 2007. Firstly, the population of Austria increased slowly and slightly
between 1996 and 2007. To make it clear, it was almost 8 million in 1996 and gradually rose to
8.3 million in 2007. Therefore, there was a rise of only 0.3 million between those years.
Secondly, the population of Bulgaria first declined steadily and then sharply between 1996 and
2002. It was 8.4 million in 1996, but dropped to 8.1 million in 2001 and then in 2002, it fell
approximately to 7.9 million. Finally, the population of Bulgaria kept declining gradually from
2002 to 2007. It declined from almost 7.9 million in 2002 to 7.7 million in 2007. In conclusion,
between the years 1996 and 2007 the population of Austria increased slowly, but the
population of Bulgaria first fell steadily and then showed a sharp decrease and finally
continued to fall slowly.
PRACTICE: Look at the following line graph and write a statistical data paragraph.
64
The number of vehicles in thousands in Turkey
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Wildlife population in Europe in millions

160 65
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2012 2013 2014 2015
Dolphins Whales
the first bars: dolphins the second bars: whales
The bar chart shows the changes in the populations of dolphins and whales in Europe in
millions between 2012 and 2015. Firstly, the number of both dolphins and whales fell between
2012 and 2013. The number of dolphins dropped from 150 million in 2012 to 78 million in 2013
and the number of whales decreased to nearly 55 million from 80 million between the same
years. Next, the number of dolphins continued to decline between 2013 and 2014, yet the
number of whales rose. To make it clear, the number of dolphins dropped to 30 million in 2014,
but the number of whales climbed to 100 million. Finally, whereas the number of dolphins
continued to decline gradually between 2014 and 2015, the number of whales increased
significantly between the same years. In 2015, the number of dolphins dropped to around 10
million on the contrary, the number of whales reached a peak of 140 million. To conclude, the
number of whales first declined and then continued to rise between 2012 and 2015, but the
number of dolphins first showed a sharp fall and then dropped gradually.
Alternative:
The bar chart shows the changes in the populations of dolphins and whales in Europe in
millions between 2012 and 2015. To begin with, the population of dolphins in Europe first
declined sharply and then gradually between 2012 and 2015. To make it clear, it was 150
million in 2012 and decreased to almost 80 million in 2013. Between 2014 and 2015, there was
a steady fall of almost 20 million. Secondly, the population of whales in Europe decreased from
2012 to 2013. In 2012, it was 80 million and it dropped to 55 million in 2013. Finally, the
population of whales rose significantly between 2013 and 2015. It went up to 100 million from
2013 to 2014 and afterwards it reached to 140 million in 2015. It increased by approximately 90
million. In short, from 2012 to 2015, the population of dolphins fell sharply and then gradually,
but the population of whales first decreased then rose dramatically.
PRACTICE: Look at the following line graph and write a statistical data paragraph.
66
The number of products from the IT and Service Industries in the UK in millions
the first
bars: IT
the second
bars: Service
Industries
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
67
Bringing It All Together
Now that you have studied how to write statistical data paragraphs on the given graphs /
charts using related vocabulary correctly, it is time to start writing by yourself.
Remember:
*The topic sentence should include what, where and when and the correct tense should be used.
*You have two alternative methods: 1) Group the data 2) Divide the graph into 3 sections. These
will become your main points.
*Decide on the order: What method you choose will determine whether you write your
paragraph with time or logical order.
*Give numerical details for your main points in your details.
*Use a variety of vocabulary.
*When you finish your paragraph, edit it by checking the accuracy of information, transition
words or phrases and spelling mistakes.
*Remember: When someone reads your paragraph, they should be able to draw the graph based
on your writing. Your main supporting points should cover all the important changes in the graph.
*It is also a good idea to swap

your paragraphs with a
friend and ask for some
feedback.
*DO NOT include any personal

opinions in statistical data
paragraphs.
Coffee consumption rose gradually from 1990 to 1996. I think people started to like coffee more
because it is a very tasty drink and I drink coffee almost every morning.
68
That is wrong because we do not include personal opinions while writing a statistical
data paragraph.
EXERCISES
1. Look at the graph / chart and write a paragraph in the space below.
Internet users by age (in millions)
Who used the Internet?

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50
50
40
40
30
20
20 17
10
10
5 5
2 3
0
1998 1999 2000
15-25 25-40 40+
the first bars in each year: 15-25 the second bars in each year: 25-40 the third bars in each year: 40+
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Midterm and Final Results, Jackson Academy, 2011

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44 44 45
45 42
40
35 33
30 28
24
25
20 18
15
10
0
JANE MALCOLM SUSAN ERNEST
the first bars: midterm results the second bars: final results
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line starting from 550: films line starting from 450: games
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4. Look at the graphs and write a paragraph in the space below.
Courses - 2005 Courses - 2010
Writing
12% Writing
8%
Reading
29% Reading Listening
35% 20%
Listening
20%
Speaking
15%
Grammar Grammar
20% Speaking 22%
19%
Students’ lesson preferences in 2005 and 2010
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5. Look at the graph and write a paragraph in the space below.
Water Use in Turkey in Km3

6
0
1999 2000 2001 2002
City Countryside
line beginning from 5: city line beginning from 2.5: countryside
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Peer review checklist for statistical data paragraph:
Underline the topic sentence.
Does it state what, where and when? Is the correct tense used? YES NO
Identify the writer’s three main points

Is there any irrelevant information? YES NO
Is the paragraph written in time order or logical order or both of them?

TIME LOGICAL
Did the writer use time order or logical order correctly?
YES NO
Circle the linking words.
Are the linking words varied and appropriate? YES NO
Underline the vocabulary that describe change. (rising, falling, etc.)

Are the descriptive words varied? YES NO
Underline the concluding sentence.

Does the concluding sentence give a general summary of the paragraph YES NO
and a sense of closure?
Teacher’s check:
Name of the writer:
Name of the peer reviewer:
After the peer review and teacher’s check, review your paragraph to see areas that you could
improve.
Reflect on your learning by putting an X in the box that is correct for you.
Yes! I learned So-So Not Really
it.
I learned to organize and write a statistical
data paragraph.
I learned how to decide on time order or
logical order.
I learned to use a variety of vocabulary for
statistical data paragraphs.
I learned to edit statistical data paragraphs,
both my own and my friends’.
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Reflect on your writing in this unit by completing four of the following prompts.
EXAMPLE: I observed… that I learned the vocabulary really quickly, but I still need to practice
how to write detail sentences.
I learned that …
I was surprised that …
I experienced …
I used to think / feel, … now I think / feel …
I can improve ….
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Unit 3
Introduction to
Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay
 organize a five-paragraph opinion essay
 practice writing thesis statements for five-paragraph opinion essays
 practice writing body paragraphs
 recognize the organizational patterns for ordering arguments
 review the transitions for chronology, addition, example, conclusion, unexpected result,
contrast and cause & effect
 analyse body paragraphs supported by reasons, facts, examples and anecdotes
HOW TO WRITE A FIVE-PARAGRAPH OPINION ESSAY
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Writing an opinion essay is not very different from writing an opinion paragraph.
Step 1: Remember the structure of an opinion paragraph.
Paragraph Outline:
Topic sentence
Main Supporting Point 1 + Details
Main Supporting Point 2 + Details
Main Supporting Point 3 + Details (Optional)
Concluding sentence
The method is
the same.
Hamburger
Paragraph Hamburger Essay
Now let’s compare the structure of an

opinion paragraph with an opinion essay:
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Look at the sample opinion paragraph below and underline the topic sentence, the main
supporting sentences, the details and the concluding sentence.
Social Media
I think social media has a positive impact on people. Firstly, social media provides us with
easy access to knowledge. For example, many people learn about the latest developments and the
news from social media today. Secondly, social media creates new ways to communicate. To
illustrate, you can upload your photos on Facebook, so your family members or friends can learn
about your daily life, holidays and activities. You can also chat online or make a video call via
Facebook Messenger. Thirdly, social media presents a totally new environment to have fun. For
instance, you can answer trivia quizzes and play various games online. In short, it is wise to have
some social media accounts because social media helps you in many ways.
Social Media
Throughout history, people have tried to communicate with others in different forms:
sign language, body language and written language. Especially written language has
transformed into a different form with the impact of technology. Today, we use social media
and social networking as forms of language and we can access them any time via our cell
phones. I think it is wise to have some social media accounts
because it provides us with easy access to knowledge, creates
new ways to communicate and presents a totally new
environment to have fun.
To begin with, social media provides us with easy access
to knowledge. First of all, you can learn about the latest news
even before they are on TV. For example, many people prefer
using social media during the elections in order to get the results minute by minute. Secondly,
you have more chance to get some information about social problems via social media. For
instance, you can join debates about these problems on Twitter as you become more
interested in them with the help of social media. Thirdly, social media can also help you with
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your studies. To illustrate, you can follow academicians, create blogs, search for or share
information and practise your language skills online.
Secondly, social media creates new ways to communicate. Initially, communication with
people from all around the world and meeting new people become easier via social media. As
an example, it takes only a few seconds to say ‘hi’ to a person living far away from you.
Furthermore, it is easier to keep in touch with your old friends on social media. For example,
you can follow them on Instagram and learn about their daily lives on Facebook. Finally, social
media also brings people with common interests together. To illustrate, you can start groups to
share posts about your hobbies and interests so that you can meet other people like you.
Thirdly, social media presents a totally new environment to have fun. Firstly, we have
YouTube and the whole technology of videos, so you can record yourself and share it with
millions of people. Additionally, with the help of blogs and vlogs you can start a career as a
singer, writer, poet or makeup artist. There are even people who become famous or earn
money this way. Lastly, you can play games, solve trivia quizzes and make photo albums using
Facebook or some other websites. For example, my roommate really likes solving trivia quizzes
and has so much fun by sharing her results with her friends.
All in all, people have changed their ways of learning, communicating and having fun with
the help of social media. Nobody can deny that it helps us to reach information quickly,
connect with people from all over the world and entertain ourselves in many different ways.
Therefore, we can say that social media has a positive impact on our society. Why don’t you
get a social media account and connect to the virtual world waiting for you?
PRACTICE: Read the paragraph and essay above and discuss the questions below with
your partner.
1. What are the differences between a paragraph and a five-

paragraph essay?
2. What are the similarities between a paragraph and a five-

paragraph essay?
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Now that you are aware of the general structure of a five-paragraph essay, you can look at the
individual parts before finally writing an essay.
WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?

 A thesis statement presents the main idea of the essay.
 A thesis statement expresses an opinion, attitude, idea or a complete thought which
has a topic, a controlling idea and preferably three predictors.
 A thesis statement should NOT express a fact. The thesis statement is a statement that
needs to be explained or proved. It should be the writer’s (your, in this case) own
opinion.
 The thesis statement is often placed at the end of the first paragraph which is the
introductory paragraph.
WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT
A. Which one is a thesis statement?

 My fear of darkness.
This is Not a thesis statement because a thesis
statement must be a complete sentence. X

 My fear of darkness has made my life miserable because it has affected my personal
relationships, my work life and my psychology.
 This is a thesis statement because this is a complete sentence and has predictors. √
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 Online shopping has some advantages; it is fast, easy and cheap.
 This is a thesis statement because this is a complete sentence and has predictors. √
PRACTICE: Now read the sentences below and decide whether these sentences are
thesis statements or not by giving the reason.
 Does online shopping have any advantages?

________________________________________________________________
 I’m going to discuss the effects of radiation.
________________________________________________________________
 Dogs have a strong sense of smell.
_________________________________________________________________
 Smoking affects a person’s life badly in many ways.
_________________________________________________________________
PARTS OF A THESIS STATEMENT

A thesis statement has three parts; a topic, a controlling idea and preferably three
predictors.
Topic + Controlling Idea + Subtopic (Predictor)
a. The topic is the subject of the essay, or what the essay is about.
b. The controlling idea is what you are going to say about the topic: in other words, the
controlling idea narrows down the topic. Is something good or bad? Does it have more
advantages or disadvantages? Is it safe or dangerous? The controlling idea gives you the
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answers to these questions.
c. Thesis statements might also have subtopics / predictors. The subtopics tell the reader
about the content of the body paragraphs.
e.g
 Eating too much fast food has some negative effects on people’s health such
Topic Controlling Idea
as deformation on the body 1, obesity2 and cancer3.

Subtopics / Predictors
PRACTICE: Underline the thesis statement of the paragraph below and circle the topic,
controlling idea and subtopics / predictors.
Throughout history, people have tried to communicate with others in different forms:
sign language, body language and written language. Especially written language has
transformed into a different form with the impact of technology. Today, we use social media
and social networking as a form of language and we can access it any time via our cell phones. I
think it is wise to have some social media accounts because it provides us with easy access to
knowledge, creates new ways to communicate and presents a totally new environment to have
fun.
COMMON PHRASES FOR A THESIS STATEMENT

There are many patterns to write a thesis statement. You will see some of them
below.
I believe (that)
In my opinion,
I think (that)
I feel (that)
From my point of view,
+
To my mind,
To my way of thinking,
It seems to me that
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Sentence
While introducing your predictors you might use structures; “(for reasons) such as…., in
terms of…., due to…., ….. in three ways”.
PRACTICE A: Underline the topic, controlling idea and subtopics in the following
thesis statements.
1. I believe that smoking has several effects on people’s health, appearance and budget.
2. From my point of view, too much noise, bad traffic and pollution are three disadvantages of
living in a big city.
PRACTICE B: Circle the correct option to fill in the blanks.
1. I believe that smoking may affect your life badly _______________________ by ruining
your health, social relations and budget.
a) three results
b) because
c) in three ways
2. In my opinion, ___________________, your health, social relations and budget are

damaged.
a) smoking
b) because of smoking
c) such as smoking
3. I feel that smoking ruins your life _________________ your health, social relations and budget.
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a) three results
b) in terms of
c) main disadvantages
4. From my point of view, smoking leads to serious troubles in your life ________________
health, budget and social problems.
a) can cause
b) there are
c) such as
5. Smoking is harmful ________________ health, social and budget problems.
a) for three reasons

b) because
c) due to
PRACTICE C: Write your own subtopics / predictors by completing the sentences.
1. Three disadvantages of living in a big city are __________, __________ and __________.
2. The film was very good because of its __________, __________ and __________.
3. Depression can cause difficulties in a person’s __________, __________ and __________.
4. __________, __________ and __________ are three ways to live well.
5. There are some ways to relieve stress such as __________, __________ and __________.
PRACTICE D: Now practice the usage of the phrases while writing your thesis statements for
the topics below.
 There are many languages in the world; Chinese, Spanish and Urdu are just a few
examples. Many of these languages are more widely spoken as a native language than
English. Despite this, most people choose to learn English rather than other languages.
What is your opinion on this subject? What do you think can be three reasons to learn
English? Support your topic with reasons and examples.
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THESIS STATEMENT: __________________________________________________________
 The positive effects of technology are undeniable. With the opportunites

technology provides, it has dramatically changed the modern-day life making it
much easier in every area. Yet, it also has negative effects which outweigh the
positive sides according to some people. How do you think technology affects our
lives? Support your topic with reasons and examples.
THESIS STATEMENT: ____________________________________________________________
HOW TO FIND THREE PREDICTORS

In your essays, you are supposed to write three body paragraphs and you can show what these
paragraphs are about in your predictors in the thesis statement.
Step 1: Brainstorming
Topic: Do you think using technology is a good idea?
Look at these random ideas in the chart. Brainstorm on the following topic below and add
whatever comes to your mind:
work easy to call someone in case of an emergency getting fat
flying cars chatting expensive backache
easy socializing mobile phones communication
health
making new friends hospitals watching TV eye disorder
playing computer games planes comfortable Facebook
no face to face to communication computers fast
messaging unsocial people
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Step 2: Categorization
 Now categorize your ideas as positive and negative. This is how you are going to decide
which side of the topic you will support.
Why is “using technology” a good idea? Why is “using technology” a bad idea?
Step 3: Choosing Predictors
 Predictors show why or how your controlling idea is true for you. They are the reasons
for your idea.
The ideas below are some of the reasons why using technology is a good idea.
Using technology is a good idea.
It helps you make new friends.
It makes reaching someone very easy when there is

an emergency.
Connecting to people far away is possible with 86
technology.
PRACTICE: Now write three reasons (predictors) why using technology is a bad idea.
Using technology is a bad idea.
PRACTICE A: Look at the topic and the thesis statement. Categorize the ideas in the
brainstorming chart according to the predictors and put them in the table.
Topic: “Do you think it is good for children to have working parents?”
Thesis statement: “I strongly believe that having parents that are both working is a great
advantage for children because they will have two working role models, the family can have
more money to spend on them and they can have stronger personalities.”
BRAINSTORM
having more money to spend in their free time
having motivation to become like their parents
getting whatever they need more easily
becoming aware of family bonds
having more advanced medical support when needed
admiring the hard work of their parents
feeling more responsible by taking adults as examples
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becoming more respectful
becoming aware of the importance of their future
1. Predictor: Having role 2. Predictor: Having more 3. Predictor: Having

models money spent on them stronger personalities
1. 1. Having more money to 1.

spend in their free time
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.
PRACTICE B: Brainstorm on the following topic, categorize your ideas and form your
own predictors and main supporting points.
Do you think living in a big city is a good idea?
BRAINSTORM
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CATEGORIZE YOUR IDEAS
Why is living in a big city good? Why is living in a big city bad?
1st PREDICTOR: 2nd PREDICTOR: 3rd PREDICTOR:
Main Supporting
Point 1
Main Supporting
Point 2
Main Supporting
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Point 3
PRACTICE C: Write a thesis statement for the following topics.
1. Do you think using technology makes our lives easier?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think learning a foreign language is necessary for a successful career?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you think living abroad is easy?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think saving money is difficult?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

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 In a five-paragraph opinion essay, there are three body paragraphs. These are the
paragraphs which support the predictors in the thesis statement.
 Each body paragraph starts with one topic sentence that develops one point /
predictor / subtitle about the topic. In other words, every topic sentence is about one
predictor / subtopic in the thesis statement.
 In each body paragraph there are at least two main supporting sentences and as many
examples, details and /or anecdotes as possible.
 While writing body paragraphs, finding good ideas to support your thesis statement is
important. You should convince your reader with specific facts, examples, details
and /or anecdotes.
 Body paragraphs must be well-organized and

relevant; to that end, you should use transitions /
signals / linkers / connectors such as firstly, so, for
example etc.
Here is what the body paragraphs of a five-paragraph opinion essay include:
2. Body paragraph 1
Topic Sentence:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
(Concluding Sentence): (optional)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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3. Body paragraph 2
Topic Sentence:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Body paragraph 3
Topic Sentence:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
PUTTING ARGUMENTS IN ORDER
When you consider your arguments for a particular thesis statement you want to support, you
need to decide the order in which you want to present your ideas to the reader. These are the
main organizational patterns:
 Ascending order means starting with the least important and building up to your
strongest argument.
 Equal order means that you feel all your arguments are of equal importance, so the
order in which you place your arguments is not important.
ASCENDING ORDER EQUAL ORDER
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Introductory paragraph Introductory paragraph
Body paragraph 1 Body paragraph 1

Your least important argument and supports Your first argument and supports for that
for that argument argument

Your second most important argument and Your second argument and supports for that
supports for that argument argument

Your most important argument and supports Your third argument and supports for that
for that argument argument
Concluding paragraph Concluding paragraph
Transitions for ascending order Transitions for equal order
above all, for one thing,
most importantly, for another thing,
most significantly, equally important,
most of all,
Before you start each writing process, remember these are the steps to follow:
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BRAINSTORMING: FREEWRITING / LISTING
↓
ORGANISING IDEAS: MIND MAP / CHART
↓
OUTLINING
↓
ESSAY WRITING
Here is a summary of how to write a five-paragraph opinion essay and organize ideas:
To outline, first, you should choose your best answer

to the question. You can find your best answer in
your mind-map or chart. Your best answer is the
answer that has at least 3 reasons or more. This best
answer becomes your thesis statement and the 3
best reasons are your predictors.
In your essay, you will have 3 body paragraphs. Your

choice of 3 best reasons will be your topic sentences
for each body paragraph of your essay. Then you
choose extra information and examples (these are your
main supporting points and details of each paragraph).
Finally, you rewrite your thesis statement and /or topic

sentences and summarize your main supporting points
in each paragraph and add a final comment. This
becomes the concluding paragraph of your essay.
WRITING TOPIC SENTENCES
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 Previously, you learned how to write a thesis statement. Based on the predictors of your
thesis statement, you need to write topic sentences for each body paragraph of your essay.
 This is really similar to writing main supporting sentences of an opinion paragraph.
Let’s say this is our topic and we have a brainstorming about it:
And let’s say we have decided on supporting the “Yes” side of the argument. We will decide on the
three best reasons for saying “Yes”.
Then probably the Thesis Statement will be something like this:
In my opinion, it is good to work and study at the same time because of being economically
advantageous, having work experience and having a network.
Our three preditors (three best reasons) are underlined above. Depending on them we will write our
topic sentences for each body paragraph.
Well, this is how it will look like:
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 Thesis Statement: In my opinion, it is good to work and study at the same time because of being
economically advantageous, having work experience and having a network.
• Topic Sentence 1: For one thing, working while you are studying is economically advantageous.
• Topic Sentence 2: Secondly, you can get work experience during your studies.
• Topic Sentence 3: Finally, you can have a network.
What we will do after our topic sentences are ready is:
 to create an outline and write key words for our main supporting points and details that are
in line with the topic sentences we have written, and of course, with our thesis statement!
Then we can write our body paragraphs.
Let’s learn to develop our ideas through paragraphs using some transitions and linkers.
CONNECTING IDEAS IN A FIVE-PARAGRAPH OPINION ESSAY
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Below you can find the list of transitions, conjunctions and prepositions that you can use while
introducing your ideas in an essay.
Chronology Addition Example Conclusion Unexpected Contrast Cause

result
first(ly), at this furthermore, for example, all in all, however, however, Effect
in conclusion,
at first, point, in addition, for instance, in short, nevertheless, in contrast, therefo
in summary,
second(ly), later on, moreover, to illustrate, to sum up, nonetheless, consequ
consequently,
third(ly), then besides, briefly, as a res
in brief,
next, at last, as a result,
to conclude,
after that, finally, to conclude with,
after until although whereas Cause

as when even though while because
before while as
since since
and and but but Effect

yet yet so
after until in addition to despite different from Cause

before prior to besides
in contrast to due to
since in spite of
unlike because
TRANSITIONS
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However, / Furthermore, / Nevertheless, / Nonetheless, / In addition, + sentence
Besides, + sentence
For example, / For instance, / To illustrate, + sentence
All in all, / In conclusion, / In short, / In summary, / To sum up, / Consequently, /
Briefly, / In brief, / As a result, / To conclude (with), + sentence
Therefore, / Consequently, / As a result, + sentence
 Therefore, consequently and as a result are used to introduce an effect. We connect

two complete sentences with them. They are often used like this:
First sentence; transition, second sentence

First sentence. Transition, second sentence
For example: It was raining; therefore, I stayed at home.

OR
It was raining. Consequently, I stayed at home.
 You can use however, furthermore, nevertheless, nonetheless,

moreover, in addition as follows:
 My sister fancied the red car. However, we are planning to buy the blue one.
 My sister fancied the red car; however, we are planning to buy the blue one.
 Giving up smoking is a good start to lead a healthy life; furthermore, it is also good for
your budget.
 Giving up smoking is a good start to lead a healthy life. Furthermore, it is also good for
your budget.
 You can use at this point and later on like this:
 At this point: At the present moment; right now; currently

At this point, she is by far the best athlete on the circuit.
 Later on: Subsequently, afterward
They served the main course and later on, the dessert.
 Besides, + sentence: Besides means “in addition”.
 She does not mind being responsible for the party; besides, it gives her freedom
to choose her favourite party theme. (in the middle followed by a sentence)
 For example, / For instance, / To illustrate, : They are used to introduce specific
examples.
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 Not all birds eat berries. For example, vultures eat dead animals.
 Jeff is an interesting person to know. To illustrate, he collects antique books in
Latin.
 There are things that need to be done to improve the company. For instance, we
can begin by organizing the files.
 All in all, / In conclusion, / In short, / In summary, / To sum up, / Consequently, /

Briefly, / In brief, / As a result, / To conclude, / To conclude with, : They are used to
sum up an idea.
 Hector was a very good student who studied constantly. Consequently, /As a
result, he found a very good job after he graduated from college.
CONJUNCTIONS
Although / Even though / Because + sentence,

Whereas / While + sentence,
So / Since / As / Yet + sentence
 The most important conjunctions are because, as, since and so (as cause & effect
conjunctions). “Because”, “as” and “since” introduce a cause; “so” introduces an effect.
These are used to join two complete sentences (or independent clauses) together. They
are often used like this:
First sentence + conjunction + second sentence
For example: I stayed at home because it was raining.

OR
It was raining, so I stayed at home. (use a comma before “so”)
You can also reverse the order of the sentences with “because”, “as” and “since.”
For example: Because it was raining, I stayed at home. (use a comma between the first
and second sentences)
*Note that this reversion is NOT possible with “so.”
 Although, even though and because could be used in either way:
 Although the tickets will cost a lot, I still want to visit New Zealand.
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 I still want to visit New Zealand although the tickets will cost a lot.
 My mum won’t let me out because I haven’t finished my homework yet.
 Because I haven’t finished my homework yet, my mum won’t let me out.
 You can use whereas as in the example:
 Some married couples argue all the time, whereas others never do.
 As (as a chronological conjunction): meanwhile, during
 As Sherri blew out the candles on her birthday cake, she caught her hair on fire.
 Yet: used to add something that seems surprising because of what you have just said:
 The weather was cold and wet, yet we had a great time.
PREPOSITIONS
Despite / In spite of + noun

Prior to / In addition to / Different from / Unlike / In contrast to + noun / noun
phrase
Due to / Because of / Thanks to + noun
Besides + noun / gerund (V + -ing form)
 You can use in spite of, despite, due to, because of, besides like this:
 Despite the high cost of the tickets, I still want to visit New Zealand.
 In spite of his rudeness, somehow, Mary still loves her husband.
 Besides playing the piano, she can play the violin and paint well. (at the beginning of
a sentence with a noun or gerund)
 I stayed at home due to the rain.
 Because of the rain, I stayed at home.
 Thanks to the improvements in technology, our lives have become easier.
*** “Due to the fact that / Because of the fact that” are followed by a sentence.
 I stayed at home due to the fact that it rained.
 Because of the fact that it rained, I stayed at home.
 Prior to (+ noun phrase): before

 The contract will be signed prior to the ceremony. (The contract will be signed
before the ceremony.
 In addition to (+ noun phrase): besides
 In addition to a high salary, the company offers attractive employee benefits.

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 Different from / Unlike / In contrast to (+ noun phrase)
 Different from Drug A, Drug B can also be administered orally. Drug A is given only as
an injection.
OTHER USEFUL PHRASES

 In other words
Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more
simply), to make it easier to understand or to emphasise or expand on a point.
Example: Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.
 Instead of ( + noun phrase)

The most common way to use this key expression is to compare two things: one that
you like or prefer and one that you don’t like or prefer.
Example: Instead of getting married next year, they decided to get married next month.
 In terms of (something): in relation to something

Example: We try to do what is best for our customers in terms of the quality of
our products.
PRACTICE A: Read the essay and choose the correct alternative.

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HAVING CHILDREN
The population of the world is getting bigger and bigger due to the need of people to have
babies. Most people want to have babies; they even worry about whether they will be able to have any
children, 1. __but_ it is interesting that others do not like to have children. 2. Even though_______ a
minority of people see children as a financial and and psychological burden and do not want to bring
children to a world full of uncertainty, danger and chaos, I think having children brings happiness and
meaning to one’s life, it is in human nature to multiply and it is good for one’s future.
3. _First of all__, we cannot deny that children bring happiness and meaning to our lives. Maybe
we cannot know this before we have children, but all the same, we hear about that happiness from our
parents. I think having a baby is similar to having an aim in our lives. Most of us have goals in life such as
graduating from university, doing a master’s or making an academic career because reaching these
goals will satisfy us and life will be more meaningful. Raising a child can be an aim like these, 4.
because___ bringing up a human being from our own blood and flesh and sacrificing our own will and
desires for his good will be more satisfactory than anything. Thus, it is impossible to see our child as a
financial and psychological burden. 5. On the contrary______, we would have fun giving him everything
he needs.
6. _Next______, it is instinctive to multiply, forming a new living being from our own genes. It is
in human nature and we cannot prevent the urge to have a baby because it is in our hormonal system.
Some people assert that it is selfish to bring children to a world full of uncertainty, danger and chaos,
but this world is created for humans to live and we have to procreate and continue our daily lives. The
real selfishness is getting afraid of losing our comfort for having a baby.
7. Finally_________, I think having a child is beneficial for one’s future. When you are old and
cannot look after yourself, who will take care of you? Of course, your child! It is not possible for
everyone to spend their old age in luxurious and expensive hospitals or care homes. 8.
_Besides_________, wouldn’t it be more comfortable to spend your last days with your loved ones at
your own home? I think this is the true happiness in life. Some people say that it is selfish to want to be
cared by your children, but which one is more natural? Being cared by your own child who knows and
loves you or by some strangers who might be professionals, but do not know or love you?
9. __In conclusion_____, having a child may be enjoyable and may bring happiness to our lives
although we have to sacrifice from ourselves. They will be an important part of our lives and we will not
regret bringing them to this world.
1. A) because B) but C) so
2. A) Even though B) And C) Unlike
3. A) Finally B) First of all C) Before
4. A) because B) later on C) in addition
5. A) Since B) On the contrary C) In spite of
6. A) Next B) After C) At last
7.A) Whereas B) Therefore C) Finally
8. A) Besides B) In terms of C) Despite

9. A) Furthermore B) In conclusion C) Besides
B. Fill in the blanks with the suitable connectors: whereas, but, although, even though
however, in spite of, instead of, as a result, despite, next, in addition, furthermore, as, since,
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so, because, because of, for example/instance . Sometimes two or more options are
possible.
1. ____________ Andrew was terribly ill, he decided to join the ski competition.
2. Mark did not play football yesterday ____________ he really wanted to.
3. This restaurant has good food, ______________ the next one does not.
4. The city has a 50 km/h limit. __________________, people do not obey this rule.
5. He always looks so lonely and sad ____________ his popularity.
6. He is quiet and shy, ________________ his sister is lively and talkative.
7. I have to finish this task today, _____________ I have no time for it.
8. ____________ feeling terrible, he went out to buy some groceries.
9. He made the necessary calls; _____________, he typed some of the documents.
10. ____________ we needed some new furniture, we went to Ikea last weekend.
11. ______________ their parents’ opposition, Tom and Ann decided to get married.
12. _______________ I have a great respect for him, I don’t particularly like him.
13. Linkers are quite difficult to learn. _________________, they are worth studying.
14. The temperature in Saudi Arabia can reach 50 °C, _________________, a lot of business is
done early in the morning.
15. Nora eats green vegetables_________________they are good for her health.
16. _________________there were no students in class, the teacher wrote a message on the
board.
17. Tim has to go to the dentist_________________ an infected tooth.
18. I understand your point of view. _________________, I don’t agree with it.
19. I understand your point of view. _________________, I totally agree with it.
20. In her free time, she writes novels. _________________, she also writes poetry.
21. _________________ I am watching my favorite television show, I hate to be disturbed.
22. Living in a big city offers good job opportunities. _________________, it provides good
educational opportunities.
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23. Women generally live longer than men do. _________________, in the United States, life
expectancy for women is 75 while it is 73 for men.
24. The project lacked originality, efficiency and functionality. _________________, it was a
complete failure for the company.
25. _________________ taking care of the baby, the babysitter preferred to sit on the couch
and sleep.
26. He is a very optimistic person _________________ his girlfriend is really dark and pessimistic.
27. _________________ she had slept for hours, she was still feeling exhausted because of her
very busy work schedule.
28. _________________ men hunt Asian elephants in large numbers, they face extinction.
C. Rewrite the following sentences using the connectors given.
1. It started raining suddenly, so we decided not to go to the seaside. (because)
_____________________________________________________________________
2. I like playing golf but I cannot find time to play it. (however)
______________________________________________________________________
3. She got bored because she spent all the week at home. (so)
______________________________________________________________________
4. The students do not have to stay at school until 5 p.m. on Friday afternoons because their
lessons finish at 1 p.m. on that day. (since)
______________________________________________________________________
5. Although the road was muddy and bumpy, he kept on going for hours. (despite)
_______________________________________________________________________
6. In spite of having a very light dinner, he felt bloated. (although)
_______________________________________________________________________
7. Although she is old, she still goes out for long walks by the beach. (In spite of)
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8. Despite practising every day regularly, she still can’t play the piano properly. (Although)
_________________________________________________________________________
9. In spite of having a lot of side effects, many people still continue to take antidepressants. (even
though)
__________________________________________________________________________
10. The plane was not able to land because of harsh weather conditions. (as)
__________________________________________________________________________
11. She rejected the job offer because the salary was very low. (because of)
__________________________________________________________________________
12. They could not arrive at their destination on time because there was too much traffic. (due
to)
__________________________________________________________________________
13. Because of not having a valid card, they couldn’t have access to the building. (because of
the fact that)
__________________________________________________________________________
14. He didn’t study for the exam. He went to the party. (instead of)
__________________________________________________________________________
PRACTICE: Brainstorm before you start writing about the following topic:
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What do you think about learning a foreign language?
Suggestions:
Think about your experiences, benefits and difficulties of it.
Is it something important? Why?
Should everybody learn it?
Think about it in terms of culture, travelling, business life and studies
etc.
Brainstorm and write a short paragraph or make a list of whatever comes to your mind.
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PRACTICE: Brainstorm before you start writing about the following topic:
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If you could choose a country to live in the world, which country would it be?
Suggestions:
Think about the culture of the country, the food, the climate, economic policies,
life standards, education opportunities, career, etc.
Brainstorm and write a short paragraph or make a list of whatever comes to

your mind.
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Now that you have learned how to write a thesis statement and completed brainstorming for
two topics “learning a foreign language” and “choosing a country to live in the world”, think
about the two questions below.
Write thesis statements for each one.
1. Do you think learning a foreign language is important for a successful career?
CHECKLIST FOR EDITING
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• Did you include the topic in your thesis statement?
• Do you have a controlling idea in your thesis statement?
• Is your thesis statement too broad or narrow?
• Do you have three predictors (subtopics) in your thesis statement?
• Do you think you can give detailed information or examples about these predictors in your
body paragraphs?
• Did you include any patterns like “from my point of view” or “I believe that”?
Let’s organize our ideas!
Let’s plan before we start writing. You need to organize your ideas. To do this, you can make an
outline by using key words. Make sure to:
 Write at least two main supporting points for each of your three predictors and at least
one detail / example for each of your main supporting points.
OUTLINE FOR BODY

PARAGRAPHS
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Thesis Statement:
2. Body paragraph 1
Topic Sentence:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Body paragraph 2
Topic Sentence:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Body paragraph 3
Topic Sentence:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Now, looking at your outline, write three body paragraphs. As an option, at the end of each, you
may include concluding sentences.
The following pages are allocated for your body paragraphs.
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1. Do you think learning a foreign language is important for a successful career?
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Unit 4
Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay

Introductions and Conclusions
 review different types of introductory paragraphs: general to specific, anecdote,

quotation, question and facts & statistics and practice writing them
 recall and practice the function of the concluding paragraph in an essay
 review and practice different ways of ending an essay: summary, restatement
and final comment
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There is a famous quote that says “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
- What does that mean?
- Can you connect this quotation to introductory paragraphs?
- What makes a good introduction?
THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. It should start with a general
discussion of the topic and lead up to a specific statement of the topic which is the thesis
statement.
THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

 It is the first paragraph of the essay.
 It should be relevant to the topic.
 It should capture the reader’s attention and create a desire to read.
 It consists of background information (3-5 sentences) + thesis statement
 It shouldn’t give detailed information. Detailed information should be given in the body
paragraphs.
 The thesis statement comes at the end of the introductory paragraph.
There are different techniques you can use to hook your reader while writing introductory
paragraphs. Let’s look at some of them!
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1- General to Specific
General Statements
Thesis Statement
The paragraph starts with a general statement of the larger topic and then each sentence narrows it
down until you get to the specific thesis statement.
PRACTICE A: Order the statements in the box from the most general to the most specific and
write into the diagram:
a) Thesis statement
(your own idea on the
topic)
b) Different forms of
communication
c) Using social media is a

good idea.
d) One of them is social

media.
e) Is using social media a

good or bad idea?
f) Communication
2- Asking a Question
2. Asking a question
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It is a good way to engage readers in the topic right away. Example: “Have you ever lived
abroad?” or “Can people live without technology?”
PRACTICE B: Let’s look at this introductory paragraph which uses the general to specific
and asking a question techniques. Starting from the most general idea, try to narrow
down the topic by putting the sentences in order.
a. However, nowadays, people prefer spare time activities that increase adrenaline.
b. Do you have a lot of spare time?
c. Although such activities are dangerous, the number of people joining them has increased a lot.
d. If you do, have you ever thought about the different ways of spending your time?
e. Bungee jumping, one of these high adrenaline sports, is a wonderful spare time activity.
f. Among these activities, you can find playing sports, listening to music, watching TV and many others.
g. A lot of people seek different activities in their spare time.
1. ____ 2. ____ 3. ____ 4. ____ 5. ____ 6. ____ 7. ____
3- Historical Information
The writer might choose a brief historical introduction to the essay. It shouldn’t be detailed
information. Example: As it was clearly seen from the Roman Empire, statues of the human
figure were important in the arts.
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4- Anecdote
You can base your introduction on a brief story, a personal anecdote or someone else’s
anecdote. Example: I witnessed an event in which an 8-year-old boy, pretending to be
Superman, threw himself from a balcony.
5- Quotation
You can quote an authority on your subject or use an interesting quotation from an article. You
can also be more informal and use a proverb or favorite saying of a friend or a relative.
Example I: As the saying goes “money, money, money” or as it is said, “you cannot teach an old
dog new tricks.”
6- Facts and Statistics

You can also include some statistics and facts that support your opinion on the general topic.
Examples: Research indicates that people will live longer in the future.
75% of children each year harm themselves or their friend.
SOME PATTERNS FOR FACTS AND STATISTICS
Research reports
A recent survey shows
A study reveals + (that) + (clause)
A report indicates
Recent research reveals (that) many people violate the traffic rules.
According to a research, some people have…
a report, some people are getting…
a study, students do not…
a recent survey, drunk driving is…
Below is an example of a complete introductory paragraph.

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ARE YOU A SMOKER?
There are millions of people and millions of different lifestyles. People also have habits
and they do repetitive things that they carry out on a regular basis. Some of these habits could
be good or healthy; however, some of them might be really dangerous. Have you ever thought
what the worst habit of humanity is? It is smoking. Maybe people you know already smoke,
they used to smoke or will smoke in the future. Since they are under stress or just for the sake
of socializing or looking cool, more and more people are smoking these days. Even teenagers
are beginning to smoke. From my point of view, smoking damages your health, budget and
social relations.
PRACTICE A: The following introductory paragraphs do not include thesis statements.

First of all, choose the appropriate thesis statement and then write the techniques
used in the introductory paragraph. You can use these symbols to state the techniques
used for:
G - from general to specific A - anecdotes

Q - quotations ? - questions
F - facts and statistics
1. More than 70 % of people work very hard in their daily life and day by day, their
life becomes a routine and boring. Holiday may seem like a great idea for getting away
from their monotonous life, but it is not possible to go on holiday any time because of
budget or time related problems. For this reason, people should find a simple way to
make themselves happier. One of these ways is laughing.
___________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
a. In my opinion, laughter is the easiest way to be happier because it has physiological,

psychological and spiritual benefits.
b. Laughter is the most relaxing way for a couple of reasons.
c. In my view, because of its physiological, psychological and spiritual drawbacks, laughter
must not be the most relaxing way.
Which technique(s) has/have been used for the introductory paragraph?
 __________________________
 __________________________
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2. Stress is one of the biggest illnesses of this age and it is one of the most important
problems in the world. As Terri Guillemots says “Stress is the trash of modern life - we
all generate it, but if you do not dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your
life”. I totally agree with him on its negative influences on us.______________________
____________________________________________________________________
a. I believe that there are three main effects of being stressed on psychology, physical
appearance and society.
b. In my view, stress is very harmful to our health; it makes us ill, it is not useful and it is
psychological.
c. I believe life without stress is unimaginable because it is everywhere and
everybody experiences it.
Which technique(s) has/have been used for the introductory paragraph?
 __________________________
 __________________________
PRACTICE B: Now, write introductory paragraphs for the two topics you previously
wrote body paragraphs for.
1. Do you think learning a second foreign language is important for a successful career?

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THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

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The last paragraph of your essay is the concluding paragraph.
THE MAIN FUNCTION OF THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
 In the concluding paragraph, you must restate the thesis statement. Restatement
of the thesis statement is to rewrite the thesis statement without using the same
words. It should be the first sentence in the concluding paragraph.
RESTATEMENT OF THE THESIS STATEMENT
The concluding paragraph mainly includes a restatement of the thesis. To

avoid being repetitive, it is a good idea to rephrase the thesis statement in different
words.
Examples:
 Thesis statement (TS): Karate emphasizes self-discipline, a positive attitude and a high
moral purpose.
Restatement of the thesis statement (RTS): Self-discipline, positive attitude and high
moral purpose are the main aspects of karate.
 TS: Smoking leads to serious problems in your life in the areas such as health, budget
and social relations.
RTS: There are three negative effects of smoking which are on health, social relations
and budget.
 TS: Pollution, waste and climate change are threatening freshwater supplies.
RTS: Freshwater supplies are being threatened by pollution, waste and climate change.
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SOME TRANSITIONS / SIGNALS / CONNECTORS TO BE USED IN CONCLUDING
PARAGRAPHS
To summarize,
To sum up,
Consequently,
Briefly,
Finally,
In brief,
In summary,
To conclude,
As a result, + SENTENCE (S + V)
All in all,
In conclusion,
In short,
In my opinion,
I think / believe that
I strongly believe that
From my point of view,
 Make sure to include all three predictors in your concluding paragraph. If you leave
out even one point, your conclusion won’t be complete because the purpose of the
last paragraph is to successfully summarize the whole essay.
Example:
In conclusion, there are three ways to be successful at school. These are being
healthy (Predictor 1), organized (Predictor 2) and having a part-time job (Predictor 3). All of
these help students be more motivated and responsible. I advise all students to think about
their health, make a plan and apply for a part-time job if they want to be successful.
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1. MAKING A If we……, we will…..
If you don’t, you will….
COMMENT
OR A WARNING
2. MAKING A I think it will…..
We hope one day it will….
PREDICTION
Can people…..?
3. ASKING A
Are you……?
QUESTION
Have you ever…..?
Something must be done…..
4. SUGGESTING A
We should ……
SOLUTION
People should ……
My grandfather always says “Time is
5. QUOTATION money.”
As the saying goes “Time flies.”
6. GIVING ADVICE I advise everyone that…
 You should also have a final comment on your topic; make a comment or a
warning, make a prediction, ask a question, suggest a solution, add a quotation or
give advice. This is generally the last sentence in your concluding paragraph.
You MUSTN’T introduce new information about the topic of the essay in the concluding
paragraph.
PRACTICE A: Read the following conclusions and identify the technique(s) in each one.
1. During his life, Peter gained a great deal of power and exerted much influence
on the course of Russian history. In summary, he was always completely
successful, he worked very hard to modernize and westernize Russia. His actions
were always praised by his people, so they were always popular. Everything Peter
did was in the best interest of his country. By the end of his life, Peter had made
significant progress toward achieving his goal of transforming Russia. Therefore, in
my opinion, he deserves the name Peter the Great.
Technique(s):____________________________________________________________
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2. In conclusion, there are three kinds of bad-weather lovers. One is the captain of
an ocean racing sailboat, who chases stronger winds to win a race. Another is the
volunteer storm spotter who provides invaluable information. The last is the fun-
loving storm chaser who travels hundreds of miles to get the perfect photograph.
Bad weather lovers say “There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds
of good weather.”
Technique(s):____________________________________________________________
PRACTICE B: Rewrite the thesis statements below as restatements.
1) TS: Noise, pollution and ugly sights are three main disadvantages of living in a large city.
RTS:
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2) TS: The causes of homicides are easy access to guns, drug use and overwhelming
poverty.
RTS:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3) TS: The main points that lead to poor health are stress, bad eating habits and
lack of exercise.
RTS:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
PRACTICE C. You have already written the introductory paragraphs for the
following topics, let’s write concluding paragraphs for them and have two full
essays!
1. Do you think learning a second foreign language is important for a successful career?
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Unit 5
Five-Paragraph Opinion
Essay Editing and Practice
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
 identify the differences between formal and informal writing

 practice writing a five-paragraph opinion essay with reasons, facts, examples and
anecdotes by using the necessary transitions and connectors
Formal vs. Informal Writing Styles
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A Brief Explanation of Formal vs. Informal Writing
Different situations or settings require different ways of writing. The way we write in academic
and scientific settings differs greatly from the way we write to a friend or someone close. The
tone, vocabulary and grammar all change as the occasion changes. This difference in the styles
of writing is the result of differences between formal and informal writing. It is important to
keep in mind that there are different levels of formality. When you are writing, read the
assignment carefully and consider the type of assignment and your audience when deciding
how formal to be.
Here are two sample paragraphs; the first one is a formal paragraph and the second one is an
informal paragraph.
Example 1:
This is to inform you that our publishing company has rejected your book, as it did not meet
the required standards. In case you would like us to reconsider it, we would suggest that you
go over it and make the necessary changes.1
Example 2:
You know that book you wrote? Well, we rejected it because we thought it was awful, but hey,
if you want to write it again, you can do it. We’re waiting for your answer. Bye!
Below is a list of characteristics for both informal and formal writing styles:
1
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Difference-Between-Formal-and-Informal-Writing&id=594208
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Informal Writing
a) Use of slang, daily language and repetitive expressions such as stuff, guys, wanna, kids, gonna
b) Use of contractions (weren’t, didn’t etc.)
c) Frequent use of abbreviations (e.g. TV)
d) Speaking directly and frequently to the reader as though they were a friend or family
member
e) Use of mostly short and simple sentences
f) Use of emotion to influence the reader’s opinion
Formal Writing
a) Use of academic and varied vocabulary

b) Use of full word forms (were not, do not, going to etc.) instead of contractions
c) Avoidance of using abbreviations when possible (Television, not TV)
d) Avoidance of using the personal pronouns such as I and we (These pronouns can
however, can be used in opinion paragraphs. However, it is better not to use them too
often.)
e) Use of longer and more complicated sentences when necessary (However, these
sentences should be clear and understandable.)
f) Use of proof, evidence, facts, statistics, explanation, examples, reason to influence
readers
g) Use of neutral language rather than subjective or emotional words, phrases and
punctuation
For example, avoid using exclamation points (!).
PRACTICE A: The following exercise includes both formal and informal sentences. Label
the sentences by putting the correct letter into the gap ‘I’ for informal and ‘F’ for formal.
1. a) The project will be completed next year.

b) The project is gonna get done next year.
2. a) OMG why did he put up with all that bad stuff for so long!
b) Why did he tolerate those poor conditions for such a long time?
3. a) Kids today are so stupid and spoiled!

b) According to statistics, 79 % of modern youth are not interested in
academic activities and do not thank their parents for what they do for them.
PRACTICE B: Match informal words with formal words.
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1. fridge a) request
2. bad b) purchase
3. TV c) require
4. buy d) fine
5. find out e) investigate
6. go up f) increase
7. OK g) refrigerator
8. gonna h) going to
9. kids i) young people
10. ask for k) terrible
11. need l) television
PRACTICE C: Rewrite the following paragraph to make it more formal. Keep in mind
that there are several different ways that you could make this paragraph more
formal.
Almost everywhere in the world, people use mobile phones. Nowadays, most people
think they can’t live without mobile phones. Kids always use their mobile phones and they use
them even at school. This may affect their performance at school negatively. But some people
say mobile phones aren’t a common cause of behavioural problems, I don’t agree with this
idea. Kids who use phones in class can’t be interested in their lessons and they can have lots of
bad stuff happen in their future. Let’s start with the fact that mobile phones can make young
people do bad things. Also, students can have lots of problems in class. Someone might call
them and they wanna answer the phone. And this might bother other kids. I don’t agree when
some people say that mobile phones don’t create behavioral problems.
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COHESION, COHERENCE AND UNITY

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*Cohesion means your ideas and examples are closely united. (transitions, pronouns and
articles)
*Coherence means your ideas are consistent and logically connected and they follow an
order. (ascending order or equal order)
*Unity means all your ideas and examples are in full agreement, belong together and they are
all about one topic. (no irrelevant ideas)
Examples:
1. Look at the paragraph and discuss how you can make it more cohesive.
Young people attending a college or university also look for opportunities to experience

new things. Young people leave their homes and parents to live in dorms or apartments. This
change of living environment allows young people to experience a new lifestyle. There are
more opportunities to meet new people and to engage in various activities that are
different from those they are accustomed to. You can enlarge your social circle by joining a
club. This can be a good preparation for young people’s future lives. Being a university student
means enriching your knowledge. You can go beyond your high school experience using
enormous resources. Becoming a part of a new world is one of the reasons why young people
go to university.
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Here is an edited version of the same paragraph. Notice how it is made more
cohesive.
Young people attending a college or university also look for opportunities to experience

new things. Firstly, young people leave their homes and parents to live
in dorms or apartments. This change of living environment allows them to experience a new
lifestyle. In addition, there are more opportunities to meet new people and to engage in
various activities that are different from those they are accustomed to. For instance, you can
enlarge your social circle by joining a club. This can also be a good preparation for their future
lives. At last, being a university student means enriching your knowledge. For example, you
can go beyond your high school experience using enormous resources. In brief, becoming a
part of a new world is one of the reasons young people go to university.
2. Look at the following paragraph and find one sentence which is irrelevant and
therefore creates a lack of unity:
People attend college or university to accomplish an ultimate goal: to earn a degree. To

start with, a college degree is almost a necessity when applying for a job because the world
today puts so much value on people's educational backgrounds while hiring them for a job. To
illustrate, many studies have shown that people with a degree have better chances of getting
hired than those without. Furthermore, even after the employment, income varies among
those with a degree and those without. For example, most of the time, a person with a
university degree gets a higher salary. Thirdly, at workplace and more in your social
environment, many people respect a person with the higher education level more. However, it
is not really important which school you finish when you want to earn people’s respect, your
attitude is more important. In short, having a degree is among the reasons why young people
attend colleges or universities.
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The underlined sentence in the body paragraph below is an irrelevant sentence
because it states an idea that is in opposition with your main idea/general point of
the paragraph. This creates a lack of unity which you should avoid.
People attend college or university to accomplish an ultimate goal: to earn a degree. To

start with, a college degree is almost a necessity when applying for a job because the world
today puts so much value on people's educational backgrounds when hiring them for a job. To
illustrate, many studies have shown that people with a degree have better chances of getting
hired than those without. Furthermore, even after the employment, income values vary among
those with a degree and those without. For example, most of the time, a person with a
university diploma gets a higher salary. Thirdly, at workplace and more in your social
environment, many people respect a person with the higher education level more. However, it
is not really important which school you finish when you want to earn people’s respect, your
attitude is more important. In short, having a degree is among the reasons why young people
attend colleges or universities.
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3. Considering cohesion, coherence and unity (run on sentences, sentence fragments
etc.), this student essay below is edited for you with the explanations. Read it
carefully with classmates and your teacher.
DANGEROUS TOYS
It is for sure that technology makes our lives easier. We benefit from it in several ways
such as computers, televisions and mobile phones. Mobile phones are necessary for us. It
damages people. (there should be a plural pronoun and a However, they damage people.
transition)
Although we know about this damage, we still use them every day frequently. (choose one: either
every day or frequently) Especially, we should protect our children from this damage. For example,
children should not take lots of photographs with cell phones since it makes the battery last
shorter. (irrelevant sentence) In my opinion, children should not be allowed to have mobile
phones because of some disadvantages such as social, financial and health related problems.
Firstly, the first (repetition) effect is on their social life. It influences their school life. When
they spend a lot of time on their mobile phones. They do not study (fragment) their lessons and
mobile phones, they do not study their lessons
they do not do their homework. They become unsuccessful. (there should be a transition)
Because of these reasons, they become unsuccessful.
Moreover, it affects their daily life. They send text messages to their friends instead of having
face-to-face contact. And they are also influenced at home. (don’t start a sentence with a
conjunction, use a In addition, they are also influenced at home. transition instead.)
They do not have a chat with their families. They do not have a conversation. So their relationship
gets worse day by day. (don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.)
a conversation, so their relationship gets worse day by day.
Secondly, using a mobile phone causes financial problems. Children usually copy the
behaviours of their friends and try to compete with them. Many companies produce new models.
When children see them, they want to have these latest models. Children want to go to the
cinema every weekend. This also costs a lot of money even though you pay a reduced price for
children under certain age. (irrelevant sentences) In addition, they spend a lot of money on their
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bills. They really pay a fortune every month because they talk to their friends frequently and use
the Internet a lot.
Using mobile phones affects their health. (there should be a transition)
Thirdly, using mobile phones affects children’s health.
Mobile phones cause some diseases because they spread electromagnetic waves and radiation.
These are serious effects on children’s health in the long term. For example, children will (the use
of will is wrong, it should be “can” for possibility) have a heart attack, they may (there should be a
conjunction here) have a brain tumour.
have a heart attack and they may have a brain tumour
Another effect occurs in children’s senses. They may lose a part of their visual senses and hearing
because of mobile phones or their visual skills might deteriorate. In addition, using mobile phone
causes pain. If they talk on the phone or look at the screen too much, they have a headache, they
don’t want to do anything. (there should be a transition)
,they have a headache. As a result, they do not want to do anything later on.
In conclusion, if children use mobile phones at an early age, their parents should think
about the problems they will face. Having a proper social life is important for the development of
children and it is negatively affected by mobile phone use. Economy (“budget” is a better word
choice here) of the family is influenced by it. (there should be a transition)
In addition, budget of the family s influenced by it.
Moreover, children should not be allowed to have mobile phones because the negative effects of
mobile phones can damage their health. Because of these reasons, parents should think about it
once more before they buy mobile phones for their children. They shouldn’t purchase the latest
models; instead they should purchase very basic models which don’t have 3G and cameras.
(irrelevant sentence)
*Adapted from a student’s essay
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This is a sample checklist that can be used for editing or revising an essay. Now go
back to the essays you have written and edit them using this checklist.
Editing Checklist
Yes No
1. Are there any irrelevant sentences?
If you chose yes, cross out the irrelevant sentences.
2. What type of order did you use in your essay? ___________________________
Which transitions did you use? Give one or two examples.

_________________________________________________________________
Yes No
3. Are your sentences in the correct place? Do they
connect with the sentences around them?
If you chose no, underline the sentences and use an arrow to show where they should
be.
Yes No
4. Did you use correct capitalization and punctuation?
If you chose no, circle the mistake and fix it.
5. What can you add (write extra) to make the essay better?
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Student Samples
Below there are different opinion essays on different topics. Since these assignments were
written by students, there are obviously not faultless. There are mistakes in them about
content, organization, grammar and vocabulary. Read and edit the assignments by rewriting
them on a sheet of paper. While editing the assignments, please also note down what
problem each one has and how we could improve the essays. If you need to, please check
the model essays at the end of the booklet. (Appendix A)
Assignment: For most people, living without technology would be unthinkable. However,
certain societies choose to live without technology because they feel a more natural way of
life is much healthier. What do you think about this? What are the disadvantages of
technology in our lives? Support your ideas with reasons and examples.
TECHNOLOGY
Nowadays, the age of technology. Most people don’t live with technology. In my
opimion, technology has three main dis advantages which are health, personal, economic
problems.
Firstly, one of the disadvantageous of technology is health problems. At first, if you
watch TV too, you have eye disorder, so you wear glasses. Next, if you use computers
waste of time, you have headache. For example, you go to doctor. You use painkillers.
Furthermore, technological equipment spread out radiation. You get a cancer.
Secondly, another disadvantageous of technology is personal problems. To start with,
if you care with technology, you will be alone you don’t have to a lot of friends then, if you
care with this, you will be sad because you don’t have to hobbies. Later on, if you care with
this, you don’t agree with family. You are unsocial person.
Thirdly, nother disadvantageous of technology is economic problems. At first, you
use mobile phone too much, you want to the new model. You need a lot of money in it.
Then, if you deal technological, it has a charge, so you spend power. At last, if you use
technological equipment you pay a lot of bills.
I believe that, technology is harmful for life. You use this carefully.
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THE BIGGEST PROBLEM
Technology is very big problem. Actually, some people are think only good things about
technology. Nobody say is bad things for technology but technology is as well as the
advantages of it has disadvantages. Technology is usefull for people life. Everyone is
agree this topic. However, technology has more disadvantages. In my opinion, technology
has three main disadvantages wich are, health problems, financial problems and personal
problems.
Firstly, one of the disadvantegous of technology is health problems. To start with, people
who are inreasted in technology have got eye disorder. Contous if people waste of time for
computer or TV, these people have got eye problems. Also people have got cancer. For
instance, telephones are spread out radiation. Therefore people who are interested in
phones, people are very put on weight because continuous they live by TV. Also, these
people eat and drink something.
Secondly, another disadvantage of technology is financial problems. Frist of all, when
technology is develop, technological’s tools are very expensive. For example, nowadays
continuous produces new phones. We want to buy new phones so we are paying more
money. Moreover, fast technological developmets are affecting the people.people always
want to better than old tools. Finally, increasingly technological equipments are increasing.
Also, technological tools are increasing per person. Therefore people certainly affected by
money.
Thirdly, the other disadvantage of technology is personal problems. To start with, people
are waste of time. After people feel alone because people only intreast in technology,
affected people’s work and school life. For example, performance can fall down at work.
Finally, causes psychological problems. People can annoying and they can harm themselves.
As you can see, technology is the causes of the health problems, financial problems and
personal problems. I think this reason is very important for our life. We should less dealing
with technology.
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Assignment: Every year, many people graduate from high School and university. On the
other hand, many people fail to graduate because they do not have the skills to be successful.
What do you think are the ways to be successful at school? Support your ideas with reasons
and examples.
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL LIFE

We are living in the 21st century. Education is very important in our lives. The
education is necessary for find a good job and more money. Being successful at school is
significant for all of. There are three reasons of being successful at school which listening
carefully, studying hard and loving school.
First of all, the more you listen to the lesson carefully, you will be successful. To start
with, you should only interested in lesson. For example, you do not use mobilemobiles.
Also, people should not talk with their friends and they should warn other students who
makes noise. Then some foods are very usual to good concentration such as fish and
food which has B vitamin and proteins.
Secondly, loving school is big factor to be successful at school. If you have hard
working friends and good friendship, you can be successful. For example, you can study
lessons together. Moreover, You should love teacher and should not feel shy. If you do not
understand anything, you should ask it. Furthermore, you should want to go to school.
When you are enthusiastic person, you can be successful.
Lastly, if you want to be successful student in your school lie, you must study hard.
To start with, you should do your homework. You listen to teacher and take note. If you do
not know its you can ask your friends. Also, studying day to day is very significant. You
should do repeat everyday. Then, the more you do extra exercise, you will learn lots of
information about your lessons. For example, you can do progress tests and exercise in
workbooks.
As you can see, being successful at school is not easy so people should do
whatever I say. I strongly believe, everyone is not successful person but people who wants
and studies can succeed.
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BEING SUCCESSFUL AT SCHOOL
Success is the more important factor in our lives because success makes us
stronger. Academic success affects our life. Due to being successful in school is
necessary. How do students to be successful at school? I believe that, having a goal,
studying regularly and searching for new information are three ways to be successful at
school.
Firstly, people who want to be successful at school should have a goal. To start with,
students think about future career and they worry about it. If they have a good aim about
future, they will get a good job. Moreover, students confused about their future life. They
have a goal because they want to be a successful and it makes them satisfied. Besides,
university education is very important aim for students. Most of the high school students
have a university goal.
Secondly, studying regularly makes students successful at school. Making a plan is
necessary way of the studying regularly. If the students make a plan for studying, they
will be more successful. Also, students use the time properly. Therefore, they spend time on
their hobbies. Furthermore, studying regularly makes students relax. They don’t worry
before the exams.
Finally, searching for new information helps to being successful. Students should
like learning new things and they should use them. In addition, if they search new thing,
they will improve themselves. They might be self-confident. Besides, curiosity for new
things helps searching. It is good way to searching new information.
In short, there are three ways for being successful at school such as having a goal,
studying regularly and searching for new information. To my way of thinking, students
should believe that they might be successful. Our ancestors said that “Believing is the half
way of being successful”.
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Assignment: People always want to learn about the things going on around. To do so,
they read daily newspapers or watch the news on TV. Therefore, media is in everybody’s
life. What do you think is the role of media in people’s lives? Support your ideas with reasons
and examples.
IMPORTANT OF MEDIA FOR PEOPLE

All over the world media is very common. A lot country reading newspaper,
magazine, watching TV and listening radio. People are benefit from media. They want to be
knowledgeable. Thus, they generally follow to media. In my opinion, media is very useful
because people are learning new information and culture with the media.
Firstly, media is communication tool from people to life. People generally watch the
TV and read the newspaper and so, they learning news of the world. People are take
measures. But if media not common all over the world, people can’t being social. Secondly,
ignorance is very big issue for people. For example, some people learning write to read.
Thus, they can’t being ignorant. Especially students can learning other foreign language
following the foreign series.
Finally, people are curious of famous people the lives. Some people want to
comfortable life. Some famous people set the pace other people. Thus, people usually
develop slowly in their mind.
In short, most people want benefit from the media. As a result, media is very
necessary for people’s life. I think they should follow the media which made being easy
us life.
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IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDIA
A lot of people follow to the media. Particularly, womans and retired people. They
wonder a lot of things and wanted to learn. In my opinion, media has positive influence in
our life. Because we learn a lot of things from newspaper, television and a lot of radio canals.
Firstly, a lot of people buy a newspaper everyday in their daily life. Because they
want to follow daily news. However they don’t read only a newspaper, they prefer to
read two or three newspapers. Thus, their informations and cultures go up. Also who read
newspaper gain life experiences.
Secondly, nowadays some people follow to the media with television.
Particularly, adults. Their cultures and informations go up with a lot of T V programmes,
news and documents. Thus, technological improvements such as television gain
importance with media.
Thirdly, there are too many radio canals in our country. Media, give information to
people with these canals. For example while some people driving a car they liked to listening
music or news, like me. But this is really useful and enjoyable for us. Also people who
work outside don’t watch TV. Instead they prefer listening to radio and they have a lot of in
formations.
In short, there are too many positive influence in the media. But we should use
correct it. Thus, the media reach real mission. I think, when the media is used to correct it
provide us a lot of benefit
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TECNOLOGY
Mass media is very essential for people life. It is the most effective way of
publicity in the world. Thus, people need mass media.
The first reason is broadening horizon. For one thing, if people follow the mass
media, people can learn correct and more information about everything. Second, if
people follow the mass media, mass media can change their decision and attitude. By this
way, people can make correct choose. Lastly, mass media can change people’s behaviour.
Such as, when people are angry with something, mass media can provide to have a great to
people.
The second reason is following technology. for example people follow the
technology they can learn everything also, they can read book, watch TV so people can
develop yourself. Second, when they learn something from the media, they can
communicate with other people so, other people get information.
The third reason is learning other culture. for example when people people learn
other culture, them can easy communication other people. Second, when people learn other
culture, their decision and attitude can change. Lastly, if, them know other culture, them
behaviour can change.
In conclusion, mass media is very necessary for people. People should follow
everything from mass media.
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References:
 Kirschner, L., Mandell, S. (2009). Writing First. Bedford/St. Martins. Boston. pp. 178-
181.
 Boardman, Cynthia A. and Jia Frydenberg (2008). Writing to Communicate 2:
Paragraphs and Essays. NY: Pearson Education.
 http://followthefoodlink.wordpress.com/tag/disposable-income/
 http://www.ielts-exam.net
 http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/bar_internet.htm
 http://www.exchange-rates.org/history/TRY/GBP/G
 http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/pie_elec.htm
 http://www.exchange-rates.org/history/TRY/GBP/G (data taken from 2011)
 http://blakehagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/childhood-obesity-graph-
500x334.gif
 http://ieltszone.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/3/6/5936587/ieltsgraphs.solved1.pdf
 http://fillingthegap.slo.nl/materiaal/building_knowledge/
Booklet_formal_vs_informal_English.pdf/
 http://www.ielts-exam.net
 http://www.ielts-uk.com/page/3
 http://ieltszone.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/3/6/5936587/ieltsgraphs.solved1.pdf
 http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/teachers/sample%20student%20essays/
childrch1for.htm
 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/tr/s%C3%B6zl%C3%BCk/ingilizce/in-terms-of-
something
 https://www.uwb.edu/wacc/what-we-do/eslhandbook/coherence
 https://www.enago.com/academy/coherence-academic-writing-tips-strategies/
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END OF UNIT CHECKS
Complete the end of unit checks on the following pages to check your progress. You may ask
your teacher for help.
Unit 1: End of unit check
1. Underline the topic in the assignment below and circle the question.
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People have different opinions about graffiti. Some people are strict about the rules of
art and they think that graffiti is a crime but not an art. What do you think? Do you
think graffiti can be considered as art?
2. Brainstorm about art and graffiti. You can do freewriting or make a list.
3. Organize your ideas about art and graffiti. You can make a chart or mind map.
4. Make an outline about art and graffiti.
Topic Sentence: ___________________________________________________________________

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5. Now, write your paragraph about art and graffiti.
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Write a statistical data paragraph by analysing the graph below. First, make an outline.
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1. The number of books read by Preparatory Class Students
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2010 2011 2012 2013
Male Female
the first bars: male second bars: female
Outline
Topic Sentence:
Main Point 1:
Detail:
Main Point 2:
Detail:
Main Point 3:
Detail:
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1. Which one is a proper thesis statement? Why?
a) Smoking at an early age might be good for some people.

b) Is smoking at an early age harmful?
c) Smoking at an early age
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d) Smoking at an early age is harmful physically, mentally and economically.
2. Use the correct transition (for a), conjunction (for b) and preposition (for c) in the
sentences below. There might be more than one correct answer.
a) We wanted to leave at 8:00. ____________, Mike arrived too late.

b) ___________ she wanted to graduate as soon as possible, she took ten courses in a
semester.
c) ___________ having a large house with two swimming pools, he continued to live in
a small apartment in a ghetto.
3. Write three predictors for the thesis statement below. Then write three body
paragraphs for these predictors on the next page.
Going abroad after graduating from university is a good idea because

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1. Write an introductory paragraph for the thesis statement you wrote on page 149. Choose
one of techniques you have studied for writing an introductory paragraph.
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2. Write a concluding paragraph for the introductory paragraph you wrote in the previous
exercise. Do not forget to restate the thesis statement and choose one of the techniques you
have studied to make a final comment.
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1. Which one is formal and which one is informal? Why?

a) As the price of five dollars was reasonable, I did not hesitate to make the purchase.
b) It was, like, five bucks, so I was like “okay.”
2. Which paragraph
a) is incoherent?
b) does not have unity?
c) does not have cohesion?
Give reasons.
Paragraph 1: The hotel is famous. It is one of the most well-

known hotels in the country. The latest international dance competition was held at the hotel.
The hotel spent a lot of money to advertise the event. Because the hotel wanted to gain
international reputation. But not many people attended the event.
Paragraph 2: Dogs are canines that people domesticated a long time ago. Wolves are the
predecessors of dogs and they help people in a variety of ways. There are various reasons for
owning a dog and the most important one is companionship.
Paragraph 3: The Greek islands are a perfect place to go on holiday. There are literally
hundreds of islands to choose from. Athens is the rather overcrowded and polluted capital of
Greece. Many of the Greek islands are still very unspoiled and quiet. For those wanting more
excitement, there are islands with plenty of bars and restaurants. Getting to the islands could
not be easier; there are regular ferry connections to all the main islands from Athens and
Raffina. Some people can feel rather unwell when travelling by boat.
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Appendix A
Model Essays
1. Assignment: For most people, living without technology would be unthinkable.

However, certain societies choose to live without technology because they feel a more
natural way of life is much healthier. What do you think about this topic? What are the
disadvantages of technology in our lives? Support your ideas with reasons and
examples.
Disadvantages of Technology
Technology plays a part in everybody’s life and nobody can deny that it makes life
easier. However, some people feel that despite the advantages, there are many
disadvantages of technology. I agree with these people and in my opinion, technology
causes many problems for people in terms of their health, intelligence and social skills.
The first disadvantage of technology is the negative effect it has on people’s health.
Firstly and most obviously, technology has led to a rise in obesity because people sit in front
of the computer and do not move; thus, they become bigger. Another related reason that
affects people’s health is the lack of general fitness which leads to heart diseases. Instead of
going outside to buy things, many people order the things they need to their homes via
phones or the Internet and this makes people less fit and therefore causes various heart
diseases. The final negative effect of technology on people’s health is that people can
become injured through repetitive strain disorder. This is a painful disorder that affects
muscles in people’s hands when they repeatedly type text messages or click when they are
playing computer games. To summarise, technology has many adverse impacts on people’s
health.
Another disadvantage of technology is the decrease it can cause in people’s intelligence.
To begin with, people’s command of grammar knowledge has worsened because of
technology. This has happened because people find using the shortened forms for text
messages and emails more practical. However, they forget what the correct forms are when
it comes to writing essays or formal e-mails. In addition, people are less able to solve
problems than they used to be. This is because people have an easy and quick access to any
kind of information thanks to the Internet. They can find solutions for all possible problems
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by googling terms on the Internet and thus they no longer have to think for themselves. A
final decrease in people’s intelligence caused by technology is that people find it more
difficult to read complex texts nowadays because they are used to having complicated
information delivered to them in the form of a video. There is no longer any need to have
patience to concentrate on long texts because there are video alternatives introducing the
same information for sure. To sum up, grammar, reading and problem-solving abilities have
all suffered because of technology.
The final disadvantage of technology is the negative effect it has had on people’s social
lives. To begin with, people do not meet up with people face to face any more and they do
not know how to communicate with the people they do not know. This means it is difficult
for people to make new friends and thus they choose to stay at home and they feel lonely.
Moreover, people do not make the effort to keep in contact with good friends because they
think they can just send them a text message once a month and that is enough. Forgetting
the importance of getting in touch with someone in person, people neglect their friends.
This means that friendships are becoming weaker. Finally, since technology rules many
aspects of people’s lives, people do not take up hobbies outside their homes because they
want to spend all their time on the Internet or in front of the television. This means that
there are fewer chances to have a good reason to go outside and socialize. To conclude,
technology has negatively affected how people interact with each other.
In conclusion, the three main disadvantages of technology in our lives are its negative
effects on health, intelligence and social life issues. If people want to have long, healthy and
fulfilling lives, they should try to balance the use of technology with exercise, academic
reading and an active social life.
2. Assignment: Every year many people graduate from high school and university. On the
other hand, every year many people fail to graduate because they do not have the skills to
be successful. What do you think are the ways to be successful at school? Support your
ideas with reasons and examples.
Success at School
School is a very important part of people’s lives. If people take advantage of this time
period, it can help them throughout their lives. Therefore, it is very important to utilize time
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wisely and be successful at school. In my view, the three most important ways to be
successful at school are being healthy, organized and having a part-time job.
First of all, it is easier to be successful at school if you are healthy. Students should have a
balanced diet in order not to get ill. If they are always healthy, it will be easier for them to
concentrate on their studies. In addition, they should not smoke or drink alcohol. If students
consume too much alcohol, they may fall asleep in their lessons because of a hangover and
thus they may miss important information. Eventually, they can fail their exams for sure.
Finally, students should stay healthy by exercising to be more energetic. Exercise will
increase their energy level and they will be able to study more effectively and for longer
hours. To sum up, eating a balanced diet, not drinking alcohol or smoking and exercising
make students more healthy and successful at school.
Another way to be successful at school is to be organized. Students should make sure
that they know when and where their lessons are and what they need for those lessons. If
they arrive at a lesson late or do not have the correct materials, they will not benefit fully
from the lesson. Furthermore, students should organize their time outside the school. They
should plan when to have breaks and when the best times to study are so that they can
study more effectively. Thirdly, students should be organized enough to know what they
should study. If they do not know what they should study, they will waste time studying on
subjects that they already know. Instead, they can study or read about something else or
develop another skill that they are less knowledgable about. All in all, being organized is
very important for school success.
The final way to be successful at school is to have a part-time job. Firstly, a part-time job
gives students some financial independence. Many students get depressed at university
because they do not have enough money to go out. Having a part-time job gives students a
chance to have money for fun activities. Secondly, students can learn more things at a part-
time job that they cannot learn in books. These things can help them in their exams and can
give them real practical examples to write in essays. Thirdly, it teaches students to take
more responsibility. For example, if students are late for all of their lessons, nothing will
happen to them until the end of their studies when they learn that they will not be able to
graduate. However, if they have a part-time job and get late for work all the time, they will
be fired for sure and therefore they can learn the importance of being punctual and
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responsible. This person would not be late for the lessons. To summarise, part-time jobs are
useful for students who want to be successful.
In conclusion, there are three ways to be successful at school. These are being healthy,
being organized and having a part-time job. All of these things help students to be more
motivated and responsible students and might allow students to learn a lot at university as
well as having fun. I advise all students to think about their health, make a good plan and
apply for a part-time job if they want to be successful at school.
3. Assingment: People always want to learn about the things going on around themselves. To
do so, they read daily newspapers or watch the news on TV. Therefore, media is in everybody’s
life. What do you think is the role of the media in people’s lives? Support your ideas with
reasons and examples.
The Role of the Media
The media is present in all parts of society and even people who do not read newspapers or
watch the news are affected by it. However, there are different views about the main roles of
the media in people’s lives. In my opinion, the three main roles of the media in people’s lives
are to influence political opinion, to tell people how they should behave and to allow people to
know about the world.
The first role of the media in people’s lives is the influence it has on people’s political
opinion. Firstly, the media is used by political parties directly to spread political messages. For
instance, in the recent US election, billions of dollars were spent on advertising through many
different types of media. Secondly, media is used indirectly to spread the political messages of
the powerful people. These people pay newspapers to publish their views and to put these
views on TV. Over time, people start to believe these views. Finally, the media can influence
people politically by allowing people to know about small or not very well-known political
parties. The Internet and newspapers allow people to see these parties and to know what their
messages are. Without the media, people would not know about these parties. To sum up, the
media plays a big role in shaping people’s political opinion.
The second role of the media is to tell people how to behave. Firstly, our personal views are
highly affected by the media. For instance, we are exposed other people’s behaviors through it
and our views are shaped accordingly. We know that we are supposed to behave like the
156
people we see on the media. Secondly, through the media we can see the lives of celebrities
and royalty and we can see how we would behave if we were rich. This affects how we want to
behave and eventually how we really behave. Another related reason is that the media also
shapes our behaviour by telling us what to think about these celebrities. For example, if a
female celebrity is seen drunk, falling over in a club, newspapers often say bad things about
him or her and that tells us that we should not behave in that way. All in all, the media plays a
big role in shaping people’s behaviour.
The third role of the media, and the most obvious one, is to provide access to the news
immediately. Firstly, this has a big role in people’s lives because they are able to know about
the events happening near them and act accordingly. Secondly, it plays a big role because it
allows people to receive information about other parts of the world and become more
knowledgeable. Without the media, this could not happen. Finally, it plays a big role because
getting the news from the media gives people subjects to talk about with each other. To
summarise, the media plays a big role in people’s lives by giving them the chance to learn
about what happens in their countries and around the world.
In conclusion, the media has three big roles in people’s lives. These are influencing people’s
opinions, telling people how to behave and providing access to the news. Without the media,
our lives would be much different and we would have to look for other, much closer sources to
get information about politics, etiquette and the news.
4. Assingment: Sports is a big part of some people’s life and for others, it is difficult, tiring
and isn’t worth doing. There are certain benefits of doing exercise for some people, while
others think that the benefits are hard to attain and therefore, a waste of time. What do you
think? What are the benefits of doing exercise regularly? Support your ideas with reasons and
examples.
The Benefits of Regular Exercise
In recent years, many people have become increasingly aware of the need for
physical fitness. Advice for improving health is almost everywhere. You may see some
notice calling you for doing sports on a newsstand, television or billboards. Although
people who want to sell vitamins, supplements and natural food commercially motivate
much of this advice, some of it emphasize the importance of a regular exercise program.
Such a program provides numerous benefits if it consists of at least thirty minutes three
157
times a week and if a person's physician approves it. I believe that regular exercise
releases tension, improves appearance and increases stamina.
First of all, doing sports regularly releases tension. Tension increases in the body
because of an over accumulation of adrenaline which is produced by stress, anxiety or fear.
Doctors agree that performing gymnastics or participating in an active sport such as tennis
or volleyball for thirty minutes releases tension. If a person swims, jogs or rides a bicycle for
half that time, he or she might sleep better at night and have a better temperament the
next day. In addition, after the release of tension, petty irritations and frustrations
might be less troubling. For example, an employee who is upset by the day's work and by
traffic congestion may rush home, argue with the family and eat excessively. Releasing
frustrations through physical exercise for about thirty minutes could help him or her to
avoid such a result. Planned physical exercise, therefore, can eliminate, or at least control,
tension.
Secondly, an improved appearance is another benefit of regular exercise. Exercise

takes perhaps a month or longer to show its results in a trimmer, firmer body.
Improvement, however, will come next. For instance, a person who is ten pounds
overweight may be able to burn away most excess fat and tighten muscles during this
time, so she or he can reshape his or her body. When the person has improved muscle tone
and even posture, he or she will look more attractive. Moreover, this improved appearance
will provide confidence and favourably impress others.
In addition to self-confidence as a result of an improved appearance, regular

physical exercise produces stamina as well. To begin with, a stronger and healthier body
is obviously more capable of working harder and tolerating normal fatigue than a weak
one. A worker who exercises should be able to complete a forty-hour week and still have
enough energy for mowing the grass, painting the garage, or cleaning windows. Similarly,
the student who goes to school takes care of the house and perhaps works part time should
accomplish tasks efficiently if he or she does regular exercise. Equally important, this
stamina helps to fight off illnesses such as colds and influenza. Altogether, improved
endurance is one of the most important benefits of a regular exercise program.
To sum up, although the goals of losing weight and achieving an attractive,
energetic body are not easy, the rewards are fully worth the effort of having an
158
established exercise program that releases tension, improves appearance and
stamina. A person who does sports regularly feels relaxed, looks healthy, and has
adequate strength for tiring as well as routine activities.
5. Assignment: Most people are pet lovers. They think that pets are indispensable parts of
their lives; they are not animals for those people, but human beings just like us. Dogs and
cats are the two most favourite pets in the world. Which one do you prefer having as a pet?
Support your ideas with reasons and examples.
Cats as Pets
“A dog is man's best friend.” That common saying may contain some truth, but
dogs are not the only animal friend whose companionship people enjoy. For many people,
a cat is their best friend. Despite what dog lovers may believe, I think cats make excellent
house pets in terms of companionship, their civilized nature and ease of care.
In the first place, people enjoy the companionship of cats. Many cats are affectionate.
They will snuggle up and ask to be petted or scratched under the chin. Who can resist a
purring cat? Even if they are not feeling affectionate, cats are generally quite playful. They
love to chase balls and feathers or just about anything hanging from a string. They especially
enjoy playing when their owners participate in the game. Also, contrary to popular opinion,
cats can be trained. A cat, just like dogs, can be trained to avoid unwanted behaviour or
perform tricks by using rewards and punishments. In this way, they provide really good
companionship for people.
In the second place, cats are civilized members of the household. Unlike dogs, cats do
not bark or make other loud noises. Most cats do not even meow very often. They generally
lead a quiet existence. Cats also do not often have "accidents." Mother cats train their
kittens to use the litter box and most cats will use it without fail from that time on. Even stray
cats usually understand the concept when they are shown the box and will use it regularly.
Lastly, one of the most attractive features of cats as pets is their ease of care. Cats do
not have to be walked. They get plenty of exercise in the house as they play and they do
their business in the litter box. Cleaning a litter box is a quick and easy procedure. Cats also
take care of their own grooming. Bathing a cat is almost never necessary because under
ordinary circumstances cats clean themselves. In addition, cats can be left home alone for a
few hours without fear. Unlike some pets, most cats will not destroy the furniture when left
159
alone. They are content to go about their usual activities until their owners return.
All in all, cats are the ideal pets. They are low maintenance, civilized companions and
they are easy to look after. It is always a good idea to have a cat. People who have small
living space or less time for pet care should appreciate these characteristics of cats.
Appendix B: Extra Assignments
A. Look at the outline given below, study the ideas and write an essay. Do not forget
that the number of details in each body paragraph is optional.
1. Thesis Statement: In my view, it is not a good idea to have kids at an early age for a woman.
Body Paragraph -1- Topic Sentence: It may affect her career in a bad way.
* hard to find a job
* hard to work flexible hours
* business trips are not possible / you cannot get promoted (you may choose one)
Body Paragraph -2- Topic Sentence: She cannot live her life to the fullest or in a way she likes.
* cannot travel / cannot spend time with her friends (you may choose one)
* cannot go out at night
Body Paragraph -3- Topic Sentence: As young people are usually inexperienced, this may highly
affect her relationship with the child.
* difficult to look after a baby
* can treat the kids in a bad way or with impatience
* regret the decision
B. Write opinion essays on the following questions.
2. Doing voluntary work for charities and raising money for them are popular activities around
the world. In some countries, it is even an obligatory duty that you need to complete as a
citizen. What do you think about charity organizations? Should people participate in charity
organizations? Why? Support your ideas with reasons and examples.
3. There are always things that you can do at a certain age. Some old people say the best thing
when you become retired is just to relax and have enough time to travel. Some others state
that teenage years are better. What do you think are the best things about being your age?
Support your ideas with reasons and examples.
160
4. Most peope claim that they have the worst job in the world. Everybody can find something
to complain about their jobs. However, there are obviously some jobs which are more
challenging, risky and difficult. What do you think is the worst job in the world?
5. Children born after 2000 are called the techno-kids because they were born in the age of
technology. Therefore, it is vital for them to be good at using those in order to be successful
both in their daily lives and future careers. Do you think using computers and the Internet
develop important skills in young people? In what ways? Support your ideas with reasons and
examples.
6. Some parents let their babies sit in front of the TV so that they can do what they want while
the baby is sitting there for hours. However, some researchers claim that spending time with
the baby helps the baby more than letting him / her watch baby channels in terms of
developing some skills for life. They also add that children and babies need to spend more time
with their parents. Do you think children need more play time in order to develop into healthy
adults? Why? Support your ideas with reasons and examples.
161
7. Write a statistical data paragraph for the following graph / chart.
Wheat exports by country in millions of tonnes

5
4.5
3.5
2.5
1.5
0.5
0
1985 1986 1987 1988
Canada the USA
line beginning at 4: the USA line beginning at 4.5: Canada
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
162
8. Write a statistical data paragraph for the following graphs / charts.
Land use in Britain, 1900-2000
1900 2000
3; 3% 2; 2%
9; 9%
19; 19%
10; 10%
46; 46% 13; 13%

14; 14%
65; 64%
20; 20%
agricultural 65% residential 14% public 10% industrial 9% commercial 2% agricultural 19% residential 13% public 20% industrial 46% commercial 2%
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
163
164
9. Write a statistical data paragraph for the following graph / chart.
The amount of sales and expenses in Dunder Mifflin Paper Company
first bars: sales second bars: expenses
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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165
ERROR CORRECTION SYMBOLS
VOCABULARY
ADD A WORD/WORDS : I arrived in Brighton the 1st.
WW
WW WRONG WORD : My father has 61 years old.
WF
WF WORD FORM : It takes he 15 minutes to get
there.
SP
SP SPELLING : confortable
C C
C CAPITALIZATION : both of them like Languages.
GRAMMAR
WT
WT WRONG TENSE : In the last few weeks, you had
fun.
VF
VF VERB FORM : The Titanic sunk very quickly.
WO
WO WORD ORDER : I have not seen yet London.
A
A ARTICLE : Sun is shining.
PR
PR PREPOSITION : The cat is sitting in the sofa.
PL
PL PLURAL : They met fifteen year ago
SG
SG SINGULAR : The men is very handsome.
SVA
SVA SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT : I loves reading book.
166
P
P PUNCTUATION : They both, speak French.
FRAG
FRAG FRAGMENT : Because there are many mistakes.
OTHERS
?
? UNCLEAR STATEMENT : Traffic is crowded.
RW REWRITE : There are many advantages of

being a working woman is
having confidence because RW
you work and you will work
and you have to plan.
/ SEPARATE : I have a/lot of friends.
COMBINE : When he gets home. He starts

cooking.
X
X OMIT : In Britain, British people still
drive on the left.
I am go to school every day.
X
TRANS
TRANS TRANSITION : The plan is too expensive. It won't
work.
NWP
NWP NEW PARAGRAPH : The tourism industry is important
for the economy.
167

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2021-2022

3. Introduction to Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay

4. Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay Introductions and Conclusions

5. Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay Editing and Practice

• write an opinion paragraph following the steps of the writing process.

UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT

BRAINSTORMING: FREEWRITING / LISTING

ORGANISING IDEAS: MIND MAP / CHART

UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT

Freewriting: Freewriting is a way of brainstorming. While freewriting,

After brainstorming, you need to organize your ideas so that your

Here is an example of a mind map:

not enough time to study

more money problems with studying

and studying at the same time.

Yes, it is a No, it's not a

To outline, first, you should choose your best

Then choose at least 2 of your best reasons

Finally, you rewrite your topic sentence or

controlling idea topic

Main Supporting Sentences:

Main Supporting Sentence 1:

Main Supporting Sentence 2:

Main Supporting Sentence 3:

Main Supporting Point 1: Firstly, it is economically advantageous.

Main Supporting Point 2: Secondly, you can gain work experience.

Main Supporting Point 3: Thirdly, it is socially advantageous.

Look at the example below:

Main economically advantageous Main economically advantageous

Main gaining work

Main socially for your CV

Work and Study

Main no social life Main no social life

Concluding Sentence: In conclusion, I think it is a

Work and Study

Remember to indent your paragraph!

Study the graph below and discuss what you see.

1. What is this graph about? How do you understand?

Topic Sentence (an opening sentence

+ Main Point 1 (Grouping data / Analyzing

+ Main Point 2 (Grouping data / Analyzing

+ Main Point 3 (Grouping data / Analyzing

+ Concluding Sentence (summary of

The graph / chart shows the number of students ...

Useable Unusable first bars:

line beginning at 800: female line beginning at 1000: male

Horror games Adventure games

COMMONLY USED VOCABULARY IN STATISTICAL DATA PARAGRAPHS

*downward trends: *downward trends: *to describe *to describe small

House sales were at 90,000 in 1995.

House sales remained stable at 90,000 between 1995 and 2000.

House sales fell from 110,000 in 2005 to 80,000 in 2010.

Between 1985 and 1990, …

From 1980 to 1990, house sales increased dramatically.

Between 1985 and 1990, house sales increased by 40,000.

Between 1980 and 1990, house sales increased by 70,000.

There was an increase in the number of house sales between ….and …

There was a rise in the rate of unemployment between…..and….

There was decrease in the percentage of Internet users.

There was a rise in the amount of rainfall in Springfield.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES FOR GRAPH VOCABULARY

Between weeks 5 and 6, the temperature increased by 6°C. (Graph 2)

House sales increased by 70,000 between 1980 and 1990. (Graph 1)

House sales grew by 20,000 from 2000 to 2005. (Graph 1)

downward trends: downward trends: to describe to describe small

1) __ 2) _ 3) _____