CHARACTERISTICS

OF NON-FICTION
 WHAT IS NON-FICTION?

Writing that deals with real events and people.

Characters, settings, and events must conform to
what is true.
 CAN THE STORY BE MODIFIED BY THE
AUTHOR?

Story cannot be manipulated by the writer’s

imagination.
TYPES OF NON-FICTION

Autobiography
Biography
Essay
Oration or Speech
Diary
Newspaper stories
 WHAT IS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY?
A chronological, narrative account of the author’s life related to
crucial historical events.

Auto = self
graphia = writing
 WHAT DOES THE AUTHOR OF AN
AUTOBIOGRAPHY WANT TO SHARE?

The author offers a personal evaluation of

actions and speculates on the significance of
certain actions and events.
 WHAT IS BIOGRAPHY?

A biography is a story of another

person’s life.
 WHAT IS A STORY
BASED ON?
The writer bases the report on records of what
the person did and said.
Bios = life
Graphia = writing
 WHAT DOES THE AUTHOR OF A
BIOGRAPHY WANT TO SHARE?
The author makes an honest effort to interpret
the life in order to offer a unified impression of
the character , mind and personality of the
subject.
 WHAT DOES THE AUTHOR OF A BIOGRAPHY
FOCUS ON WHEN WRITING?
The author focuses on the person’s character ,
career, place in history, and the uniqueness of
the character’s experience.
SAMPLE BIOGRAPHY
 WHAT IS AN ESSAY?

A brief examination of a subject in

prose, usually expressing a personal
or limited view of the topic.
 TYPES OF AN ESSAY

1. PERSUASIVE ESSAY
2. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
3. EXPOSITORY ESSAY
4. NARRATIVE ESSAY
 PARTS OF AN ESSAY

1. INTRODUCTION
2. BODY
3. CONCLUSION
 PARTS OF AN ESSAY

INTRODUCTION
The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper.
It often begins with a general statement about the topic
and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea
of your paper. The purpose of the introduction is to let
the reader know what the topic is inform the reader about
your point of view arouse the reader's curiosity so that he
or she will want to read about your topic.
Read the following two
draft introductions. Which
seems to be the more
adequate?
 INTRODUCTION 1
Divorce is increasingly a problem in society and
sociologists have provided a number of different explanations
for it happening. The first type of explanation can be
characterised as a legal one. Bilton et al., (1987) who
represent this position, say that increased divorce is not
necessarily due to families becoming more unstable, mainly
because they suggest it is simply not possible to find this
information out. Bilton et al. believe instead that increased
divorce is related more to changes in family law. They do not
think however, that new laws are the cause of divorce, but are
a kind of solution for unhappily married couples who did not
previously have a way of getting out of their marriage. It will
be argued in this essay that a legalistic approach like this is
not really adequate.
 INTRODUCTION 2
One major change that has occurred in the Western
family is an increased incidence in divorce. This change is
borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years
ago in Australia only one marriage in ten ended in divorce;
nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 1996). An interesting issue is why this
change has occurred - a question that has been considered
by a number of sociologists. In this essay, I will seek to
critically examine a number of sociological explanations for
the 'divorce phenomenon' and also consider the social policy
implications that each explanation carries with it. It will be
argued that the best explanations are to be found within a
broad socio-economic framework.
Which, in your view, is the more
adequate introduction?

o Introduction 1
o Introduction 2
Introduction 2
is clearly more introductory. Unlike
Introduction 1, it provides some context for the
essay as well as giving the reader a sense of:
o how the essay will unfold (structure)
o what the argument will be.
Introduction 1
is less adequate because it contains very
little introductory material and fails to orient the
reader to the topic. Most of it is taken up with
detailed information which is very difficult to
follow.
Look again at Introduction 2
Introduction 2
1One major change that has occurred in the
Western family is an increased incidence in
divorce. 2This change is borne out clearly in census
figures. 3For example thirty years ago in Australia only
one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the
figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 1996). 4An interesting issue is why this
change has occurred - a question that has been
considered by a number of sociologists. 5In this essay, I
will seek to critically examine a number of sociological
explanations for the 'divorce phenomenon' and also
consider the social policy implications that each
explanation carries with it. 6It will be argued that the
best explanations are to be found within a broad socio-
economic framework.
Which sentence in this
introduction outlines
the essay structure?
Sentence
o1
o2
o3
o4
o5
o6
 1One major change that has occurred in the
Western family is an increased incidence in
divorce. 2This change is borne out clearly in census
figures. 3For example thirty years ago in Australia only
one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the
figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 1996). 4An interesting issue is why this
change has occurred - a question that has been
considered by a number of sociologists. 5 In this essay,
I will seek to critically examine a number of sociological
explanations for the 'divorce phenomenon' and also
consider the social policy implications that each
explanation carries with it. 6It will be argued that the
best explanations are to be found within a broad socio-
economic framework.
 BODY
The body of the paper follows the
introduction. It consists of a number of
paragraphs in which you develop your
ideas in detail.
Topic 1.
Competitive swimming provides same benefits as other sports.
a. Supporting Details
It is good exercise and builds muscular strength.
b. Supporting Detail
It promotes cooperation among team members, especially in relays
Topic 2.
Competitive swimming provides some additional benefits.
a. Supporting Detail
Swimming is an important skill that can be used forever.
b. Supporting Detail
There is a reduced risk of injury
Each swimmer can easily chart his or her own progress
My personal experience as a competitive swimmer
I enjoy working with my coach
I've made a lot of friends on the swim team
WRITING TOPIC
SENTENCES
 TOPIC SENTENCE

Tells the reader the main idea of the

paragraph. It should not be too general or
too specific. Don’t begin paragraphs with “ I
am going to write about…” or This paragraph
is about…”
 TOPIC SENTENCE
Which of these sentences would be a good
topic sentence for the paragraph about
Maria Vega?
a. Maria Vega is a girl.
b. Maria Vega doesn’t like the food in the
cafeteria.
c. Maria Vega is one of many new students
at Veracruz Technical College.
 Developing
Cohesion and Style
 CONNECTING IDEAS

Good writers connect the ideas in

their paragraphs. A paragraph with
connected ideas has cohesion. Good
writers also use clear and simple
language. This makes their writing easy
to read. A paragraph with clear and
simple English has good style.
 Look at the reporter’s article and
circle the words and, but, so and
also. Which words introduce new
information? Which word introduces
a result? Which word introduces
contrasting information?
 Maria Vega is one of many students at Veracruz
Technical College. Maria is 19 and is from Puerto de la
Cruz, a small village in Guatemala. She is studying here
because her father is Mexican, so she wants to learn
about his country. She is living in Veracruz with her
aunt. Maria likes VTC very much. She likes the friendly
students and the helpful teachers. She also thinks her
classes are excellent, but she doesn’t like the food in
the cafeteria. In her free time, Maria folk dances and
draws. After college, she wants to be a fashion
designer.
 USING AND TO CONNECT
PHRASES AND SENTENCES

When you want to say two things about a subject, use

the word and to connect the information. Sometimes
and connects phrases that have the same verb.
Examples:
 Maria is studying English. Maria is studying Art.
Maria is studying English and Art.
 Yoshi likes reading. Yoshi likes watching
television.
Yoshi likes reading and watching television.
 USING AND TO CONNECT
PHRASES AND SENTENCES

Sometimes and connects sentences that have

different verbs. Use a comma before and when it
connects two sentences.
 Maria Vega is 19. Maria Vega plans to be a
fashion designer.
Maria Vega is 19 and plans to be a fashion
designer.
 Yoshi works in the morning. Yoshi goes to
school at night.
Yoshi works in the morning and goes to
school at night.
 WRITE SENTENCES BY CONNECTING THE
PHRASES WITH AND.

1. Ming Su is 26 years old.

Ming Su comes from Taiwan.
2. Amelia eats breakfast in the cafeteria.
Amelia eats lunch in the cafeteria.
3. Reiko is 19 years old.
Reiko likes music a lot.
4. Salma is married.
Salma is a student.
5. Enrique likes soccer.
Enrique plays every Saturday.
6. The school offers a good program in business.
Its recreational facilities are excellent.
 USING ALSO TO ADD
INFORMATION
When two sentences give similar ideas, you can
use the word also in the second sentence. Find the
also in the paragraph about Maria Vega. Also usually
goes before the main verb in the sentence, but it goes
after the verb be.
Examples
 Maria Vega likes Mexico very much.
She also likes the students in her school.
 Janet is in my English class.
She is also in a music class.
Use the caret symbol (^) in corrections to
add something to a sentence.
Example:
also
She is very pretty. She is ^ very intelligent.
 USE A ^ TO ADD ALSO TO THESE
SENTENCES

1.He likes baseball. He likes rock

music.
2.Hamid is tall. He is very athletic.
3.In her free time, Maddie plays
basketball. She likes to swim.
4.Efraim works part-time. He takes
care of his four children.
 USING BUT AND SO TO CONNECT
SENTENCES
You can also connect two sentences with
but or so. Use a comma before these words
when they connect two complete sentences.
 But introduces contrasting information.
Examples
He thinks his English class is excellent.
He thinks the food in the cafeteria is terrible.
 He thinks his English class is excellent, but he
thinks the food in the cafeteria is terrible.
 USING BUT AND SO TO CONNECT
SENTENCES
 So introduces a result.
Examples
His company sells equipment to American
hospitals.
He needs English for his work.
 His company sells equipment to
American hospitals, so he needs English
for his work.
 CONNECT THE SENTENCES WITH AND
OR BUT.
1. Alberto lives with his sister. She drives
him to school every afternoon.
2. Maria can speak English well. She needs
more writing practice.
3. Western Adult School is in a beautiful
location. It doesn’t have very good
library facilities.
4. Maria is Guatemalan. She is studying in
Mexico.
 CONNECT THE SENTENCES WITH SO OR
BUT.
1. She has to work all day. She doesn’t have time to
do all her homework.
2. He likes his English class. He doesn’t think the
American students are very friendly.
3. Her company is opening an office in the United
States. It needs English speaking workers.
4. She likes school life. She is homesick for her
family.
5. Pedro wants to work in Japan. He wants to learn
Japanese.
Writing a
DRAFT
 WRITING A FIRST DRAFT
Good writers always write and then
revise their work. The first time you
write is called the first draft. In the first
draft, you put your ideas together in the
form of a paragraph. When you write
the first draft , think about your ideas .
Don’t worry too much about grammar,
spelling, or form.
 WRITING A FIRST DRAFT

Examinations — good or bad ?

Title
 INTRODUCTION

"Examinations" - This is a word that

causes sleepless nights, a word can change a
cheerful person into a nervous wreck. So,
what are examinations, and how can they be
any good?
 BODY

Topic sentence 1
An examination can be defined as a
detailed inspection or analysis of an object or
person.
 BODY

Supporting Details
For example, an engineer will examine a
structure, like a bridge, to see if it is safe. A doctor
may conduct a medical examination to gauge
whether a patient is healthy. In the school context,
it is the students who take the examinations.
These are usually a series of comprehensive tests
held at the end of each term, year or, in the case
of public examinations, after a few years.
 BODY

Topic Sentence 2
One of the main purposes of
school examinations is to improve
the quality of education.
 BODY
Supporting Details
From the results of the examinations,
the teachers and planners of the
curriculum will be able to gauge the extent
to which the students have acquired the
knowledge and skills of the course
material. This would, first of all, provide an
evaluation of their teaching methods, so
they can improve them, if necessary.
 BODY
Topic sentence 3
Examinations are also used as a
yardstick for measuring the capability of
the candidate, for further education or
employment.
 BODY
Supporting Details
For example, examination results are the
main criteria when selecting students for
entrance into universities. It is assumed that the
examination results would indicate whether or
not the student will be able to handle the
course. In the case of employment, it is felt that
the examination results will indicate whether or
not the job seeker has the skills or intelligence
to handle the job.
 BODY
Topic sentence 4
However, does the school
examination system provide an accurate
yardstick of the candidate's ability?
 BODY
Supporting Details
Albert Einstein, at the age of 16, took the
entrance exam to the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology, but failed and so was rejected by
this elite school. Yet, Einstein went on to
develop the theory of relativity and quantum
theory, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics at
the age of 42. Other examples of famous
achievers who failed in school examinations
would include Winston Churchill, Thomas
Edison and Bill Gates.
 BODY
Topic sentence 5
One may also question whether the
present examination system results in
better teaching in schools.
 BODY
Supporting Details
In fact, some teachers are so pressured to
produce good examination results that they are
forced to practice poor teaching methods. They
may race through the syllabus, ignoring the fact
that the weaker students have not grasped some
of the concepts. Some other teachers may
concentrate on popular examination topics,
ignoring the topics which are rarely tested in the
examinations.
 BODY
Topic sentence 6
Pressure to succeed in examinations
may also be detrimental to the students.
 BODY
Supporting details
They may be so filled with anxiety and
stress that they do not enjoy their school years.
They may be studying only to get good
examination results, rather than a rounded
education. Some of the weaker students, who
cannot seem to achieve good examination
results, may lose interest in their studies. In
extreme cases, students may be so frustrated or
disappointed in their results that they may
consider ending their lives.
 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I realize that examinations

are necessary and useful in many areas of our
lives. However, within the school system, they
should be given less emphasis or conducted in a
different way. Furthermore, educationists,
employers and students themselves should be
reminded that examination results may not
provide the best assessment of an individual's
talents and capabilities.
 WRITING A FIRST DRAFT
List of Topics
1. All school children should wear a uniform
2. Going to college is not the key to a
successful future
3. Eating together as a family is important
4. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
5. Facebook has improved life for many
people
EDIT
AND
REVISE
 EDITING FOR CONTENT AND
FORM
You should edit a piece of writing at least
two times.
 The first time you edit, focus on the content
of the writing: the writer’s ideas, and how
they are organized and connected.
 The second time, focus on the form of the
writing: the way the writing looks on the
page, and writer’s grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
EDITING
PRACTICE
 Edit the following paragraph. Focus
only on the writer’s ideas and
organization. Think about the following
questions. Make any corrections you
think are necessary.
1.Does the paragraph have a good
topic sentence?
2.Are all the sentences about one
subject?
3.Is the order of sentences correct?
4.Can any sentences be connected?
5.Which connecting words can you
use?
 A NEW CLASS MEMBER
This is about Wichai Tongkhio, is a new member
of the English composition class at Amarin
Community College. There many classes at ACC. he
generally likes life in Bangkok. He likes the school. He
doesn’t like his dormitory. He is 18 years old. He is
from a village in the north. He studying business
administration, English and accounting. In his free
time, he play basketball. He goes to movies. He plans
to visit the United States next summer, so he needs to
learn English.
 Now edit the paragraph again. This
time, focus on the form. Check the writer’s
use of third-person singular verbs in the
present tense; they should end with –s.
Check the writer’s use of negative verb
forms. Check capitalization and
punctuation. Finally, check the writer’s
sentence and paragraph form. Use the
following rules to help you. Make any
corrections you think are necessary. Then
rewrite the paragraph using correct form.
 RULES FOR SENTENCE AND
PARAGRAPH FORM
1. Write the title in the center of the first line.
2. Capitalize all important words in the title.
3. Don’t capitalize small words like a, the, to,
with, and at in titles, except at the beginning
of a title.
4. Skip a line between the title and the paragraph.
5. Indent (leave a space) at the beginning of
every paragraph.
6. Begin every line except the first line at the left
 RULES FOR SENTENCE AND
PARAGRAPH FORM
margin. (Sometimes a line for the first margin is
on the paper. If it isn’t, leave a space of one inch.
7. Leave one-inch margin on the right.
8. Use a period(.) at the end of every sentence. (
9. Leave a small space after a period.
10. Begin every sentence with a capital letter.
11. Also capitalize names of people and places.
12. If the last word of a line doesn’t fit, use a
hyphen (-) to break it. You can break a word only
 RULES FOR SENTENCE AND
PARAGRAPH FORM
between syllables ( e-quip-ment )
13. Periods and commas (,) must follow words.
They can’t begin a new line.
14. Every sentence in the paragraph follows the
sentence before it. Start or a new line only when
you begin a new paragraph.
15. In formal writing, most paragraphs have four
to ten sentences. A paragraph usually has more
than one or two sentences.
 WHAT IS AN ORATION OR SPEECH?

A formal speech intended to inspire some action.

This type of text is carefully prepared.
 WHAT IS THE GREATEST POWER OF A SPEECH?

A speech is delivered in an impassioned manner,

and carries its greatest power in its emotional
appeal.
 WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A DIARY?

A day by day record of a person’s activities or

thoughts.
A diary is meant for the writer alone.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN PURPOSES OF NON-FICTION?

To entertain
To inform
To explain
To persuade
 FICTION VS. NON-FICTION

Fiction Non-Fiction
A made up story Has facts that can be checked and
Can tell about things that could proven.
happen. The author is an expert on this
Is read for fun information.
Characters may be like real people
or imaginary
 WHAT IS NON-FICTION?

Story is true and factual.

Stories are about real people.
Book gives information
Might have maps or real pictures.
Pictures have captions describing the photograph
An index in the back helps find information.
Might have a glossary which defines some words.