Reading

&
Writing
Chapter 1

GATHERING
Reading & Vocabulary
Social Commerce: Discussion Point
I. Which statistic in the infographic surprises you the most? Why?

II. How has social media influenced or changed shopping habits?

III. Do you find targeted advertising on social media useful or invasive?

Why?
Understanding Assumptions in Questions
Assumption: Is something that you believe is true, but you don’t have
any proof or evidence for it. Or assumption is an idea without a proof.

Examples:
How can women compete successfully against men when running a
Crowdfunding campaign?
The interviewer assumes that women are less able to run a successful
Crowdfunding campaign.
How sure can I be that I’ll get that large amount of funding I want?
The interviewer in this statement assumes that it’s possible that she gets a
large amount of fund through Crowdfunding.
Study Skills:

Proofreading means re-reading your own

work or someone else’s piece of writing in
order to catch mistakes like typos,
grammatical errors, formatting errors, and
missing words. When we proofread a text,
we look for CUPS errors. CUPS stands for
Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation &
Spelling.
Vocabulary Development: Synonyms and Register
Synonyms: A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as
another in the language.
Happy Joyful Elated

Begin Start Launch

Amazing Incredible Fantastic

Ask Inquire Interrogate

Help Assist Support

Quiet Calm Peaceful

Destroy Ruin Demolish

Vocabulary Development: Synonyms and Register
Register:
 In simple words, we can say that register means how formal and informal
your language is, especially in writing. Register basically refers to the way
grammar, words, and expressions are selected, especially for a piece of writing
to make it appropriate for its intended context.
 It depends on the type of message you are communicating and who you are
communicating to.
 Think of the language choices you might make if you were writing an email
to a close friend. Then think of how you might write the same email to your
lecturer. You would most likely make very different choices in the different
contexts.
Vocabulary Development: Synonyms and Register
Register:
For example, you can know how formal or informal an email is by its:
 Salutation or Closing: Hey, Hi, Dear Sir, Dear Ali,
 Phrases: How’s it going? Hope all is well at your end!
 Vocabulary: receive, get, inform, tell, assist, help, contact, get in touch
 Abbreviations: info, &, ASAP
 Emotions: Wow, Haha, etc, pls
Identifying Types of Evidence
• No matter how you decide to approach a topic (agree, disagree,
quality) you must provide EVIDENCE to support your reasoning (Claim).
• Evidence is what a writer uses to support or defend his or her
argument, and only valid and credible evidence is enough to make an
argument strong.
 An academic argument needs to be supported by evidence. Evidence
can be in any of the following three forms:

1. Data, statistics, or research from credible and unbiased sources:

2. An Opinion from a credible and unbiased expert (person, organization)
3. Anecdotal Evidence
Identifying Types of Evidence
1. Data, statistics, or research from credible and unbiased sources:
It an analysis of data that produces numerical information. It is stating a fact
in terms of a number. The numbers could be presented in a statement or a
chart or a graph.
Ex: Many people believe that social media wastes a lot of our time. According to the
Nielson Group (2016), 22% of our overall online media time is spent on social media.
Exp: Imagine that you are trying to convince your parents to help you buy a car.
Driving a car home from work is safer than walking. According to a report from Active
Transportation Alliance in 2008. “74% of pedestrian fatalities happen at night.” Right
now because I have to walk home from work at night. I have an increased risk of
being hit and killed by a vehicle.
2. Analogies
2. Analogies
An analogy is a comparison between two things in order to clarify or explain
something. You can take a fact that applies in one situation and explain that it
could apply in the situation that you are currently arguing. A writer could use this
to help the reader/audience understand something that is new or unfamiliar to
them, by explaining how it is like or unlike that thing.
Exp: If you want to make a case for buying a snow machine, you could analogize
the snow machine with riding a 4-wheeler. During the summer, we have our 4-
wheelers to ride around and enjoy the outdoors. We can’t ride our 4-wheelers on
most trails during the winter, a snow machine would provide the same type of
exploring.
Analogy
3. Testimonials/expert opinion
• A testimonials is formal and factual statement or a report about an
incident, an experience, or a topic.
• A testimony should come from a certified person or an expert in the field.
• Direct quotes are typically a part of presenting this type of evidence.
• It will increase credibility for your claim.
• The source you the writer is referring to must be unbiased.

• Ex: All-or-nothing campaign are perceived as less risky. (Economist,

Thomas Kerr)
4. Anecdotes

• An anecdote is a short story or personal account of an incident or

experience that can be used to clarify a situation or prove a point.
• It is a story that author knows from personal observation.
Exp: If you are arguing to increase government funding for a local pet
shelter, you may share your own story about how you were reunited with
your lost pet because of the shelter housing your dog.
If it wasn’t for the shelter taking stray dogs in, my dog might have died or
ended up in a place where I couldn’t find her.
 Clauses of Concession/ Contrast

 A clause of contrast is used to express ideas or actions that are not

expected (It shows unexpected ideas/actions).
 The information in the independent clause shows an unexpected result
or something opposite to the information in the dependent clause.

 The common markers “the subordinating conjunctions” used here are

even though, though and although and they all mean “however or
but”.

 Note: These conjunctions are used with unexpected ideas.

Examples:
She worked hard even though/ although she was tired.
Even though/ although she was tired, she worked hard.

I will come to Kardan although it will be off tomorrow.

Although it will be off tomorrow, I will come to Kardan.

Though he was qualified for the position, he didn’t get the job.
He didn’t get the job though he was qualified for the position.
 Showing
Concession andcontrastEven
(Unexpected
though Result)Even though he doesn’t study
hard, he can pass.
Contrast Clauses Although, though

Coordinating But…anyway He doesn’t study hard, but he

Conjunctions But…still can pass anyway.
He doesn’t study hard, but he
yet….still still can pass.

Transition Nevertheless, He doesn’t study hard.

nonetheless, however However/ nevertheless/
nonetheless, he can pass
easily.

Preposition Despite, in spite of He can pass easily in spite of/

despite not studying hard.
Analyzing Essay Question (Prompt)
o Identify the key words in the question to help you understand the
main subject area and its particular focus.

o Identify restricting words which limit what you should write (e.g.
time period, number of things to write about)

o Identify the meaning of the instruction word or phrase (e.g.

analyze, to what extent do you agree/disagree, discuss, outline)
Analyzing Essay Question
When we see the question, there are always two parts:
1: Topic part
2: Underneath there is the question part
We are going to look at the question part because it tells us what kind of essay
we have to write.
The following types of essays:
1: Opinion
2: Problem and solution
3: Discussion
4: Advantages and Disadvantages
5: Causes and effects
Opinion essay
Example (Topic part): Children who are brought up in families that
do not have large amounts of money are better prepared to deal
with the problem of adult life than children brought up by wealthy
parents.

Possible instructions:
Do you agree with view?
To what extent do you agree?
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Structure for opinion essay
Completely agree/disagree

Introduction (Mention opinion)

Body paragraph 1: Agree (or disagree) reason 1
Body paragraph 1: Agree (or disagree) reason 2
Conclusion
Structure for partially agree
Introduction (Mention opinion)
Body paragraph 1: Agree reason
Body paragraph 1: Disagree reason
Conclusion
Type 2: Problem and solution
Example (Topic): The levels of plastic in the world’s oceans is
growing every year.
Note: Two types of instructions:
Type 1: Solutions only
Type 2: Problems and solutions

Possible instructions:
What are some possible solutions to this problem? (Type 1)
How can this issue best be addressed? (Type 1)
What problems could this cause and how could those problems
be solved? (Type 2)
Problem and solution structure
Structure for Solutions only
Introduction
BP1: Solution 1
BP2: Solution 2
Conclusion

Structure for Problems and Solutions

Introduction
BP1: Problems (1-2)
BP2: Solutions (1-2)
Conclusion
Type 5: causes and effects
• Example: War has affected millions of people around the world.
Discuss the causes and effects of war in a country.
• Possible instructions:
Focus- on- cause and effect essay
Focus- on –causes essay
( analyze the topic and ask the questions why does something
happen?)
Focus -on –effects essay
(focuses on the on the outcome of a particular action or event
and answers the question what happens when something
happens).
 Cause and Effect Essay
A cause effect essay shows the reader the relationship between something that
happens and its consequences or between actions and results.

You discuss the causes or reasons for something.

The effects for something

Both causes and effects

Example topics:
• Discuss the effects of global warming on the
environment.
• Discuss the causes of the Afghan civil war.
• Explain the causes and effects of depression.
• Discuss the causes and effects of inflation.
• Discuss the causes and effects of war in our country.
• Discuss the Effects of different kinds of pollution.
Other topics
• Social media and its effects on young people
• The causes of divorce
• Causes of heart problems
• Causes of WW 2, 1
• Causes of depression
• Causes of terrorism
• Effects of music
• Effects of skiving off classes
Possibilities in Cause-effect Essays
Focus- on- cause and effect essay
Focus- on –causes essay
( analyze the topic and ask the questions why does
something happen?)
Focus -on –effects essay
(focuses on the on the outcome of a particular action or
event and answers the question what happens when
something happens)
• One cause can contribute to one effect
Exp: Rapid growth in population. (cause)
Effect: In crease in the number of vehicles owned.

• Many causes may contribute to a single effect.

Causes:
Increase of road network
Increase of vehicle’s specification
Increase of new vehicles.

Effect: Motorists/drivers exceeding speed limit.

• Single cause can contribute to many effects.

Cause: Rapid growth in industrialization
Effects: High traffic volume
Increase in construction of new roads
Increase in number of registered vehicles
OR
Brainstorming outline for Focus-on-effects method

Cause
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
______

Effects
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________
Brainstorming outline for Focus-on-
causes method
Causes
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

Effect
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
__________________
 FOCUS- ON- CUASES METHOD:
•Quitting a job: you can choose to write
an essay about why people quit their jobs
and brainstorm possible reasons they have
for doing so. Each paragraph would contain a
different cause.
 Focus on effects Method:
• Quitting a job : Detailing the emotional and
financial consequences in each in your body
paragraphs .In this case , each paragraph would
address one effect.
 Methods of Organization
•Block organization
First, discuss all of the causes. Then discuss all of the
effects or the other way around.
•Chain organization
If the causes and effects are interrelated, use chain
organization. In this type organization, causes and effects are
linked to each other like a chain.
BLOCK
INTRODUCTION
1ST CAUSE
2ND CAUSE
3RD CASUSE
1ST EFEECT
2ND EFFECT
CONCLUSION
BLOCK
INTRODUCTION
EFFECTS
1 CAUSE
ST

2 CUASE
ND

3RD CAUSE
CONCLUSION
BLOCK
INTRODUCTION
EFFECTS
1 CAUSE
ST

2 CUASE
ND

3RD CAUSE
CONCLUSION
BLOCK
INTRODUCTION
1 EFFECT
ST

2 EFFECT
ND

3 EFFECT
RD

4 EFFECT
TH

CONCLUSION
CHAIN
INTRODUCTON
CAUSE EFFECT
CAUSE EFFECT
CAUSE EFFECT
CAUSE EFFECT
CONCLUSION
Two or more structures
•Explain causes and
effects of poverty in
Afghanistan and how can
it be reduced?
Cause and Effect Signals Words
• Cause
For because since as result from to be the
result of due to because of the effect of
the consequence of
•Effect
As a result as a consequence therefore consequently hence to result in

To cause to have an effect on thereby thus so

The reason for the cause of
Writing Task: Homework

Write a 3-5 paragraph essay on this topic.

“Outline the social and economic impacts of social media.”

Thank You