WRITING PACK

DEGREE A1

“Writing is easy, all you have to do is cross out the

wrong words”
- Mark Twain
IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 1

Writing Skills: About the Question

To understand what you have to write about.

“Understanding the questions is the key to any good writing”

Most writing assignment or exam questions have similar ways about the question.

Example: Describe your favourite family member. Explain why you like him/her so
much.

Let’s see…

1. Subject matter or topic. What is the question about?

Define it in the most general words.

The topic is about a family member (sister, father, cousin, uncle…)

2. Aspect or focus. Point of view on the topic

What about your topic? How is it different or which one should you write about?

The focus is my favourite sibling or relative.

3. Instruction or comment. This is for the instruction word or phrase.

They tell you exactly what to do.

The instructions are to describe (physical, emotional…) my favourite

family member.

Analysing the question

To analyse the question, it is useful to follow

BRING T
the following steps:
HE QUE
STION T
1. Identify the topic.
ONLY A O
FEW WO
2. Search for the aspect or focus. This is like RDS. EV
the point of view of the subject matter.
JUST ON EN
3. What are the instructions? E IF POS
SIBLE!!

What do you think of the following questions?

TOPIC? FOCUS? INSTRUCTIONS
__________ ___________ _______________
1. In your opinion, what is the best pet? Why do you
say it’s the best pet? __________ ___________ _______________

2. Describe your favourite meal. Why do you like it __________ ___________ _______________
and with who do you enjoy it? __________ ___________ _______________

3. What is the biggest problem in your country? What __________ ___________ _______________
could be the reasons for it? How can it be resolved? __________ ___________ _______________

4. What was the best holiday you’ve ever been to and __________ ___________ _______________
why? Describe it and explain why you liked it so
much. __________ ___________ _______________

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 1

Writing Skills: Planning and Brainstorming

Plan to make sure that you are ready!
There are 3 most common planning or brainstorming methods:

A. Clustering (Bubble plan)

B. Free writing

C. Listing (Just words)

A CLUSTERING / BUBBLE
PLANNING
This method will help you for opinion and
preference paragraphs and essays for later.
You organise your ideas in “bubbles” that
connect with one another.

1. The main topic is in the middle.

2. The paragraph topics are connected to it.

3. The support of the paragraph is connected

to that bubble.

WRITE WORDS ONLY!!

NO SENTENCES :)

B. FREE WRITING
When you do free writing, you prepare your
brain to write. Don’t worry about grammar,
spelling or anything! Just write whatever comes
to your mind when you think about your topic.

1. Write without fear, LET YOURSELF GO!:)

2. Grammar and spelling don’t matter.

3. See your topic in your mind and let the

inspiration come to you.

4. Write whatever comes to your mind.

5. Don’t even erase! Just scratch it off!

BYE BYE GRAMMAR!! :)

NO ERASER ALLOWED!

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 1

C. LISTING
Listing will help you bring about vocabulary and ideas for your
topic. When you use listing, don’t write any sentences, only
words or collocations of words. Don’t organise them either, just
write all the words that comes to your mind.

1. Write in a column.

2. You can also write anywhere on the paper.

3. Don’t think too much, just write words.

4. Repeat the topic in your mind and write any words that come
to your mind.

YOU’LL BE SURPRISED THAT MOST OF YOUR

VOCABULARY MIGHT BE THERE ALREADY!!
Here is an example:

Describe your most favourite family member. Explain why you like him/her so much.

fighting From this bubble plan, we can

Games XMEN see that I spend a lot of free
ice-cream
time with my brother and we
play video games together. I’ll
Games
Movies probably write about that. I love
pizza him because he’s my best
friend!
Freetime car
C. LISTING BROTHER
From this list, we can video games
Brother see a lot of words football
about my brother.
fighting
f!
blf!n
Some negative words
! n
f e!if!
t ! i ice cream
f
nfujn !UM!bo
like argue and stingy
e ! t p p s !6 friends
sj fo ! g bz!
cftu!g J!btlfe !xf!qm
but overall good words
t ! n z ! s e b z ! u j n ft resident evil
puifs!
j z!zftuf uif! !j! meaning that I love him
nz!cs ◢ t ! t p!tujoh v u ! n ptu!pg! z f b i !nbo"" X men
f jn"" ! c !ijn" ! as a friend.
""""!I sz!bu!i s!uifo ftu!hbn
f!
dsb{z" t p ! b o h ! c f u u f ! u i f ! c shoes
-!j◢n! !cftu ohsz/ fx!
tbje!op efs/!Jn !hfut!b u!uif!o
pizza
! u p h f o f w f s f ! c p v
!hbnf u!if! sebz!i /!Bu!
study
wjeefp ! ui f ! ujnf!cv u j n f / !zftuf ! tdbsfe
b m m f ! ! t p z! English
cjuf!ij
n !
z z !j u ! bmm ! u i
v u ! n b o!j u ◢ t
u d i ! i jn!qmb B. FREE WRITING
o/!xf!
qmb dppm!c f!xb dog
u<t!tp! f/!J!mpw
This free writing has
jt!Ynf j m!hb n f -! j
f s!u i b o ! n
! hp!pgu
fo! lots of mistakes and argue
u ! F w ! c f u u / ! X f "!ju◢t!
sftjefo f◢t!nv
di X!hpmg z!opX sometimes makes no mean
f t - ! i o j d f ! W i v o h s
uiftf!
hbn s"!b! !tp! stingy
bt!b!db bn/!J◢n
sense. I write this
- ! i f !i df ! ds f ljf
bmtp b!boe!
j f!b!dpp
without stopping and funny
BII"! u! q j { { ! N b z c
fs!up!f
b b!ep" without erasing for 3 car
uphfui b u ! b n !J!hpoo minutes. shopping
i
QN-!x
kvtu!3 freetime

A. Make plans for the following questions! What is your favourite time of the day?
What do you dislike about yourself? What is your idea of a boring evening?
What do you do well? What is your favourite song and why?
What is your favourite room in your home and why? What is the best birthday present you ever received?
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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 1

Writing Skills: Review and Practice - Brainstorming

There are many ways to get ready to write. In the previous module, we talked about clustering, free
writing and listing. Let’s have a look and practice some more.

CLUSTER BRAINSTORMING

LISTING BRAINSTORMING

FREE WRITING BRAINSTORMING

Exercises
For the following topics, do a free writing, listing, and a cluster brainstorm for each of the following
questions.
1- Do you think professional athletes receive too much money? Why or why not?

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 1
2- There should not be a school dress code at school or work.

Writing Skills: Titles

Many paragraphs have a title. A title of a paragraph tells the main idea in a few words. Here are
some things to remember when you write titles:


- Titles are not complete sentences.

- Always capitalize the first letter of each word except articles (a, an, the) or prepositions (to,
from, at, etc.).

- Do not use a period at the end of a title. Do not use quotation marks (“ ’’) around the title. But
you may use a question mark (?) or an exclamation point (!).

- Centre a title.

Correct the titles.

Some examples of titles

1. My First Day at School
1. my Favorite hobby
2. Is Chocolate Healthy?
____________________________________________

3. My Beloved Ferrari! 2. OUR NEW NEIGHBOUR.

____________________________________________

3. "Free-time is Fun-time”
____________________________________________

4. Spending Time With Friends Is important

____________________________________________

5. Fun In The Sun.

____________________________________________

Write a title for the following paragraphs

_____________________________________

I believe that technology is not always good. The main reasons are memory and concentration.
Firstly, when we have all these technological tools at our reach, we cannot concentrate easily because we all
always get distracted by them. For example, if you study and go on the internet to search for something, you
can easily get distracted and start looking at other things and lose focus. Also, because of the easy access to
everything, we don’t memorise as much and we rely on technology to help us remember. Nowadays, most
people don’t know their friends' phone numbers and sometimes not even their own! All in all, I think that
technology can be a good thing but it also affects our focus negatively and how we remember information.

_____________________________________

My friend Tom is very important to me because we enjoy doing the same things. To begin with, Tom
and I both love art, especially painting and drawing. We spend a lot of time either doing art or talking and
analysing art from artists around the world. This helps us to get inspired and to be more creative. Another
point I’d like to mention is that Tom and I also have the same opinion on shopping and how to spend quality
time together. For example, once a month we go to the city centre and try to discover new places and new
things within our city. In a nut shell, having a friend whose hobbies are the same things as yours really helps
in creating a strong friendship.

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 2

Writing Skills: Topic Sentence

The topic sentence will tell the reader what you will
talk about in this paragraph! SENTENCE
There are many types or ways to write a topic sentence. But all topic sentences should be:
- At the beginning or near the beginning of the paragraph
- Have the main idea of the paragraph
- Be a complete sentence, not one or two words only.
- Make a single point or idea. For another idea, you’ll write another paragraph.
- NOT be an example or detail of the topic OR something different than the topic
- NOT too factual or about your beliefs or intent.
(FOR EXAMPLE: I believe… In this paragraph I will…)
- Should be straight to the point and clear of what you will talk about.

ANATOMY OF A TOPIC SENTENCE

TOPIC + CONTROLLING IDEA

Last summer was a nightmare.

Learning a new language can be a challenge.
Antalya is the best resort town in Turkey.
Coffee is a popular drink in the morning

A. Read the paragraphs and underline the topic sentences. Then circle the topic and
underline the controlling ideas. (like in the example above)
Football is a great overall sport. It promotes teamwork and makes everyone in the team
active. Everyone is involved and makes an effort to win. For example, yesterday, I played with my
team mates and we won thanks to everyone’s efforts.

Most books are enjoyable and useful. My favourite types of books are novels. I really enjoy
imagining the characters and settings when I read a novel. Also, some writers can make you feel so
excited about a book that you cannot stop reading. You want to know what happens next and you
really enjoy the story. For these reasons, novels are the best books.

B. Assign the topic sentences for the paragraphs below

1. When I have my own family, I want to move to a small town.
2. There are some disadvantages of living in a small town.
3. I grew up in a small town in the southern part of France.

____________________________________. There were no more then 500000 people in it and

everyone in the neighbourhood knew each other. It feels good to know your neighbours and to be able to
rely on them in case of an emergency.

____________________________________. Firstly, their future is the most important thing for

me and living in a small town would be more secure. Secondly, we’ll be less stressed and will have more
energy to spend with them.

____________________________________. To begin with, small towns do not offer the same

amount of services as cities such as hospitals, malls and others. Also, students have more choices for
schools. But cities are more polluted and much more crowded than small towns.

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Writing Skills: Review and Practice: Topic Sentence

The topic sentence is the one sentence that announces the topic that will be discussed in the
paragraph. It is usually found at the beginning of the paragraph but can also be the second or even the
third sentence.

Look at the following paragraphs and underline the topic sentences

Listening to English music helps developing language acquisition. Firstly, music is readily available and
learners can listen to it anytime. Doing so is not only enjoyable but also helps learners to learn new words and
grammatical structure. In fact, most fluent students have listened to music in order to improve themselves.
Secondly, with the technology available nowadays, we can easily listen to music from mobile phones and other
small portable devices such as MP3 players. For example, listening to English music while travelling to school or
to anywhere will make both your trip enjoyable and you will improve your English. In short, listening to English
music is an essential part of learning and improving yourself as an English speaker.

Video games have been in fashion for numerous years. They provide the players with the the ability to
develop both reflexes and logical skills. Fist of all, most games have some kind of puzzles or some kind of goal
to achieve. This urges the player to use his mind sometimes in a creative way or in a logical way to solve the
puzzle and achieve his/her goal. For instance, RPG games force the player to find clues and talk to key
characters to move forward in the game. Additionally, some games require players to act quickly in order to
succeed, thus enabling the player with sharp reflexes and quick thinking, otherwise he/she will not be able to
move forward to the next level and go on with the game. In fact, most video games require such things from the
player to measure their skills and make the game challenging and interesting. In conclusion, video games are a
great way to increase your skills, intellect and entertain yourself.

Review and Practice - Construction of a topic sentence

Look at the following topics and make a topic sentence for each.

TOPIC + CONTROLLING IDEA = TOPIC SENTENCE

1. Using mobile phones

______________________________________________________________________________
2. Shopping on the internet
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Learning a foreign language
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Credit cards
______________________________________________________________________________

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 2
Write a topic sentence for the following paragraphs

____________________________________________________________________. Firstly, ten

minutes is not enough to do anything. If you want to to have a cigarette or even eat something you
need at least 15 minutes. In fact, most students come late to class after the break. Secondly, If you
need to go to the bathroom or anything, then you need to decide if you get something to buy or if you
go to the bathroom, this is a big problem in my opinion. For example, yesterday I wasn’t feeling well
and for most of my breaks, I went to the bathroom and could not get water because the canteen is
always so crowded. All in all, we should have more then 10 minutes to be able to relax and get ready
for the next lesson.

____________________________________________________________________. To begin
with, we all know about looking up words in dictionaries, and perhaps finding cities in an atlas or a
description of some fact in an encyclopaedia, but few of us realize that these books can also be a source of
pleasure. Dictionaries, for example, not only contain the meaning and pronunciation of words, they can also
tell us where the words come from or how to distinguish between similar words. In addition, atlases, too, not
only show maps of countries, but also they contain interesting information about race, language, history, and
biology. Encyclopaedias can be entertaining: just choose one, open it up, and start learning about something
you never knew before! In a nut shell, we too often use reference books in a hurry, we should realize that
they can be as much fun as they are useful.

__________________________________________________________________. Firstly, all of the

latest information is available to you, in your home, at any hour of the day or night. Also, on-line shopping
makes it possible to search through catalogues to find exactly what you want at the best price, so you can
save both time and money. By joining a newsgroup or chat group, you can share your hobbies and special
interests, and perhaps make friends all over the world. Finally, email is popular because it is faster than
sending a letter and cheaper than a telephone conversation.

Writing Skills: Construction of an Opinion Topic Sentence

Have a look at the following table to write a topic sentence for the following topic:

- What is your favourite way of travelling on holiday? Explain why you prefer this method of
transportation.
The main reason why I prefer travelling by car is for comfort *NOUN
One of the chief reasons why I prefer to travel by car is because it’s more comfortable
I strongly believe that is *ADJ
comfortable *ADJ
( GENERAL TOPIC )
(PARAGRAPH TOPIC)

Review and Practice - Understanding the question

Understanding the questions is the most important part of a successful writing and the cause of so many
failures in writing. Let’s review what we’ve learned in the previous module.

Topic, Focus and Task or Instruction

The topic should only be 1-2 words from the question, it is the centre of what we have to write about.
The focus asks for a specific or special part of the topic. Like a focus on something from the topic.

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The task or instruction tells us what to do about the topic and
focus. To describe, explain, compare, contrast or express an
opinion or preference.

Analyse the following questions and find the topic, the focus and
the task or instruction.

1. What is the best way to make friends? Describe it and give

examples to support your opinion.
2- Why is money so important in the world? Give details and examples to support your opinion.

Writing Skills: Support Sentences

“If we compare a paragraph to full dinner, then the support sentences are your
köfte!”
Support sentences are:

- The main part of the paragraph.

- Filled with information to support the topic sentence.

- Separated by signal words.

We can make good supporting sentences by:

(later when we learn more about paragraphs)

- Using examples and illustration (support details)

- Using factual data (facts, statistics, details, definition…)

- Using an anecdote or story.

- Comparing and contrasting.

- Giving cause, reasons and consequences.



A. Add some supporting sentences to the text below. Watch out for signal words,

My English Adventure

English is an easy language. _____________________ you have to learn the basics of grammar
to understand how it works. ___________________, the elementary level teaches you all the basics that
you need to know. Secondly, ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________For example, if you watch movies with
English subtitles you will understand faster and your speaking will improve, too. Finally, nothing is
impossible, just know some grammar and listen a lot.

My New Pocket Friend

The new Samsung is totally awesome. First of all, ____________________________________

__________________. For example, ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________. Also, you can change anything
you want, anything such as the home page, wall paper, and keyboard. In fact, the new OS is coming out
soon and even more options will be available. In a nut shell, I don’t regret getting this new phone, it’s my
new baby.

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Review and Practice - Support Sentences

Support sentences are the most important and predominant part of a paragraph. With supporting
sentences, you will support the idea that was made in the topic sentence. Successful supporting
sentences will not only support the topic and convince the reader about your idea but will also connect
with other parts of the essay which we will learn later. They must be well constructed grammatically, not
too short or too long, and with good vocabularies.

Let’s have a look at some examples. Underline the supporting sentences and the supporting
details.

Children who grow up in a city have more opportunities than children who don’t. To begin with, growing
up in a city offers children many ways to make friends and be more sociable. We are social beings and isolation
is not a good thing, especially for children. Children who are sociable have better chances of becoming better at
communication and at tolerating others as they become adults. Furthermore, city children have access to
endless ways to entertain themselves in a variety of hobbies and activities. They can easily take a painting
class or practice a sport thanks to the facilities that a city offers. For example, a lot of parents enrol their
children in art classes or sports club because these clubs and classes are readily available and easy for the
children to go to. On the whole, children growing in a city may have a better chance at having a great future
filled with friends, skills and abilities that children growing up in the country may not have as readily available.

• What makes you say they are supporting sentences? How are details different?

Fill in the missing parts of the paragraph. Be careful! Sometimes you have to provide supporting
sentences and sometimes supporting details and signal words.

Saving money requires discipline and organisation. First, keep a record of your expenses. For example,
keep a small notebook with you at all times and write down all your expenses. Second, ___________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________. It is
easier to overspend when you are using a credit card because you never know how much you really have. If you
have cash, you can easily see how much you have left and when you are running low on money. Third, having a
saving account will have many benefits. It’s easy to keep track of your savings if they are separate from your
spending account. To sum up, following these steps will surely make you richer in the end.

Being a good parent is not an easy job, it requires many qualifications. To start with, you should express
your love and affection to your children. It’s enough to say “I love you” from time to time or even hug them and
show your feelings to them. Another important point is to listen to them. No matter his or her age, children need
you to listen to them and then you also need to show them that you are interested in their ideas. In fact, doing so
will not only improve their self-esteem but it’ll also make them feel like an important person. Lastly, __________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________. When your child does something wrong, you
shouldn’t say “you are bad”, instead you should offer choices or alternative to a better behaviour. In conclusion,
there are many details in raising a child but those should be observed by all parents.

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 3

Writing Skills: Signal Words

Signal words give clues when one part is over and
another starts.
We use signal words to tell the reader that we are moving from one
part to another inside the paragraph. Signal words are important for
the general structure of a paragraph.

A. Add the signal words in the texts below.

First/
Firstly My cousin Mark is an awesome guy. We always hang out
To begin with,
First of all, during the summer holiday. We spend most of our time playing
To begin with,
Initially, games and going to shopping mall. Last summer, we finished 5 video
To begin,
To start, games completely! We have the same taste in music and food.

Spending time with him is really nice because we agree on

Then,
Next, everything. There is no one in my family like Mark.
Second,
Secondly,
Also,
After that, Apple computers are made to last you a long time. I have an
Third,
Thirdly old Mac that I bought 12 years ago and it still works perfectly. Of

course it’s not fast like new Macs but it still works. The OS on it is
Finally,
In short, quite modern and it lets you do almost anything new computers do,
In the end,
In conclusion, except for anything that needs high graphics. You can download and
To sum up,
As a result, play music, surf the web or write a paper on it. I love my computer
In a nut shell,
Lastly, and I hope to be able to use it for many more years.

INTRODUCING SUPPORT DETAILS

Smaller part of the paragraphs are called support details. We often use the support detail to give an
example, fact or sometimes even a description of the point that we are making. We can use signal words
like:

TO INTRODUCE an EXAMPLE : For example, - For instance, - To illustrate,

TO INTRODUCE FACTS: In fact, - As a matter of fact, - In reality, -

B. Can you find where to put the signal words in the previous exercise above?

In some books, those are called TRANSITION WORDS

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Review and Practice - Signal Words

Signal words will help you and the reader to structure your paragraph in an easy way so that it can be
read easily and logically. There are many ways to use signal words! Most signal words indicate a new
point about the topic of the paragraph, but sometimes they also indicate supporting details, extra
information to support the supporting sentence. In the following paragraphs, underline the signal words
for both the supporting sentences and details if applicable.

Look at the following paragraphs and find the signal words.

The main reason why I like winter is because of the activities that we do during winter. To begin with, the
cold weather calls for a totally different type of sports or activities such as skiing and skating. Doing these
sports in cold weather brings a totally different aspect to being active. For example, I went skating with my
cousin last winter. We spent hours in the cold, skating, racing and posing on ice. The cold air felt refreshing and
I really enjoyed myself. Another point I’d like to make is the benefits of winter on our mood. That season can be
a depressing one because people tend to stay inside and become completely inactive. As a matter of fact, a lot
of people go through depression during winter and being more active during the cold season might help relieve
themselves from having the blues. All in all, winter can be a joyful and active season. It all depends on how you
deal with it.

Staying angry at someone brings nothing good in the end. Firstly, when we are angry, we can say things
that we regret and sometimes we may not even really believe in them. Anger can create tension in relationships
and sour the communication between people. In fact, every time I get angry, I feel sad after because I said
many things I wish I had not said. Secondly, if we don’t let go of the anger, the relationship will suffer and no
good will ever come of it. People have to discuss the issue in a positive environment and with a constructive
mindset. We can explain and forgive most things if the other person accepts the truth and gives importance to
our ideas. In a nut shell, anger should be dealt with and discussed openly to avoid further and bigger problems.

1st Idea 2nd Idea Concluding Sentence

First of all, Second of all, In brief, As shown above,
First, Secondly, In essence, In the long run,
Firstly, In addiAon, To summarize, Given these points,
To begin / start with, Also, By and large, As it has been noted,
As a first, On the same thread, To sum up, In a word,
The most important Furthermore, On the whole, For the most part,
point is, In any event, Generally speaking,
All in all,

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Writing Skills: Concluding Sentence

“The concluding sentence is the last sentence of the
paragraph.

The concluding sentence…

- is a final statement of the paragraph.

- is connected to the idea made in the topic sentence

- tells the reader that your idea is complete and that you’ll start another.

- it is proceeded by a signal word (such as: in brief, on the whole, in short…)

Example:

(topic sentence) -A grandfather is a very special person who has all of the good characteristics
of a father but none of the faults.

[SUPPORT SENTENCE AND DETAIL…]

(concluding sentence) In brief, a grandfather leaves memorable and unforgettable memories for
his grandchildren as he forges them in becoming better people.

- (This sentence provides a good conclusion by restating the topic sentence.)

Another example:

(topic sentence) -The main reason why I love summer is that summer brings a lot of fun and
happiness when it arrives in June.

[SUPPORT SENTENCE AND DETAIL…]

(concluding sentence) As you can see, most people are looking forward to the festival season
as summer means holiday, pleasure and relaxation.

- (This sentence repeats the points made in the topic sentence in different words.)
A. Read the short paragraphs below and add an appropriate concluding sentence.

Writing is not only a way to communicate, it is a tool for expressing your thoughts and exploring
new ideas. Ever since I was young, I have kept a diary. I wrote my thoughts in my diary every day. Now
that I am older, I still enjoy writing, and I often write short stories. Sometimes I still like to write down
my thoughts at the end of the day. It helps me understand myself better, and it helps me see my life
more clearly. ____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

My nephews Jason and Levi are like a ray of sunshine in my cloudy life. Every time I see them,
they make me smile, even if I’m in a bad mood. Although they are much younger than me, I enjoy
talking to them and sharing secrets with them. We like to go swimming and hiking as well as playing
basketball sometimes. My nephews look up to me, so I try to behave well and set a good example for
them. I am glad my nephews live near me, and I am excited to watch them grow up. ________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________.

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Review and Practice - Concluding Sentence.

The concluding sentence summarises the whole idea of the paragraph in one single sentence and is the
last sentence of the paragraph. The concluding sentence must be firmly opinionated and it must clearly
demonstrate your position about the topic of the paragraph. Have a look at the following paragraph and
underline the concluding sentence. Which signal words can we use with it?


I strongly believe that watching movies help to learn a language because we listen to the language. First,
learning a language is not only about grammar and rules but mostly about communication and the ability to listen
and speak. In fact, if you cannot speak a language, it will never be really useful. Second, seeing visuals can help
us understand the language we hear. For example when you see someone do something, you can understand
what he/she means. In short___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________.

Living in a clean environment is important because it makes us feel better about ourselves. First of all, when we
are in a well organised place, we feel more relaxed and at peace with our surroundings. For instance, when I
clean my room I feel relaxed and proud. In addition, our thinking seems to be more organised and clearer. Being
in a cluttered and dirty room can make us confused and depressed. All in all, ____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________.

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 3

Writing Skills: Building a Perfect Paragraph

We have seen so far that a paragraph contains these:
1. Topic sentence
2. Signal words
3. Support sentences and support details
4. Concluding sentence

We also learnt these:

- To analyse the question (simplify it and make sure you understand it)
- To plan or brainstorm before (clustering, listing or free writing)
- To review and correct our paragraphs (first ourselves then our friends and last the teacher).

THE PERFECT PARAGRAPH :)

Thesis Statement/Topic Students who learn how to write well will earn better Sentence 1/Example 1.
sentence – make ONE grades in most classes. Firstly, this is true because most Give an example of the
claim about the overall teachers give a variety of written assignments, and claim made in the topic
topic of the essay that depending on the class, these written assignments are a sentence and make a "for
relates to the thesis: large percentage of a student’s final grade.  For instance, all instance" statement.
college students seeking a degree will be required to take a
TIPS writing class. In this class alone, students will write five Sentence 2/Example 2.
- Notice that in this different essays. Secondly, other classes, such as history, Give another example of
example, some psychology, nursing, etc., also require students to write the claim to better support
sentences are actually multiple essays.  According to John Doe, a Professor of it. Support the claim with
broken into two. English at Aims Community College, the average even more specific
- Remember, the more undergraduate student will write twenty-five different essays information (this is where
evidence that is while seeking a bachelor’s degree. This number increases using an outside source
provided in a body dramatically for students who go on to seek a graduate can be helpful)
paragraph, the better. degree(s). Finally, learning to write well not only within
classes but also in other written communications such as
Sentence 3/Example 3. Concluding sentence
personal emails, resumes and work related reports helps to
Give another example. Write a sentence that
expand students, written expressions. Students should
This one goes beyond wraps up the paragraph
make the most of such opportunities outside of classes to
the scope of the topic (an “in conclusion”
practice their writing skills. In conclusion, all students,
slightly to give a sentence)
regardless of their subjects, will be required to write a large
greater range of number of essays, it is important that they learn how to write
example to the marker. well.

Don’t forget:
Topic Signal
Support sentence
Indentation sentence word
Plan
Signal Signal
word
Support details
word
Analyse
Signal
Support sentence
word
Support details
Think
Signal
Concluding
word
sentence

Your TURN!! Make sure that your pa

per is PERFECT
before giving it for corre
ction. Your paper
Your teacher will give you a choice of topics to write reflects you, how you ar
about. Make sure to use ALL the skills that you have e as a student!
learned.

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 3

Writing Skills: Correcting &

Reviewing
Correcting and reviewing is a crucial part of any successful writing.

TIP #1 : Reviewing your work yourself

-Read the topic sentence and the concluding sentence together, are they connected? Does the
concluding sentence feel like the end of the paragraph or is it another point?

-Are your details supporting the support sentence? Remember that the support details are
directly connected to the support sentence.

-Did you forget to add your indentation?

-How about your capitalisation and punctuation?

-Did you add the signal words in the right place?

-Does your paragraph have a title?

-When you read your paragraph, does it flow? Are all ideas coming together nicely?

TIP #2: Peer review

-Exchange papers with a class mate! Sometimes we don’t see our own mistakes, let someone
read it and tell you what they think about it. You do the same for your friend’s paper!
Remember that POSITIVE feedback is important, not negative. No one is
perfect, we all make mistakes.

TIP #3: Teacher’s feedback

-Before you ask your teacher for feedback, make sure YOU review it. FIRST, and also have a
classmate review it. You want to bring something good to your teacher, not something with
many simple and evident mistakes. Your teacher will point some mistakes and give you advice
but he/she WILL NOT correct it directly, that’s your job! :)

Submitting a paper for teacher correction.

Your teacher will review the paper and write some codes
where he/she has found mistakes (see next page for codes
and examples) and it is up to you to correct the paper,
rewrite it and submit the second draft or final draft,
depending on how many drafts your teacher will correct
(Usually only one correction for paragraphs).

Once your work is completed, keep your work in your

portfolio, well preserved for final evaluation at the end of
the track.

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 IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 4-5

Writing Style The Opinion Paragraph

The opinion paragraph is probably one of the most important paragraphs to learn and to master. Not only
is it a common one for TOEFL but also it allows you to express your thoughts about a certain topic in an
organised way. It follows very simple rules for structure, let’s have a look at a simple example of an
opinion paragraph.

SAMPLE PARAGRAPH OUTLINE

The topic: "Lotteries should be banned."
The topic sentence: I agree that.............
- I completely agree that lotteries should be banned.
Supporting sentences: Firstly, in my opinion, in addition, l think...... finally, in my point of view, etc.
- Firstly, in my opinion, lotteries are a waste of money.
- In addition, l think playing the lottery is very addictive.
- Finally, in my point of view, playing lotteries is not really a good chance to make money.
Supporting details:
- Every time we buy a lottery ticket, we have less money to buy necessary things such as food or
medicine.
- When we buy a tottery ticket, but do not win, we may want to buy more and more tickets.
- We cannot use our skills or abilities to win the lottery. The only thing we can depend on is luck.
Concluding Sentence: To sum up, for these reasons, l believe that.......
- To sum up, for these reasons, l believe that banning lotteries is a good idea.

I completely agree that lotteries should be banned. Firstly, in my opinion, lotteries are a waste of money.
Every time we buy a lottery ticket, we have less money to buy necessary things such as food or medicine. In
addition, l think playing the lottery is very addictive. When we buy a lottery ticket, but do not win, we may want to
buy more and more tickets. Finally, in my point of view, playing lotteries is not really a good chance to make
money. We cannot use our skills or abilities to win the lottery. The only thing we can depend on is luck. To sum
up, for these reasons, l believe that banning lotteries is a good idea.

Cell phones should not be allowed in theaters. For instance, last night, l went to see a movie with my
friends. It was a horror movie. At the most exciting moment, the actors didn’t speak and only quiet music was
playing. It was very exciting, so my friend and l leaned forward to listen carefully. Suddenly, we heard a loud
sound, a silly musical melody. The man behind us had a cell phone, and he was receiving a call. In addition, he
decided to answer it, so he spoke out loud to his friend. As it was very distracting, my friend and l felt annoyed.
Therefore, we feel that people must turn off their cell phones when they watch a movie, or not bring them at all.

As we have learnt before, the opinion paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting sentences and details
as well as a concluding sentence. Can you find them and explain why you say so?

In an opinion paragraph, the writer presents an opinion and tries to persuade readers to agree him/her.
Topic Sentence
✔ The topic sentence introduces the topic and states the writers opinion
Supporting Sentences and Details
✔ The middle sentences give reasons that support the writer's opinion.
✔ Writers often use facts, explanations and personal experiences to support their opinions.
Concluding Sentence
✔ The last sentence repeats the writer's opinion in different words.
✔ It also comments on the opinion in some way.
✔ The concluding sentence sometimes asks readers to take some action.

Page 17 of 24
 IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 4-5
SENTENCE STRUCTURES AND TRANSITION SIGNALS
For the introduction / a topic sentence:
I agree/disagree that... S+V...
I agree/disagree with ...for...reasons
I am for/against the idea that S+V...
There are ...reasons why...S+V...
For the reasons (Transition signals, sequence markers, sentence connectors):
The first (second, third) reason is...
Another reason is...
First (Firstly), / Second (Secondly), /Third (Thirdly),
Moreover, / Furthermore, / In addition,
For the conclusion:
In conclusion,
In summary,
To sum up,
To conclude,
In short,
In brief,
Optional useful expressions for giving opinions:
I believe / feel / think that...
I strongly/firmly believe that...
I am convinced / certain that...
It seems to me that...
My opinion is that...
In my opinion, / In my point of view, / In my view,

COMPLETE THE PARAGRAPHS

Complete the 2 paragraphs with the missing parts to make a complete paragraph.

I believe that adoption is not a good idea. First of all, a person who can't have children should just accept
nature's decision because it is dangerous to go against destiny. A second reason is that adoption mixes family
and a strangers, and adopted child can never really love an adoptive family. _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________. All in all, I really think that adoption in not a good option when dealing with orphans.

I believe that a city is the perfect place to bring up a child. First of all, _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________. For example, ______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________. Secondly, ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________. Also, _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________. In conclusion,
bringing up a child in a city has far more advantages than disadvantages.

Page 18 of 24
IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 4-5

YOUR TURN!
You will write your first opinion paragraph. Use the following checklist to maximise your paragraph.

Question: Do you agree with the following statement: Social medias are a waste of time.

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________. 


HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
◻ Brainstorming (cluster, free
Choose one of the following topics and practice writing another
opinion paragraph. writing or listing)

◻ Indentation

1. Technology has made the world a better place to live.

◻ A well organised and clear

2. Classmates have more important influence than parents on a child's topic sentence

success in school.
◻ Supporting sentences about
3. Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they the topic

start school.
◻ Supporting details about the
4. Telephones and email have made communication between people support sentences

less personal.
◻ Signal words

5. Only people who earn a lot of money are successful.

◻ A concluding sentence

6. It is better to be a member of a group than to be the leader of a ◻ Punctuation and connectors

group.
◻ Review and check
7. Watching television is bad for children.

Page 19 of 24
IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 6-7

Writing Style: The Cause and Effect Paragraph

The Cause and Effect paragraph style looks at the reasons and results of an issue, usually a world issue
or a social problem in the world. You have to identify the reasons why this problem is happening and the
result of the problem. Needless to say that you have to stick to facts and that you have to know about the
topic, some research for facts might be necessary.

CAUSES
(The source of something, the reason for something)
because
Example: People moved to Canada from Europe during the nineteenth Century because they had
poor living conditions in Europe.
since
Example: Since living conditions in Europe were bad, many people moved to Canada.
as a result of

People moved to Canada from Europe as a result of poor living conditions in Europe.
is due to / was due to

Example: The large migration of people to Canada was due to economic pressures in Europe.

EFFECTS
(The result or the outcome of a situation or something)
therefore

Example: Living conditions in Europe were terrible. Therefore, many people moved to Canada for a
better life.
thus

Example: Living conditions in Europe were terrible. Thus, many people moved to Canada for a better
life.
consequently
Example: Living conditions were terrible in Europe. Consequently, many people moved to Canada.
hence

Example: Living conditions were terrible in Europe. Hence, many people moved to Canada.

Look at the examples of cause and effect paragraphs

In recent years, cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth's population lives in
urban areas. There are several reasons for this event. First, the increasing industrialization of the
nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many factory jobs in cities. These jobs, with their promise
of a better material life, attracted many people from rural areas. Second, there were many schools
established to educate the children of the new factory workers. The promise of a better education
persuaded many families to leave farming communities and move to the cities. Finally, as the cities got
bigger, people established places of leisure, entertainment, and culture, such as sports stadiums,
theaters, and museums. For many people, these facilities made city life appear more interesting than life
on the farm, and therefore drew them away from rural communities.

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 IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 6-7

The main reason why war is still happening in the world is the desire of power of some countries. To
begin with, most countries throughout history have desired power and it is not different nowadays. More
power means better economy and more resources. For example, many conflicts in the Middle East result
from a shift of power between factions and their desire to rule the country. Also, when a country has power
over another, it develops its general outlook on the world and makes the other countries either admire them
or fear them. In fact, the more predominant a country is, the better it will be at imposing it rule over
international policies and worldwide domination. In short, countries and nations usually get power by
overcoming weaker enemies and submitting them to their rule.

Where is the topic sentence? How about the support sentences and supporting detail or the concluding
sentences? What is different with this type of paragraph?

PLANNING FOR A CAUSE and EFFECT PARAGRAPH

Planning for cause and effect is different from opinion
Dbvtft Fggfdu
and preference paragraphs. We generally use a T-Chart Mppl!dppm! Dbodfs!
where we list the causes on one side and the effects on
the other. Tpdjbm!bddfqubodf! Wbsjpvt!jmmoftt!
Qbsfout! Fbsmz!bhfjoh!
Let’s look at the causes and effects of smoking
Bewfsujtfnfou! Tpdjbm!sfkfdujpo!
BRAINSTORM PRACTICE Fbtz!bddftt Cbe!tnfmm
Look at the topic and put the ideas in the correct column

1 - What are the causes and effects of alcoholism?

2 - What are the causes and effects of pollution in the world today?

WRITING PRACTICE
From your brainstorm practice, complete the following paragraphs:

One of the main causes of alcoholism is ______________________. When some people are depressed,
they turn to quick fixes to escape reality such as alcohol. Firstly, when under the influence of alcohol, most daily
problem, small or big seem irrelevant or not important. The gravity of the problem disappears or they become
numb to the problem due to alcohol. As a matter of fact, it is sometimes much easier to run away from a problem
and forget about it than to think of it and solve it. Another point I’d like to make is that ______________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________. For instance, _____
_________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________ In a nut shell, a major cause of alcoholism can be because people have lost sight
of their dreams and aspiration hence making them depressed.

___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________. Children usually enjoy playing games
instead of studying their boring lessons, so parents have to take the responsibility to monitor their studying and
to remind them to do their homework at home after school. Parents should also encourage their children to study
by buying story books with pictures, ,or they can buy text books or tapes that help children learn to spell or read.
The best way to encourage children to study efficiently is to reward them when they get an “A”. As a child, l
experienced this. My parents gave me a gift if l had studied well, and then I was very excited. ______________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________.

Page 21 of 24
IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - WEEK 6-7

YOUR TURN!
The time has come for you to write a cause and effect paragraph. Don’t forget to plan accordingly and to
use everything you have learnt. Make sure to use the checklist and don’t forget anything.

Question: What are the causes or effects of watching too much television?

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

◻ Brainstorming (T-chart, free

KEEP ON WRITING!!
writing or listing)

Writing Topics ◻ Indentation

◻ A well organised and clear

1. The effects of a divorce on children.
2. The effects of computers on our everyday lives. topic sentence

3. The effects of gossiping on people. ◻ Supporting sentences about

4. The causes of wars around the world. the topic

5. The effects of pollution on the environment.

◻ Supporting details about the
6. The effects of the growing world population.
support sentences

7. The causes of student failure at school.

8. the causes of globalisation. ◻ Signal words

◻ A concluding sentence

KEEP ON WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Choose from the topic above and write another cause and effect ◻ Punctuation and connectors

paragraph. Don’t forget to use key words and to double check with the
checklist if you have done everything. ◻ Review and check

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IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - ANNEX

Page 23 of 24
IAUP - TRACK 2 IAUP - DEGREE A1 Workbook WRITING PACK - ANNEX

How to write an academic paper

MLAto
How Academic
write an Format
academic paper SPECIFICATIONS
MLA Academic Format
Alignment: LEFT
Spacing: 2.0 (Double Line)
Font Size: 12
Font: Times New Roman
DON’T PUT SPACES BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS
OR PARTS OF THE PAPER! (
Note how there are no spaces between the title and the paragraph or between
paragraphs? The indentation is what separates the parts of your paper.

Surname and Draft number (aligned to the right)

Your Name

Teacher’s Name

Name of your Lesson

Date

Title (Capitalisation of important words, alignment: centred)

Body Paragraph 1 (With indentation by pressing TAB ) Topic Sentence (1

Sentence; see Topic Sentence construction tables), Support Sentence(s) and Support Detail(s)

(Should be 6-8 well structured sentences; don’t forget to use signal words), Concluding Sentence

(1 Sentence) (Retell the paragraph in one strong sentence; don’t forget to use a signal word) Total

8-10 Sentences.

Body Paragraph 2 (The same as Body Paragraph 1 but with a second point of your topic

and a different topic sentence structure and signal words.) In other words, the structure of the

second body paragraph is the same but with a different controlling idea about your topic.



Page 24 of 24