English Thesis-led approach vs Evidence-led approach Paragraph

English Thesis-led approach vs. Evidence-led approach

Paragraph plans Thesis-led Evidence-led Introduction Main body Conclusion

Have a go at writing your own response! Write about the following topic: Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your other knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Focus on writing! Approaching a question. . . Read the question carefully! Underline the key points Consider what you understand the key points to mean Decide what your overall response to the question will be Think of evidence you can use in your response – include personal experience Make a paragraph plan

Read carefully! Consider the following question. . . Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities? What do you think are the key points in this question? (Discuss in pairs). y po Ke ine! derl o un t good use nts i too much time more productive activities

y. . . ? tb ean sm at i h W good use Is there a right and wrong way to use leisure time? too much time How much is too much? Is there an acceptable level? more productive activities What makes an activity ‘productive’? What kind of activities are more productive than watching TV?

ide on Dec ponse ll res overa your Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

Pro nce! ide e ev vid Write one sentence in response to each of the following questions. Use personal examples where possible. What problems (if any) do you see in children spending a lot of time watching TV or playing video games? E. g. If children spend too much time sitting down watching TV or playing video games, they risk becoming overweight through inactivity. What benefits (if any) might children gain from these activities? Choose an alternative activity and suggest how this might be more ‘productive’?

Pro nce! ide e ev vid When providing evidence, you may need to discuss the reasons for something. Because children spend so much time indoors, they. . . Because of/as a result of Their schoolwork can suffer because of/ as a result of. . . Complete the sentence! What is the difference between ‘because’ and ‘because of’? Because + subject + verb Practise this! E. g. Because he felt ill, he didn’t go to the party Because of his illness http: //www. bbc. co. uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/165_gramchallenge 10/page 2. shtml he didn’t go to the party Because of + noun phrase or verb - ing E. g. Because of feeling ill

plan ake a M Opening paragraph Introduce topic Provide background information Middle paragraphs emember to. . . R Analyse evidence Start a new paragraph for each point Give reasons/examples to illustrate your point Closing paragraph Summarise main points State your overall conclusion

Supporting Points When presenting a written argument, it’s important to make it clear whether you are stating a reliable fact or expressing an opinion – your own or someone else’s. Read the text on page 64 and answer the questions below. 1. arguably according to suggested (to suggest) 2. felt (to feel) 270, 000 workers take time off work every year medical bills of about 7 billion only 9% of junior managers looked forward to going to work only 7% felt they were in control of their jobs

Useful language!. . . when you have more than one supporting reason. Linking expressions: Another (reason) is. . . In addition. . . Furthermore. . . Moreover. . .

Test your knowledge! Identify the mistakes in the following sentences. . . 1. There never seems to be anything worth watching on the television. 2. Young people tend to hear the radio more than older age groups. 3. According to statistics, Americans spend 2. 9 hours a day seeing a television. 4. Ninety percent of people in Britain listen the radio at some time during the day. 5. Do stop taking and concentrate in your driving.

Introduction The problem/issue/phenomenon of …. apears to be/has always been… People have always thought/agreed/believed… In today´s world of…. . , it is important for…to… It is a controversial/burning question There is a dispute/discussion/no agreement It can be regarded as…. . but not without its problems.

Paragraphs 2, 3 In its favour…. On the one hand, …. . On the other hand, Firstly, To begin with, Secondly, Finally In addition, Besides, Moreover, What is more, Furthermore, However, Despite this, In spite of this In fact, As a matter of fact, As a result, Consequently

Paragraphs 2, 3 One major advantage is…. As advocates of … claim/argue. . . As critics point out/claim…. There is a number of disadvantages/weaknesses/ drawbacks/ downsides. Economically, Socially, Psychologically, From a historical/personal/global perspective From the angle/viewpoint of….

Conclusion All in all, To sum up, In conclusion, In summary, In general It seems important to add/point out/remind that…. Surely, it would be impossible to give full justice to…. /exhaust this issue…. To come back to the point raised at the beginning…. The issue/debate is far from solving/resolving yet, but….

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