Mastura Kamarudin (Elements in an essay) Page 1

Directed Writing Guide - Language

What do we mean by language?
What do you need to write well?
All these elements would be used to compose a text to achieve the purpose of the task.
1.VOCABULARY
Appropriateness
When we talk about vocabulary, we refer to the use of words or expressions which are
considered most suitable, acceptable or correct in certain circumstances.
For example, in the sentences below, although both words are correct, the second word
would be more appropriate:
If we are to get / achieve this status, it is important that Malaysians check the decline in
the standard of English.
Make the library a place to visit every time you find the chance / opportunity.
Newspapers contain many / a variety of articles on topics ranging from current affairs to
sports.
Do not join the ranks of the unemployed who have not got/secured jobs because they are
not proficient in English.
Let us also look at the use of formal and informal language.
When you apply the 5Ws, make a note of the sender and the receiver (the audience)
because this affects the tone and style of the language.
Do not think that if your audience is your peer/friend/relative, you can use conversational
language which contains a lot of informal expressions, slang or colloquialisms.
For example, the opening paragraph of a formal letter cannot include greetings such as
How are you? or Hi but these can be used in a letter to a relative/friend/sibling etc.
What is formal and informal language?
Formal a style of writing that is very correct and suitable for official or important
occasions. (Abbreviated as fml in the dictionary.)
Informal not formal, relaxed and friendly. (Abbreviated as infml in the dictionary.)
Colloquial used in normal conversation but not formal writing.
Slang very informal words and expressions that are common in spoken language but not
thought suitable in formal situations. (Abbreviated as sl in the dictionary.)
Therefore, depending on the circumstance of the task, you will have to decide which of
the two you want to use formal or informal.
Under no circumstances can we use slang or colloquial language because if the task is a
piece of writing, the English has to be standard English.
Read the following extract, taken from an article in a school magazine. Look up the
meanings of the expressions in italics. Which of these expressions do you think are
appropriate for an article in a school magazine?
One of the best ways to improve our English is by reading materials written in the English
Language. As students, we are surrounded by reading material in school. Make the library
a place to visit every time you find the opportunity. I am sure our parents and teachers
willfreak out when they find us here. In fact, we will look pretty cool to our friends! If
you do not find anything suitable in the library, you can always buy them. But that does
not mean you must have a splurge on books. There are many second-hand bookshops
where books are going for a song. However, we must not get this starry-eyed notion that
our English will improve overnight. You need practice to become proficient. Remember
that Rome was not built in a day! So start reading today if you do not want to be on the
blink.
2.LANGUAGE FORMS
Directed Writing is special. Unlike Continuous Writing, there is a purpose to the task. The
purpose of the task can be any one of the following, or a combination of the following:
to inform
to persuade
to instruct
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to seek permission
to request
to make suggestions etc.
If you are asked to write an article entitles Suggestions on how to improve your English.
You must know that the main purpose of your writing is to persuade readers to adopt
suggestions on how to improve their English. To achieve this purpose, you have to use the
correct language form.
You cannot command or order your readers. That tone would be inappropriate.
Avoid using imperatives such as the following:
Join a club!
Read more books!
Listen to songs!
Practise in front of a mirror!
The task says give suggestions, so you may use polite forms of suggestions such as Why
dont you, or include modal auxiliaries to express ability and possibility like can,
might, or offer advice by using words like should, must, ought to.
3.IDIOMS AND PROVERBS
The use of idiomatic expressions and proverbs are encouraged but only if they blend
naturally into the writing and are relevant. They are used for effect and help to
demonstrate fluency at using expressions natural to native speakers of a language. Do not
try to squeeze all the idioms
you know into one answer. An example of a proverb in the article is: Remember
that Romewas not built in a day!
4.SENTENCE
Structure
There are three basic sentence patterns you can use.
They are simple, compound and complex.
The most basic type is the simple sentence.
If you combine two simple sentences, you get a compound sentence.
If you combine an independent clause with a dependent clause, you get a complex
sentence.
Example:
Simple: My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.
Compound : My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.
Complex : Although my friend invited me to a party, I do not want to go.
Of course, you can use the same sentence pattern because you are more confident of a
particular structure. But varied structures make more interesting reading. It is also proof
that you are capable of constructing sentences with different structures.
Look at the sentences below.
Can you name the types of structures they are?
Newspapers contain a variety of articles ranging from current affairs to sports.
The English Language has become the language of the world and is the lingua franca most
widely used in science and mathematics, technology, business and the mass media.
Students who prefer humour can choose to read jokes and cartoons.
Length
Sentences can also come in different lengths.
Of course, a longer sentence suggests you have greater control over the language.
I should remind you that you are not wrong if you choose to write only short sentences.
However, it would help if you can vary the length of your sentences so that reading your
answer will not be monotonous.
Variety
You will notice that four of the six sentences below begin with the same structure.
(1) You are not alone.
(2) Always ask your teachers and friends for help.
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(3) You may not understand every thing you read or know the pronunciation of every word
you
come across.
(4) I doubt any teacher or friend will refuse to help a student who wants to learn.
(5) You can make an appointment with your teacher so that they can plan their schedules
to
help you.
(6) You can also form a self-help group who can meet once a week to discuss problems.
Sometimes you want to do this for a purpose.
In this case, the writer has used it to achieve a direct relationship between herself /
himself and the reader. It sets a conversational tone and sounds less impersonal.
A repetition of such a pattern can also be for emphasis.
However, you can improve on the paragraph below by changing the structure, for
example,
Original: (5) You can make an appointment with your teachers so that they can plan their
schedules to help you.
Revised: Why dont you make an appointment with your teacher so that they can plan
their schedule to help you.
Original: (6) You can also form a self-help group who can meet once a week to discuss
problems.
Revised: Alternatively, you can form a self-help group who can meet once a week to
discuss problems.
Remember, style of writing varies depending on the task.
Although the guidelines given here may not be appropriate for all the writing tasks, the
rules of grammar apply across the board.
Essay Writing: Paragraph and sentence structure



Paragraphing

Paragraphing is another important feature of essay structure. Paragraphs are units of
thought which help to break a large body of text into smaller sections so that it is easier
to read and to understand. In a well-constructed essay each new point in the argument is
presented and developed in a new paragraph.

Each paragraph of an essay should contain:
a topic sentence, and
one or more supporting sentences
The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. While it is often the opening
sentence, it can also occur in other positions within the paragraph, and may even be the
final sentence. The remaining sentences elaborate upon, and provide evidence for, the
idea expressed in the topic sentence. There are many ways in which they can do this.
Some possible techniques are: definition, classification, analysis, examples and statistics,
comparison and contrast, examination of cause and effect.

Example of paragraph structure

topic
sentence
Whether exercise can also prolong life, and offer protection against coronary
disease is less certain.
1st
supporting
sentence

A major study of the exercise habits of a group of American college graduates
(Paffenbarger et al., 1993) concluded that those who participated in sport
during the fifteen year time frame of the study had a lower risk of coronary
disease, including a 23-29% lower chance of dying from any disease, than those
who were non-participants.
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2nd
supporting
sentence
Extreme caution is needed when interpreting such findings, however, since it is
not known if those in the non-participant group were free of disease at the
beginning of the study, or if those who participated in sport were
simultaneously following a cholesterol lowering diet.
3rd
supporting
sentence

The fact that the difference in survival rate between the two groups was only
nine months raises further questions about the significance of the findings.


Sentences

In academic writing you are expected to write grammatically complete sentences. This
means that each sentence in your essay should consist of a complete thought, and should
make sense by itself. Using this explanation as a guide you should now be able to see that
"Everyone enjoys a holiday." is a complete thought, and therefore a sentence, whereas
"enjoying a holiday" is not, because it is an incomplete statement which requires more
information before it can stand alone.

To be grammatically complete a sentence requires a verb and a subject. The subject tells
you who or what the sentence is about, while the verb tells you about the subject ie. what
it does, did, will do etc, or about its existence. E.g.
subject verb subject verb
Duty calls. The tree fell.
Subjects and verbs can be single words or groups of words, e.g.
subject group verb group
Extreme caution may be needed.

Sometimes, the verb may also have a complement (ie. a group of words which provide
more information about the verb). e.g.





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Vocabulary
Language
Forms
Punctuation
Paragraphs
Idioms and
Proverbs
Sentences