G.P.+Persuasive,Argumentative,+and+Discursive+Writing+Resources

**Discursive Unit**
[|March 23, 2014]
 * From the Global Pen,** Jill Pavich, NBCT

I remember the first time I heard the mere utterance of the word… It sent an irritation, then an eerie vibration, down my spine. Because with 2 academic degrees, a minor in writing, and a National Board Certification under my belt, I had **NO** idea what the heck it was referring to, **//that’s//** why. I thought to myself, //**‘What IS a discursive essay?**// //What does that even mean?! What is this woman talking about and why does she just assume I know what the H is going on?!’// Stated ‘woman’ above is in reference to one of my fondest colleagues and most respected mentors of All Teaching Time. With a career of 40 years in the field under //her// belt, Deb had taught the first year of AICE: General Paper at our school, working with the ‘creme-de-la-creme’…the brightest tenth grade students in the school. And indeed, those 100 hundred students had a 100% passing rate that year of 2009… Because the 40-years-of-teaching-experience-slash-awesome-mentor Deb knew what the H a discursive essay was, **//that’s//** why! So let’s get the elephant out of the room, now…the million dollar question…the holy grail of essays… **WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘ DISCURSIVE ‘ ESSAY?!?!?** //**Simply put, it’s an essay that considers BOTH sides of an issue with equal weight before arriving at a conclusion about it. It’s an exploration of the mind through analysis. It’s an unbiased attempt to both explain and convince the reader that there’s a case for consideration on both behalves of the topic.**// Discursive prompts //tend// to utilize the following trigger words/phrases/clauses in the prompt to initiate such a discussion: The purpose of these trigger terms is to indicate that a grey area exists where there is no definitive answer, so further exploration of the issue is needed. Discursive = Mind. Blown. Consider the prompt: **Assess the ability of technology to ensure human happiness in the present society.** The word ** discursive ** – now that we are a little more acquainted–makes more sense because ‘discursive’ sounds like ‘discuss’ and that’s what we’re being asked to do: unbiasedly //discuss// the issue, then judge it (or not). When I looked up the definition of it… **__Discursive__ (adj) [dis-ker-siv]** HAHAHA! The synonyms crack me up every time… Meanwhile, on a better–and more enlightening–note, there are more //applicable// definitions for the term ‘discursive’ that we can apply to our writing aims : There’s no magic bullet fired when teaching discursive…it’s an **organic** process that is born in the logical minds of our writers…they breathe life into their essays through the magic of **reasoning**! The reason I share these definitions is because I want to make it clear that there is __NO__ magic bullet when teaching discursive. Try as we __//did//__ (AABB, ABAB), there is **NO** defined outline or **formula** we can apply to this style of writing because, according to definition #1 above, the writer is guided by his/her own internal reasoning; the writer follows the wind, flies by the seat of his/her pants…//to an extent ;-) // Of course, we DO step in and give our writers the official pointers… So a level of brainstorming is clearly in order before attempting this style; **it’s not an entirely untamed form**. But students aren’t expected to know the answer upfront, in their introduction; and they aren’t encouraged to be overly assertive in tone either because they are ** supposed to reason __through__ the topic **, not demand the reader’s allegiance or protest against it. I have several models of discursive writing below that will hopefully help teachers and students alike to see the big picture, but you can also find this style of writing in most reliable sources of journalism (if it’s balanced journalism, anyway). Though //Upfront Magazine// articles tend to have a bit more ‘swing’ to them, the //New York Times// newspaper gives us ‘all the news that’s fit to print’ in a balanced, unbiased way, where we are fairly provided the pros and cons of a conflict, the ups and downs of an issue, and the ins and outs of a situation, ultimately leaving the judgment to the reader-slash-citizen. **TRUE discursive writing doesn’t ‘ go there ‘ until it ‘ knows there ‘…** __Translation__: the writer doesn’t judge until the concluding paragraph, once the essay has considered all sides of the matter and is in a position to pass such judgment. OR, the discursive writer may even choose to conclude that the issue is ‘//circumstantial//,’ or based upon circumstance where an answer can’t be wrought unless a concrete scenario is pinned to it. I like to think of discursive as a blend of expository and persuasive because it uses the writing elements of BOTH: This is precisely why I wait until the latter half of the year to hit upon it… **I can hear the protests now…** > //“But, Pavich, 90% of the test is **discursive**! There’s no time to waste on hackneyed expository and middle-school-taught persuasive! We have to start NOW!”// And I hear ya…trust me! I start to shake in my own global Hunters as we slosh around and relentlessly tredge toward the GP test, but here’s what I’ve learned after trying it a different way. Every. Single. Year. **By starting with expository, moving into persuasive, and ending with discursive, we are making our students feel comfortable and confident as GP writers.** This is daunting stuff and sure, they’re tough enough, but do we really want to push them to their stress limit at age 15?! Of course not ;-) Starting with **familiarity** keeps teen anxiety at bay, and believe it or not, they DON’T know it all (even though sometimes they blow us away with their unique knowledge and talents!). We can’t assume that 100% of our students feel good about writing, period. So we have to start on common-slash-familiar ground for all of them. Then we kick it up a notch, then another, until they’ve fine-tuned the GP harmony our ears ache to hear. Once students gain the foundation of GP writing through Expository, and they’ve built the GP-relevant mind-set by Information-Gathering, we lead them into Persuasive, where they learn how to argue, they sharpen upper-level thinking skills like Point-Counterpoint, and all of this makes them a little more **perceptive** about the world around them than they were before. Now we can bust out the big kahuna…teaching Discursive becomes less of a task and less of an up-stream battle than starting with it Day 1 because we’ve **scaffolded** a sturdy framework for them to climb. Is this blog entry getting lengthy? Surely…//**that’s the point**//…one of the synonyms for discursive is ‘long-winded,’ after all, so I’d be waaay outta line if I made such an entry short and to the point…hehehe. But if you //have// managed to make it through the discursive front-matter, you have arrived! I will now share with you the materials I aim to use over the span of roughly 2 weeks to teach Discursive Essay Writing: **DISCURSIVE ESSAY UNIT** (Click HERE for a link to my personal, Q4 calendar!) ** PLEASE NOTE :** The first writing practice activities provided below stem from a school district assessment * I was required to give, which happened to merge really well with GP, so I married the two ideas ;-) .  * //We are moving in a new direction (based on Common Core Standards) to assess our students in reading and writing, so these new writing assessment practice activities–dubbed PBPA–are a product of that. They also happen to overlap VERY WELL with GP, so I’m super excited to adopt this style of formative assessment in my classroom from here on out! So if you see “Palm Beach Performance Assessment” and are wondering what the heck that is, again, no worries. This format is the **PERFECT bridge** from persuasive writing to discursive! **E.g. they wrote about the PBPA topic of ’fracking’ in a persuasive fashion, then I showed them how to upgrade it to discursive by writing my own version based on the articles** ;-) // **NOTE:** If your students engaged in the “Ban Bottled Water?” Debate previously, exposure to these two writing activities blend really well with the prior knowledge gained from it! Ok, here we go officially…! ** __STEP 1__ : SHARE DISCURSIVE ESSAY SAMPLES** //Start with the END in mind…// ** __STEP 2__ : OVERVIEW DISCURSIVE’S UNIQUENESSES** Now it’s time to experience the Discursive Brainstorm via our very favorite idea generating approach–THE HAND APPROACH! **NOTE:** While the “Hand Approach” brainstorm does NOT work for every GP prompt we will encounter during our time as GP followers, it works for many of them. Please tell students that if they feel like they’re forcing its use upon the prompt and its not working, it’s probably not meant to be used in that situation, so they should go with their gut in generating ideas otherwise, i.e. T-Chart, Mind Map, scribbles and doodles…whatever works. **STEP 3 : THE DISCURSIVE INTRO ** ** __STEP 4__ : THE DISCURSIVE BODY** ** __STEP 5__ : THE DISCURSIVE CONCLUSION ** ** __STEP 6__ : GP EDITING** //(works at any stage of the writing process, any time of the year, multiple times a year!)// How’s that for a day’s work? I sure hope this post helps you navigate the otherwise tumultuous waters found in the vast seas of GP; hopefully now you can successfully ride the wave of discursive writing. Wait for it… My simplest definition for Discursive Essay Writing?
 * //Why//?**
 * //Why//?**
 * //How far do you agree?//
 * //To what extent do you agree?//
 * //How fair is this comment?//
 * //Analyze//
 * //Consider//
 * //Evaluate//
 * //Discuss//
 * //Assess//
 * //Assess the ability of…//
 * //Examine the value of…//
 * According to the instructions of this prompt:**
 * 1) **It is discursive because** it’s asking you to judge the ability //(good or bad)// of the topic, technology, to perform its job.
 * 2) Because it uses the phrasing, “Assess the ability of…” ** it’s actually //expecting// you to ** consider both sides //(technology can make us happy, technology does not always make us happy/causes more problems than happiness)//; if you do NOT, you’re only answering half the question, which WILL most certainly impact scoring.
 * 3) **It is setting limits** to the essay: ‘human’ happiness, so no animal or environment discussion when it comes to technology; __and__ ‘present society,’ meaning //recent//, so if you are wise, you’ll clearly define in the intro that ‘present society’ will refer to the past decade/century or whatever framework you, the writer, consider to be fitting to this task in terms of time.
 * But the funny part about all of this?**
 * //talking or writing about things that is **not** highly **organized**//
 * //moving from topic to topic **without** **order**//
 * //passing **aimlessly** from one topic to another//
 * //**SYNONYMS**: rambling, digressive, erratic, long-winded //
 * 1) //**proceeding by reasoning or argument, rather than intuition**//
 * 2) //marked by **analytical** reasoning//
 * 3) //proceeding **coherently** from topic to topic//
 * //For instance//**: attempting to keep paragraphs that relate by topic near one anther makes seamless transitioning easier; or, avoid talking about the environment in pararaph #1 then remembering something about it just after paragraph #6 and doubling back //(‘…like I said earlier in this essay…’// or//, ‘back to my point earlier about…’//)…this is where students DO begin to ramble, circumlocute, and (yikes!) digress.
 * It **explains** the issues pro and con, unbiasedly
 * It uses **point-counter point** at times when reasoning through a point
 * It **argues** in favor of one angle, it argues against another
 * It seamlessly **transitions**
 * It observes **logical** progression of thought
 * It **analyzes** and it **draws conclusions** based on these analyses
 * “[|Energy]“-Writing Activity** (//PBPA//)
 * Read through the activity WITH students and brainstorm TOGETHER, showing them how to use** textual evidence ** to write their response. Since this is a practice round, it can be done as a whole class, in groups, etc.
 * Also a great opportunity to show them how to naturally weave quotes into their writing (instead of isolating them, YUCK).
 * “[|Fracking]“-Writing Activity** (//PBPA//)
 * **Individual** Writing Task (provide approximately **2 class periods** for this–roughly 2 hrs)
 * Have students write persuasively, as the instructions appear to suggest, then you’ll later follow up with the discursive version of this
 * **Discursive Essay Sample–”[|Fracking]“** //(based on PBWA activity above, but uses discursive style)//
 * **Discursive Essay Sample–”[|Alternative Energy]“** //(__NOT__ a direct reflection of the practice activity on “Energy” above, but it stretches the conversation–and the knowledge–even further! Pairs up great with the novel The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind if you get a chance to read it!)//
 * **Discursive Essay Sample–”[|Environmental Problems]“** //(a __third__ example of a discursive essay, but this one is a direct reflection of the GP exam, unlike the PBPA–which come equipped with articles; also, this sample contains suggested essay rubric score!)//
 * **BELLRINGER:** “[|What’s the Difference Between Discursive Writing and Writing to Argue?]” – M. Hughes, via Gable School, 2010, plus I adjusted the second page for the purposes of GP instruction. A nice quick overview activity!
 * 10-Minute Timed Brainstorm: ** ‘The truth should be told whatever the cost.’ Discuss. **
 * Use this handy [|“Hand” Hand-out] to Help them focus their ideas accordingly!
 * [|TE: Truth Prompt Hand Approach] Brainstorm ideas
 * **SAMPLE ESSAY- ‘[|Truth]‘ Prompt…**
 * **–> …**have student groups get together and discuss how they could **transform** this persuasive essay into a discursive one, then talk about those insights as a class. //(How would the thesis change? What would it sound like to move from one side to the other somewhere within the body of the original? The conclusion would be similar/different how?)//
 * **–> …**have student groups get together and discuss how they could **transform** this persuasive essay into a discursive one, then talk about those insights as a class. //(How would the thesis change? What would it sound like to move from one side to the other somewhere within the body of the original? The conclusion would be similar/different how?)//
 * [|Drafting the Discursive Thesis] (+ more brainstorm practice)
 * [|The Discursive Introduction + Samples]
 * [|“Has Logic, Needs Example” Body Paragraphing Activity]
 * [|“Layering Support” Body Paragraphing Activity + TE]
 * [|“Seamless Transitioning” Moving Through the Discursive Body]
 * [|The Discursive Conclusion + Samples]
 * [|“Drawing Conclusions” in the Conclusion]–leading students through this complex process by showing them what it means to take a fact and draw a conclusion from it!
 * “Seeing in Color” **Peer Editing** **Activity** ([|DIRECTIONS])
 * “Seeing in Color”: **Peer Editing Activity** ([|SAMPLE])
 * [|“Grammar Bytes”] PowerPoint-Conventional Considerations
 * EUREKA **! (aka ‘aha!’ moment)…I’ve arrived at a conclusion now that I’ve pondered the subject thoroughly…!

Sample Discursive Essay 1

Sample Discursive Essay 2

Sample Discurive Essay 3

Sample Discursive Essay 4

Excellent Resources for Argumentative Writing

























What do I need to know about ... Discursive Writing?

‍__What's the point?__
Discursive writing **discusses** the situation at hand. It presents an argument in a more balanced way than argumentative and persuasive writing and can appreciate the arguments both for and against a given position. Discursive writing does not argue for or against a point throughout the essay. After having assessed and evaluated all arguments, the writer generally states his/her opinion **at the end**.

Examples of conventions that could be used in a discursive essays are listed below. However, you have to be careful when using them that you do not become to strongly persuasive:
 * Balanced and calm tone of voice
 * A structure that alternates between the two opposiing positions exploring each one
 * A balanced consideration of the evidence for each point and an analysis of the strengths and flaws of that evidence
 * Techincal and formal language where appropriate
 * Reference to other sources of expertise / quotations from famous thinkers
 * Connectives to link paragraphs together by pointing out similarites (Equally, Similarly, etc) or differences (On the other hand, However, etc)
 * Some persuasive techniques: hyperbole, repetition, oxymoron, triads, emotive language, imagery, similes, metaphors, rhetorical questions (although be careful when using all of these that you do not become too strongly persuasive

‍__Structure__
__Introdution:__ This states clearly the problem of the investigation and why it is a significant issue.

__Main Body:__ Consider the various sides of the position in turn, alternative between them. Assess each one and compare their relative strengths - do not include your own opinion at this point. For each point, use a new paragraph. Begin each paragraph with a key sentence which links back to the question.

__Conclusion:__ Summing up the your key points and state your position again and what has made it difficult to come to this decision / whether there are any qualifications or uncertainties involved

‍__Hints and Tips__

 * use the TENNIS MATCH ARGUMENT STYLE or an alternating structure to make it interesting
 * Before you start writing your discursive essay any essay you should start with a SPIDER DIAGRAM- this is a really good way to put your ideas down to help you plan your essay. Also, you should know before writing your essay which side of the argument you are on (For or against). This is to avoid mistakes and confusion.
 * Argument phrases: to introduce points and make it clear


 * __Against:__**
 * “Some people believe/ think/ feel that…”
 * “Some people may argue”
 * "Others are of the opinion that...".
 * “While some people may claim”
 * “Furthermore some people may insist”
 * “Although some people would have us believe”


 * __For:__**
 * However, In contrast, On the other hand, Nevertheless
 * “While in the case that…”
 * “Further consideration, however, suggests…”
 * “Despite the fact that there is some truth in…”
 * “Although there is some evidence to support…”
 * "It is also argued that...”
 * "However there are also strong arguments against this point of view..."
 * "Another counter argument is that..."

‍__Do's__

 * Should choose 4-6 main points (hopefully a balance of for and against)
 * Use connectives- furthermore, moreover, in addition, additionally, similarly etc. On the other hand, conversely, however, in contrast etc.
 * Look at both points of view, and end with your own opinion.
 * The different points, for and against, should be ALWAYS separated, NOT mixed. Present the “For” points in a separate paragraph, and present the “Against” point in another separate paragraph keep alternating between the two.
 * The introduction should be balanced and serve just to introduce the topic.
 * The conclusion can be persuasive
 * Make examples as specific as possible

‍__Dont's__

 * Use informal language when you are writing an essay, because you may be penalised in the exam
 * Forget that there are 3 different parts of a discursive essay: Introduction, Main Part and a Conclusion.
 * Forget to consider both sides - this is a persuasive essay, so you don't have to pick just one

‍__Example Questions__

 * Should boxing be banned?
 * Should students wear school uniforms?
 * Should kids be banned from watching violent movies?
 * Should animal experimenting be banned?

‍__Example Answer__
A subject which always arouses strong feelings on both sides of the argument is the use of animals in medical research. I believe that, though this may have been necessary in the past, other ways can be developed to test drugs and, in the future, animals should not be used.
 * __Animal Experiments __**

**One of my main reasons** for saying this is that living tissues can be grown in test tubes and new drugs can be tested on these. Computers can also be programmed to show how medicines will react in the human body.

**Moreover,** animals are not always like humans. They do not suffer from all human diseases, so scientists have to give them the illnesses artificially. The joints in rabbit legs are inflamed with chemicals to help research in rheumatism. These tests do not always work because animals do not react to drugs in the same way as humans. Aspirin, for example, damages pregnant mice and dogs, but not pregnant women. Arsenic, which is a deadly poison for humans, has no effect on sheep, while penicillin, which is so valuable to humans, kills guinea pigs.

**In addition,** **I** believe that animal experiments should not be used because of the unnecessary pain that they cause to animals. The government introduced new rules about the use of animals in experiments in 1986. Scientists claim that these rules safeguard animals because they state that discomfort must be kept to a minimum and that painkillers must be used where necessary and appropriate. Surely this means, however, that scientists can still decide not to use painkillers in the animal experiments because they do not consider them appropriate. The British Union against Vivisection claims that 75% of animals experimented on are given no anaesthetic.

In spite of the claims of some scientists about the effectiveness of animal research, the death rate in this country has stayed the same over the last thirty years. There is also more long-term sickness, even though greater numbers of animals are being used in research.

**On the other hand,** scientists claim that some experiments are so small, for example giving an injection, that painkillers are not needed. They also argue that experiments on animals have been very useful in the past. For instance, the lives of ten million human diabetics have been saved because of experiments with insulin on dogs. Dogs also benefited, as the same drug can be used on them. In fact, a third of medicines used by vets are the same as those used by doctors.

**It is argued by researchers** that the use of animals in experiments cannot be replaced by methods using living tissue which has been grown in test tubes. These tests do not show how the drugs work on whole animals and so they only have limited effectiveness. Although I accept that some drugs can be used on animals and humans, this does not mean that they have to be tested on animals in the first place when alternative methods are available. Alternative methods do work. Various groups have been set up to put money into other ways of researching. For example the Dr. Hadwen Trust has shown how human cartilage can be grown in test tubes to study rheumatism. Similar research is being done into cancer and multiple sclerosis. Tests can be done on bacteria to see whether a chemical will cause cancer. There is even a programme of volunteer human researchers, where people suffering from illnesses offer to help in research.

**//In conclusion, I accept//** that animal experiments have brought great benefits in the past, but now money needs to be spent on developing other methods of testing drugs and medical procedures, so that the use of animals can be phased out altogether.


 * Reference: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> - []

What do I need to know about ... Persuasive Writing?

‍What's the point?
The aim of a persuasive essay is to convince you audience to agree with you. You must have points for and against your position - in order to demonstrate that you have considered the other side. However, to make this essay effective points for your position should be much stronger than the points against you so that your audience end up believing the thing that you want them to.

What you need to use when you write a persuasive writing:


 * Rhetorical Questions, alliteration, triads, reptition, emotive words and imagery, hyperbole
 * Refrences to you or we, us and our to draw the reader in and make them feel you are on their side
 * References to they or them to make it seem like the opposition are a faceless enemy
 * Use of facts and figures / real life anecdotes to make the position seem convincing
 * Use of expert opinions to reinforce the reliabilty of your position
 * Real names, real places and real examples (even if made up) to make your point seem real
 * Depending on the audience, informal / easily accessible language might be appropriate
 * Appeals to the audience's sense of logic and 'common sense'
 * Emotional appeals / blackmail and the use of emotive words / imagery
 * A 'Tennis match' structure where you start with a point against you and then go on to attack it in the next paragraph
 * Simple comparisons that make your point clear / ridicule your opponent
 * A clear series of important points split up into different paragraphs
 * Confident Tone of Voice

Structure: Each point should start with a new paragraph to seperate the essay into different points and sections Save your two strongest points for the start and end of your essay to create a strong beginning and ending impact

Intro- You should start of by stating about your point, avoid using "this essay is going to be about..." and get straight to the point possibly with a rhetorical question or by painting a horrific image of what the world would be life if things don't go the way you want them to - e.g. if you are writing to argue against the banning of mobile ipods in school you might start in the following way

'Can you imagine a world where creativity is viewed as a shameful activity only to be indulged in behind closed doors? Can you imagine a world where self expression is not as important as copying down notes from a board? Can you image a world accompanied only by the monotonous sounds of everyday life instead of one energised by the latest beats and lyrics. This is the world that the school wants to create by banning iPods and this is the world that we must fight against with all our might.'

This opening incorporates many persuasive features: rhetorical questions, references to you to involve the reader, repetition, a confident tone of voice and most importantly the painting of an image of the awful world that would exist if the school had their way.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">main body - Each paragraph (or pair of paragraphs) should concentrate on just one main argument for / against your position. It is best to start a paragaph with a point against you introduced with a phrase like 'Some people may believe that ... because ...' However, after briefly considering the evidence against you, you should argue back and defeat that point with a point of your own, often introduce with a phrase like 'However'. In cases where you are using a pair or paragraphs, paragraph one should be against you and paragraph two for you, so that you always end on a point in your favour.

It is important that you always support each point for or against you with at least some evidence / reasoning - even if it is a made up anecdote - so that there is some validity to your argument and it is not just assertion.

There are other, perhaps more interesting ways to write persuasively, but this is at least one structure that will work.

conclusion- You can summarize the point you make or the overall idea of the writing but it is recommended that you end strongly - possibly with a triad, catchphrase, short sentence, powerful image or rhetorical question again

‍Do's
· <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">You should have points **agreeing** and **disagreeing** with your argument. · <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">**Starting** with a **point against** and **attacking it** is **effective.** · <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Should **end with the most effective point** that agrees with you. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">- Remember who your **audience** is. · <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">**Making a table for/against** will help you plan the points that you will make in your essay · <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">You should have **evidence** to **support your point**, in order to make it **realistic and convince your audience**. · Remember to write in paragraphs!

What do I need to know about ... Explanatory Writing?

‍What's the Point?
· To inform the readers by providing facts that were previously unknown · To make statements · To give straight-forward unbiased detailed information

‍What are the Conventions
· Structures (clear and easy): 1. Clear opening that grabs the reader's attention and makes it clear why this explanation is relevant to them 2. General information that covers the most important things that your audience needs to know about the topic 3. More detailed information - but only that which is relevant to your audience 4. Summarizing information

· Present tense · First or third person · Bullet point summary · Connectives such as Moreover, furthermore, however, on the other hand, additionally lastly etc. · Developing points in the main body · Specific examples and sources · Use of figures · Confident tone(to make the essay sounds more reliable) · Similes and metaphors to explain using simple clear comparisons that everyone can understand · Rhetorical question (to get the reader involved, although not as a persuasive tool) · Unbiased, no opinion · <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jargon (use of technical terms, to make the essay more reliable)

‍Do's

 * remember to read the question properly and tailor your text to the given audience
 * be direct and concise about your point
 * use transitions to connect ideas and main points (e.g. however, therefore, thus, also, additionally, moreover etc)
 * indentify a key word or a phrase in the previous sentence and repeat in transition sentences as you develop your points.
 * include background data about the topic
 * mention possible arguments about the topic
 * answer questions like what/who? why? what for? when? how?
 * remember to explain rather than persuade all throughout
 * use figures and facts

‍Don't's

 * don't use too complicated sentence structures or overly formal words
 * don't repeat ideas.
 * avoid being too persuasive / biased
 * don't forget the title - often this will be bold and clearly outline the subject your text will be about
 * don't make information too vague
 * even though you want to be easily understood, don't make it too simple.

‍Example Questions
1. Write a letter which will inform parents about a school trip

__Points for this question:__
 * The question asks you to write a letter. Many ICGSE students end up writing articles which brings marks down.
 * Always stress that when a question asks you to inform or write an informative essay, you are required to simply explain and not persuade.
 * Never forget who the audience is. In this question, it wants you to inform parents so, use semi-formal language (when an exam asks to write to a certain type of audience, they give you clues on the type of language complexity you must use.)

‍Example Exam Answer
Newtown High School, Newlands Road, Newtown, Barsetshire, NN1 1NN. 12 October 2005
 * Example 1: **

Dear Parents, We are having a trip to Newtown Outdoor Pursuits Centre on 10 December for all Year 11 students. We shall leave at about 9 o'clock and will be back during the evening.

At the Centre, students will be able to do whatever they want, eg rock climbing, orienteering, abseiling and canoeing. They will need a packed lunch but no special clothes.

We think they will have fun there, and the cost will be £10 each which you should send in to school as soon as you can.

Please let me know if your child does not want to go. Yours sincerely, M Jones Headteacher

This is what a student might write in the exam. Mistakes to improve:
 * Add a title because this helps the reader know what the info is about
 * The information is too vague. Parents don't know the exact times and places of departure and arrival
 * Parents aren't given info about how to find more info about the trip

**Example 2:** Newtown High School, Newlands Road, Newtown, Barsetshire, NN1 1NN. 12 October 2005

Dear Parent/Guardian/Carer,

Visit to Newtown Outdoor Pursuits Centre

We are planning to take all Year 11 students on a visit to Newtown Outdoor Pursuits Centre on Thursday 10 December. We shall leave school immediately after registration in the morning, and we intend to be back at the main school entrance by 7 o'clock in the evening. We shall be travelling by Brown's Executive Coaches, which are fitted with seat belts and speed limiters. If our return is delayed for any reason, you may contact the company for information on 01234-567890.

Six teachers and several parent volunteers will accompany the students, who will be in groups of no more than ten throughout the day, always with at least one adult.

If your son/daughter comes on the trip, s/he will need to bring a packed lunch, and sufficient drinks for an energetic day! No spending money is necessary, as there are no shops at the Centre.

School uniform should not be worn for this trip; students should wear comfortable old clothes that will not be damaged by water or mud; any specialist equipment will be provided by the Centre.

Newtown Outdoor Pursuits Centre offers a range of adventurous activities such as rock-climbing, abseiling, orienteering and canoeing. They are all supervised by fully-trained centre staff, and excellent first-aid facilities are available should any minor accidents occur.

We have arranged this visit as part of our students' personal and social education programme, to help them develop skills of teamwork and of supporting each other in challenging situations.

We hope that you will agree to your son/daughter taking part in this day. If so, will you please sign and return the slip at the bottom of this letter with a donation of £10 (cash, or cheques made payable to 'Newtown High School Fund') to cover the cost of travel and use of facilities at the Centre. We regret that we may have to cancel the trip if insufficient donations are received.

Please contact me at the school if you wish to know any more about this visit. Yours sincerely, M Jones (Headteacher)

This is an example of an essay that has given the information needed by parents What's good about it:
 * More information about the trip (dates, times, places, who are the teachers accompanying the students, activites done, aim of the trip, what the student needs to bring/necessities, contact information at the beginning of the letter)

What do I need to know about ... Descriptive Writing? = =

‍What's the point?
The main purpose of descriptive writing is to describe something (a place, person, object, emotion, situation) so that you create an image, or a picture in the reader's mind, of what you are writing about. The key thing with descriptive writing is that you need to create / bring to life an image inside the head of your reader rather than give them a cold factual account of the thing being described. So, for example, Instead of saying that something is beautiful you need to manipulate language in order to create the impression that the thing you are describing is beautiful.

‍What are the conventions?
Descriptive writing, primarily uses adjectives to create imagery. This is the simplest way to describe, although, there are other literary features to be included in descriptive writing.
 * Similes, Metaphors, Personification
 * Words relating to one's senses (sight/touch/hearing/smell)
 * Showing rather than telling - e.g. 'My heart was close to bursting' rather than 'I was scared'
 * These senses can be mixed up (called Synaesthesia) in order to heighten sensation and really bring the scene to life e.g. tasting something that you can normally only see, such as 'the warm buttery taste of sunlight on a Summer's evening'
 * Very specific adjectives as opposed to general, commonly used ones and a sophisticated vocabulary
 * Varied sentence lengths - short sentences followed by long sentences. Short sentences work well at the start of a descriptive writing piece to grab attention or they can be used when you want to change tone, change pace of create a sudden shock
 * Varied sentence structures - again to help foreground the attention of the reader on the most important elements and demonstrate your control over structure to the examiner. Most English sentences are structured Actor, Verb Object - e.g. 'I (Actor) ate (verb) the apple (Object)' but a varied sentence structure might bring the verb to the front and may even put an adverb in front of that: 'Slowly (adverb) devouring (interesting verb) the apple (object) I rose from my chair and ...'
 * Repetition to emphasis key moments, elements or ideas
 * Order - descriptive writing usually has an element of organisation either chronologically or in order of importance. This can be disturbed if you want to and your description may be circular ending back to where it started which can be used to create an effect of inescapability, monotony or routine. An alternative structure is to start right in the middle of the action to grab the attention of the audience and then 'flash back' to an earlier point in time in order to explain the events leading up to the point where you started
 * Alliteration, sibilance, assonance, harsh consonants, hyperbole - descriptive writing is as close to poetry as you can get in narrative writing and so use all the tools that a poet has at their disposal to create effects

‍Do’s:

 * Do make up facts to your work more interesting - e.g. if asked to write about you first day at school then you don't have to write about your actual first day, which may have been quite boring and ordinary or perhaps you can't even remember it. Instead write about the first day in school from hell - complete with monstrous senior studies students stalking the corridors and slime oozing from the cockroach infested salad in the canteen
 * Do use every opportunity to display your knowledge of writing - exams are about showing off - so don't feel you have to stick to the truth if you feel you can write more interesting lies: however, your lies must be sane and believable - ridiculous descriptions will not gain you any marks
 * Do focus on small details- thes give you more to write about and more opportunities to use a variey of descriptive techniques: don't feel like you have to describe everything, or to use the example above, your whole first day. A brilliant account of your fitst 5 minutes in the sandpit will probably score more marks than a routine plodding through of everything that happened on your first day in kindergarten
 * Do think like an examiner- include points that you would give marks for if you were an examiner

‍**Don’ts:**

 * Don’t forget to answer the question- if you focus too much on the fine detail you can lose sight of what you’re trying to answer
 * Don’t sacrifice detail for quantity
 * Don’t forget to use similes, metaphors and hyperbole

‍Example Questions
1.Describe your first vacation. 2.Describe your most memorable moment. 3.Describe the day when you went to the candy store. 4.Describe your day at the theme park with your friends. 5.Describe the room you’re in. 6.Describe your adventure to the exotic island. 7.Describe your life as a dog. 8.Describe your day as a bird.

‍Example Answer
I felt my excitement building up as I walked towards the door; it was a gateway to heaven. I couldn’t believe it, as I had been counting down to this day for months. The people walking past me from the candy store looked exceedingly pleased, as if all problems in life could be solve by what lay beyond the door. Their faces glowing with delight. I was getting closer and closer to the door; I could feel my hands perspiring. I could only just reach the handle, I pushed with all my strength and it was finally it, I was in the candy store...