ACTIVITY 1: Words in Our World

To communicate effectively, people must constantly adjust their speech to suit their purpose and audience. This same idea is true for writing. When you write for others, it is crucial to know both your purpose for writing and the audience who will be reading your work. The ability to adjust your writing to suit your purpose and audience will serve you well not only in the classroom, but in the workplace and beyond.

The Writing Process: THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH The introductory paragraph is generally one paragraph that introduces the topic and presents the thesis statement to provide the gist of the following body paragraphs. The thesis statement of the essay is usually found at the end of the introductory paragraph. It is important that the introductory paragraph be interesting enough to capture the readers attention and interest to continue reading the essay. Here are four strategies: Start with a General Statement. Starting with a general statement helps readers gradually focusing on the thesis statement. Bookstore shelves today are crammed with dozens of different diet books. The American public seems willing to try any sort of diet, especially the ones that promise instant, miraculous results. Authors are more than willing to invent new fad diets to cash in on this craze. Unfortunately, some of these fad diets are ineffective or even unsafe. One of the worst fad diets is the Palm Beach plan. It is impractical, doesnt achieve the results it claims, and is sure route to poor nutrition. Start with Questions. Starting with questions probes the readers to start thinking about possible answers. What is love? How do we know that we are really in love? When we meet that special person, how can we tell that our feelings are genuine and not merely infatuation? And if they are genuine, will these feelings last? Love, as we know, is difficult to define. But most people agree that true and lasting love involves far more than mere physical attraction. Love involves mutual respect, the desire to give rather than take, and the feeling of being wholly at ease.

Start with a Quotation. Starting with a quotation can make your introduction lively. It can be a popular saying or proverb, a current advertising slogan, or a favourite expression used by friends or family. Fish and visitors, wrote Benjamin Franklin, begin to smell after three days. Last summer, when my sister and her family came to spend their two-week vacation with us, I became convinced that Franklin was right. After only three days of my familys visit, I was thoroughly sick of my brother-in-laws corny jokes, my sisters endless complaints about her boss, and their childrens constant invasions of our privacy.

Start with an Anecdote. Starting with an anecdote or brief stories makes an essay interesting and appealing. The anecdote should be brief and related to your thesis. Early Sunday morning, the young mother dressed her little girl warmly and gave her a candy bar, a picture book, and a well-worn stuffed rabbit. Together, they drove downtown to a church. There, the mother told the little girl to wait on the stone steps until other children began arriving for Sunday school. Then, the young mother drove off, abandoning her five-year old because she couldnt cope with being a parent anymore. This incident is one of thousands of cases of child neglect and abuse that occurs annually. Perhaps, the automatic right to become a parent should no longer exist. Would - be parents should be forced to apply parental licences for which they would have to meet three important conditions.

Source: Adapted from Langan, J. (2000) College Writing Skills (5th Ed. Boston: McGraw- Hill: Reprint with
permission.

The Thesis Statement In an essay, the thesis statement is the sentence containing the central idea. It is the most important sentence and it is usually the last sentence in the introductory paragraph. A thesis statement consists of a topic and a controlling idea that contains an expression of an attitude, opinion or idea about the topic, for the entire essay. Here are several guidelines: A thesis statement expresses a complete thought, thus a complete sentence. It should not be written as a question. Incorrect: My fear of heights. Correct: My fear of heights has wretched my life. A thesis statement expresses an opinion, attitude or idea. It is not simply an announcement. Incorrect: I want to talk about deforestation in Borneo. Correct: Deforestation in Borneo disrupts vegetation, animals and human lives.

A thesis statement needs to be explained or proved. It should not simply express a fact. Incorrect: Whales are mammals. Correct: Whales are grouped as mammals because of several vital characteristics.

A thesis statement expresses only one idea towards one topic. The essay lacks unity and coherence if a thesis statement contains two or more ideas. Incorrect: Attending university in Melaka can be fun, and I have found that living with a group of students is the best way to live while at university. Correct: Attending university in Melaka can be fun.

Some activities to check understanding: Activity 1 b) In pairs, identify the thesis statement for each of the four strategies used in writing an introductory paragraph (Handout 1A)

1. General statement:

2. Questions:

3. Quotation:

4. Anecdote:

ACTIVITY 2:

To write a thesis statement for each group of topic sentences given.

Write a thesis statement for each group of topic sentences given. 1. Thesis statement: _____________________________________________________ Kim wore good luck charms everywhere she went. I remember one night, during the Hungry Ghost Festival, she refused to go out with us. Kim used to read the horoscopes to plan her daily activity. 2. Thesis statement: _____________________________________________________ First, I tried avoiding the lanes packed with snacks in the supermarket. Then, I started limiting myself to only a unit of any given snack. Finally, I began keeping the snacks in a padlocked cupboard. 3. Thesis statement: _____________________________________________________ Under water, I see and hear strange and wonderful things.

I can enhance my scuba diving ability by taking professional courses. My next adventurous type of diving would be ice diving 4. Thesis statement: _____________________________________________________ Firstly, I was a heavy cigarette smoker. I also have a family history of relatives with cancer. My unhealthy lifestyle was another factor.

5. Thesis statement: _____________________________________________________ Students can learn about other cultures. Students can benefit in social interactions in the future. Knowing a foreign language helps to understand ones own language better.