ECCE WRITING

There are five types of essays and letters in the Michigan ECCE making suggestions, giving the advantages and/or disadvantages, giving your opinion and description. You may also need to write an advice letter. The essays are assessed according to how well you have answered the uestion, how well the writing is structured and ease of grammar and voca!ulary usage. "emem!er to keep it simple. The longer the sentences, the more likely it is that they !ecome confusing. #eep it simple, respond to the task and you are well on your way to passing the ECCE English essay writing task. $enerally on essays / letters. Either in a for / against, opinion, solutions to pro!lems / suggestions essay or letter you should%

Make a list &even a mental one' of the things you are going to include BEFORE you start writing e.g. &advantages / disadvantages of a situation opinion and (ustification of a situation solution to pro!lems and outcome suggestions and results'

)egin each paragraph with a topic sentence which summarises what the paragraph is a!out.

*rite well+developed paragraphs in which the points you present are supported with (ustification &i.e reasons or e,amples'. Make sure each paragraph has more than one sentence.

-ot use informal style &eg. short forms, collo uial language, etc.'

.se linking words throughout your composition

*hen you write letters to an editor use the following e,pressions in your first paragraph% I am writing in response to your article / in relation to your article / with regard to your article

1.
Introduction
aragraph !"

For and Against Essays

You talk generally a!out the topic without giving your opinion.

Main Body
aragraph #" aragraph $" arguments for and (ustification arguments against and (ustification

Conclusion
Final aragraph" !alanced consideration or give your own opinion. &if you give your opinion in the end, then put in the previous paragraph the arguments that support your own, otherwise whatever order is accepta!le.'

R%CTICE
M/"E TEEN& C0//12-$ -/T T/ WOR' 3ccording to a report pu!lished at the end of 4556 !y the 7epartment of 8a!our, the percentage of unemployed teenagers is increasing. 2n 7ecem!er 4556, 96: of young people !etween the ages of 9;+9< were unemployed. 2n comparison to ten years !efore, in 9<<6 &when the unemployment rate was 9=:', it seems that there is a growing trend for teens to put off (oining the workforce. (ETTER" Write a letter to the editor of the magazine focusing on the advantages and disadvantages wor can have on the life of teenage !oys and girls.

E&&%)" In some countries" it is common for teenagers to have a #art$time %o! in addition to their e&tra$curricular activities. In what ways might a %o! li e this hel# students or create #ro!lems for them during the school year' (u##ort your views with e&am#les.

).
Introduction
aragraph !"

*#inion Essays + ,etters

state the topic and your opinion clearly

Main Body
aragraph #" aragraph $" aragraph *" viewpoint 9 and reason viewpoint 4 and reason give opposite viewpoint and reasons

Conclusion
Final aragraph" restate your opinion using different words &you may include more viewpoints if you want to'

R%CTICE
3ccording to a dependa!le source from inside the Ministry of 7efence a recruitment of 95,555 will take place within the ne,t few weeks, with an e ual num!er of male and female soldiers>. (ETTER" Write a letter to the editor o+ the maga,ine commenting on the news on the article and e-pressing your opinion on the su./ect0 &hould there .e an e1ual num.er o+ male and +emale soldiers in the army or not2

E&&%)" Can women do any /o. men can do2 3o you thin4 there are /o.s
women can5t or shouldn5t do2 Write an essay gi6ing your opinion0 &upport your 6iews with e-amples0

-. .roviding (olutions to .ro!lems $ Ma ing (uggestions Essays + ,etters

Introduction
aragraph !" state the pro!lem &why it has arisen may also !e inculded5

Main Body
aragraph #" aragraph $" suggestion 9 and result suggestion 4 and result

Conclusion
Final aragraph" summari?e opinion

In order to +ind some solutions to pro.lems or ma4e suggestions a.out a situation you may loo4 into some aspects / 6iewpoints" personal7 geographical7 historical7 moral7 political7 social7 educational7 economic7 artistic7 scienti+ic7 religious7 psychological0

R%CTICE
%R' RENO8%TION&
The city is planning to make changes to Central @ark. -ew trees and flowers will !e planted and new paths will !e !uilt. 1ome old trees will !e cut down to make the park more spacious and to make room for !enches and a small pond. The changes will cost AB5,555 and the park will !e closed to the pu!lic for a!out si, months. (ETTER" Write a letter to the city council7 gi6ing your 6iews on these par4 impro6ements0 3o you thin4 this is the .est way to impro6e the par42 I+ not7 ma4e some alternati6e suggestions +or what should .e done0 E-plain your 6iews0 E&&%)" It is generally ac4nowledged that people in the cities lead a hectic and unhealthy li+estyle causing a num.er o+ psychological and physical ailments0 What can a city5s authorities do in order to help their citi,ens +eel more rela-ed and entertained2 &upport your 6iews with e-amples0

/. 0escri#tive ,etter
2n the ECCE *riting 1ection you may !e asked to suggest or nominate a person familiar to you for a certain purpose / activity. 1uch a letter / essay should consist of%

Introduction
an introduction where you give some !rief information a!out the person &his / her name, your relation to him / her, actually nominating him / her for the position mentioned in the task

Main Body
a main !ody where you descri!e physical appearance &if necessary', personality characteristics, ho!!ies, interests, everyday activities all resulting and reinforcing the (ustification of his nomination

Conclusion
where you include your comments and feelings a!out the person and stating yet again his suita!ility for the post

R%CTICE
)O9NG &CIENTI&T :%G%;INE & ON&OR&<I %NNO9NCE:ENT 3s you know, we at Young Scientist like to encourage those scientific minds. ThatCs why we have decided to sponsor two lucky teenagers through the -ational Youth 1cience Camp @rogramme. *e need your help in finding the !est candidates. Therefore, we would like you, our readers, to send in a letter of nomination saying who you recommend and why. "ecommendations should have reached us !y the end of the month. (ETTER" Write a letter to the maga,ine recommending someone you 4now +or the &cience Camp rogram0 3escri.e the person and say why you thin4 this person should .e chosen0 Begin your letter with =3ear Editor0>

1. ,etter giving advice

The letter gi6ing ad6ice could .e semi?+ormal or in+ormal

Introduction
aragraph ! E-press understanding o+ the pro.lem & 2 am writing in reply to your letter asking advice a!out>, 2 hope the following advice will !e of some help to you, 2 was sorry to hear a!out your pro!lem and as 2 have recently found myself in a similar situation, here is what 2 think you should do>'

Main Body
aragraphs #?$ suggestion@sA and reason@sA & 2 strongly recommend that / 2 !elieve that / 2 would suggest that the !est course of action is / 2 would advise you to / You should / You ought to / 2f 2 were you 2 would / 2t would !e a good idea to / 2 think you should / *hy donCt you / The !est advice 2 can give you is>'

Conclusion
Final paragraph ? closing remar4s7 +ull name & 2 trust you will accept this advice / 2 hope this will !e of help '

R%CTICE
(ETTER" Read the letter and the ru.ric .elow0 Dear Alice, I have a very busy schedule and it seems I never have enough time to do all the things I need to do. I have no social life because with school, volleyball practice and a parttime job, I don t have enough time for one! I m always e"hausted and never have enough energy. #o matter how much I sleep, I don t feel li$e it was enough. Sometimes I even fall asleep in class! %lease help me figure out how to reorgani&e my life. I can t go on li$e this any more. '"hausted, 'l %aso %lice as4s her readers to write letters o+ ad6ice and she o+ten pu.lishes them0 Write a letter to the person a.o6e gi6ing him / her ad6ice on how to deal with the pro.lem0 Begin your letter with B3ear Eshausted50