Writing 3

Summer Semester Special

Mr. Bui Duc Tien
ductien.education@gmail.com

Week 1: A Glimpse at Essays

How do we write a good hook?

How do we write a good thesis statement?

How do we mention main ideas?

What is parallelism?

10

Week 2: Outlines & Body Paragraphs

11

Week 3: Essay Conclusions & Explanatory Essays

13

What methods of concluding an essay are used in these examples? 13

Explanatory Essays

17

Week 4: Comparative Essays & Argumentative Essays

18

Comparative Essays

18

Argumentative Essays

20

Outline for argumentative essays

24

References

26

WRITING 3

"2

Week 1: A Glimpse at Essays

Key words: essay, hook, thesis statement, main ideas

Questions:
1. What makes a good piece of writing?
2. How do you fail the course?
3. What do you expect from me?
4. What do I expect from you?
5. What is an essay? Why do people write
essays?
6. Whats the structure of an essay?
7. How many types of essays are there?
8. What is the purpose of the introduction?
9. What is a hook?
10. What is a thesis statement?
Practice 1: Identify the hooks, thesis statements and main ideas in these introductions.
Introduction 1:
Stereotypes are everywhere: the reserved British, the disorganized Italians, the shopping-obsessed
Japanese. This essay will talk about these stereotypes and ask if they are true. It is going to look at
the different types of stereotypes and their representation in the media. The following areas will
be covered: television; radio; the press, and the cinema.
Introduction 2:
Divorce is increasingly a problem in society and sociologists have provided a number of different
explanations for it happening. They do not think however, that new laws are the cause of divorce,
but are a kind of solution for unhappily married couples who did not previously have a way of
getting out of their marriage. It will be argued in this essay that a legalistic approach like this is
not really adequate.
Introduction 3:
One major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce.
This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia only
one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three. An
interesting issue is why this change has occurred - a question that has been considered by a
number of sociologists. In this essay, I will seek to critically examine a number of sociological
explanations for the 'divorce phenomenon' and also consider the social policy implications that
WRITING 3

"3

each explanation carries with it. It will be argued that the best explanations are to be found
within a broad socio-economic framework.
Introduction 4:
Is it possible that a person lives his life without neighbors, of course, in the case that he does not
live in the middle of nowhere? It is undeniable that neighbors contribute to our social life; thus,
the better they are, the better the surroundings could be. There are three main virtues that a
good neighbor is supposed to have: honesty, openness and thoughtfulness.
Introduction 5:
Ho Chi Minh City University of Education is one of the top universities in Ho Chi Minh City in
the city. Although renowned for high quality and excellent study environment, it still has to
improve its facility facilities and its timetable in order to stand among the best schools in the
world.
Introduction 6:
Eating is essential for everyday life activities. However, deciding where to eat can often be a
problem of choice. Some people like to have their meals at a local restaurant while others would
prepare and eat the food at home. A simple and nourishing meal at home is often my option
because of safety, suitable taste and the feel of cosiness.
Introduction 7:
Have you ever considered what and where you are going to eat tonight? Is it true that returning
home from work, youre too exhausted to prepare dinner for the whole family so going to
restaurant is the best choice? Are you keen on cooking at home when theres too much of other
things to do? Whether having meals at home or going somewhere to eat is much better depends
on every person, his or her hobby, habit or just something that brings comfort and convenience.
Anyway, eating at home does offer all people some advantages. It is cheaper, a lot safer and most
importantly, it helps strengthen the relationships between members of a family.

Practice 2: Refer to Appendix. Under the topic Communication & Personality, take your
stance on topics 1, 5 & 6, and find identify 3 main ideas to support your opinion.

WRITING 3

"4

How do we write a good hook?

Study the tips below, then refer to Practice 2. Write hooks for 3 of your essays.

A literary quote

Such a hook for essay may be perfect when you write about some particular author, story, literary
phenomenon, book, etc. Even if your essay is not fictional in nature, a literary quote will make it
sound more alive and fresh.
Examples:
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the
past. These words of Nick Carraway perfectly describe
Not all those who wander are lost. And yes, indeed, every person is
so
When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we
strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better
too. Agree or not, but these words from The Alchemist determine

Quotes of famous people

A person whom everybody knows may be more authoritative and influential than others; that is
why writing a quote from his/her speech can be a really good essay hook.
Examples:
John Wooden once said, Never mistake activity for achievement.
Learn to laugh is something my kindergarten teacher told me after
Ralph Thorsen spilled paint on my daffodil picture.

Anecdote

Do not be afraid of spoiling your essay with such an unusual hook. Even if you start writing with
some humorous hook, it does not mean your essay will become a funny absurd at once. Some
humor can help you grab readers attention and awake their interest to the topic.
Examples:
As my cousin and I pedaled our new bikes to the beach, 6 years old,
suntanned and young, we met an old, shaggy-haired man weaving
unsteadily on a battered old bike.
When I was a young boy, my father worked at a coal mine. For 27 years,
he made it his occupation to scrape and claw and grunt his way into the

WRITING 3

"5

bowels of the earth, searching for fuel. On April 19, 2004, the bowels of
the earth clawed back.
But remember, that in most cases it is not allowed to use the first person in essays,
that is why check everything twice before using I in your paper.

Question

Questions are perfect hooks for essays by all means. Nothing can attract peoples interest better
than a question, because they will definitely continue reading your essay to find the answer. But
try to ask questions that do not lead to such simple answers as Yes or No; they should lead to
some thinking, different attitudes, opposite points of view, alternative variants, etc.
Examples:
What would you do if you could play God for a day? Thats exactly what
the leaders of the tiny island nation of Guam tried to answer.
Have you ever wondered, whether Anna Karenina still loved Alexei if she
hadnt decided to commit a suicide?

A scene

People like to visualize everything, and that is why your scene hook will help them draw a clear
picture in minds at once. You can describe some incident, or mention some particular features of
a person or a character to let readers picture the scene.
Examples:
The day of his birth began with Hurricane Charlie pounding at our door
in Charleston, South Carolina.
Deciding to attend Hampton Roads Academy, a private school, was one
of my most difficult decisions.

Some fact or definition

Such types of hooks for essays serve to surprise your reader. Give the interesting fact about
something you are going to describe and discuss in your essays body, and you will grab the
attention of your audience at once.
Examples:
Spain, though hardly a literary juggernaut, translates more books in one
year than the entire Arab world has in the past one thousand years.

WRITING 3

"6

Amiable is the best way to describe Elizabeths personality: she was

friendly and caring.

Statistics

Its not the worst essay hooks idea as well. By giving some proven facts at the very beginning of
you paper, you will interest your readers and make them want to read more details about the fact
provided.
Examples:
The average iceberg weighs over 100,000 metric tons.
70% of all jobs found today were got through different networking
strategies

How do we write a good thesis statement?

Study the tips below, then refer to Practice 2. Write thesis statements to 3 of your essays.

A good thesis statement directly answers the question in the topic:

it must be clear, to the point and concise.
The thesis statement is also written different words from the
given topic. Ideally, a thesis statement should have a signal.
Task 1. Read the thesis statements below taken from 3 essays about the topic Going to
college or university is the only way to success. To what extent do you agree? and decide
which one is best.
A. Colleges are good places to study because they help students prepare for future life.
B. Going to college or university should be a must for everybody because everybody has the
right to learn, according to the national laws.
C. There are many ways to become successful, and certainly going to college or university is not
the only one.

Task 2. Do the same the following topic and thesis statements. Topic: Why do people go
on honeymoons?
A. Honeymoons have become a necessity for all marriages around the world.

WRITING 3

"7

B. From my point of view, people choose to go on honeymoons for three major reasons.
C. Going on honeymoons can do more harm than good.

Task 3. Paraphrase the following thesis statement so they will not use the same words as
in the given topics.
Topic: Having a part-time job is necessary for students. Do you agree or disagree?
Thesis statement: Having a part-time job is necessary for students.
Paraphrase:

Topic: What are the reasons why people smoke?

Thesis statement: People smoke for different reasons.
Paraphrase:

Topic: What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a computer?

Thesis statement: Having a computer brings both advantages and disadvantages.
Paraphrase:

Task 4. Read the thesis statements below and identify the signals of personal opinion.
I believe having a part-time job is not necessary for students.
In my opinion, people smoke for 3 main reasons.
From my point of view, a computer has both advantages and disadvantages.
Some common signals for personal opinions:
I think/ believe/ reckon
The way I see it

In my opinion
From my point of view
To my way of thinking

From my perspective
From a personal vantage point

Task 5. Write a thesis statement for each of these topics.

WRITING 3

"8

Topic 1: What are the qualities of a good teacher?

Topic 2: Why do people go on honeymoons?
Topic 3: Money is everything. To what extent do you agree?
Topic 4: Going to college or university is the only way to success. To what extent do you agree?
Topic 5: Compare and contrast live in the city and life in the countryside.

How do we mention main ideas?

Study the tips below, then refer to Practice 2. Mention the 3 main ideas in your introduction.

Main ideas must be mentioned in the introduction paragraph.

They must also be written in parallelism.

Task 1. Read these examples and see whether the main ideas are expressed in
parallelism.
I believe having a part-time job is not necessary for students. A part-time job is a waste of time,
affects students health, the money is not so high.

In my opinions, people smoke for three reasons. They smoke to kill the time, to prove themselves,
and as a habit.

Task 2. Write the main ideas for these topics.

Topic 1: What are the qualities of a good teacher?
Topic 2: Why do people go on honeymoons?
Topic 3: Money is everything. To what extent do you agree?
Topic 4: Going to college or university is the only way to success. To what extent do you agree?
Topic 5: Compare and contrast live in the city and life in the countryside.

WRITING 3

"9

What is parallelism?
A & B

A, B & C

A, B, C must belong to the same word class/ form

e.g. all nouns, all adjectives, all verbs, all prepositional phrases, all gerunds, all to-inf

Task 1. Check the parallelism in these phrases:

1. Tom likes fishing and to go swimming.
2. Smoking is harmful and its is not good for health.
3. Watching TV offers information, is informative and people need it for relaxation.
4. The doctor has the responsibility of providing the examinations and to review the medical
history of the employees.
5. Many business are reducing employee overhead and they extend long-term insurance
policies.
6. To run and playing basketball were his favorite exercises.
7. I always believed that giving was better than to receive.
8. Three of the great Indian nations in the Central Plains are the Cherokee, the Choctaw, and
Comanche.
9. Either you will begin to study now or risk failing the exam.
10. The college has space for a new computer lab but not a faculty lounge.

Task 2. Check the parallelism.

1. Her conditions for signing the contract are, first, the commissioner has to approve the terms;
second, that the other players must sign as well.
2. Carlos wasted his first year at college by not studying enough and spending too much time at
parties.
3. We have no doubt about her care and interest in the proposal.
4. Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than to learn one as a child.
5. Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and half a mile on the bike.

WRITING 3

"10

Week 2: Outlines & Body Paragraphs

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Questions:
Why should make an outline?
How do we make an outline?
How do we possibly develop ideas for our essays?
How many body paragraphs should there be?
What is the structure of a body paragraph?
What is the difference between reasons and examples?

Practice 1: Refer to Appendix. Make outlines for 3 of the essay topics.

Practice 2: For these topic sentences. Write 3 supporting ideas for each.
1. There are many reasons why pollution in ABC Town is the worst in the world.
2. To be an effective CEO requires certain characteristics.
3. There are many possible contributing factors to global warming.
4. Fortune hunters encounter many difficulties when exploring a shipwreck.
5. Dogs make wonderful pets because they help you to live longer.
6. Crime in poverty-stricken areas occurs as a result of a systemic discrimination.
7. Teen pregnancy may be prevented by improved education.
8. Cooking requires a number of different skills.
9. It is important to be ready before buying a house.
10. Graduating from high school is important for many different reasons.
11. Having a first child is difficult because of the significant adjustments in your life.
12. Remodeling a kitchen successfully requires research and a good eye.

Practice 3: For these introductions, write 3 body paragraphs.

Introduction 1: Have you ever wondered if you would purchase either a house or a business if
you had a lot of money.? If I were you, I would prefer getting decent accommodation to
acquiring a good business for its these advantages: fulfilling my dream, investing to the future and
making a safe choice.
Introduction 2: The more you are grown up, the further you go are away from the simple things
in life. When we were young, we had family nights evenings when every member gathered and
had dinner together. The fast and busy pace of working life has brought us to restaurants instead
of staying home to have dinner. However, in my opinion, I prefer to prepare and eat at home in
order to feel the warmth from my family members, to save money and to avoid the unhealthy
food outside.
WRITING 3

"11

Practice 4: Refer to Practice 1. Write the body paragraphs for the outlines you have
made.

WRITING 3

"12

Week 3: Essay Conclusions & Explanatory Essays

1.
2.
3.
4.

Questions:
What is the purpose of the conclusion?
How many ways are there to write a conclusion?
What is the purpose of an explanatory essay?
How do we normally structure an explanatory essay?

What methods of concluding an essay are used in these examples?

1a. Intro: There are basically two ways of shopping: going directly to the place and making your
orders at home through the internet. The second way, in my opinion, has a great deal of
advantages. It is convenient, economical and time-efficient.
1b. Conclusion: Catalog shopping at home, then, has several advantages. Such shopping is
convenient, saves you money, and saves you time.
Method of conclusion:
2a. Intro: It is highly possible that the 21st century is seeing senior citizens outnumbering their
younger counterparts. The reasons for this are many, yet three major causes can be easily
identified: late marriages, fatal accidents, and enhanced nursing home quality.
2b. Conclusion: It can be clearly seen that the number of old citizens are overtaking that of
younger ones. Late marriages, deadly accidents and improved nursing home quality all
contribute to this trend. Yet a question arises: What would the future of the world of work be like
if there are too many senior citizens?
Method of conclusion:
3a. Intro: Keeping pets is a popular activity, which comes, obviously, with both pros and cons.
Having a pet by one's side offers great mental ease, and this promotes a sense of responsibility as
well. On the other hand, bad keepers make life a misery for the poor animals.
3b. Conclusion: Pets are to be cuddled, not mistreated. Therefore, it would be much better to
consider the expenses and the responsibility before adopting a pet. Otherwise, the consequences
can be severe.
Method of conclusion:

WRITING 3

"13

4a. Intro: Some people prefer to live in the city while others favour a rural life. There are merits
and drawbacks to both choices.
4b. Conclusion: The pros and cons of life in the city and that in the countryside can be easily
pointed out. Considering all aspects, I would go with the urban lifestyle as it suits my personality,
work and habits more.
Method of conclusion:
5a. Intro: Deforestation happens all over the world. As far as I am concerned, the causes of such
are many, yet two major factors include loose governmental monitoring and low environmental
awareness.
5b. Conclusion: The governments role in saving forests has not been strong enough, and
peoples awareness of the potential effects of cutting trees has not been raised. Should this
problem continue, the world may suffer as pollution, floods and landslides will soon take over.
Method of conclusion:

Practice 2: For the following essays, write the conclusion.

Essay 1:
Because of the rushed life In this hectic day and age, people love what is quick and convenient
and restaurants meet those requirements. Eating at restaurant means that you do not have to
take time to shop or to prepare. Despite its convenience On the other hand, many people choose
favor preparing and eating at home over having meals at a restaurant. I am also in favour of
home cooking because of the three following reasons: eating at home it will make you feel more
comfortable, serve you better food and offer various meals.
Restaurant is good, but nowhere is as comfortable as your home. When I eat at home, I do not
have to care about other peoples thoughts if I make some silly mistakes. Moreover, I can chat
freely with other family members or even joke without the fear that I will disturb somebody else.
And one most important thing makes me love home eating is that meals are available at anytime.
Everyone knows that restaurants only serve at breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, your home
service is available whenever you are in need. With so many benefits like that,who would prefer a
restaurant to your own home.
Another reason makes me love eating at home is that home serves better food than restaurant.
Restaurant foods may not be fresh and clean because restaurant normally has many customers
so they have to store plenty of food. That food is not always thoroughly consumed, so they have
to keep it in the fridge for days. Because of good cooking,you may never know whether the dish
you are eating is fresh or not. Moreover, it is very expensive due to the restaurants fame and
other elements. Meanwhile, home food is definitely clean,safe and cheap because it is carefully
WRITING 3

"14

chosen and freshly cooked. Moreover you dont have to pay for the cooking expense like in a
restaurant.
Last but not least, there are various meals offered at home which a restaurant apperantly doesnt
have. It usually just has fixed meals, which is not customizable. On the contrary, home is the
world of imagination where everything can be made. One day,your mother happens to learn a
new receipt recipe and she immediately cook it. It can be either decilious or bad, but full of
unexpectedness. I am in love with that . And every meal is cooked with love,which cannot be
found anywhere else in the world.

Essay 2:
On these days, food business is not only for demands of people, but also for economic developing
profits. There are several reasons resulting in people prefer eating at restaurant rather than at
home such as space, the serving style and qualities of food. In my mind, love and care are greatly
expressed while eating at home.
In many ways, people choose to spend their time on sitting quietly and having their meal in
restaurant firstly because they love the pretty and romantic space. Moreover, they enjoy the
beauty of the space which is lovely decorated with neon lights or lanterns, colourful candles and
also furniture designed and painted carefully. However, eating at home always brings us the warm
meaningful feeling. The peaceful space at home is much different from at restaurant. We eat at
home every day, we familiar with the friendly atmosphere, even the normal way we cook happily,
and prepare food notably.
The serving style is an essential point which each restaurant pays more attention to attract the
comfort of customers. Furthermore, the managers are aware of the importance of serving, they
try to find waiters and waitresses who are responsibility for their behaviour and the way they treat
the customers. On contrary, preparing food by yourselves at home gives us the special necessary
feeling of happy family. We could cook freely whatever we fancy most. Lastly, we have great time
with all members in the family, laugh out loud and play joyfully without being worried about
disturbing anyone.
The most significant thing is qualities of food. In restaurant, meal is cooked with the enthusiasm
of the cook, prepared with fresh vegetable and meat selected spectacularly, and also decorated
impressively to catch customer s visions, but its taste is not really good and suitable for each
person s appetite. Besides, it is impossible for all people to eat at restaurant frequently because of
the price. Customers are interested in eating at luxury places, so they have to pay more money
worthy of their demands. Eating in the warm atmosphere at home does not cost as much as
eating at restaurant. We could hold a party decorated with balloons and ribbons with friends and
family at home, cook a amazing meal making sure that its taste is delicious, and of course
guarantee of the qualities of food for health.
WRITING 3

"15

Essay 3:
Nowadays, in our modern and depeloping lives, every goodsquality is being improved to meet
peoples needs, specially in the field of food. Several restaurants are being opened to provide
people of a variety of meals, from fast food for breakfast, nutrious lunch to romantic dinner with
flowers and candles. What can make you happier than enjoying meals in a tastefully decorated
room with friendly waiters serving you like a princess? But these things totally never attract me;
restaurants in my experience turns out to be a costly and boring places. I prefer to eat at home
because it gives me comfort, it helps me save money and it is good for my diet.
First of all, our home is considered the best place for us to relax. So there is no reason to go to a
crowded restaurant, wait for a spare table and eat with curious people around who sometimes
stare at your dishes or your clothes instead of eating comfortably at home, doing whatever you
like such as talking with your mouth full of food or eating and watching television at the same
time. Second, having meals at home is really economical. It is obvious that the high price you pay
for your meals in a restaurant consists of the payment for the management, the cook and the
waiters; wheares eating at home means that you play all the three main roles above and you can
also put aside the spare food for other meals. Finally, meals at restaurant are often high in fat and
calories, which is not suitable for my diet. Also, the serve big plates of food-much more than I
need for a meal. At home I can control over the amount of food and serve myself as little as I
want.

Essay 4:
As can be seen from real life, nowadays we are living longer than previous generations.
Nonetheless, have you ever wondered exactly what are the reasons of this phenomenon? There
are many factors that help our life expectancy prolong; however, better food supply and nutrition,
improved health care system and increased awareness of people are three main elements.
To start with, food supply and nutrition make a great contribution towards ensuring peoples
wellness. Not only the foods sold in the market today are of huge amount and wide variety, but
their quality is also highly enhanced. What is more, the price of food ranges from affordable to
expensive, which is suitable for all walks of life. Therefore, severe insufficiency of nourishment is
no longer latent peril to human life. Moreover, as nutritional value of food is increasing thanks to
modern technology, peoples health are gradually ameliorated.
Another pivotal component that makes people live longer is improved health care system. There
is no doubt that these days hospitals and clinics are available everywhere. Hence, all people can
have access to health care centers no matter whether they live in rural or urban area. In addition,
many fatal diseases, namely AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, etc. are not able to put humans life in

WRITING 3

"16

jeopardy any more since the development of medicine has tackled them. On the whole, due to
medical achievements, people are living longer and healthier.
Considering all aspects, increased awareness of people is perhaps the most essential reason
behind why people live longer now. What raises the publics attention to health problems is the
media. There is a large number of programs and articles whose contents are about how to
maintain a healthy life, which are tremendously helpful and crucial. People are being exposed to
a great deal of information about what is good or bad for their wellness more than ever. The
determination to be healthy of people stems from these knowledge. People try their best to keep
their health by varied activities such as eating nutritious food, exercising, not smoking and so on.
Their life expectancy, as a result, are being positively prolonged.

Explanatory Essays
For these explanatory essays, how would you possibly structure your ideas?
1. Why do people smoke?
2. What are some possible causes behind youngsters tendency to be overconfident with
themselves?
3. What could be some consequences of improper dieting?

Practice 3: Refer to Appendix. Choose 5 topics, make an outline for each. Write the
introduction and the conclusion.

WRITING 3

"17

Week 4: Comparative Essays & Argumentative Essays

Comparative Essays
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Questions:
What is a comparative essay?
How do we possibly structure a comparative essay?
What is an argumentative essay?
What is an argument and what is a counter-argument?
How do we possibly structure an argumentative essay?

To compare and contrast means to discuss both the similarities and differences. For example, how
would you compare and contrast:

studying English and studying Vietnamese?

working full time and working part-time?
learning Writing 3 with learning Writing 2?
going to schools with going to the pubs?
Facebook and Yahoo?
online communication with real life communication?
There are two ways in which you can structure your comparative essays: point by point and
block by block. Study the two examples below and decide which idea development strategy is
used for each.

Essay 1:
Last week when I received acceptances from my top two choices for college, State and Greenwell,
I knew I had a difficult decision to make. Although I had talked to friends and relatives who had
attended both schools and had visited both campuses many times, I couldn't make up my mind.
It was only after I analyzed the similarities and differences between the two schools that I finally
came to my decision to begin classes at Greenwell in the fall.
At first glance, it seems that State and Greenwell have a lot in common. First of all, both
universities are located in Pennsylvania, where I am from. The tuition is also exactly the same at
both schools-$20,000 per year. In addition, the basketball team at State is just as good as the one
at Greenwell, and I would love to play for either one. Most importantly, both schools have large
libraries, excellent academic reputations, and first-class engineering departments.

WRITING 3

"18

It was when I looked at the differences between the two schools that I made my final decision. In
terms of location, State is more attractive. Its setting in a safe suburb was definitely more
appealing than Greenwell's location in a dangerous city neighborhood. I also liked State's older
campus with its beautiful buildings and trees more than Greenwell's new campus, which looks
like an office complex. But I realized that these should not be the most important factors in my
decision. I had to pay a lot of attention to the financial component. Although the tuition is the
same at both schools, Greenwell offered me a $3,000 scholarship, whereas State couldn't give me
any financial aid. In addition, if I go to Greenwell, I can live at home and save money on room
and board. Since Greenwell is much closer to home, I won't have to spend as much on
transportation home during vacation breaks. The most important factor in making my decision
was the difference in class size between the two universities. State has large classes and an
impersonal feeling. On the other hand, Greenwell has small classes, and students get a lot of
personal attention.
In conclusion, after taking everything into consideration, I think I made the right decision. Since
small classes, personal attention from my professors, and saving money are all very important to
me, I will probably be happier at Greenwell.

Essay 2:
Last week when I received acceptances from my top two choices for college, State and Greenwell,
I knew I had a difficult decision to make. Although I had talked to friends and relatives who had
attended both schools and I had visited both campuses many times, 1 couldn't make up my mind.
It was only after I compared the location, cost, and quality of education of the two schools that I
could finally come to my decision to attend Greenwell.
The first thing I considered was the location. First of all, both universities are located in
Pennsylvania, where I am from. But that is where the similarities end. State's setting in a safe
suburb is definitely more appealing than Greenwell's location in a dangerous city neighborhood. I
also like State's older campus with its beautiful buildings and gardens more than Greenwell's new
campus, which looks like an office complex.
In addition to location, I had to pay a lot of attention to the financial component. The tuition is
the same at both schools-$20,000 per year. However, Greenwell offered me a $3,000 scholarship,
but State couldn't give me any money. Also, if I go to Greenwell, I can live at home and save
money on room and board. Finally, since Greenwell is much closer to home, I won't have to
spend as much on transportation home during vacation breaks.
The quality of education at the two schools had the most influence on my decision. In many
ways, State and Greenwell have similar standards of education. Both schools have large libraries
and excellent academic reputations. Also, State has a first-class engineering department, and so
does Greenwell. So I had to look at other things. What it came down to was the difference in
WRITING 3

"19

class size between the two universities. State has large classes and an impersonal feeling. On the
other hand, Greenwell has small classes, and students get a lot of personal attention.
In conclusion, after taking everything into consideration, I think I made the right decision. Since
small classes and personal attention from my professors are very important to me, I will probably
be happier at Greenwell.

Argumentative Essays
Writing 3 provides information on essay writing.
Writing 3 is fun.
Statements include arguments (with with you may agree or disagree), and facts (which are
always true).
Arguments are also known as debatable statements, and facts are known as nondebatable.

Task 1. Which of these are arguments and facts?

1. Computers and automation increase unemployment.
2. Smoking is harmful to peoples health.
3. Plants produce oxygen that the world needs to sustain life.
4. Australia has some of the most venomous snakes in the world.
5. A good education is necessary for a successful and happy life.

Task 2. Now write an argument about each of the following topics:

1. alcohol
2. television
3. public transport
4. The Vietnamese education system
5. Wearing school uniforms

WRITING 3

"20

Task 3. Now read these two essays and se how the arguments are developed in different
ways.

Childcare 1
As the society develops, people become increasingly busy. The need for childcare is growing in
size on a daily basis. Therefore, I believe the government should provide financial aid to this
service since it can promote children learning and enhance parent-child relationship.
Furthermore, it does not cost as much as people might think.
Childcare centres actually assist children in their early learning. They give children an
opportunity to mix with other children and to develop social skills at an early age. Indeed, a
whole range of learning occurs in childcare centres.
The relationships between parents and children can actually be bettered through childcare
service. Moreover, children become less dependent on their parents and parent themselves are
less stressed and more effective care- givers when there are periods of separation. In fact, recent
studies indicate that the parent-child relationship can be improved by the use of high- quality
childcare facilities.
Childcare is not a waste of money. Working parents actually contribute to the national economy.
They are able to utilise their productive skills and pay income tax, while non-working parents can
become a drain on the tax system through dependent spouse and other rebates.
In conclusion, government support for childcare services assists individual families and is
important for the economic well-being of the whole nation.

Childcare 2
Recent changes in federal government priorities have seen a reduction in financial support for
parents who use childcare. This is occurring at a time when there is increasing social and
financial pressure on parents, particularly mothers, to work. The issue of childcare and working
mothers has been the subject of dispute for some time. Many argue that the best place for
children is always in their own homes with their own parents. However, it is my contention that
there are many advantages to be had from using childcare and the government should provide
more financial assistance to parents who do so.
It has been argued that children who attend childcare centres at an early age miss out on
important early learning that occurs in parent-child interaction. These children, so this argument
goes, may be educationally disadvantaged later in life. However, childcare centres may actually
assist children in their early learning. They give children an opportunity to mix with other
children and to develop social skills at an early age. Indeed, a whole range of learning occurs in
childcare centres.
WRITING 3

"21

Another argument against the use of childcare facilities is that children can be emotionally
deprived in these facilitates compared to the home. This argument assumes that the best place for
children is to be at their parents especially mothers, side for twenty-four hours a day. It claims
that childrens emotional development can be damaged when they are left in childcare facilities.
However, parent and children need to spend some time apart. Moreover, children become less
dependent on their parents and parent themselves are less stressed and more effective care- givers
when there are periods of separation. In fact, recent studies indicate that the parent-child
relationship can be improved by the use of high- quality childcare facilities.
It could further be asserted that the government and the economy as a whole cannot afford the
enormous cost involved in supporting childcare for working parents. However, working parents
actually contribute to the national economy. They are able to utilise their productive skills and
pay income tax, while non-working parents can become a drain on the tax system through
dependent spouse and other rebates.
In conclusion, government support for childcare services assists individual families and is
important for the economic well-being of the whole nation.
Phrases to indicate an argument and a counter-argument:
It may/ might/ could be

argued

It has been

asserted

It is

contended

maintained

claimed

said

that However,

Example:
It could be argued that computers create unemployment. However, computers actually
create many new forms of employment that never existed before.
Now write similar pairs of sentences about these topics:
1.

Banning smoking in restaurants

2.

Parents are the best teachers

3.

Harms of watching TV

4.

Banning all guns

5.

Class attendance as one requirement of tertiary education

WRITING 3

"22

6.

Teachers will be substituted by computers

The argumentative essay introduction

Introduce the topic
State that there is a difference of opinion about this topic.
Give your thesis statement and the main ideas.
Practice 1. Refer to Appendix. Find some argumentative essay topics, make an outline
for each.

WRITING 3

"23

Outline for argumentative essays

Topic:
INTRODUCTION
Thesis statement:
BODY
Main idea 1:

Counter argument:

supporting counter argument 1

supporting counter argument 2

Argument:

supporting argument 1

supporting argument 2

Main idea 2:

Counter argument:

supporting counter argument 1

supporting counter argument 2

Argument:

supporting argument 1

supporting argument 2

Main idea 3:

CONCLUSION
restatement

WRITING 3

recommendation

prediction

question

"24

Practice 2. Refer to Practice 1. Now write an introduction for the outlines you have
made.
Practice 3: For 3 body paragraphs for one of the introductions you have made in
Practice 2. Remember to follow the counter-argumentargument approach.
Practice 4: Refer to Appendix. Choose 5 argumentative essay topics. Write a full essay
for each.

WRITING 3

"25

Appendix

References
http://library.bcu.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.22.htm
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/general/essay/drafting-essay/1.xml
http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/essay/4bii.html
http://ieltsliz.com/100-ielts-essay-questions/
http://bid4papers.com/blog/hook-for-essay/
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-topic-sentences.html

WRITING 3

"26