Revising Your Essay

Correct errors related to grammar, punctuation and spelling

Consult a style book if you are unsure how to properly use quotation marks, colons, semicolons, apostrophes or commas. Avoid using exclamation points.

·      Look for mistakes involving than/then, your/you're, its/it's, etc. Make sure you know how to use apostrophes correctly.

·      Look for mistakes involving general punctuation. Check for run-on sentences, commas and periods inside quotation marks, as well as sparely-used dashes, colons, and semi-colons.

Remove any repetitive or unnecessary words.

Vary your language with the help of a thesaurus. Also, consult a dictionary to make sure that you're using unfamiliar words correctly.

·      At the same time, try to keep your language short, sweet, and to the point. A thesaurus is a great tool, but don't just use big words to sound fancy. The best essays are clear, concise, and easily understood by a wide audience.

·      Focus on writing killer verbs for sentences. Verbs communicate the action in a sentence and drive the action. A great verb can be the difference between a bland sentence and a beautiful one. 
·      Use adjectives lightly. Adjectives are great descriptive words, but when used indiscriminately, they can burden an essay and make it less readable. Try to let the verbs and nouns do most of the heavy lifting before you focus on adjectives.  

Avoid colloquial (informal) writing. 
Do not use contractions or abbreviations (e.g., don't, can't, won't, shouldn't, could've, or haven't).
Your essay should have a serious tone, even if it's written in a light or lyrical style.

Analyze how your essay flows.

Does each sentence lead smoothly to the next? Does each paragraph flow logically to the next? Good connections will help your ideas to flow:

·      When events happen in sequence: I first started to realize that I was in the minority when I was in middle school...My realization was confirmed when I proceeded to high school.

·      If sentences elaborate on each other: Plants need water to survive...A plant's ability to absorb water depends on the nutrition of the soil.

·      When an idea contrasts with another idea: Vegetarians argue that land is unnecessarily wasted by feeding animals to be eaten as food...Opponents argue that land being used for grazing would not be able to be used to create any other kind of food.

·      If you're relaying a cause and effect relationship: I will be the first person in my family to graduate from college...I am inspired to continue my family's progress through the generations.

·      When connecting similar ideas: Organic food is thought to be better for the environment...Local food is believed to achieve the same goals.  

Cut out information that's not specifically related to your topic.

You don't want your essay to ramble off topic. Any information that doesn't directly or indirectly support your thesis should be cut out.

Have someone read your paper aloud to you, or record yourself reading it aloud and play it back.

Our ears are sometimes better than your eyes at picking up mistakes in language. The essay should sound like it has a good flow and understandable words. 

Rewrite any problematic body passages.

If needed, rearrange sentences and paragraphs into a different order. Make sure that both your conclusion and introduction match the changes that you make to the body.

Kinds of Essays

Definition Essay

When you are writing a definition essay, you take a term or an idea and write about what it is. Often, definitions are combined with classification or other forms of organization in the essay. You need to give a careful definition of the key term before going on to discuss different types or examples.

Example question:	Write an essay defining energy resources and discuss the different types.
Introduction:	Define the key term energy resources.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Define one type of energy resources: renewable resources. 2. Define another type of energy resources: non-renewable resources.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize energy resources.

Classification Essay

In a classification essay, you separate things or ideas into specific categories and discuss each of them. You organize the essay by defining each classification and by giving examples of each type.

Example question:	Write an essay discussing the three types of government in Canada.
Introduction:	Give background information about government in Canada.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Define and describe federal government. 2. Define and describe provincial governments. 3. Define and describe municipal governments.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize government in Canada.

Description Essay

In a description essay, you write about what a person, place, or thing is like. You organize the essay by describing different parts or aspects of the main subject.

Example question:	Write an essay describing the polar bear.
Introduction:	Introduce what a polar bear is.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Describe where the polar bear lives. 2. Describe the body of the polar bear. 3. Describe what the polar eats.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize what a polar bear is.

Compare and Contrast Essay

In a compare and contrast essay, you write about the similarities and differences between two or more people, places, or things. You can organize the essay by writing about one subject first and then comparing it with the second subject. A more effective way is to organize the essay by comparing each subject by category.

Example question:	Write an essay comparing the weather in Vancouver and Halifax.
Introduction:	Introduce weather in the cities of Vancouver and Halifax.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Compare weather in spring and summer for both cities. State how they are similar or different. 2. Compare weather in fall and winter for both cities. State how they are similar or different.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize the similarities and differences.

Sequence Essay

In a sequence essay, you are writing to describe a series of events or a process in some sort of order. Usually, this order is based on time. You organize the essay by writing about each step of the process in the order it occurred.

Example question:	Write an essay outlining the stages of the salmon life cycle.
Introduction:	Describe what a salmon is like.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Describe young salmon. 2. Describe adult salmon. 3. Describe what salmon do before they die.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize the main steps of the salmon life cycle.

Choice Essay

In a choice essay, you need to choose which object, idea, or action that you prefer. You organize the essay by describing each option and then giving your opinion.

Example question:	Write an essay choosing between hockey in the 1890s and hockey today.
Introduction:	Introduce the game of hockey.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Describe hockey in the 1890s. 2. Describe hockey today. 3. State which form of hockey you prefer and why.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize the game of hockey.

Explanation Essay

In an explanation essay, you explain how or why something happens or has happened. You need to explain different causes and effects. You should organize the essay by explaining each individual cause or effect.

Example question:	Write an essay explaining why so many Europeans moved to Canada during the early nineteenth century.
Introduction:	Give background information on European immigration during this time.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Explain first reason: poor economy in Europe. 2. Explain second reason: better living conditions in Canada.
Summary paragraph:	Summarize main reasons.

Evaluation Essay

In an evaluation essay, you make judgments about people, ideas, and possible actions. You make your evaluation based on certain criteria that you develop. Organize the essay by discussing the criteria you used to make your judgment.

Example question:	Write an essay evaluating the importance of the House of Commons.
Introduction:	Give your judgment on whether the House of Commons is important.
Supporting paragraphs:	1. Explain first criteria: meeting place for government. 2. Explain second criteria: represent Canadians. 3. Explain third criteria: make laws for Canada.
Summary paragraph:	Conclude with an overall judgment about the House of Commons.

Phonetic Transcription Dictionary

One of the most important aspects in speaking is the pronunciation. We should be able to pronounce the words correctly without making any confusion to the listeners. One way to develop our pronunciation ability is understanding the phonetic transcription. by knowing the phonetic transcription, we will be able to produce the sounds that the words require.

Wikspeak is a software that provides phonetic transcriptions of words. By only typing a word, it will generate the phonetic transcription and how to pronounce it. It also shows the stress pattern of the word.

This software will be very useful for those who want to develop their pronunciation ability. This software is free and you can download it here

Learning English Through Movies

There are many ways in developing one's English ability, as for me, I prefer movies. Movies could be really helpful if you want to exercise your listening skill and learn many useful English expressions. Besides learning, you could also enjoy the movies and keep yourself entertained.

 Here are some of my favorite sites that provide free downloadable movies. These sites offer a complete genre of movies and hundreds of titles. The types of the movies' files are MP4 and 3GP so it will only take little time to download but still watchable.

If you want to watch English TV series that consist of many seasons and episodes you can find it in http://www.fztvseries.mobi/ and http://o2tvseries.com/
my favorite TV series are:

• The Big Bang Theory
• How I Met Your Mother
• Breaking Bad
• Game of Thrones
• The Walking Dead

If you want to watch a full movie, this site provide you with 250 titles of the all times great movies. you can download classic movies such as The God Father up to the latest release. http://www.fzmovies.net/imdb250.php

Enjoy!

TRANSITIONS IN WRITING

Types of transitions

Transitions are words and phrases that serve as bridges from one idea to the next, one sentence to the next, or one paragraph to the next. They keep the reader from having to find his or her own way and possibly getting lost in the reading.

Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs. By referencing in one paragraph the relevant material from previous ones; writers can develop important points for their readers.

Transitional expressions

Effectively constructing each transition often depends upon your ability to identify words or phrases that will indicate for the reader the kind of logical relationships you want to convey.

Keep in mind that each of these words or phrases may have a slightly different meaning. Consult a dictionary or writer's handbook if you are unsure of the exact meaning of a word or phrase.

CAUSE AND EFFECT...
THEN, he moved on to the next work station.
AS A RESULT, the team lost the game.
FOR THIS REASON, she always went home for the weekend.
THE RESULT WAS always predictable.
WHAT FOLLOWED was as painful as it was inevitable.
IN RESPONSE, he quickly upped the ante.
THEREFORE, the aircraft overshot the runway.
THUS, it was just a matter of time.
BECAUSE OF THIS, the results were always the same.
CONSEQUENTLY, he was no longer friends with Frank.
THE REACTION to this event was swift and decisive.

IN CONTRAST TO...
UNLIKE last year, this one was highly profitable.
DIFFERENT from this, was our approach to manufacturing.
IN SPITE OF the dot com bust, the company prospered.
ON THE OTHER HAND, earnings per share have increased.
ON THE CONTRARY, the impact was less than expected.
OPPOSING that idea was the move to new technologies.
HOWEVER, that approach may actually prove better.
CONTRARY to his findings, the revenue picture is good.
NEVERTHELESS, something still appears to be missing.

SEQUENCE AND RELATIVITY...
THEN, each one followed in numerical sequence.
IN ADDITION, a fourth material was added to the mix.
TO ENUMERATE, first there was the car, second the boat,...
NEXT in the series was the “outrigger” brand line.
BESIDES THAT, there were two other possible sources.

SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON...
LIKE always, he took the company on a dangerous course.
SAME as before, he managed to meet all of the requirements.
SIMILAR things were known to happen at certain times.
CLOSE to that was the result of the second round of voting.
LIKEWISE, they made similar changes in the factory.
ALSO, there were the worker’s families to consider.
NEAR that one, was where we found the faulty component.

EXPLANATION AND EXAMPLE...
FOR EXAMPLE, last year’s model was underpowered.
ONE SUCH occurrence was last week’s power outage.
FOR INSTANCE, earnings this year are higher than last.
TO ILLUSTRATE, he went to Chicago just to make his point.
ALSO, there is a new approach to sheet-metal moulding.
THAT TOO, just goes to make my point even stronger.
TO DEMONSTRATE, I will use the new model throughout.

The above are just examples, and there many other such transition words and phrases that are used in everyday conversation or writing. In my opinion, an appropriate uses of these words/phrases is an important technique for making any type of writing flow logically and clearly.

Essay Writing: Concluding Paragraph

The concluding paragraph brings the paper to a proper closing, and does not merely restate what has already been explained thoroughly in the essay. The conclusion will not repeat ideas, nor will it bring up a new topic; rather, it will give an implicit summary of the paper and then give a unique perspective on the material discussed, reemphasizing the topic for the reader.

There are four main tactics that the writer can employ in writing the concluding paragraph:

• Restatement and Recommendation: Here the major points of the paper are given in a summary form and a suggestion is made to the reader about the subject (e.g. Take good care of your car).
• Prediction: The writer of a paper may want to predict what will happen with his or her topic in the future (e.g. the electric car will take over the industry).
• Allusion: The writer may choose to write an appropriate story to get his point across to the reader. This will allow the reader to relate better to the subject (e.g. "I know a good friend who had a '57 Chevy...").
• Quotation: This can give some more validity to your argument if it is a quotation from an expert in the subject (e.g. "As Lee Iacocca concluded at his retirement speech at Chrysler...").

Essay Writing: Introductory Paragraph

Introductory paragraph

The introductory paragraph introduces the paper's topics to the reader. This type of paragraph is used not only in presenting the topic and organization of the paper, but it is also utilized to grab the reader's attention. It is probably best, when writing the introduction, to use the funnel or general-to-specific method. This method begins with a very broad, general topic (e.g., cars), and then gradually narrows the subject down to a specific example of that topic (e.g., Porsches). The point in the paragraph at which the topic sentences is finally made is most commonly in the last sentence.

There are also three other common techniques that are utilized to open the introductory paragraph:

·       Factual Information: The writer opens his or her paragraph by giving a list of facts that will eventually lead to his or her topic .

     "The music was composed as a drinking song for an 18th-century London social club. The words were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key to commemorate a battle. And on March 3, 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially became the national anthem of the United States. Ever since then, people have been complaining that the tune is unsingable and the lyrics are offensive. In response to these complaints, a bill was recently filed in Congress to replace "The Star-Spangled Banner" with "America the Beautiful" as our national anthem. For a number of reasons, this bill deserves wide support."

·       Anecdote: The writer opens the paragraph with a story that relates to the topic.

 "Working part-time as a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly has given me a great opportunity to observe human behavior. Sometimes I think of the shoppers as white rats in a lab experiment, and the aisles as a maze designed by a psychologist. Most of the rats--customers, I mean--follow a routine pattern, strolling up and down the aisles, checking through my chute, and then escaping through the exit hatch. But not everyone is so dependable. My research has revealed three distinct types of abnormal customer: the amnesiac, the super shopper, and the dawdler."

·       Quotation: The writer builds the introductory paragraph around an applicable quote.

Hillary Rodham Clinton once said that “There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard.” In 2006, when Nancy Pelosi became the nation’s first female Speaker of the House, one woman’s voice rang out clear. With this development, democracy grew to its truest level ever in terms of women’s equality. The historical event also paved the way for Senator Clinton as she warmed her own vocal chords in preparation for a presidential race by optimizing the role of women in democracy and promoting gender equality.