Handbook play writing writing

Here again are the objectives from the previous page :. An objective reveals what your article must accomplish to be successful.

You then use your intro—from the last page—to fish for the ideas that are most interesting to explore. Your objective and your hooks help you generate ideas for your outline. Two types of ideas comprise your outline. Writing your first draft is the art of generating both of them:. Supporting points set the stage for your argument. Resulting points explore what happens when your argument is true.

Meaning, you convince readers then you open their eyes. Supporting points typically come first and resulting points typically come last. But, there is no correct outline. Hundreds of paths lead to your objective. You write in order to think. The act of writing compels your brain to draw connections between ideas. A reminder that the last page of this guide has a downloadable cheatsheet that handily recaps everything you're about to learn. As you're writing, how do you know which thoughts are most valuable?

What separates good ideas from bad ones? My approach is to focus on ideas that are interesting or surprising. These are the ingredients of novelty. Novelty is what keeps readers reading. They tend to be:. To uncover interesting ideas, continuously make your next point whatever interests you most. Skip everything that bores you. When something bores you, it probably bores your readers too.

And if something entertains you, it probably entertains them too. You're a proxy for your die-hard readers. The mistake writers make is believing expertise is required to write compelling nonfiction. Nope, it's the rabid desire to indulge your curiosity. Surprise is anything that contradicts what readers know or expect you to say. You can also play detective: when you know enough about a topic to know what's not known about it, you can selectively resolve those gaps and share the discoveries.

Again, you are your audience's proxy. EEE3 4 b such as, e. A case in 6 point is smallpox. It is no longer necessary to visit shops to make routine purchases. With more specialised items internet retailers can offer a wider range of products than bricks-and-mortar shops.

They can also provide extra incentives to customers, in addition to the convenience of not having to visit a real shop. As a result certain types of store are disappearing from the high street. Other products however, appear to require personal inspection and approval, and in addition many people enjoy the activity of shopping, so it seems unlikely that the internet will completely replace the shopping centre.

Customs that they took for granted 8 in their own society may not be followed in the host country. Even everyday 9 patterns of life may be different.

When these are added to the inevitable 10 differences that occur in every country students may at first feel confused. They 1 may experience rapid changes of mood, or even want to return home.

However, 2 most soon make new friends and, in a relatively short period, are able to adjust to EEE3 4 their new environment. They may even find that they prefer some aspects of their 5 new surroundings, and forget that they are not at home for a while!

They can be powerful statements because they are simple and easy to understand. But they must be used with care, to avoid being inaccurate or too simplistic.

This unit explains how to generalise clearly and effectively. Compare: The majority of smokers in Britain are women. Although the second sentence is more accurate, the first is easier to understand and remember. The writer must decide when accuracy is necessary, and when a generalisation will be acceptable. Students tend to be lazy. A recent study Jones and DeBruine, explores the idea that female preferences in a mate might vary according to the society in which she lives.

In their research nearly 5, women in 30 countries were shown the same pictures of male faces and asked to state which they found more attractive. In countries where disease is common women chose men with more masculine features, while in countries such as America with more advanced health care and lower levels of disease, more effeminate-looking men were preferred. The researchers conclude that in healthier societies women are more interested in men who may form long-term relationships and help with child-rearing, while in places where child mortality rates are high they choose strongly-featured men who seem more likely to produce healthy children.

I Choose a title from the list below, or select one from your own subject, write a generalisation and develop it in the same way. This unit explains and practises the basic 20 language of numbers and percentages, while presenting data in 1 charts and tables is dealt with in Unit 2.

She forgot her phone number. Digits are individual numbers. Rates are normally expressed as percentages e. I Complete the following sentences using the data in the table opposite.

If the actual number is not important, words such EEE3 as various, dozens or scores may be used instead: 4 5 The snowstorm closed 47 schools. In 7 there were 40, admissions, in 82, and , 8 in Write sentences about the group using the data. This unit explains ways in which 20 this kind of text can be organised. Note that some of the 1 language is similar to that practised in Unit 2.

It is 5 commonly suggested that building more roads, or widening 6 existing ones, would ease the traffic jams. But not only is the 7 cost of such work high, but the construction process adds to 8 the congestion, while the resulting extra road space may 9 encourage extra traffic. Therefore constructing more roads is 40 1 unlikely to solve the problem, and other remedies, such as 2 road pricing or greater use of public transport, should be examined.

Currently, roads are often congested, which is expensive in terms of delays to the movement of people and freight. It is commonly suggested that building more roads, or widening existing ones, would ease the traffic jams.

This remedy is criticised for being expensive and liable to lead to more road use, which may be partly true, yet the alternatives are equally problematic. Road pricing has many practical difficulties, while people are reluctant to use public transport. There is little alternative to a road building programme except increasing road chaos.

Problem Currently, roads are often congested, which is. Solution A It is commonly suggested that building more roads, or widening. Arguments against solution A This remedy is criticised for being expensive. Solutions B and C and Road pricing has many practical difficulties, while arguments against people are. Conclusion in favour of There is little alternative to a road building solution A programme. Growing visitor numbers can cause pollution and 1 put pressure on scarce resources such as water.

One possible 2 solution is to target wealthier holidaymakers, in order to get EEE3 4 the maximum profit from minimum numbers. However, there 5 is a limited number of such visitors, and this market requires considerable investment in infrastructure and training. This requires effective government 20 1 agencies, but is likely to ensure the best outcome for both 2 tourists and locals.

Complete the table and 2 write a paragraph that leads to a conclusion. In general, it should attempt to be accurate, impersonal and objective. This unit gives some guidelines for an appropriate style, but see also Units 3. There are lots of different theories etc and I think some of them are ok. So how do we increase production? Vague — give names 7 8. Vague — give dates 9 10 lots of different.

I think. Too personal 4 5. Too informal 7 When we think about this. Too personal 82 9. Do not quote proverbs or similar 20 expressions 1 So how do we increase production? Avoid contractions 4 5EEE. Too personal and informal 6 7 8 9 The paragraph could be re-written: 30 1 2 1. The following are guidelines that should help you develop a style of your own. Instead use standard English: children, manager. There is a difference between rule and law, or weather and climate, which you are expected to know if you study these subjects.

Avoid phrases such as about a hundred or hundreds of years ago. If it is necessary to estimate numbers use approximately rather than about. Avoid absolute statements such as unemployment causes crime. Instead use cautious phrases: unemployment may cause crime or tends to cause crime. Use the full form: Do not, cannot. Both are needed.

Compare: Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter. The moons of Jupiter were discovered by Galileo. In the first case, the focus is on Galileo, in the second passive on the moons. Use such as or for instance. Use factor, issue or topic. Use improve and deteriorate. Use conjunctions and signposting expressions to introduce new 1 sections Turning to the question of detecting cancer. Insert and before the 4 last item: 5 The main products were pharmaceuticals, electronic goods 7 and confectionery.

Use continue or raise. So instead of: Most family businesses employ less than ten people. These businesses. Use: Most family businesses employ less than ten people. These firms. Avoid phrases such as: Homelessness is a global problem in the whole world. Good writing aims for economy and precision: Homelessness is a global problem. Fast food is a kind of 8 food that people can buy ready to eat or cook quickly.

This essay examines the 9 advantages of fast food and the drawbacks of fast food. First above all, fast food 10 is very convenient. Most of the people who work in offices are very busy, so that 1 they do not have time to go to their homes for lunch. But the people who work in 2 EEE3 offices can eat in restaurants such as McDonalds, which are franchised in 4 hundreds of countries. In addition, the second benefit of fast food is its 5 cheapness.

As it is produced in large quantities, this high volume means that the companies can keep costs down. As a result fast food is usually less expensive 7 than a meal in a conventional restaurant. They offer a subsidy to buyers of new cars. The 2 buyers must scrap an old vehicle. The schemes are designed 3 to stimulate the economy. They also increase fuel efficiency. They offer a subsidy to buyers of new cars, who must scrap an old vehicle. The schemes are designed to stimulate the economy and also increase fuel efficiency.

I Re-write the following paragraph so that instead of six short sentences there are two long and two short sentences. In developed countries over half of all young people enter college. Similar trends are seen in China and South America.

This growth has put financial strain on state university systems. Many countries are asking students and parents to contribute. This leads to a debate about whether students or society benefit from tertiary education.

I The following sentence is too long. Divide it into shorter ones. This should make your meaning as clear as possible. Visual devices such as graphs and tables are a convenient way of displaying large quantities of information in a form that is easy to understand.

This unit explains and practises the language connected with these devices. Complete the table to show the use a—f and 5 the example A—F of each type. The graph shows the changes in the price of oil since map illustrates the main sources of copper in Africa diagram displays the organisation of both companies I a Read the following descriptions of the chart below. Which is better, and why? Other significant tea consumers are Turkey, Russia and Britain.

The fourth largest consumers are Russia, Japan and Britain, with 7 per cent each, while Pakistan consumes 5 per cent. Other countries account for the remaining 12 per cent. Titles of 8 tables are written above, while titles of figures are written below the 9 data. Projected population changes in various European countries — millions.

This unit explains the reasons for this, and suggests the best way to approach group work in order to achieve the maximum benefit from the process. I Read the following text on p. Working in pairs, and without looking back at the text, decide if the following are true or false. In addition, students are normally told EEE3 who they will work with, although the group may be able to 4 5 choose its own topic with some kinds of project.

However, there are important reasons for this emphasis on group work 7 82 on many courses. Most managers seek to employ people 2 who are comfortable working in a mixed group with different 3 4 skills and backgrounds. So ability to teamwork has become an 5EEE essential qualification for many jobs, and this task provides 6 students with an opportunity to strengthen their experience of 7 8 working in groups.

A group can 2 3 tackle much larger projects, and this applies to most research 4 projects at university, as well as business development in 5 companies. Finally, by taking part in these activities students 6 7 are able to provide evidence on their portfolio and CV that 8 they have succeeded in this critical area. The correct order 1—7 has been mixed up. Working with a partner, put them into the most logical sequence, using the box below. Analyse the task Get everyone to discuss the assignment and agree on the best methods to complete it.

At this stage it is important to have full agreement on the objectives. Divide up the work fairly, according to the abilities of the members Your group may include a computer expert or a design genius, so make sure that their talents are used for the benefit of the task.

It is most important to make sure that everyone feels they have been given a fair share of the work. Make everyone feel included Nobody should feel an outsider, so make special efforts if there is only one male student, or one non-native speaker, for instance.

When you have finished and handed in your work, it may be helpful to have a final meeting to discuss what you have all learned from the task.

Get to know the other members Normally you cannot choose who you work with, so it is crucial to introduce yourselves before starting work. The same person could also act as editor, to make sure that all the individual sections conform to the same layout and format.

However, you should each be responsible for proof-reading your own work. Agree on times for regular meetings — 4 although you may be able to avoid some meetings by using 5 group emails. You may want to book a suitable room, for 6 example in the library, to hold your meetings. You may choose an alternative strategy to the ones 2 provided. Not only do they not come to meetings, they have 5 not done the tasks they were given at the beginning.

Should 6 you. Although you can understand normal speech, the other students speak so fast and idiomatically that you have difficulty taking part in the discussions. Should you. Together you have one 4 week to research the history and development of the town or city 5 where you are studying, using the internet, and write a 1, word 6 report.

Remember to follow the steps listed in 2 above. Students need to be familiar with general and academic 1 abbreviations. They are 9 pronounced as words. Note that in many cases abbreviations are widely used without most users knowing what the individual letters stand for e. Other examples are govt. With acronyms and 6 other abbreviations there is no standard pattern for using full stops, so 7 both BBC and B. There is, however, a tendency to use full 8 stops less.

The important thing is to employ a consistent style in your 9 work. It is useful to be aware of these potential confusions.

A good dictionary should be 7 used to understand more unusual abbreviations. They 3 include: 4 5EEE anon. China joined the WTO in CVs must be submitted to HR by 30 June. Trade patterns on the www — Wren claimed that the quality of MSc and MA research was falling.

This unit gives some examples, and provides practice in 1 their use. See also Unit 3. Could Darwin have envisaged the controversy his work has caused? I Study the list below and find a synonym in each case.

Some of these verbs e. This is a list of items commonly found 6 in academic texts across various disciplines, created by Averil Coxhead. Compare: a Research is an important activity in universities. In a research, which is usually uncountable, is being used in a general sense. In b a specific piece of research is identified. Inflation was the greatest problem for the Brazilian government. Note that in some cases more than one answer is possible.

This unit presents more examples of tentative or cautious language, using modal verbs, adverbs and verbs, and practises its use. Most students find writing exam essays difficult. Fertility rates tend to fall as societies get richer. Areas where caution is particularly important include: a outlining a hypothesis that needs to be tested e.

There is usually an exception 8 that needs to be considered. Caution can be shown in several ways: 9 10 Crime may be linked to poor education. It is generally used positively, while rather tends to be used negatively. Compare: Tilic states that the cost of living. They fed diet 8 supplements, found in health food shops, to elderly rats, 9 which were then tested for memory and stamina.

The animals 10 1 displayed more active behaviour after taking the supplements, 2 and their memory improved. In addition, their appearance EEE3 became more youthful and their appetite increased. The 4 researchers say that this experiment is a clear indication of 5 how the problems of old age can be overcome. Effective reading and writing requires clarity about their meaning. This unit describes the different functions of conjunctions and practises their use.

Other ways of linking sections of text are explained in Unit 2. Match each of the types below 10 to one of the sentences above. The production of 5 these has increased sharply recently, but the replacement of food crops with fuel 6 crops has been heavily criticised. Although initially seen as a more 7 environmentally-friendly type of fuel, the research shows that producing some 8 biofuels, for instance biodiesel palm oil, is more polluting than using 9 conventional oil.

The ethanol produced from sugar cane, however, can have 40 1 negative emissions, in other words taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere 2 instead of adding it. Consequently, it can be seen that the situation is rather confused, and that biofuels are neither a magic solution to the energy problem, nor are they the environmental disaster sometimes suggested. There are frequent strikes. I Write two sentences in each case. The opposition said it was rising. It needs to install new computers.

It was heavily advertised. This unit gives examples of some of the most common pairs, and provides practice with their use. Precise construction results in an efficient machine. Although the meaning is similar the first sentence is more formal.

Effective academic writing requires accurate use of both nouns and adjectives. Example: Several steel producers are likely to shut down next year. Common prefixes of meaning I Find the meaning s of each prefix NB. Prefix Example Example sentence auto automatically Overs automatically have the right to vote. I Suggest possible meanings for the recently developed words in bold. Their use may 20 seem confusing, but this unit explains how they can be 1 understood.

Students should consult a standard English 2 grammar for a full list of prepositional combinations. In 8 conclusion, the paper sets out to demonstrate the relationship 9 between the decline in agricultural employment and the 40 1 supply of cheap labour in the factory context.

Find one example of each in the text 1. While some aspects of punctuation, such as the use of commas, can be a matter of individual style, correct punctuation in areas such as quotation is important. However, they should be used in the following cases: a The first word in a sentence In the beginning.

Some examples of necessary comma usage are: However, more cases should be considered before reaching a conclusion. Certain crops, for instance wheat, are susceptible to diseases. Three hundred people were interviewed, but only half the responses could be used. Longer quotations are usually indented i. American English uses double quotation marks to show quotations. This unit illustrates the main areas of difficulty and 1 provides practice with these.

I Find the mistake in each of the following sentences and decide what type a — e above it is. Most woods are home to a wide variety of birds. A good writer uses them to avoid repetition and thus provide more interest for the reader. Synonyms should also be used when paraphrasing or note-making to avoid plagiarism.

The giant firm employs over , people internationally, including over 8, employees in Britain. A survey has shown that half the population do not wash before EEE3 eating, and one in five fail to wash before preparing food. There are over six 4 million cases of food poisoning in this country every year, and the advertising 5 blitz aims to cut this by 20 per cent. This reduction, the food body believes, could be achieved by regular hand washing prior to meals.

Their plan is to make cars that are cheaper and less polluting. But 9 the motor manufacturers face several key difficulties. One key difficulty is the 30 limited range of the battery, while another difficulty is its cost and weight.

The use of some of these words is restricted to particular tenses. He has been president with present perfect, since The library was opened two usually with past years ago. The hotel is closed during with nouns the winter. EEE3 In the last year there has been present perfect 4 a decline in inflation. It is now 16 April. There are several reasons for 2 EEE3 this trend.

With 5EEE more money in their pockets people are more likely to save 6 the trouble of shopping and cooking by visiting their local 7 8 restaurant. This unit provides practice in developing a 1 balanced style. So the passive is often used in written English when the cause a 6 person or thing is less important or unknown. The passive is also used in written work to provide a more impersonal style: The findings were evaluated.

EEE3 4 c They provided pencils for all students in the exam. He had spent his early years as a farm labourer but had 9 worked his way up to be the owner of a substantial business. He was born in , 40 1 became a member of a Methodist chapel in Nottingham, and later moved to the 2 city. John was concerned by the situation of the poor, who could not afford a continued. In the early stages John was helped financially by his father-in-law, while his mother provided herbal knowledge.

We have English and History classes in mind, because one of us is a History teacher and the other taught English. Remember, this is utilitarian writing, not poetry or the great American novel. Even so, if we want to hold your interest, we your authors need to get to the point. Nothing turns away readers as quickly as feeling that their time is being wasted. What words to use? Create free account to access unlimited books, fast download and ads free!

With its easy-to-digest steps that demystify the writing process, this accessible handbook gives you the tools you need to work independently to create well-constructed research papers-throughout your college career and beyond. This particular edition is in a Paperback format.