Section+2+-+Writing

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Can I Study for English? Creating Notes Section 1 - Reading Section 2 - Writing Section 3 - Viewing

You can study writing; it is a skill that you will never perfect, but you can be proficient at it. = = = = =Which genre should I write in?=

Write in a genre that suits the question and that allows you to demonstrate the full range of written skills you have acquired. If you are good at writing narratives, choose a question that will allow you to do so. Nevertheless, you must still read the question very carefully; many students have done poorly by memorising a pre-written narrative that didn’t fit the question. ==

=Tips for writing narratives=
 * Show rather than tell.
 * Let your characters speak.
 * Develop a theme.
 * Use figurative language.
 * Try to establish a symbol early in the narrative; it can become a structural fulcrum that you can come back to.
 * Use a variety of compound and complex sentences, while remembering that simple sentences can be very powerful for creating a sense of pace.
 * Language really is like music; it has rhythms that will become a powerful tool when you can hear it.[[image:Strunk_7_Whitw.jpg align="right" caption="This book is an outstanding guide for aspiring writers"]]
 * Master the rules of grammar.

Back to the top =Tipes for writing expository texts=
 * Your best bet is to write a persuasive text; explanatory and descriptive texts will not push you to write well.
 * Identify with your audience (“we”)
 * Don’t tell your audience they are wrong even if they are. An essay on gun-control for the NRA could sound like this: “We all treasure our constitutional rights, and we are all safe users of guns. But we must protect out children from those people who don’t treasure their rights and who aren’t safe, or even legal, users of guns.” There are problems with this argument, but our goal isn’t to be correct; it is to be convincing.
 * Use a variety of sentence lengths and beginnings.
 * Draw from a wide vocabulary without trying to sound pompous.
 * Use the rule of three: Guns are deadly. Guns are dangerous. Guns are a threat to our national security.
 * Use the language of your chosen discourse. If your essay is on rights, invoke the language of the law. If your essay is on global warming, invoke the language of the environment.
 * Speak the language of your audience. This has been suggested already, but it cannot be stressed enough:
 * Establish common ground. [[image:audience_and_purpose.jpg align="right"]]
 * Understand what your audience wants.
 * Fit your argument in with their wants.
 * Don’t give unsubstantiated statistics (e.g. 90% of kids hate uniform).

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