Step 4. Describing a Place

 In this step, you will write paragraphs in which you describe places. Descriptions are "word pictures." You tell how something looks, feels, smells, tastes, adn sounds. You need to become a sharp observer and notice many small details so that you can write a good word picture.


 There are two keys to writing good descriptions:

• Use space order to organize your description.
• Use lots of descriptive details.

 Imagine that you are standing in the doorway of your classroom. How would you describe the room to someone who has never seen it? Here are some possibilities:

• You might start at the left side of the doorway and work your way around the room in a clockwise direction to the right side, ending at the doorway again.
• You might start at the front of the room and go from fron to back, firt describing the chalkboard, the teacher's desk, and the area around the teacher's desk. Then you might describe the students' desks in the center of the room, and finally the walls and/or windows at the back and sides of the room.

 This kind of organization is called space order. Here are kinds of space order.

 And here is my writing for "Describing a Place." I used 'outside to inside' order

My Dream House

 My dream house is quite simple. I just want to design my house by myself. My imaginary house will be like following sentences. The outside of my house is surrounded by ivy-covered red-bricks wall, and in the middle of the wall, there is a big gate for entrance. In the garden, the green lawn is spread along the entrance way and many big dogs are playing on the lawn. During walking the road, I can see a two-storied house colored brown. In the first story, there are four rooms. Three of them are for bedroom and the rest one is for dressing room. Each bedroom has a bath room. In the living room, there are brown leather couches. The tiles on the floor are made by dark wooden. In the second story, there are also four rooms for guests and the terrace for tea-time. These things are my demands for my dream house. As I told, I just dream like this simple house. I hope I can get married and live here with my lovely family.

 And, when you write several adjectives in a row, sometimes you must put them in a particular order, and sometimes you can choose your own order depending on the kind of adjective. One kind is called cumulative adjective, and the other kind is called coordinate adjectives.

 Cumulative adjectives always go before a noun. They must be in a particular order.

Here are order of cumulative adjectives.

 And coordinate adjectives can go before a noun or after a linking verb. You can write coordinate adjectives in any order, and you separate them from each other with commas. Also,

•  When coordinate adjectives come before a noun, you may put the word 'and' before the last one(but you don't have to).
• When two or more coordinate adjectives come after a lingking verb, you must put 'and' before the last one.

               Before a noun             A hungry, cold, wet dog sat outside our front door.
               (and optional)             A wet, cold, and hungry dog sat out side our front door.


               After a linking verb     The dog was hungry, wet, and cold.
               (and required)


 Just try to write a  describing paragraph following this step. See you next time!




---edited by Young Jun,
 cited from Ann Hogue, First Steps in Academic Writing(Second Edition)(NY:Person Longman, 2008)

Step 3. Giving Instructions

 In this step, you will learn to write a paragraph that gives instructions. This kind of paragraph is sometimes called a "how to" paragraph because it explains how to do something or how to make something.

 There are four keys to writing clear "how to" paragraphs.

• Begin with a topic sentence that names the topic and says the paragraph will give instructins about it.
• Divide the instructions into a series of steps. For some topics, you will put the steps in order by time and use time-order transition signals to show the order.

              First, do this. Next, do that.

• Explain each step one by one
• Use transition signals to introduce each new step.

Here is my writing for "how to" paragraph.

How to Clean Up My Messy Room

 How to clean up my messy room? Here are some know-hows for you. Always cleanig up room makes bother us. In reality, however, there is no choice except cleaning. Actually, If we make a plan to clean up your room, it’s not so hard to make it. First of all, you should prepare tools for cleaning such as a broom, a vacuum cleaner and a rag. Next, open all of the windows and door in your room to air and to check your room. These are important points before you clean up. After that, collect all of your scattered clothings and carry to washing room. Then, start to clean up from the top place to the bottom such as desk and bed. All rubbishes throw away to the floor and then tidy up your stuffs to the suitable place and make bed. Next, pick up big rubbishes and sweep or vacuum the floor. Finally, wipe every nook and corner using a clean rag. Then you can find your cleaned room like a new!

Here are some Time-Order Signals

And here are some common Time Subordinators

---edited by Young Jun,
 cited from Ann Hogue, First Steps in Academic Writing(Second Edition)(NY:Person Longman, 2008)

Step 2. Listing-Order Paragraphs

My Dream Jobs

I have a dream job that I want to do after graduation in the future. I really want to do volunteering works as a member of NGO. There will be many ways to be a member of NGO but I’m planning to prepare for a specific test called JPO. However, before take an exam I have to be qualified first because it needs some qualifications. First, I need a degree of university. It’s a basic requirement that JPO needs above all things. Secondly, I need a score of TEPS at least over 930. I know it’s quite difficult for me but it’s also one of their demands. And finally, there is an age limitation below 30 years old to enter for the examination. It means that I have only 3 years till the limitation. Anyway, if I’m qualified for those three things, I can finally take the test of JPO although it’s just a first step. And the rest thing that I have to do is studying English. It’s the most important thing and the best way to pass the test as much as they want a person who can work in international field without inconvenience. I think it would be long journey until achieve my goal but I really want to work for the NGO. I’m sure because it’s my dream job so I must eventually reach my goal.

 This is my listing-order paragraph. Then let's try to know how to write listing-order paragraphs.

 In this step, you will write paragraphs that use the listing-order pattern of organization. You will choose a job or prefession that you have or would like to have in the future as an example to write a listing-order paragraph.


 I'll give you some tips for your writing


1. Clustering


 Clustering is a prewriting techique that helps you get ideas to write about. Here is how to do clustering.
 Begin by writing your chosen job or profession in the center of a piece of paper. Then think about characteristics and abilities necessary for that job, and write down every idea that comes into your mind. Don't stop to worry if the idea is a good one or not.



2. Listing-Order Paragraphs


 In a listing-order paragraph, you divide the topice into separate points. Then you discuss one point, and then another point, and then a third point, and so on.


 There are three keys to writing a listing-order paragraph:

1. Begin with a sentence that names your topice and says it has several points.
2. Write about each point separately.
3. End with a sentence that reminds your reader about the points you just discussed.

3. The Three Parts of a Paragraph

• The Topic Sentence : A topic sentence has two parts: a topic and a controlling idea. The topic part names the topic. The controlling idea part tells what the paragraph will say about the topic.
• Supporting Sentences : Supporting sentences explain or prove the idea in the topice sentence.
• The Concluding Sentence : Paragraphs that stand alone often have a concluding sentence at the end. A concluding sentence closes the paragraph so that the reader is not left expecting more.

4. Listing-Order Transition Signals

 A transition signal is a word or phrase that shows how one idea is related to another idea. In a listing-order paragraph, use transition signals such as 'First', 'Second', and  Third' to tell your reader that these are main points.

---edited by Young Jun,
 cited from Ann Hogue, First Steps in Academic Writing(Second Edition)(NY:Person Longman, 2008)

Step 1. Introducing People

 In Step 1, you will write paragraphs about people. Your first paragraph will be about a person who has made a difference in your life, in your communitiy, or in the world.


  First of all, you need to know what a paragraph is. A paragraph is a group of related sentences about a single topic. The topice of a paragraph is one, and only one, idea.


    A paragraph has three main parts.


1. Topic sentence
  The first sentence in a paragraph is a sentence that names the topice and tells what the paragraph will explain about the topic. This sentence is called the topic sentence.


2. Supporting sentences
  The middle sentences in a paragraph are called supporting sentences. Supporting sentences give examples or ohter details about the topic.


3. Concluding sentence
  The last sentence in a paragraph is called the concluding sentence. A concluding sentence often repeats the topic sentence in different words or summarizes the main points.


A paragraph is like a hamburger : two pieces of bread (the topice and concluding sentences) enclosing the filling (the supporting sentences).

 Each paragraph that you write here should also have a title. A title tells the topice of the paragraph in a few words. A title is short. It is not a complete sentence. It may be just one word. Here are some examples of titles.


 : My Classmate, Friendship, A Famous Soccer Player


 You will know the three parts of a paragraph in more detail in Step 2. For now, just remember that a paragraph has three parts.







 After all, combine of simple sentences is the paragraph. But you should use various vocabularies, and use connecting words such as 'and' and 'or' called conjunctions. Here is one simple paragraph about the topic 'Introducing People' written by myself. Just check it and think about what you should do.

An Important Person in My Life

  As almost every person finds their role-model during their life, I also found the most important person while I’m living my life. It’s another me because I have always thought about troubles which people make in trouble is themselves, so I consider me as another person who is in me. He could be my best friend, but he is usually my only rival whom I really want to beat. Unfortunately, I’ve never beaten him so far. If there is my goal of all my life, it will be that I want to beat him as soon as possible. I’ll never stop making an effort to find out real me who can do everything I want to.

---edited by Young Jun,
 cited from Ann Hogue, First Steps in Academic Writing(Second Edition)(NY:Person Longman, 2008)

Intro. What is Academic Writing?

 "The kind of writing you will do in this class is called academic writing because it is the kind of writing you do in college classes. Every kind of writing has a particular purpose and a particular audience. The purpose of academic writing is to explain something or to give information about something. Its audience is your teacher and your classmates.

 Academic writing requires certains skills. These skills include sentence structure (how to arrange words in a sentence), organization (how to arrange ideas in a paragraph), and, of course, grammar and punctuation. Each chapter of this book has sections with a lesson and practices for each skill. At the end of each chapter, you will write a paragraph using the skills you just learned."

 In this blog, I'm going to start from paragraph writing, and it may continue to essay writing.

You will find each step of writing. And I'll put some advice and information.

Just follow the steps, and I hope you can achieve to perfect essay writing! Thank you.

---edited by Young Jun,
 cited from Ann Hogue, First Steps in Academic Writing(Second Edition)(NY:Person Longman, 2008)