WRITING

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** WRITING ** Writing. Where would you be without it? And yet many of us make a pig's ear of it every time we try. Well, not any more! (stunned silence turns into rabid applause) as I give you a whole page of tips and ideas and guidelines. And why? Well, because I'm a giver (uncomfortable silence). Ahem. So... transform yourself from a dyslexic neanderthal into a Shakespeare, a Keats, a Cosmo editor. ** Essay Writing ** Perhaps the most important form of writing we (try to) teach in school is the essay. This is no easy thing. A good essay is many things. A good essay is just like a cigarette. You pick it up. You smoke it all the way through. You put it out. Your essay should have a concise introduction. It should develop a cohesive argument all the way though. It should conclude with a suitably intelligent point. A bad essay is just like a high school disco. Everyone awkwardly stands in self-conscious pockets littered about the room, not wanting to have anything to do with any other group. Just as the bad essay is stagnant and doesn't flow with no logical flow or cohesion to the argument. Awkward points are made that have little relevance to the points raised by their side. A good essay is just like a well argued law case. And you are the good lawyer (they do exist). 1. The lawyer, in order to successfully defend a murder charge must make salient, direct statements (STATEMENT). "My client did not commit the murder of which he is accused." 2. The lawyer must provide relevant evidence (QUOTATION). "At the time of the murder my client was the other side of town." 3. The lawyer must explain the consequences of the evidence. "There is no way my client can be in two places at the same time. And seeing as I have provided you with insurmountable evidence that he was providing community service at the Playboy mansion at the time the English teacher was murdered with his own dictionary, there is no way that my client could have been the killer. As such, my client is innocent of the crime. (ANALYSIS) 4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 over and over to argue a logical, coherent and undefeatable case. 5. Bring all the key points together in a snazzy and winning conclusion.      ** Paper 1 Commentary Writing﻿ **  ** Worth 25% of your IB A1 grade, the commentary is a vital component of the course. Check out this guide of what to look for and what to expect in this paper. **


 * Essay Writing - A Dummies Guide **

** A comprehensive guide to essay writing. **


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