Writing
Topic:
Suppose
you have enough money to buy a book or watch a movie. Which would you rather
spend the money on, the book or the movie?
☆Reading the question carefully.
Which
would you rather spend the money on?
→
This question is asking about your choice/preference. The answer can be
subjective. You do not necessarily have to make an objective judgment.
☆Comparison (A or B? / Agree or disagree?)
1)
Brainstorm good/bad points of each choice
e.g.
|
|
buying
a book
|
watching
a movie
|
|
a
|
handy
|
not
handy
|
|
b
|
like
your best friend―you
choose it carefully
and repeatedly return to it.
|
like
friends or fashion―you
enjoy their
novelty
but most of them just come and go.
|
|
c
|
your
imagination
|
imagination
of the director and the actor
―often not as good as , but sometimes
much
better than yours
|
|
d
|
academic
training
(vocabulary,
sentence structure, etc.)
|
composite
art
(picture, music, fashion, etc.)
|
2)
Juxtapose the differences of the two choices
e.g. c. your imagination imagination of the director and the
actor
The experience you have through reading feels more real than that you
have through watching a movie. When you read, you draw on your own experience to
understand what is written, and it makes the story more real to you. For
example, when the leading character is scolded by a strict teacher, you think
of a particular teacher in your elementary school and remember the shock and
embarrassment you felt when you were scolded by her. In a movie, the character
of a strict teacher is presented through the interpretation of the actor and
the director, which is different from your own image. Although it is always
exciting and inspiring and therefore enjoyable to see the images created by
great actors and directors, when it comes to reality, no other interpretation
can beat your own. The world you build through reading is more real and intimate
to you, and hence reading often gives you more satisfaction than watching a
move.
Essay-writing Procedure
☆The
following is an idea of procedure that could help you finish writing a
well-developed essay before the time is up. One good point of this procedure is
that you can avoid failing to write the conclusion.
1.
Read the writing topic carefully.
2.
Brainstorm, typing down the would-be points for the essay.
《The
image of typing down the would-be points for the essay》
@@&!*&
$$$$
#`*&%#@&%
$$B
3.
Put the points in order. (They will make the topic sentences of the paragraphs
of the body.)
《The
image of putting the points in order》
【Point
1】#`*&%#@&%
【Point
2】@@&!*&
【Point
3 / Counterargument-treatment】$$$$$$B
4.
Write the topic sentences of the conclusion and introduction paragraphs.
For
example.
1)
Write the conclusion topic sentence
【Point
1】#`*&%#@&%
【Point
2】@@&!*&
【Point
3 / Counterargument-treatment】$$$$$$B
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】Because
of #...and @,,,,I would buy a book.
2)
Write the introduction topic sentence
【Introduction
= Outline】Reading
a book is better for me than watching a movie because of # and @.
【Point
1】#`*&%#@&%
【Point
2】@@&!*&
【Point
3 / Counterargument-treatment】$$$$$$B
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】Because
of #... and @,,,,I would buy a book.
5.
Develop body paragraphs.
The
image of developing the first point (The first paragraph of the body).
【Introduction
= Outline】Reading
a book is better for me than watching a movie because of # and @.
【Point
1】#`*&%#@&%.
This means that #`****&###```&%%%%. For example, □△○. This is
especially true in the case of □*△*○
because …. It cannot be denied that ■▲● happens, but □◎◎.
Therefore, it can be said that #`*✿&%#@&%□☉✿.
【Point
2】@@&!*&
【Point
3 / Counterargument-treatment】$$$$$$B
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】Because
of #... and @,,,,I would buy a book.
6.
Develop conclusion and introduction paragraphs.
7.
Go over the whole essay, focusing on one thing such as a grammatical mistake
you often make.
♦Sample
Essay Structure for today’s writing topic
【Introduction
= Outline】Reading
a book is better for me than watching a movie because of # and @.
【Point
1】A
book can make you more mature more often than a movie can.
【Point
2】Reading
develops language ability.
【Point
3 / Counterargument-treatment】It
is true that watching a movie takes less time to finish a story, but the effect
is weaker than reading. The difference is like that between a tour and a stay.
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】Because
of #... and @,,,,I would buy a book.
♦Your
Sample Essay Structure
【Introduction
= Outline】
【Point
1】
【Point
2】
【Point
3 / Counterargument-treatment】
【Conclusion
= Wrap-up】
Paragraph development
☆A paragraph of the body of an essay often
develops its main idea as follows:
【Main Idea】 (主張)
【Explanation】 (主張の説明)
【Detail / Example in general】 (一般的な例)
【More Specific Detail / Example】 (より具体的な例)
【Follow-up / Counterargument-treatment】 (補足または反論の処理)
【Conclusion】 (結論)
♦Sample
Paragraph Development of Point 1 in the Essay Plan above
【Main Idea】 (主張)
A
book can make you more mature more often than a movie can.
【Explanation】 (主張の説明)
Reading develops your thoughts
and emotions more effectively than watching a movie.
【Detail / Example in general】 (一般的な例)
For example, novels tell
you the characters’ thoughts and feelings in detail.
【More Specific Detail / Example】 (より具体的な例)
While watching an episode
of the Harry Potter Series, for instance, you just see some troubled face of
Harry when he has difficulty in mastering an important magic for defense, in the
book you see precisely what is going on in his mind, that is, his mixed
feelings: an urge to achieve the magic, frustration, and the secret desire to
fail again and see his parent as he can see his father’s image whenever he
fails.
【Follow-up / Counterargument-treatment】 (補足または反論の処理)
Of course a movie can do
some for the same purpose through expressions and narratives, but the effect is
limited. You just understand or feel the same way. On the other hand,
literature develops a piece of real life in you. By reading word by word and going
through each single thought and feeling that are in Harry’s mind, you will
actually own this orphan’s longing for his father which is stronger than the
fear of death.
【Conclusion】 (結論)
You can enrich yourself
in humanity by reading a good book.
The actual paragraph:
A
book can make you more mature more often than a movie can. Reading develops your thoughts
and emotions more effectively than watching a movie. For example, novels tell
you the characters’ thoughts and feelings in detail. While watching an episode
of the Harry Potter Series, for instance, you just see some troubled face of
Harry when he has difficulty in mastering an important magic for defense, in the
book you see precisely what is going on in his mind, that is, his mixed
feelings: an urge to achieve the magic, frustration, and the secret desire to
fail again and see his parent as he can see his father’s image whenever he
fails. Of course a movie can do some for the same purpose through expressions
and narratives, but the effect is limited. You just understand or feel the same
way. On the other hand, literature develops a piece of real life in you. By reading
word by word and going through each single thought and feeling that are in
Harry’s mind, you will actually own this orphan’s longing for his father which
is stronger than the fear of death. You can enrich yourself in humanity by
reading a good book.
♦Your Sample
Paragraph Development
【Main Idea】 (主張)
【Explanation】 (主張の説明)
【Detail / Example in general】 (一般的な例)
【More Specific Detail / Example】 (より具体的な例)
【Follow-up / Counterargument-treatment】 (補足または反論の処理)
【Conclusion】 (結論)
