Form 5 Unit 10 Essay Writing Giving Opinions_Neat

Writing






page 130-131








Form 5



SMK Wira Penrissen, Samarahan


Unit 10

Essay: Writing long sentences












Short sentences are easy for the reader to follow.



Good writing, however, normally has a mixture of




short and longer sentences so that the reader isn’t



interrupted too often by full stops. Longer



sentences usually contain more than one idea, so




you need to be able to use the words and phrases



to link them together.

1. Look at the three ways of linking contrasting ideas and use them to

join the two sentences below. Write the sentences in your note book.








a. Although /Even though my mother was born in Spain , she can’t speak Spanish.


b. In spite of / Despite the fact that my mother was born in Spain, she can’t speak

Spanish.



c. In spite of / Despite being born in Spain, my mother can’t speak Spanish.





Chinese is a difficult language. Many people are





learning Chinese.




1. Although/ Even though Chinese is a difficult language, many people are learning it.

2. In spite of / Despite the fact that Chinese is a difficult language many people are learning it.

3. In spite of / Despite being a difficult language, many people are learning Chinese.

2. Now look at two ways of linking similar ideas and use them to


join the two ideas below. Write the sentences into your notebook.









a. As well as singing, many Greeks also dance.




b. Greeks not only sing, but they also dance.









Many Danish people speak English. Many Danish




people speak German as well.




1. As well as speaking English, many Danish people also speak German.

2. Many Danish people not only speak English, but they also speak German.

3. Read this writing task and underline what



you have to give your opinion about.








The City Times



More school exchange visits


An increasing number of school head teachers are organising exchange visits with
schools in other countries. Teachers say that students who stay for a week, for

instance, a Dutch family in the Netherlands, are able to learn more about a different

culture and language than they can from books.









ESSAY: Do you think staying in another country and experiencing its language and


culture adds to a young person’s education? Why or why not? Provide specific


reasons and examples to support your opinion.

4. Now read these two opening paragraphs written in


answer to the task in 3. which one correctly answers



the task questions? What is the writer’s opinion?










a In my opinion, going to school for a while in a foreign country would not


disagree X help educate a young person. It would be better to stay in your own school

as understanding a new language and making friends would be very


difficult.







b Maps and books can tell us a lot about the world, but they can never replace


agree actually being in other countries. I think that experiencing other cultures

opens young people’s minds to new ideas.

ESSAY: Do you think staying in another country and experiencing its language and


culture adds to a young person’s education? Why or why not? Provide specific

reasons and examples to support your opinion.


Maps and books can tell us a lot about the world, but they can never replace

actually being in other countries. I think that experiencing other cultures opens

young people’s minds to new ideas.


First of all, living with a family in another country gives you a chance to

understand and appreciate a different way of life. As well as learning everyday things

as such as what and how people eat, students also experience things they might

never see or hear in their own country. The way parents and children behave with

each other, for instance, could be very different.


Moreover, although young people cannot be expected to learn another

language in a four weeks, they are bound to absorb some of it during their stay, for

example, by watching television or looking at street signs.


To sum up, living in another country is a very real way for students to learn

about the world. This new knowledge will not only enrich their own lives, but also
the lives of the people they share it with when they return home.

1. Underline the specific reasons the writer gives to support


their opinion.




2. The writing task asks for examples. How many does the


writer give? …………….



3. what phrases are used to introduce the examples?



…………………….



4. Highlight any of the linking words from questions 1 and 2



that the writer uses. Has the writer used them correctly?


………………………….




5. What words or phrases does the writer use to link each


paragraph to the previous one? ……………………………

1. Underline the specific reasons the writer gives to




support their opinion.



Maps and books can tell us a lot about the world, but they can never

replace actually being in other countries. I think that experiencing other cultures

opens young people’s minds to new ideas.



First of all, living with a family in another country gives you a chance to
understand and appreciate a different way of life. As well as learning everyday


things as such as what and how people eat, students also experience things they
might never see or hear in their own country. The way parents and children


behave with each other, for instance, could be very different.


Moreover, although young people cannot be expected to learn another

language in a four weeks, they are bound to absorb some of it during their stay,

for example, by watching television or looking at street signs.


To sum up, living in another country is a very real way for students to

learn about the world. This new knowledge will not only enrich their own lives,

but also the lives of the people they share it with when they return home.

2. The writing task asks for examples. How many does the

3
writer give? …………….




3. what phrases are used to introduce the examples?


such as, for instance, for example
…………………….


4. Highlight any of the linking words from questions 1 and 2



that the writer uses. Has the writer used them correctly?

Students should highlight: As well as…also, although,
………………………….



not only …, but also. Yes, thet’ve been used correctly




5. What words or phrases does the writer use to link each



paragraph to the previous one? ……………………………

First of all, Moreover, To sum up

Read the short text on studying abroad and use these words and


phrases to link the paragraphs and sentences.




all in all consequency furthermore however In addition on the other hand







Studying in another country after leaving school can be a challenge for young people. They are


In addition / Furthermore
probably leaving home for the first time, which can be difficult. ¹…………………………………….…., they



On the other hand / However
have to study in other language. ² …………………………………………….. , once young people start adapting



In addition / Furthermore
to their new cultural environment, they will begin to make friends. ³ …………….…………………………, the


On the other hand / However
new country will offer many exciting new experiences. ⁴…………………………………………….…., it can be



Consequently
hard to budget on a student income. ⁵…………………………., students sometimes need to find part-time



All in all
jobs. ⁶…………………, leaving home to study abroad teaches young people a lot about life as well as



about their chosen subject at college or university.

Read this writing task and use the plan and the Language Bank to help


you write your essay. Refer back to the question while you are writing

to make sure you are answering it correctly.







The City Times


Going home to Mum and Dad



Nineteen-year-old singing star, Amy Gonzales, shocked friends

yesterday when she announced she was giving up her city-centre

apartment and going back to live with her parents. She said her

cultural upbringing meant that she and her parents missed living


together in a strong family unit.






Essay: Do you think that young people should leave home when they start


working and learn to become independent of their families? Why or why not?


Explain your opinion, giving specific reasons to support your view.

Language Bank







Living alone Living at home


• self-sufficient
• protected environment
• capable


• learning life skills • safe

• independence • dependence


• being able to look after • appreciated family life

yourself


• paying bills • help one another

• budgeting • traditional way of life


• housework
• communal lifestyle

• lonely
• loving
• freedom


• making your own rules • sharing

Download









Read the task carefully to make sure you understand exactly


what you have to give your opinion about. Put more than one


idea into your sentences. Use your favourite words and phrases


to link sentences and paragraphs together.

Suggested Answer


According to some people, youngsters should be motivated to leave their home and live on their own when they
become adults. However, others believe that young people should stay with their families as long as possible. I personally

opine that it is a wise decision to leave home at the beginning of one’s career, provided that one does not have any
dependent family members. Now, I will discuss both the views in upcoming paragraphs.



Encouraging young people to leave their homes and be on their own is definitely a common trend seen nowadays

and there are various reasons to support this argument. First, better job opportunities are available when people move to
cities or other countries. This, therefore, helps in their career development and broadens their career prospects. Second,

people become independent in addition to being confident and mature when they leave their homes and live at far places.
For example, now they learn to take decisions on their own, both personally and professionally, considering their growth
and goals.




On the other hand, living with families has its own advantages which cannot be overlooked. First, people can
remain under the guidance of their parents and elder members of house and develop qualities like respect, caring attitude
towards them. This consequently helps them to stay connected to the roots of our culture and values. For example,

studies have shown that adults who live in their families are more emotionally attached to them as compared to ones who
live at distant places. Second, they can provide mental and emotional support to their parents whenever they need it.



However, in my opinion, although it is necessary for an individual to be career-orientated and independent in this

competitive world, it should not be at the expense of your family and if they are dependent on you, it is better to stay with
them and find an alternative to grow professionally and financially in your hometown. To conclude, there are certainly

benefits to leaving home and being on one’s own. However, if your family is dependent on you, it is better to stay with
them so that you can take better care of your needs.