Writing skill of the 9th form 001

<span class='text_page_counter'>(1)</span>1. Write a letter to your pen friend telling him/her about one of your most memorable past experiences Your letter should include the following main points: - When it happened. - Where it happened. - How it happened. - Who was involved? - How the experience affected you. Pre-writing You should make sentences based on the questions above, using the past simple tense of verbs. Examples: - happening more than ten years ago/ when I was a little girl - staying at my uncle's house in a small village - falling in the pond - ______________________. - ______________________. Example - It was in a summer more than ten years ago when I was still a little girl. - My mother took my sister and me to my uncle's house, which is in a small village. - At that time, there were many ponds around the house. - As a naughty girl, I went to the pond in front of the gate with my sisters and some cousins. Writing You should pay attention to the format of a letter..

<span class='text_page_counter'>(2)</span> It begins with "Dear ...." You may add some sentences to lead in the stories, for example "This morning, I came over the photo taken when I was five years old. This photo reminded me of the most memorable experience in my life. This was so inspiring that I could not wait to write to tell you this story. " The first paragraph: you should write - The time and place of the story. - The procedure of the story. The second paragraph: you should write - How you feel about this experience. - Why it is your most memorable experience. The letter ends with Yours sincerely, Name Answer: Dear Maryam, This morning, I came over the photo taken when I was five years old. This photo reminded me of the most memorable experience in my life. This was so inspiring that I could not wait to write to tell you this story. It was in my summer vacation more than ten years ago when I was a little girl. My mother took my sister and me to a small village on the occasion of a festival there. We stayed at my uncle's house with his family, where there were many children at the same age. It was a really happy time because we could play outside without being controlled. At that time, there were many lakes and ponds around; and people often went there to do the washing. Following adults to the pond in front of my uncle's house interested me very much, as I could put my feet into the cool.

<span class='text_page_counter'>(3)</span> water or tap it with my little hands. One day, I went down to the pond with my sister and some of my cousins to see my aunt wash clothes. As usual, I stepped downward the pond surface and played with the pure green water; however, things happened out of my expectation. The stone put near the edge of the pond was so slippery because of the rain the previous day that I could not stand stably on it; and I fell into the water. I still remember that I could hardly see anything in the pond except for the green sight as water went into my eyes, mouth and ears. It was so scary that I once thought I was dying. A five-year-old child could not do anything to save herself from drowning; that's why I was nearly out of hope at that time. Suddenly, I was pulled out of the water and back to the ground. It was my aunt who saved me from death; I survived. My mother rushed to me and held me in her arms; this is the time I could feel the warmth of love. To memorize this, my uncle took a photo of me right after that, which is the photo I saw early this morning. This is the first time I had to face the death, that is always in my mind because I know how precious the life is; and it is also the scariest thing I have experienced in my life. I write to you this story just as to share my loveliest memory with you. I hope to hear yours in a recent time. Yours sincerely, Thu Minh 2. Writing an exposition ( or writing an argument) The term "argument" is used in everyday language to describe disagreement between two or more people. However, in written work, an argument can be used to: - Support something we think has merit. (ủng hộ một điều gì đó mà chúng ta cho là có giá trị. ) - persuade someone that something would be beneficial to do or not to do. (Thuyết phục ai đó rằng làm hay không làm điều gì đó là có lợi.) - convince someone that something is true or likely to be true. (Thuyết phục ai đó rằng một việc gì đó là đúng.).

<span class='text_page_counter'>(4)</span> - Reason with someone to get them change their mind or their practice. (Đưa ra những lí do nhằm thay đổi suy nghĩ hay hành động của ai đó.) What make something an argument is that the claim (or conclusion) is supported by at least one reason. (Một bài tranh luận phải đưa ra được luận điểm và có ít nhất một lí do làm rõ cho luận điểm đó.)The supporting statements of an argument ( các ý kiến làm rõ thêm cho luận điểm) are called premises( tiền đề). A good argument should be convincing (có sức thuyết phục). It means that the premises have to be acceptable or reasonable (có lí), the evidence (chứng cứ) or reasons are relevant to the claim (liên quan đến luận điểm). Your argument should have: - Introduction: stating your point of view for/against - Arguments: + Including supporting ideas presented in a logical way (one argument in each paragraph) + giving examples or fact to make your argument more convincing. - Conclusion: summing up the arguments Task: Write an argument on the topic: " Should schools start at a later time?" Pre-writing - Step 1: state your point of view clearly. - Step 2: think of any factors that can support your idea. - Step 3: think of examples clarifying the supporting ideas. - Step 4: arrange your ideas in appropriate order (order of importance, order of time, ...) - Step 5: write an outline Examples: In my opinion, schools should start at a later time these day for the following factors Students will get more sleep. The high school drop out rate declines. There is less congestion and traffic on the road..

<span class='text_page_counter'>(5)</span> ______________________. ______________________. Writing: You should pay attention to the layout and language of your writing. The introduction: "My opinion is ....", "I think... " Arguments: The first paragraph: the first supporting idea - Students will get more sleep. The second paragraph: the second supporting idea - The high school drop out rate declines. The third paragraph: the third supporting idea - There is less congestion and traffic on the road. Conclusion: "Therefore,", "In conclusion..." Whether schools should start at a later time in the day or not is a controversial issue. Would it be beneficial for schools to start later in the morning by 30 minutes or so? In my opinion, delaying the start of school in the start of schools offers many advantages. One of the obvious reasons for starting school just a few minutes later in the morning is to allow teens to get more sleep. Many teens today stay up late, and even just 30 extra minutes of sleep in the morning could be beneficial. There has been a research named Sleep Deprivation Effects on Teenagers on this. Lack of adequate sleep can lead to mental health issues, obesity and more in teens. When students get more sleep, they might perform better in class. They also might be less emotional and irritable. Therefore, more sleep will help provide and better school environment for all. In another research High Schools Starting Later Helps Sleepy Teens, you'll see.

<span class='text_page_counter'>(6)</span> that delaying the starting time actually reduced the high school dropout rate in one school. While getting up early isn't the sole factor for students dropping out of school, it is a contributing factor. Delaying the starting school time also helps reduce congestion and traffic on the road. This one might not apply to all areas. However, in many urban areas, if students have to get to class at the same time as rush hour, there is usually more traffic congestion. If the time is changed by just twenty minutes or more, there might be less traffic. This could mean less accidents and a safer road for young drivers. All in all, the factors above have showed that a later time for schools is necessary because of its good effects on students' studying and traffic..

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