Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - The new generation of Indonesian and Filipina maids, who are better educated and have a higher expectation of life, prefer to work in Hong Kong and Taiwan as their take-home pay is much higher due to minimal tax.
The era of cheap maids streaming into Singapore to find work, particularly from Indonesia and the Philippines, may be coming to an end.
With South-East Asia enjoying better living, Singaporeans - who are among the world's biggest employers - may soon find this supply becoming scarcer and more expensive.
The new generation of Indonesians and Filipinas, including the rural women, is better educated and has a higher expectation of life.
Indonesia, in particular, has been growing at a steady pace during the past 20 years; and to a lesser extent, the Philippines, as well.
With the rise of global jobs and budget travel, their people have more job opportunities at home and abroad.
Many maids have become salesgirls, hairdressers, office assistants, etc, thrown up by an expanding middle class.
More are seeking training to move into higher-paying jobs in healthcare, computers and tourism.
Recently, I attended a Buddhist funeral rite, in which the monks who performed it had the help of a woman who hailed from Java.
She had been with the troupe for nearly 10 years, speaking and chanting prayers in Chinese.
On the last night, she was helped by a second lady, a Filipino woman.
Their salaries were several times higher than what a maid would get.
Globalisation never ceases to amaze!
In Singapore, many employers have not realised the extent of some of these changes in the region.
The older ones still see the maid as an unchanging person left behind by progress, an agency representative said.
"They don't realise there is a big difference between the young maids who come to our shores today and those who arrived a generation earlier," she added.
It is not unlike the gap between two generations of Singaporeans, she said.
Today's maid from the Philippines or Indonesia is no longer the same as older ones who came in the 70s or 80s.
She is generally better schooled, has higher ambitions and is probably less deferential to orders rudely given.
The agency representative said: "You can't work her like you could her mother!"
Dwindling supply is, however, not the only worry. For years, they have been losing the competitive edge against Hong Kong and Taiwan employers because of a special S$345 (US$265) monthly levy they need to pay for hiring a maid.
This means that, although the monthly costs add up about the same for the three countries, the maid in Singapore takes home only half of what she gets elsewhere.
Effectively, a maid who works in Hong Kong and Taiwan has a much higher take-home pay because the tax is minimal.
For example, a fresh Indonesian maid currently earns S$380-$400 a month, depending on age and experience.
It is higher than the official recommended salaries of S$280-$320 a month.
The first blow to the employers here was harder-and-costlier-to-get English-speaking Filipinos, who are widely sought after in not only Asia but also the Middle East.
When the Manila embassy demanded a minimum pay of about S$520 a month, many employers turned to Indonesia.
Today, the circle has turned.
Many Indonesians who have completed a two-year contract are quick to move to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where their earnings just about doubled.
A Javanese girl who has learned enough English to leave, told a friend: "Sorry ma'am, in Hong Kong I can earn in 12 months what it takes two years to make in Singapore."
She uses a smart-phone and aspires to buy a tablet.
"I can't afford that in Singapore," she added. Her sister had worked in Bahrain and is now going home to open a small restaurant there.
This trend is inevitable and a long time coming.
In the early 80s, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had warned that the easy supply of maids would dry up once the neighbours became more prosperous.
The pace of arrivals has matched, as well as fuelled, Singapore's economic growth.
By 1988, there were already 40,000 of them, a figure that rose four-fold to 160,000 by 2005 and 201,000 last year. The number of Indonesian maids alone today totals 90,000.
Seven in 10 new arrivals are from its hinterland.
In recent years the pressure has forced Singaporeans to seek maids from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh.
"I doubt if these countries can train enough maids to meet our demand," an agent told a reporter.
Steadily the noose of high cost is tightening. The Philippine government has stipulated a minimum salary of about S$500 a month, which turned the demand to Indonesia.
And now the wheel turns again.
Jakarta wants to see a minimum of S$450 as a starting monthly pay - and employers and the government are reluctant to comply.
Recently, the government fined 16 employment agencies more than S$150,000 for collectively fixing the pay of new Indonesian maids, raising it from S$380 to S$450.
They were charged under the city's price-fixing laws, turning down arguments that the hike was a necessary market response to free up supply of maids.
The next move may be Indonesia's.
It is increasing pressure to protect the interests of its workers abroad.
A Jakarta official reportedly indicated that his government may be considering cutting off supply to Singapore - until it agrees on the minimum pay of S$450 a month.
That could bring the cost of a maid to about S$900-S$1,000 all-in - a monthly sum that could push out many Singaporeans from the market.
Some see it as a delaying action to postpone the inevitable.
With the global trends moving at such fast pace, the history of the maid in South-East Asia may end in the longer term.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
P2- How to write a summary
HOW TO SUMMARISE.
SUMMARY VS ESSAYWRITING.
HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE SUMMARY.
THE A.S.A.P. FORMULA
□Appreciate question requirements. The summary question directs you to a specific area (which paragraphs) and asks you on concentrate on a particular aspect. Focus on these specific areas.
□Select relevant information. Decide which information to include and omit in your summary. Mark information you have decided to include in your summary with a pen. Include
□Arrange your information. For instance, you may be asked to state the reasons for and against a certain proposal. In the passage however, the various advantages may scattered all over the passage or may be interspersed with disadvantages. Furthermore, the points may not be arranged in order of importance.
Example: the author sees benefits but also dangers and limitations in the pursuit of scientific materialism, using your own words as far as possible, describe these benefits, dangers, and limitations.
Thus, the student is required to organize their points into:
i) Benefits
ii) Dangers
iii) Limitations of scientific materialism
Use the triple ‘S’ rule to organize you points
i) Separate your sections clearly. You may wish to give each category its own paragraph.
ii) Signal to the examiner when you move to a new category. A brief introductory phrase such as “The disadvantages of such a system include”
iii) Show the examiner that you understand the distinction between each category
□Paraphrase the information.
After you have organised the material, put the information in your own words.
If you merely copy from the passage, the examiner will assume you do not understand the passage (COMPREHENSION) or that you are unable to re-express the ideas in the passage as your command of the language is too weak (LANGUAGE).
Things to note in you summary:
i) The summary should be clearly expressed and structured. Make separate specific points and give each point a different sentence. (ONE point per sentence).
ii) Language used should also be precise and concise.
iii) Do not repeat yourself in the summary. (Concise rephrasing).
iv) Eliminate unnecessary detail.
v) Condense information. (ie even if it is your own words, a description IS NOT a summary if it takes similar number of words to express the same ideas.
SUMMARY TIPS/COMMON ERRORS.
1) Time management
Most students spend too much time on previous questions, leaving insufficient time to write a good summary.20-25 minutes should be allotted for summary.
2) 1 or 2 summary.
There could be 2 minor summaries (5 marks each) or 1 major one(8 marks each)
. Skim read and check the marks awarded.
3) Too much repetition of the same point and irrelevance
This wastes words and time in a summary.
Example:
Question: “What does the author regard as the worst forms of damage to the environment and why does he regard each as harmful?” Write your summary in no more than 150 words, but not counting the opening given. Use your own words as far as possible. (GP 1995)
One kind of environmental damage that the author views as serious is…………………..
Answer: One kind of environmental damage that the author views as serious is forcing species into extinction, thereby permanently reducing variety of life on our planet and preventing any future breakthroughs in medicine, farming and manufacturing that might have arisen from studying these organisms. The author also identifies a number of other actions perpetrated by man which he regards as constituting the main causes of severe environmental damage, each one having a different effect on mother earth’s ecological well-being.
As seen in the above example, although the student is given an opening to start with. He manage to start well, but stray on to discuss irrelevant points. (from second sentence onward).
The student could have cited another damage, then followed by a concise explanation of the specific harm to the environment.
4) WORD FOR WORD SUBSTITUTION MISTAKE.
A Summary is NOT TRANSLATION. Some students attempt a blow by blow word for word substitution.
Example:
Original: Roads should be designed to calm traffic and discourage the power games motorists play.
Word for word substitution: Highways must be invented to appease vehicles and dishearten drivers who amuse themselves by engaging in authoritarian practices.
The above results in a mechanical and clumsy version and many of the substituted words are unnecessary, inappropriate and inaccurate.
Try to get an overview (topic sentence/thesis statement) and rephrase the overall idea in your own words.
Thus a much better and natural version would be:
Roads should be constructed so that they reduce vehicle speed and driver aggression.
A frequently ask question : “To what extent do I have to change the original wording of the passage in order to demonstrate my understanding and earn full marks?”
Don’t copy chunks (lift words/phrase) of information containing crucial words or phrases but change only the key words in the passage that is relevant to the question. Paraphrasing irrelevant material will only signal to the examiner that you do not understand the passage.
Question : How much should be change to earn full mark? :
“ALWAYS CHANGE THE KEY WORDS IN THE PASSAGE THAT SUPPLY THE ANWSER TO THE QUESTION.”
Lifting also show you don’t understand the passage. (ie comprehend).
5) SELECTION OF MATERIAL
Proper selection of material is critical – choose relevant points and omit the rest.
Irrelevant(to the topic)
Repetition
Example
Do not include the following in your summary
6) Separating points
Do not mix different points into 1 long sentence. This confuses the examiner. Make it easy for the examiner to identify the points and allow him to award you the full marks for the point.
7) Word count
It is important to stick within the word count as words written after this are not awarded marks.Contractions sch as “don’t “ or ” won’t” are counted as two words and hyphenated words count as one.
SUMMARY VS ESSAYWRITING.
HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE SUMMARY.
THE A.S.A.P. FORMULA
□Appreciate question requirements. The summary question directs you to a specific area (which paragraphs) and asks you on concentrate on a particular aspect. Focus on these specific areas.
□Select relevant information. Decide which information to include and omit in your summary. Mark information you have decided to include in your summary with a pen. Include
□Arrange your information. For instance, you may be asked to state the reasons for and against a certain proposal. In the passage however, the various advantages may scattered all over the passage or may be interspersed with disadvantages. Furthermore, the points may not be arranged in order of importance.
Example: the author sees benefits but also dangers and limitations in the pursuit of scientific materialism, using your own words as far as possible, describe these benefits, dangers, and limitations.
Thus, the student is required to organize their points into:
i) Benefits
ii) Dangers
iii) Limitations of scientific materialism
Use the triple ‘S’ rule to organize you points
i) Separate your sections clearly. You may wish to give each category its own paragraph.
ii) Signal to the examiner when you move to a new category. A brief introductory phrase such as “The disadvantages of such a system include”
iii) Show the examiner that you understand the distinction between each category
□Paraphrase the information.
After you have organised the material, put the information in your own words.
If you merely copy from the passage, the examiner will assume you do not understand the passage (COMPREHENSION) or that you are unable to re-express the ideas in the passage as your command of the language is too weak (LANGUAGE).
Things to note in you summary:
i) The summary should be clearly expressed and structured. Make separate specific points and give each point a different sentence. (ONE point per sentence).
ii) Language used should also be precise and concise.
iii) Do not repeat yourself in the summary. (Concise rephrasing).
iv) Eliminate unnecessary detail.
v) Condense information. (ie even if it is your own words, a description IS NOT a summary if it takes similar number of words to express the same ideas.
SUMMARY TIPS/COMMON ERRORS.
1) Time management
Most students spend too much time on previous questions, leaving insufficient time to write a good summary.20-25 minutes should be allotted for summary.
2) 1 or 2 summary.
There could be 2 minor summaries (5 marks each) or 1 major one(8 marks each)
. Skim read and check the marks awarded.
3) Too much repetition of the same point and irrelevance
This wastes words and time in a summary.
Example:
Question: “What does the author regard as the worst forms of damage to the environment and why does he regard each as harmful?” Write your summary in no more than 150 words, but not counting the opening given. Use your own words as far as possible. (GP 1995)
One kind of environmental damage that the author views as serious is…………………..
Answer: One kind of environmental damage that the author views as serious is forcing species into extinction, thereby permanently reducing variety of life on our planet and preventing any future breakthroughs in medicine, farming and manufacturing that might have arisen from studying these organisms. The author also identifies a number of other actions perpetrated by man which he regards as constituting the main causes of severe environmental damage, each one having a different effect on mother earth’s ecological well-being.
As seen in the above example, although the student is given an opening to start with. He manage to start well, but stray on to discuss irrelevant points. (from second sentence onward).
The student could have cited another damage, then followed by a concise explanation of the specific harm to the environment.
4) WORD FOR WORD SUBSTITUTION MISTAKE.
A Summary is NOT TRANSLATION. Some students attempt a blow by blow word for word substitution.
Example:
Original: Roads should be designed to calm traffic and discourage the power games motorists play.
Word for word substitution: Highways must be invented to appease vehicles and dishearten drivers who amuse themselves by engaging in authoritarian practices.
The above results in a mechanical and clumsy version and many of the substituted words are unnecessary, inappropriate and inaccurate.
Try to get an overview (topic sentence/thesis statement) and rephrase the overall idea in your own words.
Thus a much better and natural version would be:
Roads should be constructed so that they reduce vehicle speed and driver aggression.
A frequently ask question : “To what extent do I have to change the original wording of the passage in order to demonstrate my understanding and earn full marks?”
Don’t copy chunks (lift words/phrase) of information containing crucial words or phrases but change only the key words in the passage that is relevant to the question. Paraphrasing irrelevant material will only signal to the examiner that you do not understand the passage.
Question : How much should be change to earn full mark? :
“ALWAYS CHANGE THE KEY WORDS IN THE PASSAGE THAT SUPPLY THE ANWSER TO THE QUESTION.”
Lifting also show you don’t understand the passage. (ie comprehend).
5) SELECTION OF MATERIAL
Proper selection of material is critical – choose relevant points and omit the rest.
Irrelevant(to the topic)
Repetition
Example
Do not include the following in your summary
6) Separating points
Do not mix different points into 1 long sentence. This confuses the examiner. Make it easy for the examiner to identify the points and allow him to award you the full marks for the point.
7) Word count
It is important to stick within the word count as words written after this are not awarded marks.Contractions sch as “don’t “ or ” won’t” are counted as two words and hyphenated words count as one.
Monday, September 12, 2011
P1 : Thesis statement/Topic sentence
HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY.
THESIS STATEMENT AND TOPIC SENTENCE.
THESIS STATEMENT : One per essay/usually in the introductory paragraph.
• A thesis is an idea or states an assertion or reasoned response to an issue on hand.
• To assert is to claim that some condition is the case.
• (eg Religion divides, Hydroelectric power is better than nuclear power)
• Implied in assertion is that we believe in the assertion to be true.
• Therefore, the need to develop and support this believe.
•
• A good thesis statement :
• Announces the overall topic/subject
• states the importance of the topic/subject (the writer ‘s attitude towards the subject)
• asserts only 1 main idea
• expresses the topic as an opinion that can be discussed.
• Is NOT express as a fact
• Is Never express as a question.
Thesis statement provide direction and focus for the essay. It represent your overall intention.
EXAMPLE :
“Hydroelectric power provides an acceptable alternative to nuclear energy in supplying present power needs.”
- Need to describe what is hydroelectric power, nuclear power.
- Compare the against “how each satisfy or don’t satisfy power present need”
- Argue what is provide an acceptable alternative ie how is hydroelectric is preferable to nuclear power.
- Show how hydroelectric benefits or show what nuclear power lack that hydroelectric can provide.
Some questions to ask to come up with good thesis statement.
1) Is it an idea?. Is it an assertion?.
2) Does it answer the question that is really at issue with audience?
3) Does the thesis say exactly what I mean?. Are the term use precise and clear?
4) Has it developed out of a process of reasoning?
5) Have I considered both sides of the issues, different perspectives?
6) Can it be developed reasonably?
•
• Examples : (What is the tone?)
•
• Religion often lead to major conflicts.
• Examination is the major obstacle to true education.
•
• Computers have effectively reduced the cost for most businesses.
• Preventive maintenance will help increase the resale value of your car.
• Knowing you have inherited a genetic disease can help you plan for the future.
•
THESIS STATEMENT – WRITER’S ATTITUDE.
• The writer’s attitude is how the writer feels about the topic at hand.
• Usually the verb (eg can/cannot , will/will not help, should/should not) indicates the writer’s view.
• EXAMPLE :
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
• Vitamins have no role in whether or not you feel more energized.
• Vitamin supplements can help you feel more energized.
•
EXERCISE (Identify writer’s attitude)
1. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are healthier than those chemically treated.
2. Metal detectors should not be installed in schools throughout the nation.
3. Hybrid fuel vehicles will help reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
4. Working at a part-time job while going to school promotes a sense of responsibility.
5. Global warming could have a negative effect on the earth’s ecosystems.
ESSAY MAP IN THESIS STATEMENT.(how you will develop your essay)
- Will organise and limit your essay’s discussion of topic
- Clarify, explain and support the writer’s attitude.
- Each point becomes a paragraph.
EXAMPLES :
1. Intelligence , dedication and hard work are necessary ingredients for a successful career.
2. Because of an excessive military budget, poor farming methods, and inadequate international trade strategies, Communism was a failure in Russia.
EXAMPLE :
Thesis statement : St Louis is an exciting city to visit because of cloud, elm trees, and cats.
Topic : St Louis
Atittude : an exciting city.
Why : Clouds, elm trees and cats
Problem : the items are not related to exciting, so a poor thesis.
EXERCISE 1 : (Identify essay map)
1. A vegetarian diet is healthier than one with meat because of temperature, salt and water retention.
2. Expanding your vocabulary learning , learning about new places, and developing a better writing style makes reading a valuable activity.
3. Cultural awareness, civic responsibility, and volunteerism make coin collecting an interesting hobby.
4. .
EXERCISE 2: (What is the topic, attitude and essay map?)
1. Broccoli and oranges are good sources of vitamins.
2. The Rolex is considered by many as a better wristwatch than the Breitling.
3. Are saving bonds better investment instruments than annuities because of interest, safety and liquidity?
4. Solar power should be a governmental priority because of diminishing fossil fuels, environmental pollution, and skyrocketing costs.
5. College students go to class, study and write papers.
Answer :
6. Broccoli and oranges are good sources of vitamins. (2 topics, change to 1 topic , vegetable/fruits)
7. The Rolex is considered by many as a better wristwatch than the Breitling.
8. Are saving bonds better investment instruments than annuities because of interest, safety and liquidity? (should not be in question format)
9. Solar power should be a governmental priority because of diminishing fossil fuels, environmental pollution, and skyrocketing costs. (good essay map)
10. College students go to class, study and write papers. (no attitude)
PARAGRAPH :
- Topic sentence
- Supporting sentences.
- TOPIC SENTENCE.
o Tell the reader what is the main idea or topic in the paragraph.
o Usually have 2 parts – the topic and controlling ideas.
o
- TOPIC :
- - subject of the paragraph, usually taken from the essay map (thesis statement)
- - provide linkage/transition from one paragraph to another.
CONTROLLING IDEAS.
- States what the writer will write about the topic.
- Limit what you can says about the topic and thus don’t stray.
- Topic sentence lacking controlling ideas lack direction and focus.
- Without controlling idea, the writer’s attitude can be unclear.
-
EXAMPLES
1. Soccer is a popular high school sport.
(no controlling idea – “popular” is too ambiguous/an attitude)
Soccer is a popular high school sport because it is relatively inexpensive to fund (controlling idea cheap to make soccer popular.)
Michael Jordan was a popular basketball player.
(no controlling idea, just a fact)
Michael Jordan’s diverse skill made him an exciting basketball player. (Controlling idea : Jordan is exciting because of diverse skill.)
“In a movie, music often enhances a romantic atmosphere”.
Topic : music
Attitude : often enhances
Controlling idea : romantic atmosphere.
With this topic sentence, the writer is forced to discuss only those features of the music that enhances the romantic atmosphere. The writer cannot write about financial aspect, violence, production cost, advertistment etc of the movie.
EXERCISE :
1. Great teamwork has made the United States’ women’s soccer team an internal success.
2. Versatility and size make the notebook computer a good business tool for travellers.
3. The Spanish Inquisitions impaired scientific thought for decades.
4. The depletion of the ozone layer might cause global warming and in an increase in skin cancer.
5. Helping others can make almost any profession a rewarding experience.
EXERCISE ANSWER.
1. Great teamwork has made the United States’ women’s soccer team an internal success.
2. Versatility and size make the notebook computer a good business tool for travellers.
3. The Spanish Inquisitions impaired scientific thought for decades.
4. The depletion of the ozone layer might cause global warming and in an increase in skin cancer.
5. Helping others can make almost any profession a rewarding experience.
SUPPORTING SENTENCE.
Supporting sentence develop/elaborate the topic using examples, ideas and facts.
Controlling idea unifies the paragraph (UNITY) by determining the kind of support idea you can use in support sentence.
EXAMPLES :
Police officers are most effective when helping citizens in their communities.
So, the supporting sentences for this topic would focus on what the police officers do to help citizens and might include :
Finding lost/stolen property
Solving crimes
Preventing crimes.
TOPIC SENTENCE PROCESS :
-
Select topic.
Decide on controlling ideas
Use the 5W and 1 H to help focus
EXAMPLES – SAME TOPIC, DIFFERENT FOCUS IN CONTROLLING IDEA
1. Reading can help people become better educated (what)
2. Reading is best done in a quiet, secluded place(where).
3. Anyone (who) interested in becoming a better writer should read as much as possible.
THESIS STATEMENT AND TOPIC SENTENCE.
THESIS STATEMENT : One per essay/usually in the introductory paragraph.
• A thesis is an idea or states an assertion or reasoned response to an issue on hand.
• To assert is to claim that some condition is the case.
• (eg Religion divides, Hydroelectric power is better than nuclear power)
• Implied in assertion is that we believe in the assertion to be true.
• Therefore, the need to develop and support this believe.
•
• A good thesis statement :
• Announces the overall topic/subject
• states the importance of the topic/subject (the writer ‘s attitude towards the subject)
• asserts only 1 main idea
• expresses the topic as an opinion that can be discussed.
• Is NOT express as a fact
• Is Never express as a question.
Thesis statement provide direction and focus for the essay. It represent your overall intention.
EXAMPLE :
“Hydroelectric power provides an acceptable alternative to nuclear energy in supplying present power needs.”
- Need to describe what is hydroelectric power, nuclear power.
- Compare the against “how each satisfy or don’t satisfy power present need”
- Argue what is provide an acceptable alternative ie how is hydroelectric is preferable to nuclear power.
- Show how hydroelectric benefits or show what nuclear power lack that hydroelectric can provide.
Some questions to ask to come up with good thesis statement.
1) Is it an idea?. Is it an assertion?.
2) Does it answer the question that is really at issue with audience?
3) Does the thesis say exactly what I mean?. Are the term use precise and clear?
4) Has it developed out of a process of reasoning?
5) Have I considered both sides of the issues, different perspectives?
6) Can it be developed reasonably?
•
• Examples : (What is the tone?)
•
• Religion often lead to major conflicts.
• Examination is the major obstacle to true education.
•
• Computers have effectively reduced the cost for most businesses.
• Preventive maintenance will help increase the resale value of your car.
• Knowing you have inherited a genetic disease can help you plan for the future.
•
THESIS STATEMENT – WRITER’S ATTITUDE.
• The writer’s attitude is how the writer feels about the topic at hand.
• Usually the verb (eg can/cannot , will/will not help, should/should not) indicates the writer’s view.
• EXAMPLE :
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
• Vitamins have no role in whether or not you feel more energized.
• Vitamin supplements can help you feel more energized.
•
EXERCISE (Identify writer’s attitude)
1. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are healthier than those chemically treated.
2. Metal detectors should not be installed in schools throughout the nation.
3. Hybrid fuel vehicles will help reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
4. Working at a part-time job while going to school promotes a sense of responsibility.
5. Global warming could have a negative effect on the earth’s ecosystems.
ESSAY MAP IN THESIS STATEMENT.(how you will develop your essay)
- Will organise and limit your essay’s discussion of topic
- Clarify, explain and support the writer’s attitude.
- Each point becomes a paragraph.
EXAMPLES :
1. Intelligence , dedication and hard work are necessary ingredients for a successful career.
2. Because of an excessive military budget, poor farming methods, and inadequate international trade strategies, Communism was a failure in Russia.
EXAMPLE :
Thesis statement : St Louis is an exciting city to visit because of cloud, elm trees, and cats.
Topic : St Louis
Atittude : an exciting city.
Why : Clouds, elm trees and cats
Problem : the items are not related to exciting, so a poor thesis.
EXERCISE 1 : (Identify essay map)
1. A vegetarian diet is healthier than one with meat because of temperature, salt and water retention.
2. Expanding your vocabulary learning , learning about new places, and developing a better writing style makes reading a valuable activity.
3. Cultural awareness, civic responsibility, and volunteerism make coin collecting an interesting hobby.
4. .
EXERCISE 2: (What is the topic, attitude and essay map?)
1. Broccoli and oranges are good sources of vitamins.
2. The Rolex is considered by many as a better wristwatch than the Breitling.
3. Are saving bonds better investment instruments than annuities because of interest, safety and liquidity?
4. Solar power should be a governmental priority because of diminishing fossil fuels, environmental pollution, and skyrocketing costs.
5. College students go to class, study and write papers.
Answer :
6. Broccoli and oranges are good sources of vitamins. (2 topics, change to 1 topic , vegetable/fruits)
7. The Rolex is considered by many as a better wristwatch than the Breitling.
8. Are saving bonds better investment instruments than annuities because of interest, safety and liquidity? (should not be in question format)
9. Solar power should be a governmental priority because of diminishing fossil fuels, environmental pollution, and skyrocketing costs. (good essay map)
10. College students go to class, study and write papers. (no attitude)
PARAGRAPH :
- Topic sentence
- Supporting sentences.
- TOPIC SENTENCE.
o Tell the reader what is the main idea or topic in the paragraph.
o Usually have 2 parts – the topic and controlling ideas.
o
- TOPIC :
- - subject of the paragraph, usually taken from the essay map (thesis statement)
- - provide linkage/transition from one paragraph to another.
CONTROLLING IDEAS.
- States what the writer will write about the topic.
- Limit what you can says about the topic and thus don’t stray.
- Topic sentence lacking controlling ideas lack direction and focus.
- Without controlling idea, the writer’s attitude can be unclear.
-
EXAMPLES
1. Soccer is a popular high school sport.
(no controlling idea – “popular” is too ambiguous/an attitude)
Soccer is a popular high school sport because it is relatively inexpensive to fund (controlling idea cheap to make soccer popular.)
Michael Jordan was a popular basketball player.
(no controlling idea, just a fact)
Michael Jordan’s diverse skill made him an exciting basketball player. (Controlling idea : Jordan is exciting because of diverse skill.)
“In a movie, music often enhances a romantic atmosphere”.
Topic : music
Attitude : often enhances
Controlling idea : romantic atmosphere.
With this topic sentence, the writer is forced to discuss only those features of the music that enhances the romantic atmosphere. The writer cannot write about financial aspect, violence, production cost, advertistment etc of the movie.
EXERCISE :
1. Great teamwork has made the United States’ women’s soccer team an internal success.
2. Versatility and size make the notebook computer a good business tool for travellers.
3. The Spanish Inquisitions impaired scientific thought for decades.
4. The depletion of the ozone layer might cause global warming and in an increase in skin cancer.
5. Helping others can make almost any profession a rewarding experience.
EXERCISE ANSWER.
1. Great teamwork has made the United States’ women’s soccer team an internal success.
2. Versatility and size make the notebook computer a good business tool for travellers.
3. The Spanish Inquisitions impaired scientific thought for decades.
4. The depletion of the ozone layer might cause global warming and in an increase in skin cancer.
5. Helping others can make almost any profession a rewarding experience.
SUPPORTING SENTENCE.
Supporting sentence develop/elaborate the topic using examples, ideas and facts.
Controlling idea unifies the paragraph (UNITY) by determining the kind of support idea you can use in support sentence.
EXAMPLES :
Police officers are most effective when helping citizens in their communities.
So, the supporting sentences for this topic would focus on what the police officers do to help citizens and might include :
Finding lost/stolen property
Solving crimes
Preventing crimes.
TOPIC SENTENCE PROCESS :
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Select topic.
Decide on controlling ideas
Use the 5W and 1 H to help focus
EXAMPLES – SAME TOPIC, DIFFERENT FOCUS IN CONTROLLING IDEA
1. Reading can help people become better educated (what)
2. Reading is best done in a quiet, secluded place(where).
3. Anyone (who) interested in becoming a better writer should read as much as possible.
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