SFL/METU
Dept. of B.E.
Portfolio Writing 1
February 2017
PIN-B GROUP
Instructor’s Copy
OBJECTIVES:
Task: Write about the possible negative effects of using the Internet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
practice brainstorming and generating ideas at the pre-writing stage,
practice outlining and organizing ideas in a logical order at the pre-writing stage,
edit a classmate’s and student’s own work based on the criteria provided,
recognize strengths and weaknesses based on teacher feedback.
A. INPUT
In an effect-analysis paragraph, writers may talk about the positive or negative effects of something.
Task 1. Read the question below. Discuss the possible answers with a friend.
Question: We are learning English at the DBE. When I ask about how to improve my English, most people
tell me to read more English. I don’t understand how reading stories, magazines or other texts can improve
my grammar, academic reading, vocabulary, or writing. How will reading help me improve my English?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Task 2. Read the following paragraph. Compare your ideas with the ideas in the paragraph.
Reading a lot in English has three main positive effects on the process of learning English. First of all,
reading improves vocabulary. When learners read different texts such as stories or articles, they come across
a variety of new words. These words are in their natural context, so readers can guess the meaning or check
the meaning to understand the topic. As a result, they can remember the meaning of these new words.
Secondly, reading more helps with the speed of reading. Learners usually find that they are slow when they
are reading in English. However, if learners read more materials on similar topics, they will recognize the
structures and words faster. This contributes to faster reading. Finally, reading helps to improve other skills,
especially listening. While learners are reading something, they speak “silently”
in their minds. This is just like speaking and listening to English. In time, the
learners can recognize the same sentences when they are listening to others,
which means that they have better listening skills. In conclusion, reading seems
to be a very useful activity to improve English.
1
Task 3. Analyze the paragraph. Fill in the chart with information from the sample paragraph.
Topic sentence: Reading a lot in English has three main positive effects on the process of learning
English.
read different
texts
come across
new words +
guess their
meaning
remember
words
IMPROVES
VOCABULARY
e.g. stories / articles
Reading
a lot in
English
read more on
similar topics
recognize the
structures and words
faster
speak
“silently”
while reading
recognize the same
structures while
listening to others
INCREASES
READING SPEED
IMPROVES OTHER
SKILLS, ESPECIALLY
LISTENING
like: speaking & listening
Conclusion: In conclusion, reading seems to be a very useful activity to improve English.
TASK 4. Study the information about the negative effects of watching too much TV and complete the
missing parts of the paragraph.
therefore
result from
thus
cause
leads to
as a result
for example
to sum up
results in
There are three main negative effects of watching too much TV on the society. One effect is a decline in the
cultural level of the society. Especially, with the rise of satellite television and Internet access, people have
hundreds or thousands of sources of daily changing information besides their daily newspaper. (1) Therefore /
Thus / As a result, they become less interested in reading newspapers and magazines. This may (2) cause a
decline in the intellectual standards of the society. Another effect of watching too much TV is an alarming
increase in the number of people suffering from depression. Family members’ preference for watching TV
instead of talking to one another (3) leads to/results in lack of communication. This (4) results in/leads to a
feeling of loneliness, which most people don’t know how to cope with, and, (5) as a result / therefore / thus,
they become depressed. Yet another effect of watching too much TV is the climbing crime rate. When people
see a lot of violence on TV, they may be greatly influenced by this. In particular, youngsters attempt to imitate
what they see on TV. (6) Thus / Therefore / As a result, there may be more acts of crime in society. (7) For
example, vandalism and rape, are two types of crime which may (8) result from watching too much violence
on TV. (9) To sum up, a decline in the cultural level of the society, an alarming increase in the number of people
suffering from depression and the climbing crime rate are the main effects of spending too much time in front
of the TV.
2
B. WRITING ABOUT THE POSITIVE/NEGATIVE EFFECTS
In addition to the connectors which are used to show cause-effect relationship (studied in WHO 1), you can
also use some verbs and structures to talk about the positive/negative effects of something.
Structures/Verbs that can be used to Explain Positive Effects:







Reading a lot helps learners (to) increase their vocabulary range.
Reading a lot enables learners to remember words.
Reading a lot facilitates learning of new words.
Learners can improve their English by reading a lot.
Reading a lot makes learning of new words possible/easy/faster.
Reading a lot increases reading speed.
Silent reading practice reduces/decreases anxiety among learners about speaking and listening.
Structures/Verbs that can be used to Explain Negative Effects:
 Watching too much TV can harm a child’s ability to focus on his studies.
 Watching TV too much or too closely may damage people’s eyes.
 People become less interested in reading newspapers and magazines. This may cause a decline in the
intellectual standards of the society.
 TV viewing prevents children from thinking analytically and using their imagination.
 Kids watching cartoons and entertainment television during pre-school years usually have poorer prereading skills.
 Kids who watch entertainment programs are less likely to read books and other print media.
 Kids who watch a lot of TV have difficulty paying attention to teachers because they are accustomed to
the fast-paced visual stimulation on TV.
 School kids who watch too much TV tend to work less on their homework.
Some Problems in Explanation:
1. Order of ideas: It is a good idea to have a logical order to your causes/effects. The logic depends on the
topic and the purpose of writing. The types of logic could be the following:
- From more obvious to the least obvious
- From the most well-known to the least well-known
- From the least important to the most important
Usually, writers want to keep the most significant points to the last.
2. “Hedging”: In some cases, we cannot be 100% sure that the effect will happen. Usually, the effect happens in
most people, but not in all people all the time. We may make sentences which cover all the people and it sounds
too sure. In order to avoid over-certainty and sound more “true”, we can choose to use certain structures.
 Watching too much TV can harm a child’s ability to focus on his studies.
 Watching TV too much or too closely may damage people’s eyes.
 School kids who watch too much TV tend to / are likely to / usually work less on their homework.
Read the example:
Everyone becomes/feels unhappy at work. Nobody likes to work because the offices are boring and ugly.
This causes depression.
3
Problem 1: The words like “Everyone” and “nobody” make this an overgeneralization. They are actually not
true for “everyone”. It is best to say this way:
 Some people become unhappy at work. OR
 People may become unhappy at work. OR
 Certain offices make people unhappy.
Problem 2: The second mistake here is about how offices are: boring and ugly. Is this true? Are all offices
boring and ugly? Certainly not. We know this and that is why it does not sound convincing. We need to say:
 Some offices can be boring because of the monotonous work routines.
 Some offices may make workers unhappy due to the furniture or layout. Dark colors or poor design
may affect their feelings negatively.
Problem 3: The last part jumps to conclusion: “this causes depression”. We do not know if ugly or boring
offices can cause depression. This is too strong as a claim. We can say:
 Boring work routines and ugly office design are linked to / may lead to / may cause depression.
3. Giving trivial examples: Sometimes, we want to give an example. This example should clearly explain the
idea. It should be generalizable, and not too specific or personal. Study the example:
Some workplaces are dark and gloomy. For example, my father’s office is like this.
Problem: We don’t know your father or his office. Unfortunately, this example does not help us to clearly see
a picture of a dark and gloomy office. This is a poor example. A better alternative:
Some workplaces are dark and gloomy. For example, coal mines tend to be usually dark because they
are underground corridors. There is no sunlight and they use very little lighting there because it can
heat up and cause an explosion.
4. The common danger is to use “people”, “you”, “he” and “she” in one paragraph. See the following example.
People need to study English by reading a lot of materials. If a person reads a lot, he or she can learn
new vocabulary easily. You see the words in different texts often. Then, a student remembers words the
next time he or she sees the words. In this way, we can learn many words.
To avoid changing the subject, you can use a specific noun. Use the plural form. Instead of “people”, use
“learners”. The topic is about learners of English. Instead of “a person” or “a student”, use “learners” or
“students”. Do not use “he or she” at all.
5. Explain how the effect occurs. Explain the process that takes people to this end. Do not simply state the effect.
Read the example:
The first positive effect of going to SAC regularly is that it increases students’ success in learning English.
When students go to SAC every day, they become successful.
Problem: Going to SAC regularly cannot directly contribute to success in learning English. Therefore, you
should be careful about not skipping any steps that create the effect. A better alternative:
The first positive effect of going to SAC regularly is that it increases students’ success in learning English.
When students go to SAC every day, they can get the chance to do revision because there are a lot of extra
practice materials in SAC. As students go over these materials regularly, they can keep up with the
program, and in the end they can become successful.
4
C. WRITING PRACTICE
OPTIONAL TASK. NOTE TO THE INSTRUCTOR: If you like, you may write this paragraph together
with your students or you may ask them to write it at home and give your students feedback on the paragraph.
Read the question and the purpose of writing.
Question: Language teachers keep telling language learners to use a “monolingual dictionary”, that is, an
English-English dictionary. They say that a monolingual dictionary is more useful for learners. How? Why?
Purpose: To encourage learners of English to use monolingual dictionaries.
Choose two or three main effects from the list. By using the ideas in the boxes, write a paragraph
explaining some positive effects of using a monolingual dictionary on the process of learning English.
Look for the
explanation /
definition of a
word
Using a
monolingual
dictionary
Find other
information in
entry
Read definitions,
examples
Come across
example
sentences /
phrases
Learn
collocations
e.g. Learn other forms
of a word / parts of
speech
Study synonyms
/antonyms
Try to understand the
meaning by reading
the sentences
LEARN HOW TO
USE WORDS
ACCURATELY
EXPAND
VOCABULARY
BETTER READING
COMPREHENSION
Sample Paragraph:
Using a monolingual dictionary has three positive effects on learners while they are studying English. First
of all, using a monolingual dictionary enables learners to use the words accurately in a sentence. When
learners look for a word in the dictionary, they come across several example sentences and phrases. These
sentences show the collocations that are used with the word. For instance, if learners look up the word
“dictionary”, they can find the common collocations of this word, such as “check the dictionary” or “look
up a dictionary”. In this way, learners can learn how to use a word in a sentence correctly. Secondly, using
a monolingual dictionary helps learners to expand their vocabulary. As learners look up a word in the
dictionary, they find a lot of information about the word. For example, they learn the other forms of a word,
like noun, verb or adverb. Monolingual dictionaries also show synonyms and antonyms in the entry. Thus,
learners have a chance to learn more words. Finally, looking up a monolingual dictionary facilitates the
learners’ reading comprehension. When learners read the definition of the word together with its examples,
they try to understand the meaning of these sentences. This is a very natural way of understanding by reading.
As they read for every word, their reading comprehension improves. In conclusion, using a monolingual
dictionary helps learners improve English.
5
WRITING TASK.
PART A. PREPARATION FOR THE WRITING TASK
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
How much time do you spend in front of the computer a day?
How much time do you spend on the Internet a day?
What do you generally use the Internet for?
In what sense does the Internet make your life easier or more difficult?
PART B. WRITING TASK
Using the ideas in the previous task, analyze the possible negative effects of the Internet in a paragraph of
150-180 words.
I. PRE-WRITING
You are going to write about the possible negative effects of the Internet. First, you may want to plan your
writing.
A. BRAINSTORMING: Brainstorm your ideas for an outline. You may want to put your ideas in a list.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE INTERNET







ruins ‘real-life’ relationships
may cause health problems
people can never be ‘disconnected’ with the Internet
less socializing
affect certain industries negatively (downloading free books and music and pirated movies)
less creativity/productivity
personal information is available online – we are more vulnerable to fraud and theft
B. PLANNING AND OUTLINING: Go over each item in the list. Choose the ideas which you can easily
support with examples and explanations. Choose 2 or 3 of the ideas and group them in the following table.
Suggested Outline A:
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE INTERNET
I. ruins ‘real-life’ relationships
* people prefer online communication
less face to face communication +
less expression of emotions
may cause misunderstandings
II. may cause health problems
* spending too much time in front of a computer
prevents people from going outside
getting less fresh air
more prone to diseases
* may lead to certain problems
(e.g. eyesight problems + backache + repetitive strain injuries)
III. disturbs people’s way of living /professional activity
* people are at the reach of their family/friends/boss/colleagues 24 hours a day
spending too much time online /being under stress
having less time for relaxing
6
Suggested Outline B:
Topic sentence: ______________________________________________________________________.
1) ruins real-life relationships
People prefer
online
communication
Less face to face
communication + less
expression of emotions
Misunderstandings
in communication
2) causes health problems
using the
Internet
People spend too
much time in
front of the
computer
They do not go out /
they don’t have the
chance to get fresh air
People are more
prone to diseases
Having a sedentary
life style
3) disturbs people’s way of living / professional activity
People are at the
reach of their
family/friends/boss/
colleagues 24 hours
a day
Spending too much
time online / being
under stress
Having less time for
relaxing
Conclusion: ______________________________________________________________________.
7
II. FIRST DRAFT (5 pts.)
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
STEP 2: PEER-EDITING: Now, exchange your paper with a friend.
* Circle the mistakes in your friend’s paper.
* DO NOT correct his/her sentences. Mark X for the problem areas.
* Mark the following statements ‘yes’ or ‘no’:
CONTENT and ORGANIZATION
My partner’s paragraph:
yes
no


 begins with a sentence that has a topic and a controlling idea.


 introduces each effect with a transition signal.


 explains each effect by providing specific details or examples.


 includes transitions to show cause-effect relationship.


 ends with a concluding sentence.


 tells about the effects of using the Internet.
.
* Answer the following questions:
1. Do you understand everything in the paragraph? _____________
If your answer is no, what part(s) or sentence(s) don’t you understand?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you like best about this paragraph? Write at least one positive comment.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
8
STEP 3: SELF-EDITING: Get back your own paper.
* Discuss the problem areas with your friend.
* Now, check your paper yourself. Use the Self-checklist below. Put a tick () in the relevant box.
WRITING OUTPUT:
I have written about the negative effects of using the Internet.
Grammar and Vocabulary:
I have made use of some of the related vocabulary in this handout, and three of them are:
_______________________, _______________________, _______________________.
I have used the following verbs and structures to talk about effects correctly.
_______________________, _______________________, _______________________,
_______________________,
_______________________, _______________________, _______________________.
Organization:
I have written one complete paragraph.
I have made use of the pre-writing activities. (brainstorming and outlining)
The paragraph is within the word limit. (150-180 words)
My paragraph has a well-developed topic sentence.
My paragraph has well-developed major and minor supporting sentences.
My paragraph has a concluding sentence.
____________________________________
___________________
___________________
__
___________________
___________________
9
SECOND DRAFT (15 pts.)
Correct your work according to your peer’s editing and the self-checklist. Then, re-write and hand it in to your
instructor. Your instructor will provide feedback on the content and organization of your work.
FOR INSTRUCTOR’S
NOTES ON CONTENT &
ORGANIZATION
10
FINAL DRAFT (30 pts.)
Now, re-write the final version of your paragraph and put it in your portfolio.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
11