1. THE INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND PARAGRAPH
Lesson 4

2. Review: essay outline errors
Describing existing solutions
Stating weak or obvious solutions
e.g. enforce the law, have a campaign, spend more money, expect parents or government to solve problem
Not explaining the solution in the supporting sentences (saying why it is necessary but not how)
Not stating the negative aspects of your solutions in evaluation

3. Task 1: Identifying features of an introduction p.60

4. Introduction: typical structure
‘The Hook’ – statement to gain readers’ interest
Contextual information about issue
Basic definitions
More specific information relating issue to thesis
5. Thesis statement – main idea(s) for essay*
*and usually sequence / order in which they are to be discussed

5. Thesis statement
The thesis statement should not be too general, too simple or state an obvious fact. e.g. ‘A university education is a good investment.’ (Too general) ‘A university education is a good investment as it provides students with the foundations for a successful life.’ (Good) ‘A university education is a good investment because it sets you on a career path, improves your job and salary prospects, teaches you to be independent and improves your social skills.’ (Better)

6. Thesis statement = topic + general controlling idea
e.g.
The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on cities. OK
Thesis statement = topic + specific controlling ideas
The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on a city’s ability to provide housing, employment and adequate sanitation services.
BETTER

7. Task 2: Analysing and evaluating thesis statements p.61

8. Parallelism in thesis statements
Parallelism in a sentence is the sequential listing of items or contents using the same word class in the same active or passive form. e.g. Research has proven that music can affect people’s moods by making them light-hearted, nostalgic, or irritated. What word class do the underlined words belong to? Adjectives

9. Complete the following thesis statements or topic sentences using the correct form of the word given in parenthesis.
This paper highlights the disadvantages of the Internet and (recommend) __________ several approaches in overcoming them.
Researchers in the field of International Studies normally conduct a study to describe, to explain, and (predict) __________ phenomena in the hope of changing events.
Satisfied employees can perform better in their work because they are more committed, creative, innovative, and (produce) _________ .

10. An error in parallel structure exists in each of the following thesis statements or topic sentences. Underline the errors and correct them.
The present research investigates the roles of NGOs in protecting the environment, educate the illiterate, and assisting the poor.
This paper verifies the effectiveness of using movies in teaching a foreign language by analysing data collected through a questionnaire, respondents’ assignments, and conducting interviews.
In this essay, three pertinent problems faced by a third-world country are discussed, propose solutions to these problems, and these solutions are evaluated.
In order for Cloud computing to succeed, service providers should guard clients’ privacy and securing their data.

11. Thesis statements for problem-solution essays
Start by identifying the problem, then ask a question and propose a solution in your thesis statement:
e.g.
Problem:
Flash-flooding causes damage to property and endangers lives.
Question:
How can we prevent flash-flooding occurring?
Thesis-statement:
The problem of flash-flooding could be significantly reduced if the government were to invest more in good drainage design and the proper maintenance of rivers, culverts and drains.

12. Write a thesis statement /topic sentences
Essay title: Reducing the impact of natural disasters Thesis statement: (increase survival rate of victims) ____________________ Topic sentence 1: (education)_______________________________________ Topic sentence 2: (equipment/training)_______________________________Topic sentence 3: (research)________________________________________

13. Writing a thesis statement (1) p.62 ___
Task 4
Writing a thesis statement (1) p.62
___
Practice writing a thesis statement for your group essay
(or for the essay on sporting success from previous exercise)

14. Background paragraph : typical structure
Background / contextual information (e.g. origins, causes)
Elaboration / explanation about the issue
Definitions of specialised terms and concepts
Justification or rationale for essay (show lack of knowledge/importance of study)

15. Background paragraph exercise
Instructions
Read the background paragraph on the next slide
Identify the type of information that is given in each part of the paragraph, e.g. definition.
Suggest a title for the essay

16. The idea of establishing sports schools in Malaysia was first considered in the late 1980s. It was on 20 January, 1988 that the cabinet approved the National Sports Policy (Introduction to Malaysian Sports School, 2012). This National Sports Policy is a comprehensive document dedicated to the advancement, progress and development of sports in the country. Furthermore, the policy is a guide on how to develop athletes and make them competitive with athletes from other countries. No one can enroll into sports school until they have reached a certain level of competency or achievement in sports. They are selected based on their achievement and performance, and their skills are enhanced through specific training and theory based on their sports. As a result, in 1996, the first Malaysian sports school, Bukit Jalil Sports School, was built within the National Sports Complex. Following its success in producing athletes for the Commonwealth Games, the government decided to construct a second sports school, Bandar Penawar Sports School, in Kota Tinggi, Johor in However, the momentum built up in the late 1980s and 90s has arguably not been maintained in the 21st century.

17. Answers
Sentences 1 -2:Historical context Sentences 3-6: Explanation Sentences 7-8: Historical context Sentence 9: Evaluation (of unsuccessful attempts to solve problem) Suggested title: Improving the performance of government sports schools in Malaysia

18. The passive voice Consider these statements:
The intention was to report on the problem, but the data was accidently deleted 
I intended to report on the problem but I accidentally deleted the data 
Why is the passive voice preferred here?

19. The passive voice The executive committee approved the new policy
ACTIVE
The new policy was approved by the executive committee
PASSIVE + AGENT
The new policy was approved
PASSIVE - AGENT

20. The passive voice
It is usually better to use the active voice. However, the passive is particularly useful (even recommended) in two situations:
When it is more important to draw our attention to the person or thing acted upon: The Permanent Secretary was apparently struck by a car while out jogging early on Friday morning.
When the actor in the situation is not important: The aurora borealis can be observed in the early morning hours.

21. The passive voice
Typically, we use the passive voice when we want to shift emphasis from what was the object in the first sentence to what becomes the subject in subsequent sentences.
e.g.
The executive committee approved an entirely new policy for dealing with academic suspension and withdrawal. The policy had been written by a subcommittee on student behavior. If students withdraw from course work before suspension can take effect, the policy states, a mark of "IW" .  

22. Definitions
Sentence level definitions TERM + CLASS + DEFINING FEATURES e.g. Water (TERM) is a liquid (CLASS) made up of molecules of hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio of 2 to 1 (DEFINING FEATURES)

23. Non -sentence level definitions Parentheses (brackets) e. g
Non -sentence level definitions Parentheses (brackets) e.g. The etymology (study of the origin of words) of a common phrase often proves revealing. Dashes e.g. A rhombus - a quadrilateral that has bounding sides which all have the same length – is not to be confused with a rectangle. Examples e.g. A retrovirus, like HIV, infects the genomes of cells and spreads through normal cellular replication.

24. Task 4: Write simple definitions p.26

25. Prepare draft of introduction/background paragraph
Optional exercises
Analyse background information - Task 1, p.32
Predict the content of a lecture - Task 2, p.33
Practice completing and correcting notes - Task 3, p.33
Recognise definitions - Task 4, p.33
Homework
Prepare draft of introduction/background paragraph