This document provides guidance on writing different types of texts in English. It discusses the writing process and outlines steps for brainstorming, organizing ideas, focusing on language, and drafting and revising work. It also covers structuring paragraphs with topic sentences and connectors, as well as four main types of texts: for and against essays with examples of structure and language use; opinion essays; short stories/narratives with examples; and descriptions of people, places, and objects with descriptive language. Tips are provided for each text type on outlining, paragraph structure, vocabulary, and style.

1. WRITING GUIDE – BAT 2
IES MOIXENT
COURSE YEAR 2019 – 2020

2. CONTENTS
1- The writing process
2- Connectors and paragraph formation
3- Types of texts
4- Bibliography
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- THE WRITING PROCESS
Before you begin writing there are some Important aspects you should bear in mind:
Step 1: Brainstorm for ideas (Write all the ideas you can think of; Don’t worry about whether the
idea is relevant; don’t worry about grammar or spelling; You can write in your own language)
Step 2: Organise your ideas (Decide which ideas to keep
and cross out the others; group similar ideas together; put
the groups in order according to a writing plan)
Step 3: Focus on Language (Think of words and
expressions you will need in your work)
Step 4: Write a first draft (Even in pencil; write quickly)
Step 5: Check your work (Use the common mistakes list,
explained and worked thoroughly in class)
Step 6: Write a final draft (Be sure the final version includes all your corrections; leave margins on
both sides; make sure you indicate clearly where a paragraph begins and where it finishes1
)
First draft Final draft
Many programmes that tenaggers watch
on TV are violent and negative. As a result
people often imitates what they are seeing
watching violence can cause him to
behave violently. This is especially true to
teenagers, which are more easily influenced
than adults
Many programmes that teenagers watch
on TV are violent and negative. Because
people often imitate what they see,
watching violence can cause them to
behave violently. This is especially true to
teenagers, who are more easily
influenced than adults
1
Skipping a line before beginning a new paragraph. Each paragraph begins at a left-hand margin.

3. 2- STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT: CONNECTORS & PARAGRAPH FORMATION
2.1- PARAGRAPH FORMATION
A paragraph is nothing but several sentences together about a
certain topic. The parts of a paragraph should flow naturally and
logically. The paragraphs must be easy to understand and you
can achieve this by means of:
- using pronouns to refer back to the nouns in the text
- using connector to show the connections between ideas
Bicycle riding is an excellent alternative to driving cars. First of
all, it is a wonderful form of exercise. It is far healthier to pedal a
bicycle than to sit in a car. Secondly, bicycles do not pollute. If
more people used bicycles and left their cars at home, air would be cleaner. Thirdly, fewer cars mean fewer traffic jams
and less crowding in the city. In short, bicycles could provide a healthier, more pleasant way of life for everyone.
The structure of this paragraph, taken as an example, includes a topic sentence (the first one) which informs the
reader what the paragraph is about, supporting sentences all around the text and a concluding sentence (“In
short…”). Yes, exactly as any text structure but with a same topic being discussed and no place for other opinions
in it, so from here on, consider a text as a group of mini-texts.
Normally, a paragraph is a unit of information unified by a central, controlling idea or theme, which often develops
within itself; it is usually expressed by means of just one sentence and it can go in initial, mid or end position,
though the most preferable option is the one you can see in “Ex 1” :
Ex 1
Bicycle riding is an excellent alternative to driving cars. First of all, it is a wonderful form of exercise. It is far healthier
to pedal a bicycle than to sit in a car. Secondly, bicycles do not pollute. If more people used bicycles and left their cars at
home, air would be cleaner. Thirdly, fewer cars mean fewer traffic jams and less crowding in the city. In short, bicycles
could provide a healthier, more pleasant way of life for everyone.
Ex 2
. First of all, it is a wonderful form of exercise. It is far healthier to pedal a bicycle than to sit in a car. Secondly, bicycles
do not pollute. If more people used bicycles and left their cars at home, air would be cleaner. Bicycle riding is an excellent
alternative to driving cars. Thirdly, fewer cars mean fewer traffic jams and less crowding in the city. In short, bicycles
could provide a healthier, more pleasant way of life for everyone.
Ex 3
. First of all, it is a wonderful form of exercise. It is far healthier to pedal a bicycle than to sit in a car. Secondly, bicycles
do not pollute. If more people used bicycles and left their cars at home, air would be cleaner. Thirdly, fewer cars mean
fewer traffic jams and less crowding in the city. In short, bicycles could provide a healthier, more pleasant way of life for
everyone. Bicycle riding is an excellent alternative to driving cars.
2.2 CONNECTORS
Connectors are linking words which join ideas and show how those ideas
are related to one another. They also help us to organise our writing and
make it easy for the reader to follow. They express a wide range of
purposes when in a text, as for instance, contrast, reason, result…
REMEMBER: The more and better collocated in your writing exercises
they are, the better qualified your work will be. They shouldn’t be used
randomly, but thinking carefully what their function is and writing them in
the best possible place.

4. Purpose Examples
To add points on the same topIC And, in addition, furthermore, moreover, What’s more,
besides, also, too, as well as
To express contrast But, however, nevertheless, yet, still,
Although, even if, even though, in spite of,
Despite
To describe a cause or reason Because (of), since, due to, one / another reason for…is
To describe a result So, therefore, consequently, thus, as a result, as a
consequence, for this reason, that is why
To show purpose In order to, so as to, so that, to
To describe similarity Similarly, likewise, in the same way
To express personal opinions In my opinion, I (strongly) believe (that),
I think / feel (that), in my view, it seems to
me (that) , personally, as I see it
To describe reality In fact, as a matter of fact, actually, the
truth is (that)
To make general statements In general, generally, as a rule, on the
whole
To list points To begin, to start with, in the first place,
first of all, firstly, secondly, thirdly…, finally,
lastly
To give examples For example, for instance, such as, like,
Particularly, in particular, especially,
(more) specifically
To introduce opposing points On the one hand, on the other hand, in
contrast, contrary to, it can also be
argued that, but
To show sequence First, at first, in the beginning, before, next,
Then, soon, meanwhile, later, after that,
Afterwards, at last, eventually, finally,
In the end
To show time When, while, before, after, until, as soon as,
By the time
To conclude In conclusion, to sum up, in short, on the
whole
3- TYPES OF TEXTS
3.1. For & Against Essay
When we write a ‘for & against’ essay, we present both sides
of an issue and conclude by supporting one of the sides. You
should follow these steps (you already know) to prepare a
‘for & against’ essay:
- Make a vocabulary choice
- Brainstorm will be needed (this is in clear relation to “step
1”)
- Give the text a clear structure (this kind of essay normally
comprises an introduction {what the text is about}, a body
{with two paragraphs: one stating the reasons in favour and
the second for the same but with reasons against the essay
topic} and a conclusion {in where you briefly explain the
arguments used previously and state your personal opinion})
- Language must be formal, because otherwise your opinion
will not be taken into account, and it will be considered non-

5. serious.
 Extra tips for essay writing:
a- In a paragraph each piece of information contributes to the central theme of a paragraph. Each paragraph
contributes in some way to the development of the essay in one or other of the following ways; a
paragraph can 1- present an argument or idea; 2- present a counter or contrasting argument; 3- illustrate
an idea or argument; 4- present facts or evidence; 5- draw conclusions and summarise; 6- offer comments
and opinions or evidence.
b- It is, of course, essential that to achieve clarity and all the points stated in ‘a’ the linking of ideas seems to
be crucial2
.
We could summarise these extra tips in a simple and logical sentence: when you write an essay make sure
that each paragraph adds something to the essay, and each clause or sentence is linked effectively to
something that has been written before it.
 Now take a look at the following example of a ‘for & against’ essay about taking a year off between
secondary school and university:
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking a Year Off
If you are considering taking a “year off” between secondary school and university to work, travel or
volunteer in another country, consider the pros and the cons before you decide.
On the one hand, you will start university a year behind the other students. You may also forget the
material and have a harder time with your studies. In addition, a year off can be a waste of time if it is not carefully
planned.
On the other hand, a year off provides valuable experience in the real world. It is also a welcome break form
academic work and when you start university you will do it in a more relaxed way. Furthermore, taking time off
may give you a better idea of what you want to study.
On the whole, although it may slow your career, I believe that a well-planned time can be a great
opportunity.
3.2. OPINION ESSAY
There is nothing different to the explanation you could see in the ‘for
&…” section, so the same can pretty much be adapted to this point.
Though a slight distinction might be traced; in the previous kind of
essay you could study there were two sides for a same topic, whereas
in this one you will only introduce one, i.e. yours. You will try to
convince the reader that your point of view is correct.
“A paragraph is nothing but several sentences together about a certain
topic” (from paragraph formation), so attaching to this statement you
will only need one paragraph to express the whole of your thoughts.
You will only need three to form this model of text: introduction, body
and conclusion.
Here you have an example of an “Opinion Essay” dealing with life in
big cities:
Life in Big Cities
Much of the world’s population lives in big cities. Therefore, it seems that cities must be wonderful places to
live in. However, in my opinion this is not true.
First of all, cities are noisy and dirty. People live with the constant sound of cars, lorries and buses in the
background. These vehicles also pollute the air, making it dangerous to breathe, and traffic jams make it difficult to get
from place to place. In addition, city streets are dirty and full of rubbish. Secondly, life in cities is crowded and
pressured. Neighbours live very close together, so there is very little privacy. As a result, people are tense and always in a
hurry.
In conclusion, I feel that life in cities is far from ideal. As far as I’m concerned, the environment there is
unhealthy both physically and psychologically. I strongly believe that the country, which is cleaner, quieter and
calmer, is a better place to live.
2
See point 2 Connectors and paragraph formation

6. 3.3 SHORT STORY /NARRATIVE
This is probably the first kind of narrative you wrote in English, since the first compositions you wrote were about
things with a beginning a middle and an end. So, there is no more to explain about this sort of writing as you can
guess all about this by knowing that it merely consists on telling a story.
For that purpose, there are very easy instructions to follow:
· Set the scene and introduce the characters (Imaginary or real. You can use
adjectives related to description of people, places, objects, landscapes; also you
might need to focus on the time in which the story happens and giving it a logical
sequence by means of appropriate connectors. This will have a later study and
explanation)
·Develop the plot (Usually in only one paragraph, as it is the body of the text
and apparently dealing only with the same line throughout it. Try to make it as
interesting as possible.
· End the story (Trying to make it as excitingly / sadly / happily as possible, but
give a solution to the problem developed in the body)
The New Neighbour
Last summer, a man moved into our building. As soon as they had seen him, the other neighbours began to talk. They
said that he was probably a criminal. He really looked frightening and he never said a word to anyone.
One day, I heard shouts coming from the stairs. Mrs Thompson’s baby was choking and she was screaming for help! All
of a sudden, the new neighbour appeared. He grabbed the baby and started to do strange things that the scared woman
couldn’t really understand. Everything was so absurd and impressed her so much that in such a situation she nearly
fainted.
He really helped the baby to breathe again because he was a doctor. After all we discovered that he was a doctor and also
was new in England and didn’t know much English. He was shy and quiet. We had all been wrong about him.
This kind of writing tenses usually go in past, as they refer to past events you are narrating, this is, from previous
experiences. If you need it, revise the irregular verbs list.
3.4. DESCRIPTIONS
You may never have to write descriptions which are complete in
themselves, but you may need to include descriptions in other pieces
of writing, for example, in short stories. When you describe something,
you are usually trying to give your reader an exact impression of
something in your experience.
Advice: descriptions are concerned with detail, so the larger and more
precise your vocabulary, the better your description will be.
This section is divided into sub-points, to name:
a- describing people
b- describing places
c- describing objects
d- describing habits and conditions
a- Describing People:
i- Faces and bodies: Make sure you know all the words for facial features including complexion
(height & build), age (early /mid / late forties…) and general aspects (black-haired, round-
shouldered…)
ii- Clothes: He has a /an… on, He’s wearing…, He’s dressed in…
iii- Facial and bodily expression: He’s frowning / scowling… He has a grim on his face…, He looks
(+ adjective), He looks as if he… It seems as it though he…
iv- Character and habits: She is always…, She has the habit of…
Exercise- What are these mini-texts describing?
1- Loose, wavy brown hair hung down to her waist at the back. She had a fringe over her forehead that
almost hid her pale blue eyes. The nose, not her best feature, was long but not ugly. She had a regular
set of white teeth and was full-lipped.
2- She had the irritating habit of biting her nails but apart from that she was always welcoming and positive,
once you knew her well, but she wasn’t really. She often appeared puzzled by life.
3- I first met him at a small party and he was dressed in a rather ill-fitting suit with patches on the elbows;
underneath there was an open-necked striped shirt

7. 4- People often think of him as looking irritable but that was probably to do with his somewhat pink
complexion and his bloodshot eyes. He seemed rarely relaxed or calm. However, his face changed and it
altered one’s view of him immediately.
b- Describing Places:
i- Location: Down by the river / railway station…, (very) Near the bus station, In the centre, On the
outskirts, In the suburbs, In the (surrounding) countryside…
ii- Existence: There is / are, There has / have (always / never) been, It has been / stood there for / since,
You can find / discover…
iii- Special Features: …of special interest is / are…, One of the really / most interesting parts / places /
bits…, The… is famous / popular …
As referred to parks, Mappin is a large one. Most of the flat ground is taken up by three football pitches. On one side of
the park, however, there is a patch of trees through which a river winds. An attractive path runs beside the river, and there
are flowerbeds with interesting shrubs and flowers. On the other side of the park there are more sports facilities: …
c- Describing Objects:
When you describe objects you need language in the following categories:
i- Measurements: width, height, length, depth, area, volume, weight…
ii- Shape: Triangular, oval, egg-shaped…
iii- Colour
iv- Texture of surfaces: smooth, ridged, bumpy…
v- Pattern and decoration: floral, stripped…
vi- Material: wooden, brass, denim…
vii- Physical properties: transparent, hard, brittle…
viii- Position: bottom, edged, upper-part…
What was the flying saucer like? It was long, round, cigar-shaped, and had several curious markings on the
bottom. It seemed very bright, and hovered about 20 feet above the ground…
d- Describing habits and conditions:
You may need to write about how someone lives, works or the way something is organised or works. These are
the most common expressions used when required to write about this:
i- Frequency: Often, never, fairly often, quite frequently, every weekend, twice a week (Do you know
where these expressions go in a sentence?)
ii- Habit: present (he likes chocolate, they eat at 6), past (they used to hang…, my father would often
bring… we went every Saturday), persistent and irritating (they are always sending me letters…,
the way they keep on treating me…)
Life in Former USSR
…soviet people belonged to five or six different cultures, spoke four main languages and several minor ones,
having very strong regional loyalties. In keeping with this pluralism, they claimed to run a decentralised socialist
economy, in which local control was encouraged, to a certain extent.
One of the moral landmarks of Soviet economic life was that no man may earn three times more than any other
man –a dictum not strictly observed but still rather impressive to any egalitarian who…
3.5 PROCESS ESSAY
Process writing can be classified into two types according to its
purpose.
- One type explains how to do something.
- The other type explains how something works.
How to do something
The reader should be able to follow the directions stated in
your essay and successfully do what you are explaining.
How to do something
How to find a new boy or girl friend.
How to get a better hotel room
How to repair your computer
How to plant a garden

8. How Something Works.
The reader is not going to do the process explained in the essay, but the reader will understand the process when
he or she finishes reading the essay.
How your car engine works
How a plant traps the sun’s energy
How a new federal law is created
How jurors are selected
The Introduction
The introduction to a process essay may tell the reader about a problem. The thesis statement, which is usually
the last sentence of the introduction, tells the reader how to solve the problem.
Yesterday, when Reza tried to get his three year old son Ali to eat, little Ali threw his dinner on the floor. After Reza put
some more food on Ali’s plate, Ali threw it on the floor again. Frustrated, Reza called called Dr. Mo, his son’s
psychologist. Dr. Mo recommended these three steps to overcoming infant temper tantrums.
The Body
When describing a process, it is important to make a plan so you don’t
skip any important steps. It is also important to list all the materials that
the reader needs to have in order to follow the steps. It is important to
be very familiar with the process you are writing about. Think the
process through very carefully and make sure you have included all the
necessary steps and that they are in the correct order.
Before you start working on your computer, make sure you have the
necessary tools. First, you will need a set of small screwdrivers. Second, you
should have a grounding clip. This is used to …..
The Conclusion
The conclusion may be similar to the introduction. It will remind the reader of both the problem and the solution.
The conclusion sometimes warns the reader about the dangers involved in following the steps incorrectly or offer
suggestions about overcoming certain difficulties.
The next time your three year old behaves badly at the dinner table, just follow Dr. Mo’s three easy steps. However, be
careful not to repeat them to many times because…….
4- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Jolly, D: Writing Tasks, Cambridge University Press, Avon, 1984
- James Scott Bell: Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot
That Grips Readers from Start to Finish, WGF
- Dillard, Anne: The Writing Life, Harper Perennial