TEXT ANALYSIS
Text analysis is done to get the ideas, the format
What should we do in text analysis?
1. Study how the writer introduces the topic.
2. Study how the writer flows the writing.
3. Study all the elements of writing used by the writer.
4. Study the purpose of writing.
5. Study the use of hook, transitional phrases and transitional paragraph.
6. Study the use of ethos pathos logos
7. Study the paragraph development and the format
8. Study the diction.
Dragonflies and damselflies both lay their eggs on or just below the surface of the water in a pond or
stream. Some species lay their eggs on the stem of an aquatic plant. The babies emerge from the eggs
in the form of nymphs. They live underwater, breathing through gills and preying upon water insects,
tadpoles, small fish, and even other nymphs. They hunt by hiding in the shadows at the bottom of a
pond or stream.
Bloodthirsty predators that they are, dragonflies and damselflies are prey for other animals in their
turn. They nymphs are eaten by fish, frogs, toads, and other aquatic creatures. In the adult stage, they
are hunted by birds
Argumentative Essays (for and against)
With these essays you are given a topic to relate to by presenting an objective picture
by showing both the advantages and disadvantages. You should, however, express
your personal opinion in the closing paragraph.
Argumentative Essays consist of 4 paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Write an introduction where the topic is presented.
Paragraph 2: Present supportive arguments. Back up your arguments
with reasons, facts and examples.
Paragraph 3: Present opposing arguments. Back up your arguments
with reasons, facts and examples.
Paragraph 4: End with a strong conclusion and state your opinion.
Tips for Writing Argumentative Essays:
1. Make a list of the pros and cons in your plan before you start writing.
2. Choose the most important that support your arguments (the pros) and the most
important to refute (the cons) and focus on them.
3. Use facts, statistics and examples to convince your readers of your arguments.
4. Use good transition words when moving between arguments and most importantly
when moving from pros to cons and vice versa.
While I have shown that.... other may say...
Opponents of this idea claim / maintain that..
Those who disagree claim that …
While some people may disagree with this idea...
When you want to refute or counter the cons you may start with:
However / Nonetheless / In spite of / Despite…
On the one hand… On the other hand…
If you want to mark your total disagreement:
After seeing this evidence, it is impossible to agree with what they say.
Contrary to what they might think ...
After examining the aforementioned points, it is clear that the advantages
(or disadvantages) of… far outweigh the disadvantages (or advantages)…
Example: Do you think computers are a blessing or a curse?
Write a composition giving reasons for and/or against using computers.
Almost every home, office or school has a computer of some kind these days. Many people feel that
these machines are now an essential part of our lives, but how necessary are they really?
On the one hand, one of the main advantages is the time that can be saved by using a computer. This
is especially beneficial in the workplace, where employees can do their work far faster than they
could in the past. In addition to this, computers can be educational and fun. From very young age
children can gain basic computer skills through programs that allow them to learn, draw, paint and
play. In today’s technological world, this knowledge can only help them in the
future.
On the other hand, there are various negative aspects to using computers. First, many jobs have been
lost due to the fact that computers can do a lot of tasks more efficiently than humans. This has led to
high unemployment in many countries. What is more, computers can actually cause health problems.
That is to say those endless hours in front of a screen can cause eye strain and headaches, which are
serious side-effects.
To sum up, after examining the aforementioned points, it is clear that the advantages of using
computers far outweigh the disadvantages. In other words, the importance of computers in our daily
lives can be judged by the number of people using them each single day. Computer is not only used
by professionals, but also by the little children and grownups at our homes.
Homelessness
The homeless epidemic is a serious problem in nearly every major city across the country. According
to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are over 500,000 people
experiencing homelessness on any given night. It's a difficult challenge to tackle precisely because it
is so multi-faceted, both in terms of its causes and its far-reaching effects. Homelessness affects not
only the people who must struggle to survive on the street, but also the business owners or residents
in the neighborhoods. Petty crime and drug abuse are common. While many factors have contributed
to the rise in homeless rates, one of the most profound is the lack of adequate social support services.
By definition, a homeless person is someone without a permanent home. They may seek shelter in
parking garages, ATM vestibules, and subway stations. On a purely practical level, if a city can
provide enough homeless shelters and other forms of affordable housing, the people who would
otherwise sleep on the streets can sleep far more safely with a consistent roof over their heads.
Social support services, whether they are funded publicly or privately, would be able to tackle many
of the immediate and long-term challenges that face people experiencing homelessness. In addition
to providing adequate and reliable shelter, services like drug counselling, treatment for physical or
emotional abuse, and career counselling can address some of the factors that lead to homelessness.
The individual stories of each person going through homelessness will vary. What is often found,
though, is that the homelessness came about because of a series of events. A person may
unexpectedly lose their job, which may lead to family problems at home, which may lead to drug
abuse as a coping mechanism, which may lead to further financial stress, and so on. Appropriate
social services at any point in this process may be able to prevent homelessness from becoming this
person's reality.
The effects of homelessness are equally complex and can be mirror images of the root causes.
Because the person is experiencing homelessness, this may put profound strain on personal
relationships. Drug abuse can become an issue, as the person seeks some way of coping with the pain
and hardship of living on the streets. This leads to a downward spiral that drives the person deeper
and deeper into the depths of crippling poverty and isolation.
The impact extends well beyond the individual, too. As homelessness becomes an increasingly
visible issue in a neighborhood, home values can plummet. Middle and working class families may
move out, providing a bigger opening for various forms of crime. Businesses may close as the area
becomes too prone to theft and property crime.
Every city, every neighborhood faces unique challenges when it comes to homelessness. While the
specific root causes can vary between individuals, the lack of adequate social services is a leading
contributor. The right social services can address, reduce or even remove some of these other
underlying causes. With powerful effects for both the individual and society at large, homelessness is
a pressing issue and one that must be approached with tact and compassion.
Vocabulary
1. Multi-faceted = __________________________________________________________
2. Prone = __________________________________________________________
3. Profound = __________________________________________________________
4. Strain = __________________________________________________________
5. Vestibule = __________________________________________________________
6. Petty crime = __________________________________________________________
7. Crippling = ___________________________________________________________
8. Plummet = ___________________________________________________________
9. Tact = ___________________________________________________________
10. Adequate = ___________________________________________________________
Vocabulary
1. Satiating = _____________________________________________________________
2. Societal = _____________________________________________________________
3. Biomedical = _____________________________________________________________
4. Yielding = _____________________________________________________________
5. Sentiment = _____________________________________________________________
6. Alternate = _____________________________________________________________
7. Incentive = _____________________________________________________________
8. In-vitro = _____________________________________________________________
9. Surrogate = _____________________________________________________________
10. Complementary = ____________________________________________________________
11. Inflammatory = _____________________________________________________________
12. Plethora = _____________________________________________________________
13. Seizure = _____________________________________________________________
What approach did the writer use?
Is it formal?
ONLINE LEARNING
It seems everything is moving online these days. Even our education is transferring onto the
internet. Many people might squabble about the disadvantages of this phenomena, but today, I
want to discuss the advantages of getting an education online. This is a pertinent topic, as the
future of education is moving more and more towards shifting physical educational institutions
online. There are reasons for this: many times you can learn whatever you want, it is more
comfortable in a variety of ways, online courses often look good on resumes, the pacing of
learning is managed by the learner, and the cost of virtual education is often lower than traditional
education.
The freedom to choose your educational path is an enduring quality of online education. For more
creative people, or people who want to focus on a single activity, this can be a dream come true.
According to eLearning Industry, “You can pick the program of your dreams in traditional
education, too, but that would involve traveling away from home, living in a completely unknown
city, and struggling in an extremely competitive learning environment. With online education,
you can take any program or course present in traditional four-year universities” (Norman,
Stephanie). So, the ease of access to the courses and majors you are striving to study are widely
available online. This increases opportunities to gain the education we desire instead of making
needless compromises.
Like the last point, comfort takes center stage for many students. Countless students choose
online education in order to avoid wasting time travelling and on many other activities in order to
attend physical education institutions. According to the Open Education Database, “Commercials
that feature online students studying in their pajamas only skims the surface of one of the benefits
of online education: no physical class sessions. Students listen to lectures and complete
assignments sent to them electronically, with no need to fight traffic, leave work early for class, or
miss important family time. Rather than miss important class sessions (due to weather
conditions), students in online courses can always “attend” by participating in discussion boards
or chat sessions, turning in their work on time, and watching lectures or reading materials” (“10
Advantages of Taking Online Classes”). In other words, by being an online student, you
circumnavigate many of the issues that regular students endure on a daily basis.
In addition, many employers are happy to see online courses on resumes. Many recruiters see
the taking of online courses as a sign of taking initiative. As stated by Pongo Resume,
“Employers respect a degree earned online as much as a degree earned from attending a brick-
and-mortar school. They understand that with the technological advances we have today, more
and more employees are getting their education and training online. Because hiring managers
value continuing education and professional development, having the relevant courses and
programs in the education section of your resume will demonstrate that you are resourceful and
have taken the initiative to stay ahead of the curve and improve professionally” (“The Advantages
of Online Learning for You and Your Career”). Therefore, not only is online education seen as
equal to regular education by employers, but it is also viewed as being competent in the latest
technologies and trends.
Back to the students, one of the great advantages of online education is that learners can study at
their own pace. According to eLearning Industry, “This type of system does not require attending
live sessions; you can access the materials at any time that works for you. If you have to work or
take care of your home and children during the day, you can study at night. That’s an advantage
the traditional educational system cannot beat” (Norman, Stephanie). In addition, people who
want to take a longer time to receive a degree can do so without any pressure.
Finally, the cost of getting an online education is cheaper on average than receiving a traditional
education. According to the Open Education Database, “Though not all online degrees offer less
expensive net tuition prices than traditional colleges, associated expenses almost always cost less.
For example, there are no commuting costs, and sometimes required course materials, such as
textbooks, are available online at no cost. In addition, many colleges and universities accept
credits earned via free massive open online courses (MOOCs), the most recent advance in online
education” (“10 Advantages of Taking Online Classes”). Thus, there are a variety of reasons why
an online education costs less.
Receiving an online education is becoming more and more popular due to a multitude of
advantages it has over traditional instruction. These advantages include, to name a few: students
can learn whatever they want, it is more comfortable, online courses often look great on resumes,
the pacing of learning is managed by the pupil, and the cost is often lower than traditional
education. With these reasons, it is hard to not see why this form of education is on the rise.
Vocabulary
1. Pertinent = _____________________________________________________________