Module 1 Essay Writing

110 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES Objectives By the end of this chapter Introduction you should be able to do This chapter focuses on various techniques that you can use when these things: preparing for your exam, as well...

110 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES Objectives By the end of this chapter Introduction you should be able to do This chapter focuses on various techniques that you can use when these things: preparing for your exam, as well as when responding to the three Paper 2 write with effective items. control of grammar, In order for you to optimise your marks in each section, you must vocabulary, mechanics present a balanced script – balanced in terms of content as well as how and conventions of you present that content. writing in the use of This chapter is a ‘how to’ chapter that will help you to strike the right Caribbean Standard balance when writing your responses. English; You will be given guidelines on how to plan and structure your essays evaluate examples of as well as various checklists – for language, content and organisational written and spoken structure for instance. While going through this chapter you should be communication, taking able to apply the content that you have reviewed in the previous chapters into consideration the form and content of in drafting a coherent, well-organised and error-free response to any the communication exam question asked. and the context in Your overall aim is to produce answers that are precise, accurate, which it is presented or clear and fluent. To this end, there is an exam-style question with a constructed; sample answer for each module and, at the end of the chapter, a practice apply comprehension question for each module. skills of analysis and critical evaluation to a General pointers wide range of oral and Content and use of language complement each other. written material; If your content is comprehensive but your organisation and expression present information in are weak, your marks will be affected. speech and writing with precision, accuracy, clarity Similarly, if your organisation and expression are excellent but you are and fluency; lacking in content, you will not be able to maximise your marks. demonstrate competence Each essay is worth 25 marks. in organising written Marks for the Paper 2 essays are allocated as follows: communication; Content: 10 marks write well-structured Organisation: 7 marks content for each item on Expression: 8 marks Paper 2. You have 2 hours and 30 minutes to write the three essays – that is 50 minutes on each one. Note Practise answering exam questions or exam-style questions in the time allowed. These are the marks and Count how many words you have written and use this to see what timings that have been used 90 words, 350 words and 500 words look like in your handwriting. in relation to this course but always double check with your teacher and/or the syllabus in case they change. Writing the Paper 2 essays There are three items on Paper 2, one on each of the three modules. The items on Modules 1 and 2 require you to write an essay. The item on Module 3 does not always require an essay, so careful review of the item is necessary to determine the required format. An essay must always have: an introduction; a body; a conclusion. Other formats often have this structure too.  TECHNIQUES FOR PAPER 2 111 Introduction Note This can be as few as three sentences. Highlight key elements in the questions posed to you and comment Present the points in the on what you are writing about. same order in which you Present a thesis – make a general statement that captures the various will discuss them in the parts of the question to which you are responding. body of the essay. Use the sections of the Body question as a guide. Use the sections of the question to organise the body of your essay. If the question has three parts, then the minimum number of body Note paragraphs you will need is three. The aim is to answer a Think of each body paragraph as a mini-essay. question and to do so Introductory sentence – write a sentence that reflects the part of effectively. the question you are answering. So, always review both the Developmental sentences (body) – in the next couple of sentences, question and your answer present points with evidence from the extract to support your to make sure that you have point. Be sure to explain fully what you are saying. fully answered the question Concluding sentence – write one last sentence that sums up the asked. answer you just gave; alternatively, write a sentence that reinforces your point. Conclusion This too can be as few as three sentences. The idea here is to give a summary of the ideas and points that you have discussed. Rephrasing is key. You don’t want to be repetitive and just say the same thing in the same words. Write a few sentences that reiterate the points you discussed in the body of the essay. End by restating the topic and concluding sentences of all your body paragraphs – preferably in one or two sentences. Planning your essay Plan your essay before you start. Remember the drafting stage you did in process writing? Use that skill. Create an outline so that you know exactly what you will be putting in each paragraph. Your essay should have between five and seven paragraphs – definitely no fewer than five. How you organise your essay can make the difference between a good grade and an excellent grade or between a poor grade and a good grade. Remember that 7 of the 25 marks are allotted to organisation. You should be aiming for an excellent and effective introduction; thematic cohesion; appropriate and logical use of transitional devices; an excellent and effective conclusion. To achieve thematic cohesion each paragraph should develop one idea. Do not discuss different parts of the question in the same paragraph and do not begin to respond to part of the question in paragraph 2 and then continue the response in paragraph 5, for instance. Use your linking words and phrases within the paragraph to connect your ideas as well as to transition from one paragraph to the next. 112 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES Linking structures and transitional devices Emphasised in the syllabus is the need for cohesion – internal cohesion and cohesiveness between paragraphs. You achieve this by using linking structures and transitional devices. These may be words, phrases or even sentences. In this section you are provided with a list of such words and expressions. This list is not exhaustive, so consult with your teacher and utilise any available resources to ensure that you are familiar with a wide variety of choices. To add or extend an idea additionally furthermore again in addition also in the first place and in the second place besides last/lastly by the same token moreover even more so next finally or/nor first/firstly second/secondly further too To show contrast a clear difference nevertheless after all nonetheless and yet notwithstanding at the same time on the contrary but on the other hand despite otherwise however the antithesis of in another way though in contrast yet in spite of To make a comparison by the same token in the same manner correspondingly in the same way coupled with likewise in a similar fashion similarly in like manner To express a causal relationship as for because (of the fact that) for that reason being that on account of consequently since due to (the fact that) To show an effect or result accordingly in consequence as a result so much so that because (of this) so that consequently therefore for this reason thus hence  TECHNIQUES FOR PAPER 2 113 To clarify I mean to clarify in other words to explain that is to put it another way that is to say to rephrase it To emphasise or intensify above all more importantly besides of course by all means particularly certainly surely especially undoubtedly essentially without doubt even more so To show sequence afterwards hence at this point next at this time now before this previously finally simultaneously first(ly), second(ly), third(ly) subsequently following this then To summarise or conclude all in all in summary as a final point in the end at last in the final analysis finally lastly in brief to conclude in conclusion to sum up in short to summarise in sum To illustrate or to give examples as an illustration such as for example to demonstrate for instance to enumerate for one thing to illustrate Managing your writing Once you have written your essay you need to proofread it. Your aim is to produce an error-free script that demonstrates a superior use of language. Your language should show maturity and an advanced vocabulary. You can earn up to 8 marks for your expression and use of language. Checklist: grammar, mechanics, usage and vocabulary Ensure that your essays have: ✓ Correct spelling ✓ Subject–verb agreement ✓ Consistent use of tense ✓ Pronoun antecedent agreement 114 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES ✓ Varied sentence structure A combination of simple and complex sentences. Vary the length of your sentences but avoid overly long sentences that obscure clarity. ✓ Appropriate word choice Spend time improving your vocabulary so that you will have a wide repertoire of words from which to choose. Remember words have denotative and connotative meanings. Be conscious of homophonous words and other words that are often confused – when you proofread, check to ensure you have used the correct word. ✓ sentence fragments or comma splices (run-on sentences) No Remember that all sentences must express a complete thought. ✓ No wordiness or redundancy ✓ No misused punctuation The comma and the semicolon are often misused – review correct usage leading up to the exams. Practise using a variety of different types of punctuation. Pay attention to apostrophes. Avoid contracted forms. ✓ No clichés or colloquialisms ✓ No vague expressions The Module 1 essay Note General format Use the word limits as a The Module 1 question generally comes in two, sometimes three, parts. guide to how much you Part (a) will ask you to state the writer’s main idea or to give a need to write. summary of the writer’s main idea in a given word limit (usually Thirty words means you 30 words but you should check). are only expected to write Part (b) will ask you to write an essay in which you identify the writer’s a paragraph; 500 words purpose and comment on the organisational strategies and language means you need to write strategies and/or techniques in a given word limit (usually 500 words). an essay. If there is a part (c), it will require you to evaluate the piece for reliability and/or validity or to comment on the appropriateness of the Note writer’s tone. There is no penalty for Sometimes the part (c) component is included in part (b). Whether including part (a) in the it is separate or included in part (b), if you are asked for this extra essay. information, it must be included in the essay in its own paragraph. The only section that may be isolated from the essay is part (a). The writer’s main idea and purpose When writing a Module 1 essay, it is critical that you remember what distinguishes the writer’s main point (or idea) and the writer’s purpose. The main point is what the writer is writing about; the purpose is why he/she is writing about that ‘what’.  TECHNIQUES FOR PAPER 2 115 How do you identify the main idea? Ask yourself, ‘What is this piece about?’. Your answer to that question should formulate your response to the main idea. For instance, if you were to tell your classmates the main idea of this chapter, you might say: The main idea of this chapter is that there are various techniques which may be applied to writing effective answers for Paper 2. Pay keen attention to the lead in; that is the section that is underlined. This is of utmost importance as it shows that you know the distinction between the main idea and the purpose. How do you identify the writer’s purpose? Remember: the purpose is the reason or intention or motive. Ask yourself, ‘Why has the writer produced this piece of work?’, ‘What is his/her motive?’, ‘What does he/she want to accomplish?’, ‘What does he/she want to happen subsequent to reading the piece?’. Your response should lead you to a verb. For instance, once you complete this chapter we want you to apply the techniques learned to write effective essays for Paper 2. Therefore, in explaining the purpose of this chapter to your classmates you might say: The purpose of this chapter is to equip students with the relevant techniques needed to write essays of superior quality for Paper 2. Note the difference in the way in which you express the main point as opposed to the purpose: The main point/idea is that BUT The writer’s purpose is to + verb Language techniques and organisational strategies Note Remember that different discourse types will employ different kinds of language techniques as well as different kinds of organisational strategies. Language techniques and Never forget that writers use techniques and strategies in order organisational strategies to convey their main point or to achieve their purpose. Therefore in were reviewed in talking about the various techniques and strategies you must show this Chapter 2. See the section correlation. on Discourse types, starting Before you begin to plan the essay – in fact, before you even read on page 17. the given passage – read the question carefully, several times if you need to. Underline the key aspects and number your tasks. (b) Write an essay of 500 words in which you discuss 1the writer’s purpose and comment on his/her use of 2language techniques and 3organisational strategies to achieve this purpose. (c) Comment on the effectiveness of the 4writer’s tone in achieving his purpose. 116 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES Then you read the passage. Be sure to have a pencil in your hand. As you read, underline strategies and techniques that jump out at you. Write the names of the techniques and strategies in the margins. Also as you read, try to determine the discourse type and make a note of that too. Read the passage a second time. This time with greater focus in order to gather the information you need for the essay. Remember, time management is important and so an integral aspect of doing well is organisation and planning. So, as you read this second time, read with these three questions in mind: What is this piece about? What is the writer’s objective? What techniques and strategies has he/she used to achieve this objective? As you discover the answers to the questions, make a note of them. After you have done that, review your notes and make a short and simple outline of what you will be putting in each paragraph. Then begin to write. Remember the essay guidelines given at the start of this chapter. The N-I-E principle When you are discussing techniques and/or strategies you must do three things: 1. Name 2. Illustrate 3. Explain Everything you write about must be specific to the extract given on the exam paper. Name the technique/strategy Firstly, you must name the technique or strategy used in the extract. Examples: One technique employed by the writer is conversational tone. Tautology was among the strategies used by the writer. Illustrate the technique/strategy Once you have identified the technique or strategy, you need to illustrate it. Do this by providing an example or two of its use in the extract given. This is where you write it out. Do not say ‘for example in line 20’ and leave it at that. You must write out the expression, phrase or sentence that exemplifies the technique or strategy you have identified. Example: Tautology is seen in the writer’s constant repetition of the idea of death. In line 15 he says ‘we take our last breath and we die’; then in lines 21 to 23 he mentions death twice, claiming that ‘when death comes for us, we pass away into the other realm’ and that ‘death is not the enemy of life; life is the foe with which death tangles’.  TECHNIQUES FOR PAPER 2 117 Explain its use Then, you explain its use. This is where you talk about how well the technique or strategy worked in helping the writer to achieve his purpose. This explanation must refer to effectiveness. In other words, you need to explain the value or helpfulness of the particular technique or strategy you have identified. Ask yourself, ‘How does this device help me to understand the writer’s purpose?’ or ‘How is it helping the writer to put across his/her main point?’. Example: The writer uses tautology to emphasise death’s constant presence. It draws our attention to the fact that death is an inescapable reality which projects the writer’s main idea and helps him in encouraging readers not to fear death as it is an inevitable end. Another example: One technique employed by the writer is conversational tone. This is seen in her use of various personal pronouns as well as the anecdotes included in the piece. The former is seen in lines 4 to 6 – ‘Have you ever gone to a tourist destination and just felt wowed by everything? Of course you have. Yes you! You have had it. I have had it. We have all, at least once, had that experience. One that left us breathless. You know what I am talking about.’ Then the writer follows this with an anecdote about her visit to Antigua, sharing her first vision of the island, the memorable reception she got and how a bell boy tripped over his own leg in an attempt to bring all her bags at once. The writer’s conversational tone, found in her use of the personal pronouns, creates a connection between me as a reader and her, the writer. Both the personal pronouns and the anecdotes draw the reader into the piece, causing the readers to feel as though we are directly involved. It makes the piece more relatable and actually makes us as readers want to share in the experience of the visit to Antigua. This is, in fact, the writer’s purpose. The structure of the essay Introduction Remember that the aim of an introduction is to acquaint your audience with the topic of your discourse – what you will be talking about. Go back to the question and formulate a general statement that captures what the extract is about and what the question requires of you. discuss 1the writer’s purpose comment on 2language techniques 3organisational strategies to achieve this purpose. Comment on the effectiveness of the 4writer’s tone in achieving his purpose. Example: In the extract, ‘The Signs Tell More Than They Say’, the writer focuses on the various hidden messages in things that happen around us and the importance of being able to recognise the messages. His purpose is to evangelise the people and get them to accept that there are alternative beliefs that, if accepted, can save humanity. To achieve this purpose he uses a number of language techniques together with various organisational strategies as seen throughout the piece. His rather sardonic and yet empathetic tone also helps to facilitate his purpose. Formulate a thesis statement – this does not need to be complex. 118 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES It can be as simple as: This essay seeks to discuss anecdotes, contrast and repetition as language techniques and listing a series of events, cause and effect and a continual forecast as organisational strategies as well as the writer’s tone in relation to how these contribute to the writer’s purpose. Another example: Language techniques such as anecdotes, contrast and repetition, used in conjunction with carefully thought-out organisational strategies, such as listing a series of events, cause and effect and a continual forecast, together with the writer’s tone, as evidenced in this extract, help to ensure that the audience understands the purpose, follows the line of argument and will ultimately concede to the writer’s desires. Remember Body This is where you expand on the ideas in your thesis statement. Use the N-I-E principle. You will need to explain how the language techniques, organisational Name strategies and tone that you have identified helps the audience to Illustrate understand, follow and accept the writer’s purpose. Explain Remember what was stated earlier – you must name, illustrate and explain. You will already have named the techniques and strategies and identified the tone in your thesis or general introductory statement but you will need to name each in turn as you discuss it. Example: The writer’s use of anecdotes was useful in helping the reader not only to understand how meanings can be obscured through daily happenings but also how these meanings may be deciphered. Go on to illustrate and explain the use of the technique or strategy as described on page 116. Do this for each one. Remember to discuss each technique or strategy separately. You may choose to discuss the language techniques together in one paragraph. If you do this, it must still be properly organised. This means you discuss one technique before moving on to the next and you use transitional devices appropriately. Do not discuss techniques and strategies in the same paragraph. Bear in mind your purpose for this essay – to show how the writer uses the three elements – language techniques, organisational strategies and tone, in this instance – to achieve his purpose – in this case, evangelising his audience. Conclusion You are now at the end of your essay. You have said all you need to say and now you must sum up the essence of what you said. One way to conclude: Restate the main idea of your essay or thesis statement – that language techniques, organisational strategies and tone are all essential elements in the writer’s quest to achieve a particular purpose. Summarise the sub-points – that he used a number of techniques and strategies, including … which helped to … Make a statement to indicate whether the writer’s purpose was achieved. Link this to everything you discussed.  TECHNIQUES FOR PAPER 2 119 An alternative way to conclude: Make a general statement about how the writer’s use of language techniques, organisational strategies and tone works. Indicate whether the writer’s use of the various strategies, techniques and tone were effective. General pointers Do not organise your essay based on the paragraphs of the piece. In other words, do not discuss all the techniques and strategies that the writer uses in the first paragraph of the extract and then all the techniques and strategies that the writer uses in the second paragraph, etc. Do discuss how one technique or strategy is used throughout the extract in each of your body paragraphs. If you are not told how many techniques/strategies to discuss, aim to discuss about three. State what you are going to discuss in the introduction. For example, ‘Three language techniques used in the extract are rhetorical questions, historical data and reference to authority.’ Then, in the body of your essay, discuss each of these in relation to how and why the writer uses them. Do not define the techniques or strategies. For example, you are not required to say what tautology is; you do need to provide examples and an explanation of its use. Remember you have a word limit. Ensure you answer what is required by the question and keep within the word limit. You may not be penalised for a going a little over the word limit, but if you exceed the word limit by more than 5–10% you may lose some of the marks allocated to organisation. Bear in mind that you are writing an essay. Do not use headings, letters, numbers or bullets to section your response. Remember to use transitional devices. Worked examples Read the extract below carefully then answer the question that follows. Dr Watson, I Presume? Everyone has heard of the famous Doctor Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame, but what about Watson, the world’s greatest artificial intelligence (AI) doctor? Created by computing giant IBM, an AI system called Watson recently saved a Japanese woman’s life. Her doctors were stumped by her form of cancer. She wasn’t recovering quickly enough from their treatment, so they decided to enlist Watson in their fight to save their patient. According to The Japan Times, Watson took just ten minutes to find a different treatment plan for the woman that would have taken the doctors two weeks to complete. With cancer, fast treatment is vital. With such amazing results, will Watson take over from human doctors soon? Watson thinks faster than any human doctor. Doctors rely on years of training and their own impressive, but limited, memory capacity. If like the Japanese cancer patient, you have a rare form of cancer, the doctor may spend lots of time researching and refreshing their memory on your 120 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES unusual condition. Watson, however, can immediately access tens of thousands of studies, as well as medical records from hospitals all over the world. It can also pinpoint things related to a patient’s specific biology. For example, if a person has genetic mutations, or changes, that affect their health, Watson can quickly compare the world’s existing knowledge against that patient’s needs. It is an incredibly specific tool, tailoring its diagnosis much more efficiently than any doctor. Most experts say that, although Watson is very impressive, they believe that the flesh and blood doctor shouldn’t worry just yet. Patients like the human contact of another human being. Watson cannot, for instance, do a physical examination. As artificial intelligence, Watson cannot express empathy or understand the behavioural cues of patients. Artificial intelligence systems like Watson are very good at mathematical equations and mining data. Unfortunately, they have a harder time clueing into the intentions of the patient, determining whether or not a patient is lying and anticipating how a patient will react to bad news. Imagine Watson trying to console a patient who’s just been told they have a terminal, or life-ending, disease? Most experts agree that for these reasons, doctors are not being sidelined any time soon. Those medical professionals who are already using Watson say it provides the perfect marriage between man and machine. Doctors who use Watson believe that it is a wonderful tool to help them become more efficient in their jobs, and it reduces the cost of healthcare in the process. Fortune magazine spoke recently to doctors using Watson for oncology, or cancer, care at some of the world’s leading hospitals, such as Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City. In these hospitals, doctors work with Watson, feeding it all the information they know about a patient. Watson then lists all the potential treatments for that patient. At the end of the process, the doctor makes the final decision on what treatment path to take, in consultation with the patient. With so much potential to save lives, Watson is an exciting development in the world of medical technology. Though it is early days, Watson has already been improving lives not just in the world’s major cities, but also in poor, rural areas where it can be difficult to get high-quality healthcare. Whether doctors like it or not, technology like Watson looks set to stay. Most doctors, like the rest of us, are trying to figure out and take advantage of a new relationship with computer systems that can enhance our jobs, and our lives. a. In about 30 words, outline the main idea of the article. b. Write an ESSAY of not more than 500 words in which you make reference to (i) the writer’s purpose (ii) the strategies and language techniques used (iii) the effectiveness of the strategies and language techniques identified in (ii) above in achieving the writer’s purpose. Total 25 marks  TECHNIQUES FOR PAPER 2 121 This is the student’s a. The main idea is that Watson, an AI system, is a This introduction is brief response to part (a). Note and effective. It tells us just the lead-in. Remember remarkable development in the world of medical enough about the passage that this is how you introduce the main idea. science, and is already proving to be beneficial to the and then indicates what will be discussed in the essay. It helps to show that you profession, saving precious lives. Always aim to have your are able to distinguish b. The extract, ‘Dr Watson, I Presume?’ brings an introduction give a synopsis the main idea from the purpose. interesting tool, the Watson AI, to our attention. The of the extract then a AI introduces a more dynamic approach to the medical general statement that captures the requirement As for indicating the main idea, there is standard profession and as the writer states, adds efficiency of the question – this wording for stating the and improves lives. The writer skilfully utilises various may serve as your thesis writer’s purpose: ‘the strategies and language techniques throughout the statement if you do not write one separately. writer’s purpose is to + verb’. Note that the extract in order to achieve his purpose. Here the student has student again used the The writer’s purpose is to inform the reader of this outlined the writer’s standard wording, further latest development in medical technology, the Watson AI, purpose. Although it demonstrating his ability is clearly outlined, it is to distinguish main idea and show its benefit to modern medicine and encourage presented by itself – as and purpose. its acceptance in medical practice. a paragraph.This may Remember to use In order to properly achieve this purpose, the writer well cost him a mark in skilfully employs the use of certain organisational organisation because at transitional words and this level it is expected that phrases to ensure that you strategies. One such is the use of evidence/reference a paragraph will be well create a cohesive unit. when the writer mentions the woman with a rare case developed and consist of With this transition, the of cancer and then states that ‘According to The more than one sentence. student creates a link To avoid this you can between the preceding Japan Times, Watson took just ten minutes … that combine the purpose with paragraph and this one would have taken the doctors two weeks …’. This another aspect of the and also points out that reference grabs the attention of the reader as we are question. the information outlined in this paragraph relates to already told of the amazing results that Watson is Note that the question says to write an essay in the writer’s purpose. capable of producing and helps us to right away form a which you make reference This is the topic sentence. positive impression of this artificial doctor. In addition to – therefore you do Remember to always write to that, the reference to The Japan Times makes the not necessarily need to separate the different parts. one. It introduces what writer’s information all the more credible. The writer Your response to each the paragraph is about. also employs the use of examples. By giving us several can be interwoven but in Think of the paragraph as examples of what Watson is capable of performing a clearly organised pattern that is easy to follow. a mini essay and organise it accordingly. in paragraph 2, the writer further emphasises his point that Dr Watson is very beneficial to the N-I-E – Name, Illustrate, You need to apply the medical profession thus effectively contributing to Explain. This is what the same principle (N-I-E) for all strategies. the purpose. student has done here. He has stated what the Here the student mentions In addition to these strategies, the writer also used strategy is (name), then that the writer provides certain language techniques. One such technique is provided an example from examples (name) then juxtaposition. The writer very skilfully places ‘Watson’ and the extract (illustrate) and then explained how points to paragraph 2. This is suggesting that the ordinary human doctors alongside each other in order to the strategy worked examiner should go to the show Watson’s superiority. The writer shows how quickly in relation to writer’s extract to see the example. and efficiently Watson performs as opposed to a human purpose (explain). This is a NO–NO. As the student, you need to doctor who is limited by his human capacity. Through the Topic sentence. take relevant examples use of juxtaposition here we are able to get a full sense of from the extract and Watson’s capabilities and make a value judgment on just Here the student did include them in your essay. how essential Watson is in this field, thus contributing not present a quote Transition. to the writer’s purpose. In addition, there is the use of as his illustration from rhetorical questions in the extract as exemplified by, the extract, instead he paraphrased based on ‘With such amazing results, will Watson take over from what is in the passage, human doctors soon?’ This forces the reader into deep which is quite acceptable. This paragraph illustrates thought, essentially drawing their attention. Even the the N-I-E principle title of the piece is stated in a rhetorical question – ‘Dr throughout. Watson, I presume?’ This question is posed to suggest that Watson’s capacity and capabilities are so valuable that one day soon he will be very commonplace and one  122 REVISION GUIDE TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES Transitional phrase. can expect to be seen by him when one goes for a regular This is the student’s This tells the reader that concluding paragraph. you are at the end of your doctor’s visit. No new ideas were discussion and this is the In the final analysis, in a world where high-quality introduced.The student made a statement relating culminating paragraph. healthcare is essential in order to save lives, Watson’s to the main idea of the contribution or rather, potential to save lives cannot be extract then indicated that emphasised enough. It is an excellent tool, displaying the the purpose was achieved and how. highest level of efficiency. In the extract, the writer fulfils Note, there is no set way his purpose of educating the public about the abilities of to write your conclusion. the AI machine. This was possible due to his effective use You just need to ensure of a combination of organisational strategies and language that you summarise your points and thesis without techniques to bring out his point. being repetitive. Contributed by: Shamar Wedderburn, Kingston College The Module 2 essay Exam Tip The Module 2 essay seeks not only to test your knowledge of the module Always read the question but how well you are able to apply the knowledge. first. For this module the exam question is based on an extract from a It gives you a sense of what narrative passage, a play or a poem. to look out for as you read The pieces selected generally use a mixture of Caribbean Creole and the extract. Caribbean Standard English. You are expected to read the piece and respond to the question given. General format The Module 2 question generally comes in two or three parts, but sometimes it may have four parts. You are to respond to all the parts in a single essay of no more than 500 words. The question focuses largely on the use of language and language varieties (Caribbean Creole and Caribbean Standard English). The other requirement of the question is generally one that relates to the use of technology. Note Use of language and language varieties To respond to this question you need to be able to comment on any or a This should be very familiar combination of the following: to you as you would have Attitudes to language. had practice completing How language use/choice reveals attitudes. similar tasks for your IA. How reaction to language use/choice reveals attitudes. Ways in which language is used. Social factors which influence language choice (e.g. location, occupation, education, status). Use of language in relation to social status. Motivation for choosing a particular language variety. Motivation for wanting to attain a particular variety. How choice of a language variety creates tension or conflict. Differences in language varieties used (phonology, syntax, vocabulary, etc.). Relationship between use of language and the context within which it is used. How context influences language choice. What is the relationship between the people involved? What was their motivation for their language choice?