SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE
SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE TOPIC: COMPOSITION
SUB-TOPIC: Composition Writing
LESSON #: 2 TEACHER: Anthony Simukonde Introduction
A composition can be roughly defined as a piece of writing about a particular
Prefix subject or issue. Writing good compositions is very important in English Language in the sense that it allows the learner to be able to express what is in his or her mind regarding a particular issue. It is also essential for learners when it comes to English Language examinations.
In English Language, compositions or essays happen to be one of the most important aspects of the subject. A typical English Language examination paper is made up of three parts, namely the Comprehension, Grammar, and the Composition or Essay. It therefore goes without saying that before one can pass an English Language paper very well, they must be well-versed in writing compositions or essays.
Parts of a composition
A typical English Language composition is made up of four major parts, namely the heading, the introduction, the body and the conclusion.
The Heading (Title)
The Heading or the Title is obviously the first part of a composition or an essay. About 99 percent of compositions require headings. A heading is basically the title that you write at the beginning of your composition. Your heading can either be written in block letters or in initial capitals (this is where you make each word of the heading start with a capital letter). When choosing a heading or title for your composition, make sure that the heading that you write utterly relates to the content of your essay. And also, try keeping your headings short and catchy. The latter is not that important when it comes to English Language compositions for examination purposes, but still you should try to make it catch the reader’s interest. A good heading can range from just two words to more than two words. It is never advisable to write very long headings that end up looking like complex sentences.
After the heading, the next thing that we do is to move into the territory of the introduction of our essay. The introduction or the introductory paragraph is a very relevant aspect of your essay because of the fact that it states the main idea of your composition. It basically lets your reader know what your composition is § going to be about. It is for this reason that many experts say that your introduction § should be good enough to arouse the interest of your reader and make the reader ‘fall in love’ with it so much § that they continue reading. If your introduction fails to catch the interest of the reader, then you have not done § a great job with it.
Your introduction or introductory paragraph should have the following important features:
Should be interesting enough to grab your reader’s interest
Should prepare your reader(s) for what is to follow
Should be able to let your reader know what the subject or topic of the composition is going to be about
Should be concise
You can also decide to define in your
introduction one or more of the keywords or key terms that the composition is all about. For example, if you are writing an essay on ‘The Impact of Climate Change’, it Krypton will be a good idea that you take a moment to define what ‘Climate Change’ is all about in your introductory paragraph. This helps your readers get to know what ‘Climate Change’ actually is in the first
§
place.
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In an English Language § examination, when you give insufficient, your composition carbon § monoxide a very will good introduction, you § stand a better chance of scoring good marks.
The Body
§
After the introduction, we make a
§ smooth transition into the body of the essay or composition. We may also call the body of the composition § the ‘main content’ because this is where you are going to state the main points of your essay. For instance, § consider writing an essay on ‘Early Marriages in Rural Areas’, obviously, you § are going to come up with a number of points that discuss in detail this § subject. It is always advisable to state and develop as many points as you can. § Never settle for less.
In writing and developing your points, you should remember to always make sure that each point (or closely related ideas) you bring out and develop is/are contained within a single paragraph. In essence, if you come up with five points, then you are expected to come up with, at best, five paragraphs, unless or otherwise.
You should remember that the body is where the majority of your marks lie. The body is basically the heart of your essay or composition. It is therefore
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imperative that you make sure that you thoroughly plan and make a draft (rough work) of the things that you are going to be discussing before you transfer the draft into the main work. When you plan your essay and jot down the points you are going to discuss in your draft, you will have a lot of points to talk about. If you do not prepare a draft and jot down your points, when writing the real essay, you are likely going to forget some very important points. It is always better to plan your essay and write your points in your draft before transferring them into the real composition. If you do this, you will always have an edge over one who thinks and writes into the real
c
composition at the same time. The latter is bound to forget some points. Example 2
The Conclusion
The conclusion is the last but not least part of a good composition. As the name suggests, the conclusion is where you are going to conclude. This is basically the ending of your composition. The conclusion should be in a paragraph of its own. It should be a simple summary or a ‘highlight’ of the main points of your composition. Your be conclusion produced instead does of carbon not necessarily di have to be complex or extraordinary. The conclusion performs two functions:
• It provides a beautiful
PUZZLE way 37 to end your composition by not bringing P
the composition to an abrupt halt L A Example • 3
A
It summarizes (or highlights) all your main points in the body I of your essay D
3 of 4
Although the conclusion is simple and can be achieved in a couple of senC
tences, it is a very vital aspect of your
O
essay which you should not take for
S
granted.
T After you are finished with writing your
L
C
I
T
E
O composition, it is extremely important that you take a moment to read over what you have written. No matter how careful you might have been in writing your essay, when you read over it you are bound to find some mistakes such as grammar errors, spelling errors, wrong use of punctuation marks, omitted words and so forth. These mistakes can go a long way in denting the beauty of your composition and making you lose vital marks if they are not corrected. This is a very important thing to do. This is called proofreading.
Example 4
Before I end this lesson, I would like to draw your attention to some more important tips that you should have at the back of your mind whenever you are writing a composition.
Points to Remember
In writing your composition, you must take note PUZZLE of the 38 following:
2 PUZZLE 38 3 4 5
Keep your sentences short
2 6 3 4 5
and simple so that your readers can 6 easily understand you
8
Page Your 4 of writing 4 should be sharp,
8
vivid and clear
Page 4 of 4
9 10
Use a variety of sentence
9 10
structures
13 14
Avoid the use of ‘big’ words
16 17 18 13 14
16 and 17 complex 18 20 expressions; your readers 20 and the examiners do not get impressed by such words DOWN or expressions unless or 1 otherwise Center
DOWN
2 Three sided shape
1 Center
3 Exit
Never use 2 Three a word sided shape that you do
4 Every one
3 Exit not thoroughly 5 Small mechanical understand
4 Every one tablets
5 Small mechanical
6 Thick dark syrup
If you are tablets not sure of the spell
10 Embedded design ing of a 6 word, Thick dark it syrup is advisable
11 Not enclosed
10 Embedded design to look for 12 Utilize another
11 Not enclosed word or
14 Missing in action phrase that 12 Utilize means the same
(abv)
14 Missing in action
as the word 16 L
(abv) you are not sure
17 This __ a cup
of (a synonym) 16 L
17 This __ a cup
Do not use slang or colloquial
SOLUTION E A expressions; D B if A you N use G an in
formal word then make sure
M B L O
that you put it in inverted com
B O mas R D E R L
E D E L
Employ the appropriate use of
R E O D D L Y
as many idioms and phrasal verbs F as you possibly E can
R T I F Y T
If you will ‘religiously’ follow and make use of H the above E discussion A T on E composition U writing, N R you A are V better E L placed to score high marks in the final exam
U G H T E R M
ination.