In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry.
The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of limiting internet access. The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 134 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).
Based on the rubric, the newspaper The City Times reports that a public school official (Mr. Harding) has announced that access to certain kinds of websites that are inappropriate for children will be denied to students on all computers in schools after internet blocking devices will be installed. Although it is expected that some students will complain about this restriction, many more will see the benefit.
Candidates are asked to write a letter to the school official giving and justifying their opinion with regard to this announcement.
The letter should begin with "Dear Mr. Harding".
If you haven't already done so, read this post B2 Writing: The Basics.
Dear Mr. Harding,
Having
read an article in The City Times about your decision to block certain
websites on school computers, as a 15-year-old student I would like to express
my opinion on the issue. It is my firm belief that you are entirely right in
making such a decision.
To
begin with, the internet is a useful tool for students, but dangers lurk and
students are not always aware of this. It is usually the case that teens
browsing the net find pages by accident whose content is unsuitable for their
age. This usually happens when, for instance, they see advertisements linked to
adult sites on a page which is entirely unrelated to this, such as a sports
page or a news agency website. They may have logged on to read the news or see
the latest match scores, but find themselves tempted to click on an
inappropriate site.
Undoubtedly,
many students will say that the internet is protected by freedom of speech and
freedom of the press laws, so it is against these laws to censor websites or
prevent pupils from accessing any web page they wish. Despite the fact that
there is some truth to this, school computers are not a student’s property and
so it is not up to them to regulate what is permitted and what is not. School
computers need to be used for school work and the advancement of knowledge, so
anything that might be detrimental to both should be prohibited.
All
things considered, although blocking certain websites may seem like a
limitation of freedom, students must realize that it is the school’s right to
place restrictions on its own equipment. Anyone who disagrees with this can log
onto their home computer after school and click on any link their heart
desires.
Yours sincerely,
Mary
Black
For more sample letters or essays, click on the image below.
