How to write a paragraph in english for gifted students at nguyen chich secondary school

INDEXT
TITTLE
PAGE
A. Introduction
2
I. Rationale
2
II. Practical basis
2
III. Resrearch subjects and time
2
IV. Research purposes
2
V. Research methods
3
B. Contents
3
I. How to write a paragraph
3
II. Some things to remember when writing a paragraph
4
III. Some types of writing a paragraph
4
IV. The solution
16
V. The results
17
C. Conclusions and recommendations
18
I. The conclusions
18
II. The recommendations
18
D. References
20
E. Danh mục các SKKN đã được Hội đồng sáng kiến kinh nghiệm Ngành GD & ĐT huyện, tỉnh và các cấp cao hơn xếp loại từ C trở lên
21
A. INTRODUCTION
I. RATIONALE
In the context of deeper integration, English has become an essential tool to bring successfully in business, education and life. We know that English plays an important role in our life. And I think that improving the quality of teaching English at school is very important. Thus, every English teacher has to innovate teaching method. We have to improve the quality of English teaching and learning in schools. It is the task of English teachers. 
Viet Nam education is trying to innovate the teaching methods in secondary schools and high schools. Innovating teching methods has to associate with the fact, in line with the student audience in order to promote the positiveness and possibilities of the students. Every year, there are a lot of workshops on new teaching methods to provide the best academic performance for students. And there are also a lot of workshops on improving the quality of English teaching in secondary school and high schools.
II. PRACTICAL BASIS	
	English is a difficult subject. Learning English requires the time, perseverance of learners and specially the ability to apply in practice. English Learners must have the right attitude and identify the purpose of learning English clearly. 
	When students begin learning English, they must learn four four skills: Listening, speaking, reading and writing. These are important skills that teachers need to help students practice better and better. In my opinion, writing is a difficult skill for junior high school students, especially writing a paragraph. When I teach students to take exams for gifted students at Nguyen Chich Secondary School, I realize that students are very afraid to write a paragraph in English. Because they do not know how to write an outline. Especially they do not know how to write a paragraph with different types of paragraphs. So I choose the topic "HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH IN ENGLISH FOR GIFTED STUDENTS AT NGUYEN CHICH SECONDARY SCHOOL" to help students to write a paragraph more effectively.
III. RESREARCH SUBJECTS AND TIME
	- Gifted Students in grade 9 at Nguyen Chich Secondary School. 
	- Time: 11/2017-11/2018
IV. RESEARCH PERPOSES.
	- Help students learn how to write some kinds of paragraphs.
	- Help students learn how to use conjunctions and structures.
	- Teach students to think independently.
	- Help students enjoy the subject and achieve high results when when taking exams for gifted students .
	- Helps teachers achieve better results when teaching good students.
V. RESEARCH METHODS.
	- Based on the characteristics of English subjects, according to the method of teaching secondary education.
	- Check students to find out the current state of writing a paragraph.
	- Apply different writing styles.
B. CONTENT
I. HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH.
	When writing a Paragraph in English, it must include the full three parts: The topic sentence; The supporting sentences and The concluding sentence. 
1. The topic sentence
	- It is the first sentence of the paragraph and also the most important sentence in the paragraph.
	- The topic sentence briefly describes what the paragraph is about.
	- The topic sentence must contain the controlling idea of the paragraph. Here are phrases used to express the controlling idea: 
	+ Three main types.	+ Three groups
	+ The following + Noun.	+ Several problems.
	+ Several ways.	+ Two aims.
	+ Results	+ Several reasons.
	+ These disadvantages	+ These disadvantages.
.	+ Three main causes	+ Three characteristics.
	+ Three effects	+ Three kinds
2. The supporting sentences 
	- Give the main ideas to explain, prove the topic sentence.
	- This section usually includes 3 supporting sentences . The conjunctions is usually used to link the main ideas in the supporting sentences:
	+ Firstly,	Secondly,	Lastly,
	+ In the first place,	Also,	Lastly,
	+ Generally,	Furthermore,	Finally, 
	+ To be sure,	Additionally,	Lastly,
	+ In the first place,	Just in the same way,	Finally, 
	+ Basically,	Similarly,	As well,	
	- In each supporting sentences , we write from two to four sentences called " The supporting details". The conjunctions is usually used to link the sentences in "the supporting details":
	+ Consequently	+ It is evident that
	+ It is apparent that	+ It goes without saying that	
+ Without a doubt	+ Needless to say
	+ Furthermore	+ Additionally
	+ In addition	+ Moreover
	+ In the same way	+ More importantly/remarkably
	+ In other words	+ Specifically
3. The concluding sentence 
	- It is the last sentence. Recalling the main idea stated in the topic sentence in a different way or drawing conclusions based on previous arguments.
	- The conjunctions is usually used to end a paragraph: 
	+ Indeed	+ In conclusion	+ In short
II. SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN WRITING A PARAGRAPH
1. Don’t use contractions
2. Do not go down the line for a paragraph.
3. The paper must contain the full three sections as stated above. Do not write too long or too short.
4. Do not use "YOU" in a paragraph.
5. Do not use "extreme words". 
6. Always repeat the" KEY WORDS" in points.
7. Use "linking words" correctly and clearly.
8. Use "ACTIVE VOICE" instead of "PASSIVE VOICE"
III. SOME TYPES OF WRITING A PARAGRAPH
1. Type 1: Describing people:
a. Introduction: Who the person is/ When and how you first met or saw him/her.
b. Main body:
	- Physical appearance: height/build, age, facial features, hair, clothing. (From the most general aspects to the most specific detail)
	Eg: Bill, who is in his early twenties, is quite tall and well-built, with thick black hair and piercing blue eyes. He is usually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.
	- Personality/ behavior (with justification/examples): give examples of manner and mannerism.
	Eg: Mark is rather unsociable, usually sitting silently in a corner abserving others from a distance
	- Life/ lifestyle/beliefs: talk about the person's habits, interests, profession, daily routine, opinion, etc
	Eg: Being both a university student and a part-time assistant in a supermarket, Tom has little free time to go out in the evenings.
c. Conclusion:
	- Comments/ feelings about person
	* Tips: If the instruction for the writing task ask you to describe someone related to the present, you will describe the person using Present tenses eg: " Describe a person who is unusual..."
	If you are asked to describe somebody related to the past. Somebody who is no longer alive or somebody you met some time ago, you will describe the person using Past simple tenses.
	* Linking words and Structures: Writing which contains a series of short sentences or the same simple linking words(such as"and") soon becomes boring and repetitive. To avoid this, you should use a wide range of linking words and structures:
	- with: She is tall and striking, with long blonde hair
	- Relative Clauses: who/which/whose
Eg: My neighbour, who is slightly eccentric, has dozens of filthy cats
Eg: He is a scruffy child whose clothes are torn and dirty.
Eg: He has a broken nose, which makes hims look like a boxer.
	- Result: so/such (a)...(that)
Eg: She is so beautiful that she looks like a film star.
	- Addition: in addition to, as well as/ besides, moreover, furthermore, not only... but also...,etc.
Eg: He is very tall, in addition to being very thin.
Eg: My grandmother has deep wrinkles, as well as thin grey hair.
Eg: He is not only artistic, but also a successful businessman.
	- Contrast: 	+ but/yet/However/Nonetheless/Even so + Clause
	+ Although/(Even) though/ While + Clause
	+ In spite of/ Despite + -ing form/noun/the fact that
Eg: He is temperamental, but/yet he is a loyal friend.
Eg: He looks as through he's an old man. However, he is only 35.
Eg: Although he has a huge, powerful body, he's a very gentle person.
Eg: In spite of being very busy, she always has time for her children.
	- Linking cause and effect: 
	+ Because/as/since	
	+owing to/due to
	+ As a result/consequence of	
	+ A/the result of / as a result,...
	+so/ therefore/for this reason
	+ The reason(that/why) 
Eg: She is popular because she is open and friendly.
Eg: She is popular due to being/due to the fact that she is open and friendly.
Eg: A result of her being open is that she is popular.
Eg: She is open and friendly, so she is popular.
Eg: She is open and friendly, therefore she is popular.
Eg: The reason she is popular is that she is open and friendly
	* Impressions, Opinions and Reactions: 
	+ I think/feel/etc (that)	
	+ It seems to me that 	
	+ To me/To my mind
	+ As far as I'm concerned	
	+ In my opinion/view/eyes
	+ Sb seems/ appear to be...
	+ Sb stribes people/comes across as (being)...
	+ Sb gives the impression of being.../ the impression that...
	* Compoud Adjectives: Compound adjectives are formed with
	+ Present participles: a hard-working student
	+ Past participles: an open-hearted young man
	* Example: 	Topic: A Close Friend
	Jacques has been my close friend for two years. I first met him on a school exchange trip to Calais, France. I asked him the way to the library and we started talking. We've been friends ever since. Jacques is quite good-looking. He's tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark hair. Like many French people, he has a great sense of style, so he always looks well-dressed even in casual clothes. Jacques is very outgoing. He is always friendly and loves to have fun. He's got a fantastic sense of humour and he always makes me laugh. However, he can be a bit immature at times. For example, when he doesn't get what he wants, he acts childishly and stamps his feet. Jacques is very keen on water sports. He likes sailing and he spends a lot of time on his boat. He enjoys scuba diving, too, and loves exploring life under sea. All in all, I'm glad to have Hacques as my friend. It's a pleasure to be with him and I really enhoy his company. I'm sure we'll always be close friends.
2. Type 2. Descibing places/ Buildings
a. Introduction: name/ location/ population of the place, reason for choosing the place.
	- Factual information such as age, size, colour, material, etc.
Eg: The temple, with 10-meter tall marble columns, was built in 800BC
	- Details relating to the senses ( sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) to suggest mood and atmosphere
Eg: Visitors' footsteps on the wom stone floors echo through the cool, dark corridors, disturbing the tranquil silence
b. Main body: general features and particular details 
	- Place: surroundings, sights, facilities, free-time activities
	- Building: surroundings, detailed description of exterior/ interior.
d. Conclusion: Comments/ feelings or a recommendation
* Notice:
	- Each aspect of the description should be presented in a separate paragraph beginning with a clear topic sentence.
	- Present tenses are normal used when describing a place for a tourist brochure or a magazine article.
	- Past tenses are normal used when describing a visit to a place/building.
	- First and second conditionals(will/would) can be used when you describe your ideal city/house,etc
	- When we give factual information about a place or building this is normally given using Present tenses
	Eg: I flew to Madrid last Monday. Madrid is situated in the central point of the Iberian peninsula with a population of about 3,000,000.
* Expressing Impression & Reactions
	- You can express positive impressions of a place by:
+ Using a variety of adjectives such as: breathtaking, delightedful, eyecatching, outstanding, picturesque, etc.
+ Using a variety of present or past participle from such verbs as: astound, amaze, astonish, impress, refresh,etc.
	Eg: I was/felt astounded at how beautiful Florida is in winter.
+ Using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my amazement/ astonishment/ delight/ surprise/etc.
	Eg: To my delight, the place had kept its character.
	- You can express negative impressions of a place by:
+ Using a variety of adjectives such as: disreputable, inhospitable, neglected
+ Using a variety of present or past participles from such verbs as: disappoint, shock,etc.
	Eg: the disappointing view of the unsightly housing.
+ Using a variety of nouns in expressions such as: to my disappointment/ surprise/etc.
* Making comparisons: To compare places or building you can use: 
+ (just/nearly) as ... (positive degree) ... as
	Eg: In those days the main streets were just as congested as they are today
+ The same as
	Eg: The cottage was the same as it had been fifty years before.
+ (relatively/considerably) less ... (positive degree) ... than
	Eg: The new buildings are considerably less ornate than the old ones.
+ (much/far/considerably) more + adjective/ adverbs + than
	Eg: The northern area is more picturesque than the eastern area.
+ (by far) the most + adjective
	Eg: Hill Manor is by far the most elegant hotel in the region.
+ comparative + and + comparative
	Eg: The streets are becoming dirtier and dirtier.
+ the comparative ..., the + comparative
	Eg: The further south you travel, the warmer it becomes. 
* Example: 	Topic: Describe your school
	My school is in the country. It is not big but it is lovely and beautiful. There are fiften rooms in my school. It has a libray. There are hundreds of books and newpapres in the library. I and my friends usually go there to borrow books. There is a big yard in my school. We usually play games and sports like playing soccer, playing marbles, skipping ropes at recess. There are many trees in the years. Some students sit under trees to study or listen to musuc. The teachers of my school are from different places. Some lives near the school and some live far from the school. They are all very clever and hard-working. All the students love them. I love my school very much because it is very beautiful and our teachers are friendly and outgoing.
3. Type 3. Describing festivals/ events/ ceremonies:
1. Introduction: Set the scene ( name,time/date, place of event, reason(s) for celebrating)
2. Main body: Preparations( decorations, rehearse,etc.). Description of actual event (costumes, food, atmosphere, activities,etc.)
3. Conclusion: feelings, comments, thoughts
* Notice: When you describe annual events( a celebration/festival which takes place every year), present tenses are used and the style is formal. However, when giving a personal account of an event which you witnessed or took part in, past tenses are used and the style may be less formal. The passive is frequently used to describe preparations/ activities which take place.
* Example: 	Topic: The Mid - Fall festival
	The Mid-Fall Festival is a wonderful, traditional and ancient festival in Vietnam. The festival is held on the fifteenth of August (according to Lunar Month). In this festival, the children usually go/ parade on the streets and sing the famous songs about The Mid-Fall Festival and other songs for children. They also carry/bring colorful lanterns of different sizes. They also wear the masks with famous characters in children’s films and books, especially comic books. Besides, Dances are also traditional so people usually perform the dances like the Dragon dance and Lion dance. Furthermore, in the Mid-Fall Festival, people always make or buy the traditional cake called Banh Trung Thu or Moon Cake. Almost children like eating Moon cake very much. In this festival, adults usually help the children make the lanterns and teach them about the history and culture of Vietnam. Children in Vietnam like The Mid-Fall Festival very much because It has many interesting activities, the Moon cake is delicious and they know more about the history and culture of Vietnam.
4. Type 4. Narratives:
1. Introduction: Set the scene (Who/what/when/where)
	Sets the scene (place, time, character(s), etc.), creates an intersting mood/ atmosphere to make the reader want to continue reading, and/or begins dramatically to capture the reader's attention.
2. Main body: Develope the story (Describe incidents leading up to the main events and the event itself in detail. Describe people/ place/ emotions/ actions/etc)
3. Conclusion: End the story(complete the plot; describe feelings/ reactions; explain the conspuences)
* Notice:
	- Before writing, you must first think of a suitable story outline, the you should decide on a detail plot, including how the story will begin, who the characters will be, where the story will happen, the events in the order you will present them, and how the story will end.
	- Narratives are normally set in the past, and therefore use a variety of past tenses.For example, Past Continuous is often used to set the scene (eg: The wind was howling...); Past simple is used for the main events(eg: He entered the room, looked around, and...); Past perfect is used to describe an event before the main events(eg: She had set out in the morning, full of hope, but now she felt...)
	- The sequence of events is important: before, after, then, in the evening, later, in the end, until, while, during, finally, etc.
* Techniques for beginning or ending stories:
- You can start your story by:
	+ Describing the weather, place, people, etc, using senses
	+ Using direct speech
	+ Asking a rhetorical question
	+ Creating mystery or suspense
	+ Referring to feelings or moods
	+ Addressing the reader directly
- You can end your story by:
	+ Using direct speech
	+ Referring to feelings or moods
	+ Describing people's reactions to the events developed in the main body.
	+ Creating mystery or suspense
* Past tenses and time words: Past habits are not described using Past Continuous. In stead, use Past Simple, "used to" or "would", with an appropriate adverb of frequency.
* Example: 	Topic: Tell about your last birthday party
	Last Saturday, it was my 14th birthday. My parents helped me to hold a party at home. They bought a ot of candies and fruits and of course, my mother bought a beautiful birthday cake with fourteen candies on it for me. I invited a lot of friends and we had a lot of fun. The party began at 7.00 p.m. For the opening of the party, I made a short speech and then I blew out (thổi tắt) the candles. My friends and my family sang the “Happy Birthday” song. They were clapping their hands happily when I blew out the candles. My friends gave some gifts. They are beautiful and meaningful. I loved them very much. We also sang some beautiful songs while we were eating. The party ended at 9.00 p.m. I felt very happy because we had a wonderful time together.
5. Type 5. For and against paragraphs:
	Present both sides of an issue, discussing points in favour of a particular topic as well as those against or the advantages and disadvantages of a particular question. Each point should be supported by justifications, examples, and/or reasons. The writer's own opinion should be presented only in the final paragraph.
* Useful expressions and linking words/phrases:
	- To list points: 
	+ Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To begin/start with
	+ Secondly, Thirdly, ..., Finally
	- To list advantages:
	+ One/Another/A further/ An additional(major) advantage of ... is ...
	+ The main/greatest/first advantage of ... is ...
	- To list disadvantages:
	+ One/Another/A further/ An additional(major) disadvantage/drawback of ... 
	+ The main/greatest/most serious