Читать книгу Writing: B2+ - Els Geyte Van - Страница 15

In an introduction you would normally:

1 give a description or explanation of the situation or problem (more general)

2 say why this situation or problem (or a more specific aspect of it) is important

3 say what your aim is, what your position on the situation or problem is, and what the organization of your essay will be.

The main function of the introduction is to show your reader you have understood the question and to indicate that you will be discussing it fully. You do not have to go into detail yet.

It is difficult to say how long an introduction should be, but as you won’t be starting to discuss anything in any detail yet, it won’t be long. It is likely to be less than 10 per cent of the word count.

Until you have finished your research, you might not be sure exactly what the structure of your essay will be, so it is a good idea to write your introduction last.

Exercise 2

Look at these two introductions of 1,000-word essays. Look at the three things you would normally include in an introduction above and then think about how you would improve the introductions.

‘It would be better not to let pupils use calculators at all in their maths lessons.’ Discuss.

Introduction A

It may be a good idea not to let students use calculators in maths classes, but there are also reasons why they can be helpful. This essay will first address the role calculators play by considering their benefits, as well as possible drawbacks. Then I shall present a simple argument for the use of calculators by examining the fundamental purpose of an educational system before concluding that we should not reject the use of calculators in a learning environment.

Introduction B

Calculators are useful pieces of equipment and are very popular in mathematical learning. However, some of their functions have raised concerns with maths teachers about the harmful effects on the students’ ability to improve their learning. This is why the idea of forbidding the use of calculators is being discussed. I think this opinion is too extreme and limited.