Writing
Lead in
Guess who he or she is.
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How to write a discussion about a great person? Take Mandela as an example.
Let me think about it!
Make a list of the personal qualities you think Mandela has shown in his life. Put them together to compare your lists with another group. This will make sure that you do not overlook an important aspect of Mandela’s life.
Then begin to organise your writing . Put your ideas into any order that seems sensible to yourselves and add the reasons or details to the ideas.
Before writing you can follow these steps:
Make sure that you give reasons for your opinions. If you are writing about Mandela’s qualities you can concentrate on two or three. If you are describing his life then you should group his life into periods: his studies, work for the ANC and its results, fight against anti-black laws, life in prison, after being released from Robben Island. Then you can either describe one period in your own words or describe the development in his life and ideas.
Once the writing is completed, swap it with a partner and improve each other’s work. Remember to check grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Then rewrite the passage.
We will make assessment on your work.
Look at the life of Nelson Mandela and find out what happened to him in 1999. In pairs discuss what qualities make Mandela a great man. Then you can begin organise your discussion.
July 18, 1918 near Transkei (South Africa)
Entered university but did not complete degree
Formed ANC Youth League
Set up law office to help poor black people in Johannesburg
law office closed by government because he attacked anti-black law
Government by and for white people set up in south Africa
Sentenced to five years hard labour for encouraged violence against anti-black laws
ANC began to blow up buildings.
Enjoy the sample discussion!
S1: What do you think of Nelson Mandela? Do you think he is a great man?
S2: Yes, I think so. After all, he fits our definition of a great man. He worked hard for a good cause. He also sacrificed twenty-seven years of his life when he went to prison.
S1: I’m not so sure. He was in favour of violence and that is not the behaviour of a great man, is it?
S2: True. However, he explained at his trial why he encouraged the ANC to become violent. He said that there was no other way for them to attack the unfair laws.
S1: Yes, I know. But it still worries me. Maybe he would say that so people would think well of him.
S2: Remember what happened to Elias when he left prison. He was not allowed to work by the government for twenty years. No! Mandela was right.
S1: OK. Maybe you’re right.
S2: Well, another thing is that he tried to bring the guards and the prisoners together
when he ran his school in prison. He encouraged the guards to take degrees too.
S1: Yes, that does sound good. Maybe I should find out what he did after he became President of South Africa. I’d like to know if he was as fair then to the white people.
S2: A good point. Actually he was. He really is a good man.
S1: If what you say is true, then I agree with you.
Suppose you are going to write a letter to the senior organizers of the Nobel Prize to persuade them to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Mother Teresa. Read the information given below.
Try to write a persuasion letter
Structure of such letters
Part 1:
A small paragraph
Reason for the letter
Part 2:
Part 3:
Body paragraphs
Personal information
Hard work achievements
Good qualities
Closing paragraph
Your opinion
reasons in detail
2. Find reasons to persuade somebody else to agree with your point of view.
3. After finish the letter, let’s share it by reading it out.
1. Write the letter in groups with the information in the form.
For example: A possible version
Was born in Yugoslavia, on August 27, 1910, a nurse
Help the poor and comforting the dying in the street of the city; her work spread to others part of India.
Hard-working, kind-hearted, persistent
A well-known person, give her the prize
Dear senior organizers,
I am writing to ask you to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Mother Teresa. Here are some reasons why I think she should be given the prize.
Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia, on August 27, 1910. When she was 20 years old, she went to India where she
Sample
began to be a teacher. After the training, she was sent to Calcutta, where she taught geography at a school and soon after she became headmistress.
However, although she loved teaching, in 1946 Mother Teresa left the school and trained to become a nurse in Patna, and then began her work helping the
poor and comforting the dying in the streets of the city. Slowly others came to help her, and her work spread to other parts of Indian. She became a well-known person. When she travels the world, she opens many new schools and hospitals in poor countries.
She is known for many great achievements, because of her hard work, kindness and persistence. I think she is really a great person in my eyes. We should give her the Nobel Peace Prize.
Read a passage about a great person or write a short passage about a great person in your hometown.
Homework