Today, we will rewrite our essay and try to get a better score. First
let's get some advice on how to make it better.
Spend some time looking at the feedback analysis window on Criterion
from your last essay. It looks like this:
Redundancy:
Most people did well in grammar. However the
'criterion'
software noticed that many people used the same word many times within
their essay. This is called '
redundancy'
and is a bad thing in English writing.
The reason is that it may confuse the reader. They will wonder
why you are
giving more information
than you need to. They may think that you are talking about
a new thing and not the thing you
were talking about before.
Another reason is that this is how texts are
connected in English. The reader
expects your writing to be
connected.
A third reason is called
'elegant variation'. It somehow sounds more
beautiful, or elegant if you
vary
your language.
Of course, when speaking, redundancy is not so much of a
problem, but when writing an essay try to avoid using the same word for
the same thing. You need to be
creative.
Using a pronoun ( he, she, it, they...), or a substitute word or
phrase ( one, someone who ( v ), etc ) is the easiest way. but
you can also use a more general term, or specific example. ( see below )
Use a specific example, or a more general term:
Bird flu virus was found at a farm
in northern Kyoto. The illness
is not dangerous to humans, but has many people worried.
Use pronouns (like
'them')
or substitute words (like
'one'):
Cellphones are very popular in Japan. Almost every
adult has one. Most students also own one of these devices. My students put them in
their school bags during class, but then take them out at lunchtime to check
for email.
Using a dictionary for this can be
dangerous. Stick to
easy words and think of a phrase
that says nearly the
same thing! Look at my example of different ways to say
'teacher' and
'student'.
Teacher
instructor
someone who teaches
educator
adviser
someone teaching as a profession
someone helping people to learn something
Student
learner
someone who studies
pupil
someone learning something
someone studying a subject
someone taking a class
The next essay will be about
leaders
and
members.
You must compare
being a leader
of something with
being just a
member of something. Before you come to class, please download
the sheet
here and think of different ways
to say these things. Please bring this sheet to class.
Now, read my natto essay
again. I have changed some of the words to avoid using the same ones
twice.
Green =
Words that refer to 'Natto'
Red = Words
that refer to " a person who ate Natto "
Natto
I really hate
Natto.
First of all,
these fermented
soy
beans smell terrible. The first time I smelled
it, I
thought
it
was a stinky foot. Even now if I catch a whiff of
it, I think
something
must be rotten like spoiled meat
or a dead animal.
Secondly,
the stuff
looks
terrible.
It is
slimy and sticky when you
stir
it
up, seeming something
like moldy leftovers that have
been in
the back of the refrigerator at a single man's apartment for over a
year. Although
it
is considered a delicacy,
It certainly
does not
look like
something
safe to put in your mouth!
Finally,
the
food is
very
messy.
It is stringy
and sticks to everything it
touches. For this reason
it usually
spills on the floor or leaves a hard-to-clean residue on the fingers
and face of
the
person who eats
it.
The
individual then goes around all day with
the substance
on his or her hands
and mouth
and gives off a terrible odor.
People around the unknowing
culprit,
like their family, get
angry because of the smell.
For these reasons, I believe
Natto
is the worst
food
on the planet
earth and
should be banned from stores and made illegal to produce.
Note:
Criterion has a problem. It would now tell me that I have used 'it'
redundantly. Let's just ignore this!