writing skills   Introduction The following set of learning materials in writing skills will help the user to develop their formal writing skills. The materials focus on the language, organisation and conventions needed for formal writing contexts. All of the activities are linked with reflection and practice.   Top   Learning Objectives To increase the user's writing confidence To improve the user's ability to construct a good paragraph To review the issue of plagiarism and help the user learn ways of avoiding it To help the user learn how to distinguish fact from opinion and when to provide support for written statements To enable the user to recognise and use appropriate formal language for writing To help the user develop their skill in producing effective introductions and conclusions To provide the user with practice in the range of skills involved in revising their written work Top   Language Prerequisite This learning material is designed for users who have already demonstrated competence in their writing ability and who consider themselves to be intermediate to advanced level in this skill area.   Top   Table of Contents Improving your paragraphs with topic sentences   Outline - In these activities you will learn how to improve your paragraphs using topic sentences. You will explore the essential features of a topic sentence and practise composing your own. The order of points in a paragraph   Outline - This activity will help you to recognise useful devices that writers use to make the structure and idea relationships within their paragraphs clear to the readers. Using examples to support written statements   Outline - You will learn how to lend weight to your written claims by using examples to support them and practise supporting statements with examples that you have thought of yourself.. Expressing fact and opinion in writing   Outline - You will explore the difference between fact and opinion and consider when it is necessary to provide support for the statements you make in formal writing. Recognising the different functions of language   Outline - This activity will familiarise you with a range of useful language used for different functions and found in formal writing contexts. Finding out about plagiarism   Outline - In these activities you will be introduced to the problem of plagiarism. You will explore different forms of plagiarism and consider why it is wrong and how it is detected. Using paraphrase in your writing   Outline - You will consider how to paraphrase appropriately in formal writing and practise the skill yourself. The role of the introduction to a report or essay   Outline - You will consider the common elements that are found in the formal introductions of reports and essays and identify examples of these from the introduction to an economics report. Revising your written work   Outline - These activities provide practice in improving written work that is still in a draft form by making revisions at the level of content and organisation. Writing an effective conclusion   You will consider which elements are typically found in effective conclusions in reports and essays and practise writing one yourself. Top   Duration up to 7.5 hours for 10 Learning Objects Top