Guide to spelling, punctuation and grammar

E
XAMPLE
2
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Consider this assignment:
‘Many American and British movies are too violent. Censorship
controls should be strengthened in an attempt to decrease the level
of violence represented in contemporary films.’ Discuss this
question using specific examples from contemporary cinema films.
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H
OW TO WRITE ESSAYS

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The key words and phrases that would need to be underlined are:
‘American and British movies’, ‘too violent’, ‘censorship controls’,
‘strengthened’, ‘decrease violence’, ‘specific examples’, ‘contemporary’.
Here is a possible opening sentence to an essay in response to this
assignment:
The issue of censorship has been debated throughout
the existence of commercial cinema from its very
beginnings at the start of the twentieth century to
the present day.
This opening sentence addresses the question of censorship and makes
the point that the issue in relation to the cinema has been a subject of
debate for as long as cinema has existed. The sentence addresses the
question immediately and makes a specific point. It is a brisk opening
and is likely to grab the attention of the readers and reassure them that
the subject of the assignment is going to be addressed.
Second sentence:
Two major areas of debate have centred round the
representation of sex and the portrayal of violence. 
This second sentence follows on naturally from the opening sentence
and pinpoints the two major areas of debate as far as censorship in the
cinema is concerned.
Third sentence:
However, whereas the debate about the
representation of sexual scenes has largely decreased
because of changes in public and official attitudes,
the question of violence in the cinema is
continuously raised.
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HE OPENING PARAGRAPH

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This third sentence makes a further point about how public attitudes to
sex in the cinema have apparently changed but the issue of violence is
still very much current. Readers could reasonably expect the writer to
return to this point later in the essay.
Fourth sentence:
The films of Quentin Tarantino, for example, with
their extremely violent content, or the violence
shown in some contemporary horror movies, alarm
many people, causing them to wonder what the
long-term effects on cinemagoers, especially the
young, are as a result of watching such graphic
depictions.
This sentence gives some specific examples, as requested in the
assignment question, of violent movies and it also raises the issue what
the effect of screen violence is on spectators.
Fifth sentence:
There is a wide range of opinions about the need for
censorship of violence in the cinema, ranging from
those who argue for no controls at all to those who
believe that the depiction of violence on film
encourages violent propensities in society and who
want the authorities to impose censorship.
This final sentence of the paragraph mentions the differing views on
censorship and describes the parameters of those views. It is again an
issue that clearly will have to be dealt with in greater detail later in the
essay. It also rounds off this opening paragraph neatly and relevantly.
Thus, this opening paragraph consists of this:
The issue of censorship has been debated throughout
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the existence of commercial cinema from its very
beginnings at the start of the twentieth century to
the present day. Two major areas of debate centre
round the representation of sex and the portrayal of
violence. However, whereas the debate about the
representation of sexual scenes has largely decreased
because of changes in public and official attitudes,
the question of violence in the cinema is
continuously raised. The films of Quentin Tarantino,
for example, with their extremely violent content, or
the violence shown in some contemporary horror
movies, alarm many people, causing them to wonder
what the long-term effects on cinemagoers, especially
the young, are as a result of watching such graphic
depictions. There is a wide range of opinions about
the need for censorship of violence in the cinema,
ranging from those who argue for no controls at all
to those who believe that the depiction of violence on
film encourages violent propensities in society and
who want the authorities to impose censorship.
How effective is the opening sentence of this paragraph in relation to the
specific assignment that has been set?
Is the topic of the question addressed sufficiently in the paragraph as a
whole with specific points made?
Is there a danger that the paragraph goes into too much detail at this
stage in the essay or is the amount of detail just about right?
Is there a continuity to the paragraph with each sentence following from
the previous one?
Does the paragraph as a whole map out the territory that the rest of the
essay is going to cover?
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HE OPENING PARAGRAPH

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