The Writing Process

Writing an essay isn't easy but it can get easier. Because there are some skills you can learn that will help you. These are not language skills. These are writing skills. So it doesn't matter if you're writing in Myanmar, Mon or English, these skills can help you write better essays.

The video below gives good advice for writing an academic essay. The five steps to the process also apply to the exam situation, especially step 1, which must be completed in about 5 minutes in the IELTS exam. Steps 3 and 4 are also critical and should be done in the last 5 minutes of the examination. Many students do not do these steps in the examination room, which can mean a reduction in their overall score.

Watch the video and identify the order of the five writing steps.

• prewriting

• publishing

• drafting

• revising

• editing

Complete the nine gaps in the notes with ONE WORD from the recording.

The words in red are keywords to help you keep track of the recording as you listen.

---

The writing process helps organise work and makes writing more ________

There are five stages:

1) Prewriting provides you with a solid ________ that:

• has a clear goal

• is supported by well organised ideas

2) In the drafting stage the main focus is to produce ________

• Spelling and ______ mistakes are not important

• At the end, your writing should have a clear ________

3) Revising means to _______ again. Focus on improving:

• organisation

• word choice

• sentence ________

4) During editing the writer will _______ the work and correct errors.

5) The final draft is created during publication and should:

• include all corrections and improvements

• work should be typed not ________

When you are ready, enter your answers in the sheet below