Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mr. Buckingham.

I'm so glad you've decided to join me for today's lesson.

Today, we're writing what is arguably the most important part of our essay, which is the conclusion.

And here, we're going to wrap up our logical argument and try to show our reader that there's no way they could possibly disagree with what we're saying.

So let's get going and do some fantastic writing.

Today's lesson is called "Planning and Writing, the Conclusion of an Essay," and it comes from my unit called the "Amazon Rainforest Essay Writing." By the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to write the conclusion of an essay, including a range of linguistic features.

Now will help you to have access to your notes from previous lessons about deforestation and setting out a logical argument that'll be following in this essay, but if you don't have those, please don't worry, I'll provide you with lots of help in this lesson.

Here are our key words for today's lesson.

My turn, your turn.

Conclusion, subject-specific vocabulary, modal verbs, and linguistic features.

Well done.

So the conclusion is the closing paragraph of a non-fiction text and subject-specific vocabulary is vocabulary that relates to a particular subject.

A modal verb is a type of auxiliary verb that expresses the degree of possibility, intent, ability, or necessity of a clause.

And linguistic features are the language structures that are used within a text.

So here's our lesson now later today, we're going to start off by planning the conclusion and then we'll write it.

So as you know, we are writing an essay with a logical argument where each paragraph addresses certain questions and our title is explain how reducing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest could help reduce the impact of climate change.

We started with an introduction saying, what's deforestation, how does it happen, and how does it affect the Amazon rainforest? Then our first main paragraph explained, why is deforestation happening in the Amazon rainforest? And our second main paragraph said, how does deforestation drive climate change? Then in our conclusion, we're going to answer these questions.

How can we reduce deforestation and how we're doing that help reduce the impact of climate change? Can you see how that links directly back to our essay title? So in the lesson, we're writing that conclusion.

And the conclusion's going to bring together all the information we've given about deforestation and climate change to address the title directly.

So we've already explained what deforestation is and that it's particularly problematic in the Amazon.

We've explained why deforestation occurs in the Amazon.

We've explained how deforestation links to climate change, and now in the conclusion, we'll explain how reducing deforestation in the Amazon could help reduce the impacts of climate change just like the title asked us to do.

That was the command we were given in the title.

So in the conclusion, that's where all is really brought together and we really address that title head on.

So can you put the logical argument of a essay in order, starting with number one, pause the video and have a go.

Well done, really good job.

So first of all, hopefully you put deforestation as the removal of trees from an area and then deforestation is being driven by agriculture and logging, and then deforestation leads to carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

That's where we're up to in our essay at the end of the second main paragraph.

And then in our conclusion we're saying, if we reduce deforestation, we can help tackle climate change.

Really well done for getting those in the right order.

So as we've said, our conclusion is going to answer these questions.

How can we reduce deforestation and how we're doing that help reduce the impacts of climate change? So why do we have to say this? We've already said that deforestation drives climate change and we've described why deforestation happens.

So shouldn't it be obvious to our reader how to reduce deforestation and why that would impact on climate change? Why do you think we need to say this at all? Pause the video and talk to your partner or have a think on your end.

Well done, maybe said something like this, "We've given our reader lots of evidence that deforestation is happening and that it contributes to climate change, but we haven't actually addressed the essay title head on yet."` We've been building up towards that.

And you might say this, "That's right, we need to say how we can reduce deforestation and explain how that would reduce the impacts of climate change." There's two things we haven't yet talked about.

We haven't talked about how to reduce deforestation and we haven't talked about what the impacts of climate change are? Both of those are mentioned in our essay title.

So we need to address them in our conclusion.

So first, we need to be clear what those impacts of climate change are.

Let's review some.

We know that it's causing more extreme weather like heat waves, droughts and forest fires and storms, and hurricanes, and floods.

And we know that due to climate change, ice in the polar regions is melting and that's making it hard for animals to survive there, but it's also contributing to rising sea levels around the world.

And finally, we know the parts of the world in the future will become uninhabitable due to a lack of crops and a lack of water being able to grow there and be there, which is going to result in many millions of people being displaced from their homes and needing somewhere else to live.

So those are just a few examples of the impact of climate change we're referring to.

So why is it important that we explain the impacts of climate change in our essay? Pause the video and decide.

Well done, good job.

Hopefully, you spotted that it is C, it's so that we can explain that reducing deforestation will help to reduce those impacts.

So this is really crucial to our essay.

So we've established what some of the impacts of climate change are.

Now we need to think about some of the ways we can reduce deforestation, particularly in the Amazon.

So we know that countries in the Amazon region can try to protect even more of the rainforest from logging by law by making it illegal to deforest it.

Now unfortunately, that is already the case in many places and there's still illegal logging happening.

So another way to reduce deforestation is to try and crack down on all that illegal logging that is still happening.

Now we know that's very difficult because the Amazon area is so vast.

So what about things we can do in our countries? Well, we know that as customers in other countries, we can try and avoid buying certain products that drive deforestation in the Amazon, particularly Brazilian beef and also leather products.

And finally, we can plant more trees in our own countries to try and offset or balance out the trees that are being lost in the Amazon.

So there's some things that apply to countries in the Amazon area and some things countries and individuals can do as well.

So can you match the beginnings and endings of these sentences to show different ways that we can reduce deforestation.

Pause the video and have a go.

Well done, good job.

So A would be countries can make logging illegal and they do already do that, but unfortunately, illegal logging still occurs.

B would be we can plant more trees to offset those being lost.

For C, countries can crack down on illegal logging and D, customers can avoid buying certain products.

Really well done if you've got it.

Now finally, we're gonna need to explain how these reductions in deforestation we've just talked about could help reduce the impact of climate change.

So can you explain that? Starting with the words, "If we reduce deforestation.

?" Pause the video and have a go with your partner or on your own.

Well done, really good job.

Maybe say something like this, "If we reduce deforestation and plant more trees, the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will decrease.

As a result, the greenhouse effect will weaken.

This will help limit how much the temperature rises due to climate change, which will help to reduce how much ice melts and how much extra extreme weather we have." So reducing deforestation on its own might not completely reverse climate change, but it might reduce these impacts that we've described and make them less severe just like we've described there.

Really well done for your effort there.

That's gonna really help you later on.

So can you put the steps in order to show exactly how reducing deforestation could reduce the impact of climate change? Start with number one, pause the video and have a go.

Really good job, well done.

Maybe you started here.

Reducing deforestation will reduce greenhouse gas levels.

This will weaken the greenhouse effect.

This will limit temperature increases from climate change and this will make the impacts of climate change less severe.

Really well done.

So let's plan our conclusion.

We're going to write notes using the prompts I'm going to show you and based on our knowledge.

And you're gonna try and ensure that you use a logical order for your explanation.

Now, we won't be using many other forms of evidence in this paragraph because our conclusion we're really just bringing things together and explaining them, and that's fine.

And I want you to try and include the subject-specific vocabulary that you think is relevant.

So we're going to say what the impacts of climate change are.

We're going to say what needs to happen.

We're going to say how deforestation can be reduced and say how this could reduce the impact of climate change.

And you might want to use some of this vocabulary.

Pause the video and have a go, write in the notes for your plan.

Well done, fantastic effort.

Here's an example of the notes you might have written.

Maybe start off by saying climate change partly driven by deforestation leads to more extreme weather, sea-level rise and making some areas unlivable.

Then you said, what needs to happen? Need action to tackle deforestation in the Amazon.

Then you've said, how that could happen? Governments in the Amazon rainforest could reduce deforestation by making logging illegal and cracking down on illegal logging.

And here, we could plant trees to offset those being cut down and avoid products that contribute to it like beef and leather.

And then how would that work? How would that affect climate change and its impacts? Well, less deforestation would lead to lower greenhouse gas levels that would weaken the greenhouse effect, that would reduce those temperature increases and that would limit the impact of those impacts of climate change.

Really well done for your notes there, great job.

So we've planned our conclusion, now let's get ready to write.

So we need to prepare to write the conclusion now.

And in the conclusion, remember, we'll be talking about things that will or could, or ought to happen in the future.

We're making recommendations for things we think should happen, but also we're talking about impacts of climate change that will happen if nothing is done.

And that means we're likely to be using modal verbs and modal verbs are auxiliary verbs.

They must be paired with another verb and they're paired with a main verb to show different degrees of certainty and possibility.

So these are words like will, should, must, might, could, ought to, would, and can.

And we pair those with a main verb to show a certain level of possibility or certainty.

Here are some examples.

Our government should take, there's our main verb take, some responsibility too.

This could help, the main verb's help, to reduce the impact of climate change.

And some areas of the world will become unlivable.

I've got my modal verbs in green there, they're paired with a main verb and they're modifying it a little bit to show a level of certainty or possibility, or that we think something ought to happen.

So for instance, the modal verb should tell our reader that we think this is something that ought to happen.

The modal verb will tells our reader that we believe this is something that definitely is going to happen.

So they help us to show different levels of certainty and possibility and what we'd call obligation, our belief that something should happen.

So can you find the modal verbs in each of these sentences? Remembering they'll be paired with a main verb as well.

Pause the video and have a look.

Well done, good job.

Hopefully on A, you spotted could paired with help and B, you spotted will paired with be flooded and in C, you spotted can paired with take.

So the modal verb is paired with a main verb to modify it in the ways we described.

Really well done.

So we'll also want to use a range of different fronted adverbials to connect our ideas in this conclusion.

For instance, a formal fronted adverbials.

Now formal fronted adverbials can show and building on the last point or but, contrasting with the last point.

We could use one to show and here.

Climate change is causing sea-level rise.

In addition to this, it will make some areas of the world uninhabitable.

We're building on the last point.

We could also use 'em to show, but, as I said.

Some of the responsibility lies with governments in the Amazon, however, there are steps we can take too.

Here, the second sentence contrasts with the first.

So it's a formal fronted adverbial showing, but.

We can use fronted adverbials of cause, reducing deforestation will reduce greenhouse gas levels.

Consequently, it will help to weaken the greenhouse effect.

And we can use fronted adverbials of time.

In recent decades, that means tens of years, the effects of climate change have become clear.

So can you match the types of fronted adverbial to the examples? Pause the here and have a go.

Well done, good job.

So despite this, is a form of fronted adverbial showing, but, in addition it's a form of fronted adverbial showing and, and as a consequence of this, is a fronted adverbial of cause, and in the past several years is a fronted adverbial of time.

Really well done for matching those up correctly.

We want to use a range of those, but we won't necessarily use all of them in our paragraph and that is fine.

So we'll also want to use some other linguistic features in our essay.

Maybe a compound sentence.

We may live a long way from the Amazon, but we can also contribute to reducing deforestation.

Maybe adverbial complex sentence like this: As polar ice melts, the sea level is rising.

Maybe a non-finite ing complex sentence like this: Reductions in deforestation can lower greenhouse gas levels, weakening the greenhouse effect.

Weakening is our verb in its ing form, start in the non-finite ing clause there.

And we might want a relative complex sentence like this one.

Climate change, which, there's our relative pronouns starting the relative clause, is partly driven by deforestation, is already causing more extreme weather and sea-level rise.

So again, we might not use all of these in our paragraph, but we want to have access to them to make sure our ideas are well-connected together.

So what linguistic feature is used in each of these examples? Pause the video and have a go.

Well done, great effort.

So in A, we've got, which is a key cause of rising greenhouse gas emissions.

That's a relative clause, so this is a relative complex sentence.

In B, we've got when temperature rises are stopped, when is our subordinated conjunction there? This is an proverbial complex sentence.

And in C, we've got consequently, which we know is a fronted adverbial of cause.

Really well done if you've got this.

So we can apply those linguistic features to our notes to connect our ideas together.

So we take this note.

Here, could plant trees to offset, we could make this: In our own country, we could encourage the government to plant more trees, which would help to offset the ones lost in the Amazon.

We've got a relative clause at the end there to make a relative complex sentence.

And in our own country it's actually a fronted adverbial of place isn't it as well? Here's another note.

Now this got a lot of information, so it might be more than one sentence in our writing.

Less deforestation equals low greenhouse gas levels, that leads to a weakening earth greenhouse effect and that reduces the temperature increases.

So you might write this passage, if we can reduce deforestation, this will help to lower greenhouse gas levels.

As a result, the greenhouse effect will be weakened and temperature increases from climate change may be limited.

So there we've got an adverbial complex sentence starting with if at the start, we've got as a result, as a fronted adverbial of cause, and we've got and to make a compound sentence as well.

So we've connected those ideas up really well together.

So now it's your turn.

How could you use some of those linguistic features to make this note into complete sentences or just one sentence, whatever works for you.

Pause the video and have a go.

Well done, good job.

Here's what I came up with.

I've used two separate sentences.

Climate change, which has been partly driven by deforestation, is already leading to more extreme weather around the world.

In addition, polar melting is leading to sea-level rise and it is clear that some areas of the world will become uninhabitable.

That means unlivable, in the not-too-distant future.

So here, we've got that relative complex sentence in the first sentence.

Then I've used in addition as a formal fronted adverbial showing and, and I've got a compound sentence using and as well.

So we're trying to connect of ideas in a logical way.

So now, we're ready to already rehearse our paragraph.

So that will help us to be really well-prepared when we come to write it.

So you're going to use your plan notes or the ones I've shown you and I won't just say the sentences you'd like to write.

You're going to try and use a formal tone by using that range of linguistic features we discussed and some of that subject-specific vocabulary you've included in your plan already.

And you're gonna try and connect up the information in a logical order as we just saw.

You could start by saying climate change, which is partly driven by deforestation is already causing, and then start to introduce this impact of climate change.

Pause the video and have a go at orally rehearsing this paragraph.

Really good job, well done.

Now here's an example of what you might have said, but remember, I've had the chance to write this down so I have much more time to compose this than you have.

So don't panic if your oral rehearsal doesn't sound quite like this yet.

It will do when you come to write.

I've written, "Climate change, which has been partly driven by deforestation, is already leading to more extreme weather around the world.

In addition, it is clear that some areas of the world will become uninhabitable in the not-too-distant future.

As a result, actions tackle deforestation is vital.

Governments in the Amazon must work hard to tackle illegal logging, but we can help too, encouraging our government to plant more trees and avoiding products like Brazilian beef and leather that have driven Amazon deforestation.

If we can reduce deforestation, we will see lower greenhouse gas levels, which will weaken the greenhouse effect.

As a result, temperature increases could be limited, reducing the devastating impacts of climate change." So now, we're ready to write this paragraph and this is the success criteria we're going to use.

It says, I've explained how reducing deforestation could help reduce the impacts of climate change.

I've connected information using a range of linguistic features.

I've included subject-specific vocabulary to add to the formal tone.

And I have used modal verbs to show certainty and possibility.

And of course, we can tick those success criteria off as we write.

So now I'm going to show you how to write this paragraph.

Okay, here are our success criteria, let's make a start.

And I think we should start by explaining the impact, shouldn't we? So let's start with an indent and then we'll talk about what's climate change already doing.

And I wanna link it to deforestation.

So I'm gonna say climate change, which is, I'm gonna do relative clause, which is, is it completely driven by deforestation? No, it's just partly, isn't it? So I can say which is partly driven by deforestation.

So we're kind of linking back actually to the previous paragraph where we explained how deforestation was connected to climate change.

So climate change, which is in part, it was partly driven by deforestation, it's already doing what? Yeah, it's already causing extreme weather, making areas uninhabitable and so on.

So let's start off with the extreme weather.

So you could say is already causing more extreme weather.

Okay, so that's one of the effects, isn't it? But we're going to want to add other ones on.

For instance, I think we should mention the areas being made hard to live in, shouldn't we? So let's lock that in and then let's use a formal fronted adverbial to add on another point.

So we could say in addition, or oh, what's another one? Yeah, let's do furthermore.

So we're gonna say furthermore, what's happening to that land? Yeah.

Now we could say that that's not happening to such a huge extent yet.

So we could say it is likely to make.

All areas? No, probably some areas, isn't it? So it's likely to make some areas.

And we could say unlivable, but can you remember a more, slightly more subject-specific word? Yeah, uninhabitable.

So let's have a go spelling that on the next line.

Unin is easy, then habit, able, okay, that wasn't too hard.

So uninhabitable.

And we could say in the near future, couldn't we? Just to show it might not happen immediately, although, I'm sure maybe there are places where it is getting difficult.

But that will help our reader to understand when it's gonna happen.

Okay, so climate change, which is partly driven by deforestation, is already causing more extreme weather.

Furthermore, it's likely to make some areas uninhabitable in near future, oh dear, in the near future.

So if we miss a word, that's fine, we add it in.

Okay, so we need to say now what we want to happen, don't we? So I think we need to use a fronted adverbial of cause and I'm going to go with consequently.

So consequently, what do we need to do? Yeah, we need to take action to reduce or to tackle deforestation.

So now, I could say we need to, let's be slightly more fun.

We could say it is important that, it's essential that, oh yeah, vital, I like that, well done.

So you could say consequently it is vital that we take action.

Could say against deforestation, couldn't we? And let's remember our essay title was specific to the Amazon, wasn't it? So we take action against deforestation in the Amazon.

Okay, so we've explained to our reader the impact of climate change and we've given our kind of mission, which is to say that we think it's vital that we take action against it.

So now I've got to give the how, haven't we? So we've got two sides, haven't we? What the government's there can do and what we can do.

So let's start off with the governments there.

So the spelling of government, remember, it's government.

So governments there can do what? Yeah, well done.

We could say governments there can take.

Could say more action, what would be slightly more informal? Yeah, further would be nice, wouldn't it? Sorry, more formal, not informal.

Governments there can take further action to ban illegal logging because that's one of the main problems, isn't it? Oh yeah, good point.

Ban isn't a good word, is it? Because if it's illegal then it's already been banned.

They're just breaking the ban, aren't they? So what could we say instead? Yeah, reduce, tackle.

Oh, here's a good one, I'll give you one.

What about curb? If you curb something, you kind of stop it happening.

So governments there can take further action to curb illegal logging, but I think they're only ones responsible.

No, we can do more too.

So let's use a compound sentence here.

Which coordinated conjunction and, but or, or helps us to show a contrast? Yeah, but, well done.

So we can say governments there can take further action to curb illegal logging, but we can act too, can't we? So we can say, but we can act too.

Which too is it? Yeah, T-O-O as well.

Okay, and then what is it we can do? Yeah, we can avoid those products and encourage tree planting.

Oh, I wonder if I could make this into a non-finite ing clause where my verb is an ing verb.

So instead of avoid, we would have, yeah, avoiding, well done.

So I could say avoiding, I'm just gonna say products from what? Yeah, I could say from Brazilian cows? Yeah, no, let's be more formal, let's say cattle.

So products from Brazilian cattle and there's nothing to do, isn't it? Yeah, and encouraging tree planting.

So I've actually got two ing verbs here, haven't I? Avoiding and encouraging tree planting.

Okay, now the final part of my whole essay is going to be linking those actions back to the effect on climate change.

So what's gonna happen if we do these good things? So I'm going to use that word if, which is gonna act as a subordinating conjunction is starting an adverbial complex sentence.

So if I say if we can, what is the thing we're trying to do? Reduce deforestation, yeah.

So if we can reduce deforestation, what's that going to do to greenhouse gas levels? Will they fall or rise? They should fall, shouldn't they? So we can say if we can reduce deforestation, and I'm gonna use a modal verb here, I'm gonna say it certainly, we will see lower greenhouse gas levels.

And then what will that lead to if we've reduced those greenhouse gas levels? Yeah, we'll have a weaker greenhouse effect.

So I think I'll do another non-finite ing clause, I'm going to say leading to, I could say leading to a weaker greenhouse effect or a, yeah, a weakening of would be nice, wouldn't it? Slightly more formal again.

So a weakening of the greenhouse effect, that's not quite the final step, is it? What is the result of a weakening greenhouse effect? Yeah, we should have less of these impacts because we'll see lower temperature rises.

So let's finish off with one sentence with a fronted adverbial of cause.

Let's use as a result.

So as a result, what will we see as a result of that weakening of the greenhouse effect? Yeah, we could say, the all four consequences, devastating consequences.

Oh, let's use that word impact, because that was in the essay title wasn't it? So let's say as a result, the devastating impacts of climate change.

I'm gonna be careful with my modal verb here.

Now, we could say will, but we can't be a hundred percent sure.

So I think I'm gonna say could be reduced.

Okay, should read this back? This is our final paragraph of our whole essay.

So let's make sure we've done a good job and met our success criteria.

Read it with me.

We've said, "Climate change, which is partly driven by deforestation, is already causing more extreme weather.

Furthermore, it is likely to make some areas uninhabitable in the near future.

Consequently, it is vital that we take action against deforestation in the Amazon.

Governments there can take further action to curb illegal logging, but we act too, avoiding products from Brazilian cattle and encouraging tree planting.

If you can reduce deforestation, we will see lower greenhouse gas levels leading to a weakening of the greenhouse effect.

As a result, the devastating impacts of climate change could be reduced." So let's check, have we explained how to reduce its impacts? Yes, we have.

Have we given a range of linguistic features? Well, we did lots of things.

We got compound sentence, we had our non-finite ing clauses with avoiding here.

We've got adverbial complex sentences and lots of fronted adverbials as well.

So yes, we have.

Subject-specific vocabulary, we've got plenty of that.

We've got things like where we talked about the cattle and the greenhouse effect, and the impact, and uninhabitable, all those kind of words are subject-specific.

Now the modal verbs, Hmm.

Well, we definitely use things like, here we had will, didn't we? And here we had could, and we also had can as well and can here.

All of those are modal verbs showing the likelihood of something happening or whether we think there's an obligation for it happen.

So yes, we've met that success criteria as well.

Okay, you've seen me now it's your turn.

You're going to use the success criteria and your plan to write this paragraph.

And I'd like you to try and say or think of sentences before you write.

And of course, check them back once you've written them.

And of course, it's okay to change things from your oral rehearsal.

So pause the video and have a go.

Really good job, well done.

Here's an example of how the start of that paragraph could look.

I've written, "Climate change, which has been caused in part by deforestation is already having severe impact leading to increases in extreme weather, such as drought and floods.

In addition to this, it is leading to sea-level rise and making some areas uninhabitable.

As a consequence of this, strong action is needed to tackle deforestation.

Governments in the Amazon rainforest must tackle illegal logging." Now, I haven't given the full explanation of how to reduce the impacts yet, so I'm not gonna tick that one.

But I've got a range of linguistic features such as a relative complex sentence, a non-finite ing sentence, and also in addition to this, which is a formal fronted adverbial showing and.

I've got my subject-specific vocabulary, such as sea-level rise and uninhabitable.

And I've got some modal verbs already, such as must here, which is showing obligation.

I'm trying to say that there's an obligation on these governments to do something.

Here's the rest of the paragraph.

I've written, "However, they cannot act alone.

We must encourage our own government to plant more trees to replace those lost in the Amazon.

And consumers should avoid products like Brazilian beef and leather.

If we can reduce deforestation, levels of greenhouse gases will fall leading to a weakening of the greenhouse effect.

As a consequence of this, we should see smaller increases in temperature and less severe impacts." So I've now fully explained how to reduce those impacts.

I've used a range of linguistic features, I've got my, however there, I've got as a consequence of this, there's the fronted adverbial of cause.

I've got subject specific vocabulary such as government and greenhouse effect, and I've got some modal verbs here, such as must and should, and will.

Really well done with your effort there as well in meeting your success criteria.

Good job.

So let's review our learning in this lesson.

We've said that the conclusion of an essay is where we return to the essay title, bringing together the different threads of our logical argument to address it clearly.

We know that we can use subject-specific vocabulary to make our writing seem authoritative and we connect our ideas using linguistic features such as fronted adverbials.

We know that when talking about possibilities for the future, it's often useful to use modal verbs and we know that before we write, we should plan our writing and orally rehearse what we plan to write.

Really well done for your effort in this lesson and throughout this unit.

I hope you're really pleased with the essay you've produced.

I'm sure that it's incredibly persuasive and that it's really shown your reader they have no alternative, but to agree with us that we need to tackle deforestation in order to tackle climate change.

Great job, I'd love to see you again in the future lesson.

Goodbye.