Lesson video

Hi everyone and welcome to our lesson.

Today we're starting a brand new unit, all about writing an essay based on early Islamic civilization.

In our lesson today, you will be able to identify the features of an essay in preparation for writing about early Islamic civilization.

Here are some key keywords we're going to use.

Essay.

Purpose.

Argument.

Layout.

Linguistic features.

Well done.

An essay is a piece of writing that explores arguments about a particular issue.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

An argument is a logical, reasoned way of presenting a set of ideas.

The layout refers to how a text is structured.

Linguistic features are the language structures that are used within a text.

Today we're going to be identifying the features of an essay for writing about early Islamic civilization.

First of all, we're going to learn about the purpose and layout of an essay, and then we'll learn about its linguistic features.

An essay is a piece of writing that explores arguments about a particular issue.

It is a non-fiction text and it is formal in tone.

Select the adjectives that appropriately describe essays.

Pause the video while you do that.

Great work everyone.

An essay should be informative.

Based on real life issues or events and formal.

We would not use a funny or humorous tone in essays.

The purpose of an essay is to inform the reader about a particular subject.

An essay is often written in response to a question.

It uses the power of an argument to answer the question.

An argument is a logical, reasoned way of presenting a set of ideas.

An essay can be used to set out one argument in lots of detail, or it can be used to set out two or more arguments to present a balanced view of an issue.

True or false? Essays only ever explore one argument.

Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that this is false.

Now, pause the video while you decide how to justify your answer.

Great work everyone.

The purpose of essays is to inform the reader about a particular topic and relevant arguments surrounding them, as well as this.

Some essays explore one argument whilst others explore a range of arguments.

Essays often follow the same structure and layout.

We begin with a title.

This can be written as an essay question or it can be written as a statement.

Then we have the introduction.

This is the first paragraph that states the argument and introduces the reasons to be explored.

Then we have the sections.

They contain paragraphs of information related to the particular reasons that support the argument.

And finally, we have a conclusion.

This is the last paragraph that summarises the information from the text and restates the argument.

Match the layout features of essays with their functions for your task.

Pause the video while you do that.

Great work everyone, a title is a layout feature that is presented as a question or a statement which the writer explores through discussion of one or many arguments.

An introduction is the first paragraph that states the argument and introduces the reasons to be explored.

The sections are paragraphs of information related to the reasons that underpin the arguments, and finally, the conclusion is the last paragraph that summarises the information from the text and restates the argument.

Now that we've talked about the purpose and layout of an essay, we're gonna come on to talking about the linguistic features.

Linguistic features are the language structures that are used within a text.

The purpose of an essay is to answer a question or statement with one or many logical, reasoned arguments.

For this reason, linguistic features need to be formal and informative in tone.

The writer needs to sound credible when they present their arguments.

Here are some linguistic features we might find in an essay.

Fronted adverbials.

Parenthesis within brackets.

Facts and statistics.

A range of sentence types.

Well done.

Let's begin by talking through fronted adverbials.

True or false, a fronted adverbial goes at the end of a sentence? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that this is false.

Now, pause the video again while you decide how to justify your answer.

Great work everyone, a fronted adverbial goes at the start of a sentence and it is followed by a comma.

A formal fronted adverbial starts a sentence, and it is followed by a comma.

We can use this sentence scaffold to help us explain.

It is formal in tone and it links one sentence to the previous sentence.

Formal fronted adverbials can be grouped into two categories.

We can have our and formal fronted adverbials.

Let's say these words together.

In addition to this, as well as this, also, furthermore, moreover, building onto this.

The and formal fronted adverbials build on another idea which is similar or agrees with a point made in the previous sentence.

We can also group them as but formal fronted adverbials.

Let's say these together.

However, despite this, on the contrary, in contrast to this.

The but formal fronted adverbials add a contrasting idea to what was explained in the previous sentence.

Our and formal fronted adverbials and our but formal fronted adverbials are similar in that they both are formal fronted adverbials and they link on from the previous sentence, but and formal fronted adverbials build on the ideas from the previous sentence, whilst but formal fronted adverbials add a contrasting idea to the previous sentence.

A formal frontal adverbial of cause is a sentence starter that explains the cause and the effect of something.

We can think about it in terms of this model.

We start with a cause, and this leads to an effect.

It follows the same rules as the formal front adverbial, so it is formal in tone and it links one sentence to the previous sentence.

It also starts a sentence and it is followed by a comma, so we can also use this scaffold.

Let's read this sentence together.

Islamic scholars and rulers encourage learning and innovation.

Consequently, the Islamic Golden Age flourished.

In this sentence, we have cause and effect.

These two points are linked together with the fronted adverbial of cause here which is, consequently.

We could also use, as a result, or, due to this.

All of these fronted adverbials of cause link the cause to the effect across two separate sentences.

And finally, let's talk about a viewpoint fronted adverbial.

A viewpoint fronted adverbial is a sentence starter that tells the reader the writer's point of view.

A viewpoint fronted adverbial follows some of the same rules.

So it is formal in tone and it starts a sentence and is followed by a comma, so we can still stick with this scaffold.

A point of view is what someone thinks about a subject or a fact.

When we're writing essays, it's important to remain neutral.

That means that we don't express personal points of view.

However, some viewpoint fronted adverbials are appropriate to use.

So when we write an essay, it's really important to sound credible.

Whilst personal opinions are not appropriate, some viewpoint fronted adverbials are appropriate to use.

Of significant interest.

Of particular interest.

These are for very interesting facts.

Notably, significantly.

These are for facts that are important.

Match the fronted adverbial type to its example.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that a formal fronted adverbial is additionally, a fronted adverbial of cause is as a result, and a viewpoint fronted adverbial is notably.

Let's explore some more appropriate linguistic features.

So we've talked about fronted adverbials, now let's learn about parenthesis within brackets.

Parenthesis is additional information.

It can be removed from a sentence and the sentence will still make sense.

Brackets can be used for parenthesis in non-fiction texts.

Let's read this one together.

Early Islamic civilization contributed greatly to the fields of astronomy, medicine and philosophy.

Here, we might want to add an extra fact about early Islamic civilization for our reader.

I might want to tell them that this period was spanning from the seventh to the 13th centuries AD.

Let's read this one together.

Early Islamic civilization spanning from the seventh to the 13th centuries AD contributed greatly to the fields of astronomy, medicine, and philosophy.

Now I've added some additional information into this sentence, but it all runs together as one sentence.

It's not really clear where my parenthesis begins and ends.

This is where we need to bring in brackets.

Here are my brackets to demarcate that parenthesis and separate it from the rest of the sentence.

Which of these sentences uses brackets for parenthesis correctly? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that the correct answer was B.

Early Islamic civilization, established in the seventh century AD, blossomed into a hub of learning and cultural exchange.

The additional information here is, established in seventh century AD, so that's what needs to be demarcated using brackets.

Now we've talked about fronted adverbials and parenthesis within bracket.

Let's focus on facts and statistics.

These are used to give the reader factual information that backs up the writer's argument.

They're really important in making our writing more credible.

They're another tool for us to use as writers in our essays.

Here are some examples of facts.

Early Islamic civilization flourished from the seventh to the 13th centuries AD.

The Islamic Golden Age saw remarkable advancements in science, mathematics, and medicine.

Islamic scholars preserved and expanded upon knowledge from ancient civilizations like Greece, Rome and Persia.

Arabic became a major language of learning and literature during this period.

What are facts? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that facts are statements that can be proved to be true.

Now, let's finish off with learning about a range of sentence types that we might use in our essays.

Let's review what a relative complex sentence is.

A relative complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause.

The main clause can be interrupted by a relative clause.

Let's read this sentence together.

Early Islamic civilization, which thrived for several centuries across regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain, left a profound legacy of scientific discoveries that continue to influence our world today.

We can see here that our relative clause starts with the which relative pronoun, and it interrupts the main clause and is separated by a pair of commas.

We can also add a relative clause to the end of a main clause.

Early Islamic civilization celebrated the creative and spiritual work of artists, who were inspired by the teachings of Islam.

Here, our relative clause has been moved to the end of the sentence and it begins with the relative pronoun, who.

Adverbial complex sentences are sentences that include a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause.

Let's read this together.

Although early civilization, let's start again.

Although early Islamic civilization faced challenges such as political unrest, its commitments to scholarship and cultural exchange led to remarkable advancements in various fields.

Here, my adverbial subordinate clause begins with the word, although.

This is an example of a subordinating conjunction and it always starts an adverbial subordinate clause.

Here are some we might use in an essay.

Although.

Because.

After.

Before.

Non-finite complex sentences are sentences that include a main clause and a non-finite subordinate clause.

Let's read this together.

Exploring the intricate history of early Islamic civilization, researchers are uncovering new insights into its societal structures, scientific achievements, and cultural influences.

Here, our non-finite subordinate clause begins with the word, exploring.

Non-finite subordinate clauses begin with a progressive tense verb.

We know this because it has the ING suffix.

It always goes at the start of a subordinate clause.

Match the complex sentence types to their definitions, and pause the video while you do this.

Well done if you spotted that a relative complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause.

An adverbial complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause.

And a non-finite complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and a non-finite subordinate clause.

Now it's time for your task.

Read the model essay in the additional materials, and find the following linguistic features.

A fronted adverbial, parenthesis within brackets, a factor statistic, a relative complex sentence, an adverbial complex sentence, and a non-finite complex sentence.

Remember, you only need to find one example of each.

Let's begin by reading the model together.

Let's read this together.

Explain why the HMT Empire Windrush brought people from the Caribbean to Britain and what happened when they arrived.

Immigration is the act of moving to and settling in a foreign country.

There was mass immigration of people from the Caribbean to Britain after World War II because the country needed people to fill jobs and help rebuild the country and the economy.

The Empire Windrush was the first boat to transport people from Jamaica to England in 1948, but many boats followed until around 1971.

This mass migration had a significant impact on Britain and the effects are still evident today.

This essay will examine why people immigrated to Britain and what happened when they arrived.

After World War II, Britain's economy and infrastructure had suffered great damage and needed to be rebuilt.

Consequently, the British government needed to boost its labour force.

In 1948, it passed the British Nationality Act, which altered the definition of British nationality.

This enabled citizens from Commonwealth countries to immigrate to Britain, leading to an increased British workforce.

Citizens from across the Commonwealth, including the Caribbean, were encouraged to immigrate to Britain with promises of wider job opportunities and better living conditions.

As a result, almost 500,000 people, known as the Windrush Generation, immigrated from the Caribbean to Britain between 1948 and 1970.

However, their experiences of life in Britain were not always as expected.

When they arrived in England in 1948, many passengers of the Empire Windrush found that life in Britain was not as they had expected it to be.

Docking at Tilbury Docks, Essex, many of the West Indian immigrants found that they had nowhere to stay.

As a result, the government allowed them to sleep in an old air-raid shelter in Clapham Common, London, during the first weeks of their lives in Britain.

In addition to this, many of the Windrush Generation faced prejudice and racial discrimination when applying for jobs, which further enhanced financial pressures.

In the 1940s and 50s, tensions between white and black communities escalated, culminating in the 1958 Notting Hill Race Riots.

The Teddy Boys, who were a group of white, working class young men, attacked an interracial couple in Notting Hill, London.

In the riots that ensued, black people, their homes and their businesses were targeted.

This civil unrest lasted from the 29th of August until 5th of September, and it resulted in many arrests of both white and black people.

After the riots, many black people left Britain because of the racial discrimination that they had faced.

One positive outcome of the Race Riots was the establishment of Notting Hill Carnival, which is a celebration of Caribbean culture that takes place every year.

To conclude, it is apparent that the Windrush Generation's immigration to the UK was much needed during the post-war reconstruction of Britain and many immigrants made positive contributions to society.

However, many face challenges because of lack of housing and jobs, as well as racism and prejudice.

Over the years, there have been positive changes.

Britain is now a multicultural country which celebrates diversity and interracial relationships.

Despite this, there is still work to be done to ensure people are educated on racial issues and actively oppose racism by being anti-racist.

Pause the video now while you complete your task.

Great work everyone.

Any of these words, any of these fronted adverbials would be correct.

So after World War II, consequently, in 1948, as a result, however, in addition to this, in the 1940s and 50s, after the riots, over the years, and despite this.

If you included any of these examples, well done.

An example of parenthesis within brackets could've been, known as the Windrush Generation, or London.

An example of a fact or statistic could've been any of these.

The Empire Windrush was the first boat to transport people from Jamaica to England in 1948.

Britain's economy and infrastructure had suffered great damage and needed to be rebuilt.

In 1948, it passed the British Nationality Act.

As a result, almost 500,000 people known as the Windrush Generation immigrated from the Caribbean to Britain between 1948 and 1970.

The government allowed them to sleep in an old air-raid shelter in Clapham, Common, London.

Tensions between white and black communities escalated, culminating in the 1958 Notting Hill Race Riots.

These are just some examples of the facts or statistics that were written in the essay.

An example of a relative complex sentence could have been, in 1948, it passed the British Nationality Act, which altered the definition of British nationality.

In addition to this, many of the Windrush Generation faced prejudice and racial discrimination when applying for jobs, which further enhanced financial pressures.

The Teddy Boys, who were a group of white, working class young men, attacked an interracial couple in Notting Hill, London.

One positive outcome of the Race Riots was the establishment of the Notting Hill Carnival, which is a celebration of Caribbean culture that takes place every year.

Over the years, there have been positive changes, Britain is now a multicultural country which celebrates diversity and interracial relationships.

There are lots of potential sentences you could've written down for this question.

One example of an adverbial complex sentence could have been, when they arrived in England in 1948, many passengers of the Empire Windrush found that life in Britain was not as they had expected it to be.

After the riots, many black people left Britain because of the racial discrimination that they had faced.

And one example of a non-finite complex sentence.

This enabled citizens from Commonwealth countries to immigrate to Britain, leading to an increased British workforce.

You can see here the non-finite subordinate clause has gone at the end of the sentence.

Docking at Tilbury Docks, Essex, many of the West Indian immigrants found that they had nowhere to stay.

In the 1940s and 50s, tensions between white and black communities escalated, culminating in the 1958 Notting Hill Race Riots.

That now brings us to the end of our lesson where we've been identifying the features of an essay for writing about early Islamic civilization.

The purpose of an essay is to inform the reader about one or more arguments that support the writer's answer to a question or statement.

The writer must sound credible.

Linguistic features help achieve the appropriate tone and contribute towards meeting the text's purpose.

Linguistic features of an essay include fronted adverbials, parenthesis within brackets, the use of facts, and the use of a range of sentence types.

I hope you've enjoyed learning about the features and the purpose of an essay, and we can now start to apply our new knowledge to writing our own essay.

Well done everyone.