English Composition and Written Production: Position, Support, Cohesion
What is tested
English Composition and Written Production asks you to state a position, support it, and organize it for a reader. Examiners reward task response, clear paragraph function, cohesion, and control of sentence variety; they penalize memorized filler and unsupported claims.
Core rules
- Answer the exact prompt. If it asks 'Should schools require volunteering?', do not write only about the benefits of volunteering.
- State a thesis that includes a qualification or a reason, not just 'I agree.'
- One paragraph, one job: claim, explanation, specific example, link back.
- Use cohesive devices accurately: 'however' contrasts, 'therefore' concludes, 'for instance' illustrates.
- Prefer clear verbs and concrete nouns to long noun phrases.
Worked example
Prompt: Should schools require weekly volunteering? Weak thesis: 'Volunteering is very good for students.' Stronger thesis: 'Schools should require weekly volunteering because it builds routine responsibility, but they should let students choose among approved placements.' Reasoning: The stronger version answers the prompt, gives a reason, and adds a feasible qualification. A body paragraph can then explain one placement choice, show how it builds responsibility, and return to the thesis. The weak version makes a general claim that could fit any prompt and gives the reader no structure.
Traps
- Copying a prepared template that does not fit the question.
- Listing opinions without explaining a causal link.
- Overusing 'Firstly, Secondly, Finally' without logical content.
- Letting one paragraph contain two unrelated claims.
- Writing long sentences that lose subject-verb control.