Writing Academic English PDF
Preview Writing Academic English
Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. xi PART I WR1T1NG A PARAGRAPH • • 0 • • It • It 0 • • • .. • • • • • • 1 Chapter 1 Paragraph Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. :2 The Three Parts of a Paragraph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 The Topic Sentence -. . . . . . . .. 4 Position of Topic Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5 The Two Parts of a Topic Sentence . . . . . . . . . .. 9 Supporting Sentences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11 The Concluding Sentence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13 Review , 16 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16 Chapter :2 Unitv and Coherence 18 Unity " ~ 18 Coherence 21 Repetition of Key Nouns 22 Key Noun Substitutes' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23 Consistent Pronouns '. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 24 Transition Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 25 Logical Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 34 Review 36 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 37 Chapter 3 Supporting Details: Facts, Quotations, 39 and Statistics Facts versus Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39 Using Outside Sources 41 PlagiarislTI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 41 Citing Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 42 Quotations ". . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 42 Direct Quotations 42 Reporting Verbs and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 43 Punctuating Direct Quotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 45 Indirect Quotations 47 iii Contents Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 49 Statistics -. . . . . . . . .. 51 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 53 Review........ .. 54 Cause/Effect Essays 94 Chronological Order: Process Essays. . . . . . . . . . . .. 81 From Paragraph to Essay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 WR1T1NG AN ESSAV....................•. 55 Organization for Cause/Effect Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 95 Block Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 95 Chain Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 98 Cause/Effect Signal Words and Phrases 101 Thesis Statements for a Process Essay 84 Transition Signals for Chronological Order 86 Review. . . . . . .. .. . . .. .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . .. 88 Wliting Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 89 Applying What You Have Leamed 89 Reading 1 89 Questions 90 Suggestions for Discllssion or Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 91 Reading 2 92 Questions 92 Suggestions for Discussion or Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 93 The Three Parts of an Essay 56 The Introductory Paragraph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 59 Funnel Introduction 60 Attention-Getting Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 61 Thesis Statement 63 Body Paragraphs 64 Logical Division of Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 64 Thesis Statements for Logical Division of Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 65 Thesis Statement Pitfalls 67 Transition Signals between Paragraphs 69 The Concluding Paragraph 72 Essay Outlining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 75 Review '" 77 Wliting Practice 78 Applying What You Have Leamed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 78 Reading , .. , .. 79 Questions 80 Suggestions for Discussion or Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 80 Chapter 6 Chapter 5 PARTH Chapter 4 Contents Paraphrasing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 127 Plagiarism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 128 Using Paraphrases as Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 135 Summarizing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 136 Review. ... . .. .. . .. . . . . . . .. .. . .. . . ... . . . . . . . .... . . . . .. . . .... . .. . . .. . .. . .. 141 Argumentative Essal's 142 Paraphrase and SummaT1' 121 Comparison/Contrast Essal's. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 111 Organization of Argumentative Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 143 The Introductory Paragraph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 147 Thesis Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 147 Review. " . " , , . .. . . . . . . . . .. 150 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 150 Applying What You Have Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 151 Topic 1, Reading 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 151 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 153 Topic 1, Reading 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 154 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 155 Topic 2, Reading 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 156 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 157 Topic 2, Reading 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 158 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 160 Cause Signal Words " 101 Effect Signal Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 102 Review , . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. 105 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 105 Applying What You Have Learned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 106 Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 107 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 108 Suggestions for Discussion or Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 110 Organization of Comparison/Contrast Essays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 113 Point-by-Point Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 113 Block Organization ' 114 Comparison and Contrast Signal Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 116 Comparison Signal Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 116 Contrast Signal Words ; . -;-'. 119 Review , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 122 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 123 Applying What You Have Learned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 124 Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 124 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 126 Suggestions for Discussion or Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. 126 Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Chapter 1 Chapter 10 1)jpes of Sentences 162 Kinds of Adverb Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 211 Punctuation of Adverb Clauses 211 Time Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 211 Place Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 213 That Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 195 Sentences Beginning with It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 196 Special Verb Tenses in That Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 198 If/Whether Clauses " 201 Question Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 204 Review " 206 Editing Practice 207 Writing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 208 119 161 ................. Adverb Clauses 210 Using Paranel Structures and Fixing Sentence Problems Noun Clauses 194 SENTENCE STRUCTURE Parallelism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 179 Parallelism with Coordinators: And, Or, But. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 180 Parallelism with Correlative (Paired) Conjunctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 181 Sentence Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 183 Sentence Fragments 183 Choppy Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 185 Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 188 Stringy Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 190 Review " '" '" , .. 191 Editing Practice 193 Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 162 Independent Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 163 Dependent Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 163 Kinds of Sentences 164 Simple Sentences 164 Compound Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 165 Complex Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 172 Compound-Complex Sentences .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 174 Sentence Types and Writing Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 175 Review " " . . . . . . . . .. 177 Contents Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Chapter 11 PART HI Contents Distance, Frequency, and Manner Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 214 Reason Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 216 Result Clauses 218 Purpose Clauses 220 Contrast Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 222 Direct Opposition Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 222 Concession (Unexpected Result) Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 223 Conditional Clauses 225 Review....... .. . .. .. . . .. 227 Editing Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 228 Writing Practice 229 Chapter 14 Adjective Clauses 230 Relative Pronouns and Adverbs 231 Position of Adjective Clauses 231 Verb Agreement in Adjective Clauses < .. 232 Kinds of Adjective Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 234 Relative Pronouns as Subjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 234 Relative Pronouns as Objects 236 Possessive Adjective Clauses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 238 Relative Pronouns as Objects of Prepositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 240 Relative Pronouns in Phrases of Quantity and Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 243 Adjective Clauses of Time and Place 244 Review....... . .. 247 Editing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 248 Writing Practice :..................... 249 Chapter 15 Participial Phrases 250 Participles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 250 Pmticipial Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 251 Reduced Adjective Clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 252 Position and Punctuation of Participial Phrases 252 General Form -ing Pmticipial Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 253 General Form -ed Participial Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 254 Perfect Form Participial Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 255 Participial Phrases and Writing Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 257 Reduced Adverb Clauses 258 Review. . .. . .. . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. 261 Editing Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 263 Writing Practice 263 Appendix A: The Process ofAcademic Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 265 The Writing Process, Step 1: Creating (Prewriting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 265 The Writing Process, Step 2: Planning (Outlining) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 271 Contents The Writing Process, Step 3: Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 272 The Writing Process, Step 4: Polishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 273 Editing Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 277 Appendix B: Punctuation Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 280 Commas 280 Semicolons 283 Colons , . . . . . . .. 285 Quotation Marks .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 288 Editing Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 289 Appendix C: Charts of Connecting Words and Transition Signals 291 Coordinating Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 291 Subordinating Words .... '.' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 292 I Conjunctive Adverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 295 Transition Signals 297 Appendix D: Editing Symbols 300 Appendix E: Research and Documentation of Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 303 Types of Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 303 Evaluating Sources 304 Documentation of Sources 306 In-Text Citations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 306 Works-Cited Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 308 Appendix F: Self-Editing and Peer-Editing Worksheets 313 Scoring Rubrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 315 Index 331 Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 337 What's New in the Fourth Edition Preface Writing Academic English, Fourth Edition, is a comprehensive rhetoric and sentence structure textbook/workbook for high-intermediate to advanced English language learners who are in college or are college bound. The book teaches writing in a straightforward manner, using a step-by-step approach. Clear, relevant models illus- trate each step, and varied practices reinforce each lesson. The first part of the book provides a quick review of paragraph writing and sum- marizing, followed by a chapter that introduces the essay. The second part of the book offers comprehensive chapters on process, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, and argumentative essays. Sentence structure, with special emphasis on subordi- nated structures, is taught in the third part of the book. Throughout the book, models and practices feature general acade1].ic topics that are timely and relevant to students living in a rapidly changing world. In addition, readings from cun-ent, real-world publications conclude the chapters on different essay forms. Most chapters offer a variety of writing assignments, and each chapter ends with a review of the main teaching points. Appendices explain the writing process; give punctuation rules; show charts of connecting words, transition signals, and editing symbols; and teach students basic research and documentation skills. Self-editing and peer-editing worksheets and model scoring rubrics are also provided. References to the appendices appear within the chapters where students are likely to benefit most from using this material. Instructors familiar with the third edition will find these changes: • Part I, Writing a Paragraph, has been condensed from seven to three chapters in order to move students more quickly to writing essays. • Part II, Writing an Essay, has been expanded froJ:Il two to five chapters. Each pattern of essay organization now has its own chapter. A new chapter on argumentative essays has been added. This chapter also serves as an introduction to using supporting materials from outside sources. • Each essay chapter concludes with one or two short readings, selected because of their high interest and because they employ the pattern of organization taught in the chapter. Following the readings are exercises asking students to analyze rhetorical devices and patterns and/or to summarize the content. Writing assign- ments based on the readings are also provided. Instruction in basic research and documentation skills has been added in Appen- dix E. Examples of MLA-style in-text citations appear throughout the text. • The sections on summarizing and paraphrasing have been expanded to include intermediate-step exercises to help students master these difficult skills. Both self-editing and peer-editing worksheets are provided in Appendix F, along with scoring rublics for use by instructors. Finally, models have been updated, practice materials freshened, and expla- nations streamlined, always with the intention of making the material more accessible to students. ix Preface Order of Lesson Presentation Topic Suggestions In-Class Writing Writing under Pressure Practice Exercises Editing Writing Academic English is intended to be covered in one fifteen-week semester, with classes meeting five hours a week. The chapters in Part I, Writing a Paragraph, and Part II, Wliting an Essay, should be taught in sequence. The sentence structure chapters in Part III should be taught alongside the chapters in Parts I and II in order to encourage students to write a variety of complex structures. Chapter 10, Types of Sentences, should be taught at the beginning of the course; subsequent sentence structure chapters may be taught in any order. Wherever possible, instructors should integrate sentence structure with rhetoric. For example, adverbial time clauses in Part III may be taught simultaneously with chronological order in Chapter 5. For courses shorter than fifteen weeks, the text is flexible enough to allow instructors to pick and choose chapters that best suit the needs of their classes. Sentence structure is presented separately from rhetoric, so these chapters may be omitted altogether, leaving the instructor free to concentrate solely on writ- ing. For twelve-week terms, we suggest omitting Chapters 8 and 9. For even shorter terms, instructors may elect to concentrate solely on the essay, Chapters 4 through 9. The topics listed for each writing assignment are only suggestions. Some chapters have more than one kind of topic. (1) Some are academic in nature but still general enough so that students from different disciplines can tackle them. (2) Topics on the Lighter Side allow students to draw on personal experience. (3) Topics for content- based writing assignments that follow the reading at the end of essay chapters relate to the readings. (4) Topics for timed writings are offered in several chapters in order to give students practice in this important skill. Of course, we encourage instructors to keep their eyes open for topics from cur- rent news or for graphs, photographs, and charts in newspapers on which to base writing assignments. Group brainstorming and in-class writing of first drafts are especially helpful in the early stages because the instructor is available for immediate consultation. Also, the instructor can check to make sure everyone is on the right track. Pair and group col- laboration is appropriate for brainstorming and editing work; however, writing is essentially an individual task even when done in class. Special assignments are included to be done in class under time pressure to sti- mulate the experience of writing essay examinations-valuable practice for college-bound students. Instructors should adjust time limits depending on the needs of the class. The final practice exercises of the sentence-structure chapters usually ask students to write original sentences. Because these practices prove whether the students understand the structures and can produce them correctly on their own, we encour- age instructors to use them. For most chapters, self-editing and peer-editing worksheets are plinted back-to-back in Appendix F. Instructors can use one or the other, or both, as they prefer. One method of using the peer-editing worksheet is to have peer editors record their com- ments on the worksheet. An alternative method is to have each student read his or Acknowledgments Scoring Rubrics Chapter- Opening Photographs Preface her draft out loud to a small group of classmates and then to elicit oral comments and suggestions by asking the checklist questions. The student who has read then writes down the group's suggestions on his or her own paper. Instructors can also respond to student writing by using the peer-editing checklist. Two sample scoring rubrics are provided at the beginning of Appendix P, one for paragraphs and one for essays. Their purpose is twofold: to show students how instructors might evaluate their writing, and to suggest a schema for instructors to do so. Instructors are invited to photocopy the rubrics. Of course, the rubrics may be modified to suit individual assignments and individual preferences. The photographs introducing each chapter of the book depict some of the forms of written communication used by diverse cultures throughout the evolution of civilization. Many people have contributed to this edition of Writing Academic English. We especially thank Laura Le Drean, who traveled countless miles and spent countless hours gathering valuable feedback from users of the previous edition. Thanks also to our development editor, Molly Sackler, for making sure of the accuracy of our information and the consistency of its presentation, and to our production editors, Lynn Contrucci and Jane Townsend, for their expertise in fitting all these words onto the printed page. Special thanks also to Rhea Banker, who found the beautiful pho- tographs that appear on the opening pages of each part and each chapter. To the many students and teachers who took the time to offer suggestions, we extend our heartfelt thanks: David Ross, Intensive English Program, Houston, Texas; Marsha Gerechter Abramovich, Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Alex Jones, Seattle, Washington; Anita Sokmen, Director, English Language Programs Extension Courses & Marketing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Patty Heises, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Angelina Arellanes-Nunez, University of Texas at El Paso; Donie Brass, Annapolis, Maryland; Barbara Smith-Palinkas, Tampa, Florida; Jacqueline Smith, Brooklyn, New York; and Diana Savas, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, California. We hope you recognize the many places where your advice has helped to improve the book. Writing a Paragraph 2 Paragraph Structure A paragraph is a group ofrelated sentences that discuss one (and usually only one) main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences. The number of sentences is unimportant; however, the paragraph should be long enough to develop the main idea clearly. A paragraph may stand by itself. In academic writing, you often write a paragraph to answer a test question such as the following: "Define management by objective, and give one example of it from the reading you have done for this class." A para- graph may also be one part of a longer piece of writing such as an essay or a book. We mark a paragraph by indenting the first word about a half inch (five spaces on a typewriter or computer) from the left margin. The following model contains all the elements of a good paragraph. Read it care- fully two or three times. Then answer the Writing Technique questions that follow, which will help you analyze its structure. Chapter 1 I Paragraph Structure 3 MODElL . Paragraph Structure Writing Technique Questions 1. What is the topic of the paragraph? 2. What two main points does the writer make about the topic? 3. In which two sentences does the writer say that there are twomain points? 4. What examples does the writer use to support each point? The Three Parts of a Paragraph All paragraphs have a topic sentence and supporting sentences, and some para- graphs also have a concluding sentence. The topic sentence states the main idea ofthe paragraph. It not only names the topic of the paragraph, but it also limits the topic to one specific area that can be discussed completely in the space of a single paragraph. The part of the topic sentence that announces the specific area to be discussed is called the controlling idea. Notice how the topic sentence of the model states both the topic and the controlling idea: TOPIC CONTROLLING IDEA @a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. That is, they explain or prove the topic sentence by giving more information about it. Following are some of the supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence about gold. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts' suits. llustrous: glowing 2corrosion: chemical damage 3untarnished: unchanged in color 4 Part 1 I Writing a Paragraph The concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to remember: In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility. Concluding sentences are customary for stand-alone paragraphs. However, para- graphs that are parts of a longer piece of writing usually do not need concluding sentences. The Topic Sentence Every good paragraph has a topic sentence, which clearly states the topic and the controlling idea of the paragraph. A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. It bliefly indicates what the paragraph is going to discuss. For this reason, the topic sentence is a helpful guide to both the writer and the reader. The writer can see what information to include (and what information to exclude). The reader can see what the paragraph is going to be about and is therefore better prepared to understand it. For example, in the model paragraph on gold, the topic sentence alerts the reader to look for two characteristics. Here are three important points to remember about a topic sentence. 1. A topic sentence is a complete sentence; that is, it contains at least one subject and one verb. The following are not complete sentences because they do not have verbs: Driving on freeways. How to register for college classes. The rise of indie films.! 2. A topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea. It names the topic and then limits the topic to a specific area to be discussed in the space of a single paragraph. TOPIC CONTROLLING IDEA Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness. Registering for college classes an be a frustrating experience for new students. TOPIC TOPIC CONTROLLING IDEA CONTROLLING IDEA The rise of indie film is due to several factors. 'indie films: independent films; films not made in or by Hollywood studios Position of Topic Sentences Cbapter 1 I Paragraph Structure 5 3. A topic sentence is the most general statement in the paragraph because it gives only the main idea. It does not give any specific details. A topic sentence is like the name of a particular course on a restaurant menu. When you order food in a restaurant, you want to know more about a particular course than just "meat" or "soup" or "salad." You want to know generally what kind of salad it is. Potato salad? Mixed green salad? Fruit salad? However, you do not necessarily want to know all the ingredients. Similarly, a reader wants to know generally what to expect in a paragraph, but he or she does not want to learn all the details in the first sentence. Following is a general statement that could serve as a topic sentence. The Arabic origin of many English words is not always obvious. The following sentence, on the other hand, is too specific. It could serve as a sup- porting sentence but not as a topic sentence. The slang expression so long (meaning "good-bye") is probably_$. corruption of the Arabic salaam. This sentence is too general. English has been influenced by other languages. The topic sentence is usually (but not always) the first sentence in a paragraph. Experienced writers sometimes put topic sentences in other locations, but the best spot is usually right at the beginning. Readers who are used to the English way of writing want to know what they will read about as soon as they begin reading. Synonyms Synonyms. words that have the same basic meaning. do not always have the same emotional meaning. For example, the words stingy and frugal both mean "careful with money." However, calling someone stingy is an insult, but calling someone frugal is a compliment. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, aggressive but not pushy. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because many so-called synonyms are not really synonymous at all. Sometimes a topic sentence comes at the end. In this case, the paragraph often begins with a series of examples. Other paragraphs may begin with a series of facts, and the topic sentence at the end is the conclusion from these facts.
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