BETTER SENTENCES
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This is an hour-long assignment each week. The purpose of the assignment is to develop your
writing skills so that you have a clear understanding of sentence structure and can effectively
and easily edit your own work.
You will meet in the lab and e-mail me your assignment at the end of the hour. You may work
together. In fact, I encourage you to do so! My e-mail is peggyarm@hotmail.com.
Bring your Focus on Grammar textbook with you to the lab because the assignments are based
on the From Grammar to Writing sections of the book.
Check your answers in the textbook that is in the lab.
In Grammar class, I will check your textbooks from time to time to monitor the assignments.
Week 1:
1. With your group, read pp. 46-48 and do Exercises 1, 2, and 3 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, rewrite the paragraph in Exercise 2. Also, on p. 48, do Exercise 4 - type 2
paragraphs about an experience you had while traveling. Check each other’s work.
Week 2:
1. With your group, read pp. 103-104 and do Exercises 1, 2, and 3 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, write topic sentences for Exercise 4, p. 105 and do Exercise 5. Check each
other’s topic sentences before sending me the e-mail.
Week 3:
1. With your group, read pp. 167-171 and do Exercises 1-6 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, type a corrected form of exercise 7 on p. 172. Then interview each other
and type a paragraph about that information (exercise 8).
Week 4:
1. With your group, read pp. 210-212 and do Exercises 1-4 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, write a 2-paragraph description of a picture you find on the Internet (p. 213,
exercise 5). Use at least 2 identifying and 2 non-identifying adjective clauses. Check each
other’s punctuation.
Week 5:
1. With your group, read pp. 248-250 and do Exercises 1, 2, and 3 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, write a paragraph for Exercise 4, p. 250. Make sure that you have the
following in your paragraph: a series of nouns in parallel form and a series of passive verbs in
parallel form. Check each other’s topic sentences before sending me the e-mail.
Week 6:
1. With your group, read p. 287 and do Exercises 1 and 2 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, rewrite the paragraph in Exercise 3. Then write a paragraph for Exercise 4
with at least one series or pairs of gerunds in parallel form and infinitives in parallel form. Check
each other’s topic sentences before sending me the e-mail.
Week 7:
1. With your group, read pp. 354-356 and do Exercises 1, 2, and 3 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, write sentences for Exercise 4, p. 357 and do Exercise 5 with ta least one
transition, coordinating conjunction, and subordinating conjunction. Check each other’s
paragraphs for punctuation before sending me the e-mail.
Week 8:
1. With your group, read pp. 395-397 and do Exercises 1, 2, and 3 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, write sentences for Exercise 4, p. 398 and do Exercise 5. Check each other’s
papers before sending me the e-mail.
Week 9:
1. With your group, read pp. 435-437 and do Exercises 1, 2, and 3 in your textbooks.
2. In an e-mail to me, rewrite the paragraph in Exercise 4. Then write a paragraph for Exercise 5
(p. 438) WITHOUT CAPITALIZATION OR PUNCTUATION. Let your partner add the punctuation
and capital letters for you. Send me the original paper and the revised paper.