WriteRight (1)
One third of the ARA 1030 module is dedicated to improving student writing skills. We call this part of the module Write
RIGHT . The aims of WriteRIGHT are:

To help students recognise the common basic stylistic, grammatical, structural and presentational faults in
undergraduate writing

To encourage students to proof-read and self-correct their written work

To guide students through the process of essay writing, from first stage to last

To foster good writing practice by encouraging good reading practice
Everyone in the group will need to buy a copy of Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol. This ‘set text’ (nothing whatsoever
to do with archaeology of course!) will be used in a lot of ways – but the key idea is to help you appreciate the relationship
between good reading and good writing. You will be set a Christmas Carol reading task at the end of most weeks.
Information – where to find additional help
In the University
The Writing Development Centre - you can book group or one-to-one sessions for help with all aspects of assignment and
exam writing:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/
Writing Skills advice – Robinson Library
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/teaching/stan/?child_id=7
Beyond the University
Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Academic Phrasebank
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
Writing at the University of Toronto
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice
Perdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Essay Start – step by step guide
http://www.essaystart.com/Step_by_Step_Guide/topic_Selection.htm
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
http://www.grammarbook.com/
Using English for Academic Purposes
http://www.uefap.com/home/main.htm
WriteRight 1
Introduction: why are we doing this course?
WriteRight 2
Grammar – Three common bad habits (misspelling, abbreviation and comma splicing)
WriteRight 3
Grammar– Two more common bad habits (conjunctive adverbs and sentence fragments)
Essays – Understanding essay questions.
Bring along one of the essay questions you have been set this semester
WriteRight 4
Grammar – Two more common bad habits (vague pronouns and faulty agreement)
Essays - An essay is an argument: how to have one!
WriteRight 5
Essays – constructing an argument: essay plans.
Try to plan out (on one side of A4) the basic structure of one of the essays you are doing this term- and bring
it with you
WriteRight 6
Writing workshop 1: I will bring extracts from essays by past students, and we will work in small groups looking at
typical strengths and problem areas.
WriteRight 7
Grammar – apostrophes and its/it’s/it is
Essays – paragraphs and how to link them in a structured argument
WriteRight 8
Grammar : recap and quiz
Essays– summarising the content and argument of your source material
WriteRight 9
An introduction to proofreading – what it is, and how to do it properly
WriteRight 10
Grammar – active and passive voice
Essays - using quotations from your reading
WriteRight 11
Grammar – colons and semi-colons
Essays – A strong start and finish: writing opening and closing paragraphs.
Bring the opening paragraph of an essay you have written or are working on
WriteRight 12
Proofreading workshop
Bring a page from one of your essays, and we will work in small groups correcting any errors we see.
Christmas Carol task for next week
Buy the book!! Read Staves (Chapters) 1 and 2 and see what you make of the book. Make a list of
things you don’t like about it. Be honest about what you feel right now – maybe you think it is
boring, the language is difficult, it is not relevant today, there are no car chases or murders, it was
better when the Muppets did it…. Then try to find three things you DO like. Anything counts here–
elements of the plot, characters, moments of humour, even individual sentences.