WRITING & GRAMMAR CURRICULUM
EFFECTIVE FALL 2012
Austin Community College
ESOL Writing and Grammar Curriculum
*All Writing Courses must include graded in-class writing assignments.
Course
Writing Topics
ESOL 0380
1. Introduce the writing process
2. Simple-Sentence with affirmative, negative, and
interrogative
3. Compound Sentences with coordinating
conjunctions (and, or, but, so) form
4. Format of a paragraph
5. Parts of a paragraph
(Topic sentence, support, concluding sentence)
6. Basic punctuation/mechanics
7. Capitalization
8. Narrative and descriptive paragraphs
9. Journal writing for fluency (OPTIONAL)
Paragraph word guideline: 50-75
ESOL 0381
1. Review writing process
2. Writing a paragraph with topic sentence, main ideas
with supporting details, concluding sentence
3. Descriptive paragraph
4. Narrative paragraph
5. Reason/opinion paragraph
6. Review simple and compound sentence forms
7. Complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions
8. Multi-paragraph paper (OPTIONAL)
9. Journal writing for fluency (OPTIONAL)
Paragraph word guideline: 75-100
Grammar Topics
1. General Introduction to parts of speech
2. Pronouns
3. Introduction to articles
(Count and Non-count nouns)
4. Basic S-V-O syntax
5. Simple present and present continuous
6. Simple past (regular and some irregular verbs)
7. Introduction to basic, high frequency adverbs
8. Future: introduction to be going to
9. Yes/no questions
10. Negatives
1. Review of simple present and present continuous, simple
past
2. Past progressive with when and while
3. Future: will vs. be going to
4. Review Yes/No Questions, introduce wh-questions and tag
questions
5. Introduce Modals: Focus on present and simple past**
6. Nouns/pronouns/articles
WRITING & GRAMMAR CURRICULUM
EFFECTIVE FALL 2012
ESOL 0382
1. Review writing process
2. Paragraph vs. multi-paragraph essay format with
introductory and concluding paragraphs
3. Reason/Argument
4. Process (how-to)
5. Comparison or Contrast
6. Description using adjective clauses
7. Brief review simple, compound, complex sentences
8. Classification (OPTIONAL)
9. Journal writing for fluency (OPTIONAL)
10. Typed essays encouraged
Paragraph word guideline: 100-125
ESOL 0383
1. Review writing process
2. Review essay format
3. Paraphrasing and Summarizing
4. Classification Essay
5. Cause/Effect Essay
6. Process Analysis/Explanation Essay using passive
7. Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay (OPTIONAL)
8. Journal writing for fluency (OPTIONAL)
9. Typed essays required
Paragraph word guideline: 125-150
ESOL 0384
1. Review writing process (with Narrative Essay)
2. Comparison-Contrast Essay
3. Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay
4. Documented essay: Teacher’s choice
5. Paraphrasing and summarizing for use in one essay
6. Cause/Effect Essay (OPTIONAL)
7. Journal writing for fluency (OPTIONAL)
8. Typed essays required
Paragraph word guideline: 125-150
1. Review of simple present and present continuous, simple
past, past progressive, future tense
2. Present perfect and present perfect continuous
3. Comparisons and Superlatives
4. Modals**
5. Adjective clauses—restrictive and non-restrictive
6. Gerunds & Infinitives
7. Introduce phrasal verbs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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7.
8.
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2.
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7.
8.
Review verb tenses to show integrated tenses
Past Perfect and Past Perfect Progressive
Review of articles
More modals that focus on the past **
Transitions/conjunctive adverbs vs. conjunctions
(coordinating and subordinating) to connect
ideas/sentences
Noun clauses
Reported and indirect speech
Passive
Review verb tenses to show integrated tenses
Future Perfect & Future Perfect Progressive
Review adjective, noun, and adverb clauses
Review passive
Reduction of clauses
Review of gerunds and infinitives
Conditionals/wish
Phrasal Verbs
WRITING & GRAMMAR CURRICULUM
EFFECTIVE FALL 2012
**Modals:
High Beginning:
Modals of Ability (present and past—can/could)
Modals of Permission (can, may, could)
Modals of Request (can, could, will, would, may)
Modals of Advice (should, had better, ought to)
Modals of Necessity & Prohibition (must/must not, have to/don’t have to)
Low Intermediate:
Modals of Ability (present, past, future—can, could, be able to)
Modals of Permission (can, may, could, would you mind if, do you mind if)
Modals of Request (can, could, will, would, may, would you mind + gerund)
Modals of Advice (should, had better, ought to, let’s, need to, why not)
Modals of Necessity & Prohibition (must/must not, have to/don’t have to, have got to, can’t)
Modals of Preference (would rather, prefer, would like)
Modals of Future Possibility (may, might, could)
Modals of Certainty/Probability/Conclusion (must, have got to, may, might, could, can’t)
High Intermediate:
Modals of Advisability in the Past—Modal + Past participle (should have, ought to have, could have, might have)
Modals of Speculation and Conclusions about the Past—Modal + Past participle (could have, would have, may have, might have, had
to have, must have)