Academic Writing
Fall 2012 Meet twice a week Wednesday, Friday
Time: Wednesday 4:10-6:00 Friday 10:10-12:00
E-mail: austinkc@hotmail.com
Phone: 134 3922 0499
Website: http://austincasey.yolasite.com/
Writing Center: ICB 106 Monday 10-12, Friday 2-4
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Today:
Attendance
Grades
Syllabus
Go over Midterm: Common Mistakes
IELTS Task 1: More Details
Practice Vocabulary
Homework: Journal 7
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Midterm Grades
The midterm was worth 20 points
You will get your test result next Friday (November 22nd)
The average score was a B
Grade Breakdown:
18-20 A
(6 people) 90-100%
16-17 B
(19 people) 80-89%
14-15 C
(7 people) 70-79%
12-13 D
(3 people) 60-69%
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Midterm Grades
The biggest problem was vocabulary.
Specifically, you need to know how to change the word from one
form to another.
Example: Change evolution (n.) into _________ (adj.)
This is a concern for students in general and you will encounter this
in the future in both writing and speaking. So you must learn this
Second biggest problem: What is a good thesis statement A-D
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Midterm Grades
To check your grade, come see me during the break.
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Syllabus (Class Schedule)
Grading Format
Class attendance & participation – 10%
Writings, quizzes and homework – 30%
Midterm exam – 20%
Final exam – 40%
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W9 midterm exam: vocabulary + composition
W10 using outside sources (Writing Academic English,
chapter 3 and appendix E)
W11Focus on Vocabulary, chapter 3
W12 paraphrase and summary (Writing Academic
English, chapter 8)
W13 Focus on Vocabulary, chapter 5
W14 IELTS writing task 1
W15 IELTS writing task 2
W16 revision expository essay duel
W17 Final exam – IELTS reading and writing 30 points
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+ vocabulary 10 points
Syllabus (Class Schedule)
I gave you a copy of the syllabus at the beginning
of the semester
You can download the syllabus on my website:
http://austincasey.yolasite.com/
Remember we also have a journal due every Friday,
except the essay week and the final exam week
(16&17). So we will have 12 journals total.
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Midterm
Part 1. Vocabulary
A. Match the word on the left to its correct
definition on the right. Write the correct letter, A–
L, in the blank provided. Two definitions will not
be used. (10 questions, 0.25 point each, 2.5
points total)
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1. affective
2. contemporary
A. a quality or fact that makes someone or
something special or different
3. distinction
B. a way of communicating or expressing
something
4. diversification
C. in a way that is easy to see
5. encounter
D. independent and not supporting any side in an
argument, fight, or competition
6. evaluate
E. influenced by or resulting from emotions
7. evidently
F. not important
8. inconsequential
G. power, influence and control
9. itemize
H. someone living during the same period as
another
10. medium
L. to list things separately,
often including details
about each thing
I. the act of becoming or making something
become varied or different
J. to have or experience, especially problems or
difficulties
K. to judge the value or condition of
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Part 1-A Answer Key
E
H
A
I
J
K
C
F
L
B
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C. Write the correct form of the word in brackets in the blank provided. Correct
spelling is required for credit. (10 questions, 0.25 point each, 2.5 points total)
1. Solving the problem of illegal drug use is an issue of great
_____________________ (complex).
2. _________________________ (evolve) processes give rise to diversity at every
level of biological organisation, including entire species, individual organisms, and
molecules.
3. Harvard University _________________________ (conference) an honorary degree
on Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in 2008.
4. The sentence “She is a lovely girl” is an example of _________________________
(evaluate) language, or language that judges the worth of something.
5. The patient complained to his doctor about his _________________________
(persist) cough and frequent shortness of breath.
6. The post popular software program for word _________________________
(process) is Microsoft Word, though many alternative programs—including online
applications—do exist.
7. The US-led War on Terror and _________________________ (consequence)
failure to discover weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have damaged America’s
image in the world.
8. He felt that his parents were always _________________________ (contrast) him
with his older brother, whose abilities far exceeded his own.
9. She is a strong introvert and often _________________________ (decline) our
invitations to join us at the local pub after work.
10. Significant _________________________ (vary) in the quality
12 of a company’s
products will lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Answers: Part 1B
complexity
Evolutionary
conferred
evaluative <or> evaluating
persistent <or> persisting
processing
consequent <or> consequential
contrasting
declines
variation(s) <or> variability <or> variety
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Outline:
Introduction
Hook: catch reader's interest
Thesis statement
Body
P1 Topic sentence 1 with 3 evidence (supporting sentence)
P2 Topic sentence 2 with 3 evidence
P3 Topic sentence 3 with 3 evidence
Conclusion
Summary
Final Comment
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Part 2B
1.What two things should every topic sentence
include?
2.Read the paragraph in the box below. Does it
have unity? If not, edit the paragraph to make it
unified.
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Does this have unity?
Shaking hands is a Western gesture that has
historically had a variety of meanings. Joseph Lazarow
holds the world record for shaking 11,000 hands in a
single day. During the late 16th century, people joined
right hands to show that neither person was carrying a
weapon. Over time, a handshake came to convey trust
and equality. Handshaking is now an activity practiced
when meeting or greeting others, offering somebody
congratulations or completing an agreement. Thus the
meaning of a handshake has evolved significantly over
time
.
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Part 2B
1.What two things should every topic sentence
include? Topic & controlling idea (thesis or
opinion- what you think about the topic +
evidence)
2.Read the paragraph in the box below. Does it
have unity? If not, edit the paragraph to make it
unified. No it doesn't. Remove the second
sentence.
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Part 2B
3.What are two ways to write a concluding
sentence for a paragraph?
4.Read the introductory paragraph in the box
below. What type of introduction is this?
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What type of introduction?
Kyudo (弓道), which means “the way of the bow” in
Japanese, is the Zen martial art of archery (射箭). It
was adopted into traditional Buddhist practice from
medieval Japanese archers who used 2.1-metre
asymmetrical bows called yumi. Although kyudo lacks
the widespread popularity of karate or judo, it is often
regarded as one of the most intensive martial arts in
existence, taking an estimated thirty years to master.
In fact, a person who wishes to master kyudo must
demonstrate not only concentration and balance but
also persistence.
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What type of introduction?
Various answers:
1. Historical (background information story)
2. Surprising statistics or facts
3. Funnel style
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5. Which thesis statement below (A) is too general, (B)
makes a simple announcement, (C) states an obvious
fact, and (D) is well-written? Write the correct letter, A–
D, in the blank provided. Each letter will be used only
once.
i. The sun is the source of energy in our solar system.
ii. Abraham Maslow was an important psychologist.
iii.Most American hold three distinct values: individual
freedom, equality of opportunity, and material wealth.
iv.This essay will show the three main reasons why
American scientists are having trouble finding jobs.
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5. Which thesis statement below (A) is too general, (B)
makes a simple announcement, (C) states an obvious
fact, and (D) is well-written? Write the correct letter, A–
D, in the blank provided. Each letter will be used only
once.
i. C. The sun is the source of energy in our solar system.
ii. A. Abraham Maslow was an important psychologist.
iii. D. Most American hold three distinct values: individual
freedom, equality of opportunity, and material wealth.
iv. B. This essay will show the three main reasons why
American scientists are having trouble finding jobs.
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Announcement:
iv. B. This essay will show the three main reasons why
American scientists are having trouble finding jobs.
X Never use an announcement when writing anything
ever. It is boring and unprofessional
-Hello, today we are going to discuss...X
-I am going to show...
X
-I am going to talk about... X
-In this essay...
X
-In this paper let's consider...X
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Part 2C: Final Composition
C. Write a paragraph of at least 150 words describing the
information in the figure. Use at least three of the words in
the box below, or words from the same word family, in your
response. You may copy wording directly from the figure into
your paragraph. (1 question, 5 points)
Use the words: affect, contrast, distinct, diverse,
environment, estimate, range, significant, vary
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Model Answer:
The paragraph is at least 150 words.
The response correctly uses at least three of the words from
the word box, or words from the same word family.
The paragraph has a clear topic sentence with both a topic
and a controlling idea.
All of the relevant information is included in the response.
The paragraph has unity: every supporting sentence relates
directly to the controlling idea.
The paragraph has coherence: it flows smoothly and logically
from sentence to sentence.
The paragraph has a clear concluding sentence that either
paraphrases the topic sentence or summarizes the main
ideas.
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All rainforests have four distinct layers, also called strata. The
first layer is the emergent layer, which is made up of very large
trees reaching heights of 45 to 55 metres. Birds, butterflies, bats
and some monkeys live here. As the topmost layer, it is the only
full-sun layer. The second layer is the canopy layer. This layer
has the majority of trees, which grow 30 to 45 metres and form a
“roof” affecting the layers below. Many more animals live here,
including snakes, lizards, frogs and many insects. Beneath the
canopy is the understorey, which is made up of vines and dense
vegetation. Predators such as jaguars and leopards live here, as
well as many of the species mentioned above. This layer is very
shaded; it receives only 5% of the total sunlight. The bottommost
layer is the forest floor. The environment here is dark (receiving
an estimated 2% of sunlight), damp, and full of decaying plant
and animal matter. The largest animals live here: humans, giant
anteaters, gorillas, elephants and tigers, as well as some
additional species: moss, fungi, bacteria and more insects. In
summary, a rainforest is composed of four different areas, each
of which are home to a diverse range of plants and
animals and
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receive varied levels of sunlight.
IELTS Task 1: Practice
IELTS Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the changes in maximum
number of Asian elephants between 2000 and
2009.
Summarize the information by selecting and
reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
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Use: the population fell, the number of elephants
dropped as low as..., the population experienced a
dramatic fall, although the trend was downwards
overall...
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IELTS Task 1
Describe a graph in a report. The report is for
university professors to read, so you must use
advance vocabulary and grammar.
Different types of graphs you will see:
Line graph
Bar graph
Pie chart
Table
Other figure
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IELTS Task 1
Task 1 rules:
Your report must be of at least 150 words written
in 20 minutes.
You shouldn’t write your opinion or copy too many
words from the task prompt – rephrase and use
synonyms instead.
Never use symbols or other punctuation such as ------, ….... , ,,,,,,, *****, &, @, ect.,____ ===
write as if you were writing an essay or a letter.
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IELTS Task 1
When your Task 1 is graded by IELTS examiners,
they look for this structure:
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
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IELTS Task 1: Introduction
The Introduction should describe the purpose of
your report and say what overall trends you
see.
For example, if the graph is climbing up or
dropping down, you should mention that. You
need to remember that you are describing a
graph to someone who doesn’t see it. Write
what the graph is about, its dates and location
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IELTS Task 1: Body
The Body should describe the most important
trends, while all information is summarized to
avoid unnecessary details. For example, if there
is a graph that has 2 peaks, you should mention
them; tell when those peaks appeared and what
the peak values are. Notice how many
distinctive features the diagram has and divide
information into paragraphs, one paragraph per
feature. You should link the paragraphs by
sentences that logically connect them to one
another.
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IELTS Task 1: Body
Important! You need to write about all the periods
of time and all the subjects of graph. If it shows
several years (2008, 2010, 2012) – write about
all of them, if it is about men and women – write
about both. Remember, summarizing doesn’t
mean throwing away information. The secret
here is to select what’s important, organize it,
compare and contrast.
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IELTS Task 1: Conclusion
The Conclusion should sum up the global trends
shown on the graph and compare them if
possible.
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IELTS Task 1: Example
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie chart below shows electricity generation by source in Germany in 1980 and
2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons.
Write at least 150 words.
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Task 1: Useful Words
- make up (this graph is made up of several...)
- represent (Bar B clearly represents...)
- account for (this slice of the pie accounts for...)
Coal made up 28 units of the total pie of Germany's
energy consumption in 1980. The total units were
107 so that is about 30%.
In 2010 nuclear energy consumption increased
from 20 units to 155 units which represents about
73% of the total.
Natural gas accounted for 28 units in 1980, but is
just 2 units today.
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Task 1: Tip
Many figures are outdated, they are several years
or even 10 years old.
There are often 2 figures. One is older and one is
newer.
The newer figure can called as 'today' or 'now'
and the older one can be seen as 'the past'
Generally speaking
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How about TOEFL?
Electronic test
Reading 3–4 passages, each containing 12–14
questions 60–80 minutes
Listening 6–9 passages, each containing 5–6
questions 60–90 minutes
Break
10 minutes
Speaking 6 tasks and 6 questions 20 minutes
Writing 2 tasks and 2 questions 50 minutes
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IELTS ScoreTOEFL Score
9
118-120
8.5
115-117
8
110-114
7.5
102-109
7
94-101
6.5
79-93
6
60-78
5.5
46-59
5
35-45
4.5
32-34
0-4
0-31
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TOEFL Materials
I have some TOEFL Materials. You may ask me if
you are interested. They are 2GB total and are
mostly Iso files so you will need mounting
software to play them.
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Vocabulary: Chap.3 words p.24
assistance=help
available = is there; can meet i.e. He is available
consist = made of
consume = buy,eat/take in
contribute = help, devote something (time or money)
conversely = on the other hand
cooperate = work together
domestic = house/family/inside our country
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Vocabulary: Chap.3 words p.24
function = work
isolation = by oneself, to be alone
labor = work
locate = find
maintain = keep
minority = a small number of people (opposite of
majority)
negative = the opposite of positive
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Vocabulary: Chap.3 words p.24
network = a community or group
nuclear = a central thing (nuclear family)
promote = improve (a job) or recommend
purchase = to buy
rely = to depend on someone
resource = materials that we use
structure = shape, building
transition = to change the position
trend = fad, pattern
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Journal 7
Friendship:
Write an essay defining what friendship means to
you. Be sure to use specific reasons and
examples to develop your definition.
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Journal 7
Friendship:
Remember: use personal examples/experiences
Use 4 new words from FOV Chapter 2 or Chapter
3 if you prefer.
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Class Schedule
Week 10, Class A
Week 10, Class B
Review IELTS
Journal 7 Due
FOV Chap.3
Academic Writing
Week 11, Class A
Chap. 3
Week 11, Class B
Vocabulary Quiz
Journal 8 Due
(FOV Chap.3 words)
48
Homework
1. Journal 7: Friendship
2. Finish Vocabulary 'Getting Started' on p.24
3. Review the IELTS Task 1
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